Lurking around the back of the world famous Savoy lies an ingenious – if not slightly nauseating – piece of...
Lurking around the back of the world famous Savoy lies an ingenious – if not slightly nauseating – piece of Victorian engineering; London’s last remaining sewage lamp.
The Webb Patent Sewer Gas Lamp was invented in the late 19th century by the Birmingham inventor Joseph Webb. In London the lamps were used for two main reasons; firstly to burn off the smells and germs from London’s sewer system, and secondly as a low cost, low maintenance way to keep London lit up at night.
Methane was collected by a small dome in the roof of the sewer, with the gas then being diverted into the lamp on the street above. The lamp remained lit 24/7, powered at least partly by an almost unlimited amount of waste from guests staying at the nearby Savoy Hotel.
The Webb Patent Sewer Gas Lamp was invented in the late 19th century by the Birmingham inventor Joseph Webb. In London the lamps were used for two main reasons; firstly to burn off the smells and germs from London’s sewer system, and secondly as a low cost, low maintenance way to keep London lit up at night.
Methane was collected by a small dome in the roof of the sewer, with the gas then being diverted into the lamp on the street above. The lamp remained lit 24/7, powered at least partly by an almost unlimited amount of waste from guests staying at the nearby Savoy Hotel.
Fantastic! Talk about a brilliant 're-purposing'! This is a gas! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing story Darran, and yes, just like Jumpin Jack Flash. :-))
ReplyDeleteNow that's new and interesting. Thanks for sharing, Darran Hughes!
ReplyDeleteNever heard about that before - fascinating!
ReplyDeleteEwwww! But interesting:-)
ReplyDeleteUm... Except for it being dangerous if the flame went out. Wonder if there are bi-products from burning methane. If there isn't a good reason not to use it (other than it is gross when you think about it) I wonder why it was not continued? Methane causes the Green House affect in our atmosphere, and if burning it takes methane out of the air, and causes no bi product that is as bad or worse for humans I just have to wonder why?
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to ask some of my techie friends about this one.
So K. This is with thanks to Suzanne Catty A very Earth friendly person that looks to know her stuff tells me.
ReplyDelete"they collect methane from landfill sites and BMW runs one of their factory off the methane from a local landfill so using it seems the best idea."
And this was another very intelligent persons more technical reply:
ReplyDelete" Methane may be clean burning but it is still a hydrocarbon, and burning it does put carbon dioxide into the air, I believe about a third less CO2 than oil and and nearly half that of coal, per joule of energy generated. Methane as a greenhouse gas has a much stronger effect than CO2, but for a much shorter span of time, less than ten years." With thanks to Jack Bringloe