Some applications of the electrolytic tank to engineering design problems

The use of the electrolytic tank as an analogue method of solving field problems has long been known, but many practising engineers and teachers may be unaware of the various applications of the method, and of its value as an engineering tool and in engineering education. The purpose of the paper is to present qualitatively, and in nonmathematical terms, certain of the field problems which may encountered in electrical-engineering design and which may be solved conveniently with the aid of simple models in an electrolytic tank. The examples are drawn mainly from the electric and magnetic field problems in electrical engineering, but indications are also given of the application to mechanical engineering. It is hoped that these examples and explanations of the various analogies will give the engineer a clearer physical picture of electric and magnetic field configurations, and that they will stimulate the interest of teachers and students in engineering colleges, and perhaps indicate useful avenues of research and wider application of the technique.