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Gasholder: Water-Sealed Zinc Gasometer with Balance Weights (Ramsay & Travers, 1898)
The laboratory gasometer Ramsay and Travers used to store argon: a zinc bell that rises and falls in a narrow ring of water between two fixed zinc cylinders. Because the water space is only about 2 cm wide, little gas dissolves in it. Weights on cords over pulleys balance the bell, and weights laid on top push the gas out.
Result: a water-sealed gasholder of 18 to 180 litres.
Source: M. W. Travers, The Experimental Study of Gases (1901), pp. 30 and 105-106. Unknown: sizes and how the zinc is joined. Picture: Fig. 34, the small mercury form of the same design.
Intermediate
Unknown
Instructions
1
1
Make the fixed cylinders
Make the fixed cylinders
Make two concentric zinc cylinders on a closed base, leaving a ring-shaped space about 2 cm wide between them for the water. Make the top of the inner cylinder dome-shaped. Bring a gas pipe with a stopcock up through the inner cylinder. Ours: zinc soldered with tin-lead solder. Not given: sizes, how the zinc is joined, the stopcock.
Materials for this step:
Zinc Sheet1 outer and inner cylinders, base
Tin-Lead Solder1 seams
Unknown Valve1 gas stopcockTools needed:
Tin Snips
Soldering Iron
Unknown Forming Method
Unknown Dimensions2
2
Make and hang the bell
Make and hang the bell
Make the gasholder bell of zinc to fit closely over the inner cylinder and down into the water ring, with a dome-shaped top matching the inner cylinder's, so all the gas can be pushed out. Ramsay and Travers made bells of about 180, 27, 18 and 18 litres. Tie a cord to the top of the bell and pass it over pulleys to a hanging weight, to take the bell's own weight off the gas. Fill the ring with water. To deliver gas, take weight off the cord or lay weights on top of the bell. Not given: the weights.
Materials for this step:
Zinc Sheet1 bellTin-Lead Solder1 seams
Hemp Cord1 balance cords
Pulley2 pulleys
Unknown Metal1 balance weightsTools needed:
Tin SnipsSoldering IronMaterials
6- 1 bellPlaceholder
- 2 seamsPlaceholder
- 1 gas stopcockPlaceholder
- 1 balance cordsPlaceholder
- 2 pulleysPlaceholder
- 1 balance weightsPlaceholder
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