Steam engine. History of steam engines The use of water in steam engines

Steam engines or Stanley Steamer cars often come to mind when talking about "steam engines," but the use of these mechanisms is not limited to transportation. Steam engines, which were first created in a primitive form about two millennia ago, have become the largest sources of electrical power over the past three centuries, and today steam turbines produce about 80 percent of the world's electricity. To get a deeper understanding of the nature of the physical forces on the basis of which such a mechanism works, we recommend that you make your own steam engine from ordinary materials, using one of the methods suggested here! To get started, go to Step 1.

Steps

Tin can steam engine (for children)

Cut the bottom of the aluminum can at a distance of 6.35 cm. Using metal scissors, cut the bottom of the aluminum can evenly about a third of the height.

Fold and press the bezel down with pliers. To avoid sharp edges, fold the rim of the can inward. Be careful not to injure yourself while doing this.

Press down on the bottom of the can from the inside to flatten it. Most aluminum beverage cans will have a round base and a curved base. Straighten the bottom by pushing on it with your finger or using a small flat-bottomed glass.

Punch two holes on opposite sides of the can, 1.3 cm from the top. For making holes, either a paper hole punch or a nail with a hammer will work. You will need holes with a diameter of just over three millimeters.

Place a small tealight candle in the center of the jar. Crumple up the foil and place it underneath and around the candle to keep it from moving. Such candles usually come in special stands, so the wax should not melt and flow out into the aluminum can.

Wrap the center piece of copper tubing 15-20 cm long around the pencil 2 or 3 turns to form a coil. The 3mm tube should bend easily around the pencil. You will need enough curved tubing to stretch across the top of the can, plus an additional 5cm straight on each side.

Thread the ends of the tubes through the holes in the jar. The center of the coil should be over the wick of the candle. It is desirable that the straight tube sections on both sides of the can be the same length.

Bend the ends of the pipes with pliers to make a right angle. Bend the straight sections of the tube so that they point in opposite directions from opposite sides of the can. Then again bend them down so they drop below the base of the can. When everything is ready, you should get the following: the serpentine part of the tube is located in the center of the can above the candle and turns into two oblique "nozzles" looking in opposite directions on both sides of the can.

Dip the jar into a bowl of water, while the ends of the tube should be submerged. Your "boat" must be firmly on the surface. If the ends of the tubing are not submerged enough in water, try to weigh the jar a little, but do not drown it.

Fill the tube with water. The most in a simple way will dip one end into the water and pull on the other end like a straw. You can also block one outlet from the tube with your finger, and substitute the other under the stream of water from the tap.

Light a candle. After a while, the water in the tube will heat up and boil. As it turns into steam, it will exit through the "nozzles", causing the entire jar to spin in the bowl.

Paint can steam engine (for adults)

1. Cut a rectangular hole near the base of the 4 liter paint can. Make a 15 x 5 cm horizontal rectangular hole in the side of the can near the base.

   • Make sure this can (and the other one you are using) contains only latex paint and wash thoroughly with soapy water before use.

2. Cut a 12 x 24 cm strip of metal mesh. Bend 6 cm along the length from each edge at an angle of 90 o. You will have a 12 x 12 cm square "platform" with two 6 cm "legs."

   Make a semicircle of the holes around the perimeter of the lid. You will subsequently burn coal in the can to provide heat to the steam engine. If there is a lack of oxygen, the coal will not burn well. To ensure that the jar has the necessary ventilation, drill or punch several holes in the lid, which form a semicircle along the edges.

   • Ideally, the diameter of the ventilation holes should be about 1 cm.

3. Make a coil from copper tubing. Take about 6 m of soft copper tubing with a diameter of 6 mm and measure at one end 30 cm.Starting from this point, make five turns with a diameter of 12 cm.Fold the remaining length of the pipe into 15 turns with a diameter of 8 cm.You should have about 20 cm ...

   Pass both ends of the coil through the vents in the cover. Bend both ends of the coil so that they point upward and thread both through one of the holes in the cover. If the length of the pipe is not enough, then you will need to slightly unbend one of the turns.

   Place the coil and charcoal in the jar. Place the coil on the mesh platform. Fill the space around and inside the coil with charcoal. Close the cover securely.

   Drill the tubing holes in the smaller can. Drill a 1 cm hole in the center of the lid of a liter can. Drill two 1 cm holes on the side of the can - one near the base of the can, and the other above it near the lid.

   Insert a sealed plastic tube into the side holes of the smaller can. Use the ends of the copper tube to punch holes in the center of the two plugs. Insert a rigid plastic tube 25 cm long into one plug, and the same tube 10 cm long into the other plug. They should sit tightly in the traffic jams and look out a little. Insert the plug with the longer tube into the lower hole of the smaller can and the plug with the shorter tube into the upper hole. Secure the tubes to each plug with hose clamps.

   Connect the tubing of the larger can to the tubing of the smaller can. Place the smaller jar over the larger jar with the tube and stopper facing away from the vents of the larger jar. Using metal tape, secure the tubing from the bottom plug to the tubing coming out of the bottom of the copper coil. Then, in the same way, secure the tubing from the top plug with the tubing coming out of the top of the coil.

   Insert copper tube into the junction box. Using a hammer and screwdriver, remove the center section of the round metal electrical box. Secure the cable clamp with the retaining ring. Insert 15 cm of 1.3 cm diameter copper tubing into the cable tie so that the tubing extends a few centimeters below the hole in the box. Blunt the edges of this end inward with a hammer. Insert this end of the tube into the hole in the lid of the smaller jar.

   Insert the skewer into the dowel. Take a regular wooden barbecue skewer and insert it into one end of a 1.5 cm long, 0.95 cm diameter hollow wooden dowel. Insert the dowel and skewer into the copper tube inside the metal junction box with the skewer pointing up.

   • During the operation of our engine, the skewer and the dowel will act as a "piston". To better see the movement of the piston, you can attach a small paper "flag" to it.

4. Prepare the engine for operation. Remove the junction box from the smaller top jar and fill the top jar with water, letting it pour into the copper coil until the jar is 2/3 full of water. Check all connections for leaks. Secure the jar lids tightly by tapping them with a hammer. Reinstall the junction box over the smaller top jar.

5. Start the engine! Crumple up pieces of newspaper and place them in the space under the net at the bottom of the engine. When the charcoal is lit, let it burn for about 20-30 minutes. As the water heats up in the coil, steam will start to accumulate in the upper can. When the steam has reached sufficient pressure, it will push the dowel and skewer upward. Once the pressure is released, the piston will move downward by gravity. If necessary, cut off a portion of the skewer to reduce the weight of the piston - the lighter it is, the more often it will "pop up". Try to make a skewer of such a weight that the piston "moves" at a constant pace.

   • You can speed up the burning process by increasing the flow of air into the vents with a hairdryer.

6. Observe safety. We believe it goes without saying that care must be taken when working and handling a homemade steam engine. Never run it indoors. Never run it near flammable materials such as dry leaves or overhanging tree branches. Only use the engine on a solid, non-flammable surface such as concrete. If you are working with children or teenagers, then they should not be left unattended. Children and adolescents are prohibited from approaching the engine while charcoal is burning in it. If you do not know the temperature of the engine, then assume that it is so hot that it cannot be touched.

   • Make sure that steam can escape from the upper "boiler". If, for any reason, the piston gets stuck, pressure can build up inside the smaller can. In the worst case scenario, the bank can explode, which very dangerous.
• Place the steam engine in a plastic boat, dipping both ends into the water to create a steam toy. You can cut a simple boat out of a plastic soda bottle or bleach bottle to make your toy more sustainable.

A steam engine is a heat engine in which the potential energy of the expanding steam is converted into mechanical energy given to the consumer.

Let's get acquainted with the principle of operation of the machine using the simplified diagram of Fig. 1.

Inside the cylinder 2 there is a piston 10, which can move back and forth under the steam pressure; the cylinder has four channels that can be opened and closed. Two upper steam supply ducts1 and3 connected by a pipeline to the steam boiler, and through them fresh steam can enter the cylinder. Through the two bottom drips, 9 and 11 pairs, which have already completed the work, are discharged from the cylinder.

The diagram shows the moment when channels 1 and 9 are open, channels 3 and11 closed. Therefore, fresh steam from the boiler through the channel1 enters the left cavity of the cylinder and moves the piston to the right with its pressure; at this time, the exhaust steam is removed through channel 9 from the right cavity of the cylinder. At the extreme right position of the piston, the channels1 and9 closed, and 3 for the fresh steam inlet and 11 for the exhaust steam outlet are open, as a result of which the piston will move to the left. When the piston is in the extreme left position, the channels open1 and 9 and channels 3 and 11 are closed and the process is repeated. Thus, a rectilinear reciprocating movement of the piston is created.

To convert this movement into rotational, the so-called crank mechanism... It consists of a piston rod-4, connected with one end to the piston, and the other pivotally, by means of a slider (crosshead) 5 sliding between the guide parallels, with a connecting rod 6, which transmits movement to the main shaft 7 through its elbow or crank 8.

The magnitude of the torque on the main shaft is not constant. Indeed, the strengthR directed along the stem (Fig. 2) can be decomposed into two components:TO directed along the connecting rod, andN , perpendicular to the plane of the guiding parallels. The force N has no effect on the movement, but only presses the slider against the guiding parallels. ForceTO is transmitted along the connecting rod and acts on the crank. Here it can again be decomposed into two components: strengthZ , directed along the radius of the crank and pressing the shaft to the bearings, and the forceT perpendicular to the crank and causing the shaft to rotate. The magnitude of the force T is determined by considering the triangle AKZ. Since the angle ZAK =? +? then

T = K sin (? + ?).

But from the OCD triangle strength

K = P / cos ?

therefore

T = Psin ( ? + ?) / cos ? ,

When the machine is running for one revolution of the shaft, the angles? and? and strengthR are constantly changing, and therefore the magnitude of the twisting (tangential) forceT is also variable. To create a uniform rotation of the main shaft during one revolution, a heavy flywheel is placed on it, due to the inertia of which a constant angular speed of rotation of the shaft is maintained. In those moments when strengthT increases, it cannot immediately increase the speed of rotation of the shaft until the movement of the flywheel accelerates, which does not happen instantly, since the flywheel has a large mass. In those moments when the work done by the torqueT , the work of the resistance forces created by the consumer becomes less, the flywheel, again due to its inertia, cannot immediately reduce its speed and, giving up the energy received during its acceleration, helps the piston overcome the load.

At the extreme positions of the piston, the angles? +? = 0, therefore sin (? +?) = 0 and, therefore, T = 0. Since there is no rotating force in these positions, if the machine were without a flywheel, sleep would have to stop. These extreme piston positions are called dead positions or dead centers. The crank also passes through them due to the inertia of the flywheel.

In dead positions, the piston is not brought into contact with the cylinder covers; a so-called harmful space remains between the piston and the cover. The volume of the harmful space also includes the volume of the steam channels from the steam distribution bodies to the cylinder.

Piston strokeS is called the path traversed by the piston when moving from one extreme position to another. If the distance from the center of the main shaft to the center of the crank pin - the radius of the crank - is denoted by R, then S = 2R.

Working volume of the cylinder V h called the volume described by the piston.

Usually steam engines are double (double-sided) action (see Fig. 1). Sometimes single-acting machines are used, in which steam exerts pressure on the piston only from the side of the cover; the other side of the cylinder remains open in such machines.

Depending on the pressure with which the steam leaves the cylinder, the machines are divided into exhaust, if the steam is released into the atmosphere, condensing, if the steam comes out into the condenser (refrigerator, where the reduced pressure is maintained), and heating, in which the steam spent in the machine is used. for any purpose (heating, drying, etc.)

The possibilities of using steam energy were known at the beginning of our era. This is confirmed by a device called Geron's eolipil, created by the ancient Greek mechanic Heron of Alexandria. An ancient invention can be attributed to a steam turbine, the ball of which rotated due to the force of jets of water vapor.

It became possible to adapt steam to run engines in the 17th century. They did not use such an invention for long, but it made a significant contribution to the development of mankind. In addition, the history of the invention steam engines very exciting.

Concept

The steam engine consists of heat engine external combustion, which from the energy of water vapor creates mechanical movement piston, and that, in turn, rotates the shaft. The power of a steam engine is usually measured in watts.

History of invention

The history of the invention of steam engines is associated with the knowledge of ancient Greek civilization. For a long time, no one used the works of this era. In the 16th century, an attempt was made to create a steam turbine. The Turkish physicist and engineer Takiyuddin ash-Shami worked on this in Egypt.

Interest in this problem reappeared in the 17th century. In 1629, Giovanni Branca proposed his own version of the steam turbine. However, inventions lost a lot of energy. Further developments required appropriate economic conditions that would appear later.

Denis Papin is considered to be the first who invented the steam engine. The invention was a cylinder with a piston that rises due to steam and descends as a result of its thickening. The devices of Severy and Newcomen (1705) had the same principle of operation. The equipment was used to pump water out of mine workings.

The device was finally improved by Watt in 1769.

Denis Papin's inventions

Denis Papin was a physician by training. Born in France, he moved to England in 1675. He is known for many of his inventions. One of them is a pressure cooker called the Papen's Cauldron.

He was able to identify the relationship between two phenomena, namely the boiling point of the liquid (water) and the pressure that appears. Thanks to this, he created a sealed boiler, inside which the pressure was increased, due to which the water boiled later than usual and the processing temperature of the products placed in it increased. Thus, the speed of cooking was increased.

In 1674, a medical inventor created a powder engine. His work consisted in the fact that when the gunpowder ignited, the piston moved in the cylinder. A weak vacuum formed in the cylinder, and atmospheric pressure returned the piston to its place. The resulting gaseous elements exited through the valve, and the remaining ones were cooled.

By 1698, Papen managed to create a unit based on the same principle, operating not on gunpowder, but on water. Thus, the first steam engine was created. Despite the significant progress that the idea could lead to, it did not bring significant benefits to its inventor. This was due to the fact that earlier another mechanic, Severy, had already patented the steam pump, and by that time they had not yet invented another application for such units.

Denis Papin died in London in 1714. Despite the fact that the first steam engine was invented by him, he left this world in need and loneliness.

Thomas Newcomen's inventions

Englishman Newcomen turned out to be more successful in terms of dividends. When Papen created his car, Thomas was 35 years old. He carefully studied the work of Savery and Papen and was able to understand the shortcomings of both designs. From these he took all the best ideas.

By 1712, in collaboration with glass and plumbing master John Callie, he created his first model. This is how the history of the invention of steam engines continued.

The created model can be briefly explained as follows:

• The design combined a vertical cylinder and a piston, like Papen's.
• The steam was created in a separate boiler, which worked on the principle of the Svery machine.
• The tightness in the steam cylinder was achieved due to the leather, which was wrapped around the piston.

Newcomen's unit raised water from the mines using atmospheric pressure. The machine was notable for its solid dimensions and required a large amount of coal to operate. Despite these shortcomings, Newcomen's model was used in mines for half a century. It even allowed the reopening of mines that had been abandoned due to flooding by groundwater.

In 1722, the brainchild of Newcomen proved its effectiveness, pumping water from a ship in Kronstadt in just two weeks. A windmill system could do this in a year.

Due to the fact that the car was based on early versions, the English mechanic was unable to obtain a patent for it. The designers tried to apply the invention to the movement of the vehicle, but failed. The history of the invention of steam engines did not end there.

Watt's invention

James Watt was the first to invent compact but powerful equipment. The steam engine was the first of its kind. A mechanic from the University of Glasgow began repairing Newcomen's steam generator in 1763. As a result of the renovation, he figured out how to reduce fuel consumption. To do this, it was necessary to keep the cylinder in a constantly heated state. However, Watt's steam engine could not be ready until the problem of steam condensation was solved.

The solution came when the mechanic walked past the laundries and noticed that clouds of steam were coming out from under the boiler lids. He realized that steam is a gas, and he needs to move in a cylinder with reduced pressure.

By sealing the inside of the steam cylinder with oil-soaked hemp rope, Watt was able to relinquish atmospheric pressure. This was a big step forward.

In 1769, a mechanic received a patent, which stated that the temperature of the engine in a steam engine would always be equal to the temperature of the steam. However, things for the hapless inventor did not go as well as expected. He was forced to mortgage a patent for debt.

In 1772 he met Matthew Bolton, who was a wealthy industrialist. He bought and returned Watt his patents. The inventor returned to work, supported by Bolton. In 1773, Watt's steam engine passed a test and showed that it consumes much less coal than its counterparts. A year later, production of his cars began in England.

In 1781, the inventor managed to patent his next creation - a steam engine for driving industrial machine tools. After a while, all these technologies will make it possible to move trains and steamers with the help of steam. This will completely turn a person's life upside down.

One of the people who changed the lives of many was James Watt, whose steam engine accelerated technological progress.

Polzunov's invention

The project of the first steam engine that could drive a variety of working mechanisms was created in 1763. It was developed by the Russian mechanic I. Polzunov, who worked at the mining plants of Altai.

The head of the factories was familiarized with the project and received the go-ahead for the creation of the device from St. Petersburg. The Polzunov steam engine was recognized, and the work on its creation was entrusted to the author of the project. The latter wanted to first assemble the model in miniature in order to identify and eliminate possible flaws that are not visible on paper. However, he was ordered to start building a large, powerful machine.

Polzunov was provided with assistants, two of whom were inclined to mechanics, and two were to perform auxiliary work. It took one year and nine months to build the steam engine. When Polzunov's steam engine was almost ready, he fell ill with consumption. The creator died a few days before the first tests.

All actions in the car took place automatically, it could work continuously. This was proved in 1766, when Polzunov's students conducted their final tests. A month later, the equipment was put into operation.

The car not only paid for the money spent, but also made a profit for its owners. By the fall, the boiler started to leak, and the work stopped. The unit could be repaired, but this did not interest the factory bosses. The car was abandoned, and a decade later it was dismantled as unnecessary.

Operating principle

A steam boiler is required to operate the entire system. The generated steam expands and presses on the piston, resulting in movement of mechanical parts.

The principle of operation is best explored using the illustration below.

If you do not paint the details, then the work of the steam engine is to convert the energy of the steam into the mechanical movement of the piston.

Efficiency

The efficiency of a steam engine is determined by the ratio of useful mechanical work in relation to the expended amount of heat contained in the fuel. The calculation does not take into account the energy that is released into the environment as heat.

The efficiency of a steam engine is measured as a percentage. The practical efficiency will be 1-8%. In the presence of a condenser and expansion of the flow path, the indicator can increase up to 25%.

Advantages

The main advantage of steam equipment is that the boiler can use any heat source, both coal and uranium, as fuel. This significantly distinguishes it from the engine. internal combustion... Depending on the type of the latter, a certain type of fuel is required.

The history of the invention of steam engines has shown advantages that are noticeable even today, since nuclear energy can be used for a steam analogue. By itself, a nuclear reactor cannot convert its energy into mechanical work but it is capable of generating a large amount of heat. It is then used to generate steam, which will set the car in motion. Solar energy can be used in the same way.

Steam locomotives perform well at high altitudes. Their efficiency does not suffer from low atmospheric pressure in the mountains. Steam locomotives are still used in the mountains of Latin America.

New versions of dry steam locomotives are used in Austria and Switzerland. They show high efficiency thanks to many improvements. They are not demanding in maintenance and consume light oil fractions as fuel. In terms of economic indicators, they are comparable to modern electric locomotives. At the same time, steam locomotives are much lighter than their diesel and electric counterparts. This is a great advantage in mountainous terrain.

disadvantages

The disadvantages include, first of all, low efficiency. Added to this is the bulkiness of the structure and low speed. This became especially noticeable after the advent of the internal combustion engine.

Application

Who invented the steam engine is already known. It remains to find out where they were used. Until the middle of the twentieth century, steam engines were used in industry. They were also used for rail and steam transport.

Factories that have operated steam engines:

• sugar;
• matchboxes;
• paper factories;
• textile;
• food enterprises (in some cases).

Steam turbines are also part of this equipment. Electricity generators still work with their help. About 80% of the world's electricity is generated using steam turbines.

In due time were created different kinds transport powered by a steam engine. Some did not take root because of unresolved problems, while others continue to work today.

Steam powered transport:

• automobile;
• tractor;
• excavator;
• airplane;
• locomotive;
• vessel;
• tractor.

This is the history of the invention of steam engines. We can briefly consider a good example of the Serpoll racing car, created in 1902. It set a world speed record of 120 km per hour on land. That is why steam cars were competitive in relation to electric and gasoline counterparts.

So, in the USA in 1900, most of all steam engines were produced. They met on the roads until the thirties of the twentieth century.

Most of these vehicles became unpopular after the advent of the internal combustion engine, whose efficiency is much higher. Such cars were more economical, while light and fast.

Steampunk as a trend in the era of steam engines

Speaking of steam engines, I would like to mention the popular trend - steampunk. The term consists of two English words- "steam" and "protest". Steampunk is a kind of science fiction that tells the story of the second half of the 19th century in Victorian England. This period in history is often referred to as the Age of Steam.

All works have one distinctive feature - they tell about the life of the second half of the 19th century, while the style of narration is reminiscent of the novel by H.G. Wells "The Time Machine". The plots describe city landscapes, public buildings, technology. Special attention is paid to airships, vintage cars, bizarre inventions. All metal parts were fastened with rivets, since welding had not yet been used.

The term "steampunk" originated in 1987. Its popularity stems from the appearance of the Difference Engine. It was written in 1990 by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.

At the beginning of the XXI century, several famous films were released in this direction:

• "Time Machine";
• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen;
• "Van Helsing".

The forerunners of steampunk include the works of Jules Verne and Grigory Adamov. Interest in this area from time to time manifests itself in all spheres of life - from cinema to everyday clothes.

The invention of steam engines was a watershed moment in human history. Somewhere at the turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries, the replacement of ineffective manual labor, water wheels, and completely new and unique mechanisms - steam engines began. It is thanks to them that the technical and industrial revolutions became possible, and the whole progress of mankind.

But who invented the steam engine? To whom does humanity owe this? And when was it? We will try to find answers to all these questions.

Even before our era

The history of the creation of the steam engine begins in the first centuries BC. Heron of Alexandria described a mechanism that began to work only when it was exposed to steam. The device was a ball on which nozzles were fixed. Steam escaped tangentially from the nozzles, thereby forcing the engine to rotate. This was the first device to be operated with steam.

The creator of the steam engine (or rather, the turbine) is Tagi al-Dinome (Arab philosopher, engineer and astronomer). His invention became widely known in Egypt in the 16th century. The mechanism was arranged as follows: streams of steam were directed directly to the mechanism with blades, and when the smoke poured, the blades rotated. Something similar was proposed by the Italian engineer Giovanni Branca in 1629. The main drawback of all these inventions was too high consumption steam, which in turn required huge energy costs and was not advisable. The development was suspended, since the then scientific and technical knowledge of mankind was not enough. In addition, there was no need for such inventions at all.

Development

Until the 17th century, the creation of a steam engine was impossible. But as soon as the bar for the level of development of mankind shot up, the first specimens and inventions immediately appeared. Although no one took them seriously at that time. For example, in 1663, an English scientist published in the press a draft of his invention, which he installed in the castle of Raglan. His device served to raise water to the walls of the towers. However, like everything new and unknown, this project was accepted with doubt, and there were no sponsors for its further development.

The history of the creation of the steam engine begins with the invention of the steam-atmospheric engine. In 1681, a French scientist invented a device that pumped water out of mines. At first, gunpowder was used as a driving force, and then it was replaced by water vapor. This is how the steam-atmospheric machine appeared. Scientists from England Thomas Newcomen and Thomas Severen made a huge contribution to its improvement. The Russian self-taught inventor Ivan Polzunov also provided invaluable assistance.

Papen's failed attempt

The steam-atmospheric engine, far from being perfect at that time, attracted special attention in the shipbuilding field. D. Papen spent his last savings on the purchase of a small vessel, on which he began to install a water-lifting steam-atmospheric machine of his own production. The mechanism of action was that, falling from a height, the water began to rotate the wheels.

The inventor conducted his tests in 1707 on the Fulda River. A lot of people gathered to see the miracle: a ship moving along the river without sails and oars. However, during the tests, a disaster occurred: the engine exploded and several people died. The authorities got angry at the unlucky inventor and banned him from any work and projects. The ship was confiscated and destroyed, and a few years later Papen himself died.

Error

The Papen steamer had the following operating principle. A small amount of water had to be poured into the bottom of the cylinder. A brazier was located under the cylinder itself, which served to heat the liquid. When the water began to boil, the resulting steam, expanding, lifted the piston. Air was pushed out of the space above the piston through a specially equipped valve. After the water boiled and steam began to pour, it was necessary to remove the brazier, close the valve to remove air, and use cool water to cool the cylinder walls. Thanks to such actions, the steam in the cylinder condensed, a vacuum was formed under the piston, and due to the force of atmospheric pressure, the piston returned to its original place. During his downward movement, useful work was done. However, the efficiency of the Papen steam engine was negative. The steamer's engine was extremely uneconomical. And most importantly, it was too complicated and inconvenient to operate. Therefore, Papen's invention had no future from the very beginning.

Followers

However, the story of the creation of the steam engine did not end there. The next, already much more successful than Papen, was the English scientist Thomas Newcomen. He studied the works of his predecessors for a long time, focusing on weak spots... And taking the best of their work, he created his own apparatus in 1712. The new steam engine (photo shown) was designed as follows: a cylinder in an upright position and a piston were used. This Newcomen took from Papen's work. However, steam was generated in another boiler. Whole skin was fixed around the piston, which significantly increased the tightness inside the steam cylinder. This machine was also vapor-atmospheric (water rose from the mine using atmospheric pressure). The main disadvantages of the invention were its cumbersomeness and inefficiency: the machine "ate" a huge amount of coal. However, it brought much more benefits than Papen's invention. Therefore, it has been used for almost fifty years in dungeons and mines. It was used to pump out groundwater, as well as to drain ships. tried to transform his car so that it was possible to use it for traffic. However, all his attempts were unsuccessful.

The next scientist who announced himself was D. Hull from England. In 1736, he presented his invention to the world: a steam-atmospheric machine, which had impellers as a propeller. Its development proved to be more successful than that of Papen. Several such ships were immediately released. They were mainly used to tow barges, ships and other vessels. However, the reliability of the steam-atmospheric engine did not inspire confidence, and the ships were equipped with sails as the main propulsion device.

And although Hull was more fortunate than Papen, his inventions gradually lost their relevance, and they were abandoned. Still, the steam-atmospheric machines of that time had many specific drawbacks.

The history of the creation of a steam engine in Russia

The next breakthrough happened in the Russian Empire. In 1766, at a metallurgical plant in Barnaul, the first steam engine was created, which supplied air to the melting furnaces using special bellows. Its creator was Ivan Ivanovich Polzunov, who was even given an officer rank for his services to his homeland. The inventor presented to his superiors the blueprints and plans for a "fire engine" capable of driving bellows.

However, fate played a cruel joke on Polzunov: seven years after his project was adopted and the car was assembled, he fell ill and died of consumption - just a week before the tests of his engine began. However, his instructions were enough to start the engine.

So, on August 7, 1766, Polzunov's steam engine was started up and put under load. However, in November of the same year, she broke down. The reason turned out to be too thin walls of the boiler, not intended for loading. Moreover, the inventor wrote in his instructions that this boiler can only be used during testing. Manufacturing a new boiler would have easily paid off, because the efficiency of the Polzunov steam engine was positive. For 1023 hours of work, more than 14 pounds of silver were smelted with its help!

But despite this, no one began to repair the mechanism. Polzunov's steam engine was gathering dust for more than 15 years in the warehouse, until the world of industry stood still and developed. And then it was completely dismantled for parts. Apparently, at that moment Russia had not yet matured to steam engines.

Time requirements

Meanwhile, life did not stand still. And mankind constantly thought about creating a mechanism that would allow not to depend on capricious nature, but to control fate by itself. Everyone wanted to give up the sail as soon as possible. Therefore, the question of creating a steam mechanism was constantly hanging in the air. In 1753, a competition was launched in Paris among craftsmen, scientists and inventors. The Academy of Sciences has announced an award to anyone who can create a mechanism that can replace the force of the wind. But despite the fact that such minds as L. Euler, D. Bernoulli, Canton de Lacroix and others took part in the competition, no one made a sensible proposal.

The years went by. And the industrial revolution covered more and more countries. Superiority and leadership among other powers invariably went to England. By the end of the eighteenth century, it was Great Britain that had become the creator of large-scale industry, thanks to which it won the title of world monopoly in this industry. Question about mechanical engine every day it became more and more relevant. And such an engine was created.

The first steam engine in the world

1784 was a turning point in the industrial revolution for England and for the whole world. And the man responsible for this was the English mechanic James Watt. The steam engine that he created became the loudest discovery of the century.

For several years he studied the drawings, structure and principles of operation of steam-atmospheric machines. And on the basis of all this, he concluded that for the engine to work efficiently, it is necessary to equalize the temperatures of the water in the cylinder and the steam that enters the mechanism. The main disadvantage of steam-atmospheric machines was the constant need to cool the cylinder with water. It was costly and inconvenient.

The new steam engine was designed in a different way. So, the cylinder was enclosed in a special jacket made of steam. Thus, Watt achieved his constant warm state. The inventor created a special vessel immersed in cold water (condenser). A cylinder was connected to it with a pipe. When the steam was discharged in the cylinder, it entered the condenser through the pipe and turned back into water there. While working on improving his machine, Watt created a vacuum in the condenser. Thus, all the steam coming out of the cylinder was condensed in it. Thanks to this innovation, the process of steam expansion was greatly increased, which in turn made it possible to extract much more energy from the same amount of steam. This was the crown of success.

The creator of the steam engine also changed the principle of air supply. Now the steam first fell under the piston, thereby raising it, and then collected above the piston, lowering it. Thus, both piston strokes in the mechanism became operational, which was not even possible before. And the consumption of coal for one horse power was four times less than, respectively, in steam-atmospheric machines, which was what James Watt was trying to achieve. The steam engine very quickly conquered first Great Britain, and then the whole world.

Charlotte Dundas

After the whole world was amazed at the invention of James Watt, the widespread use of steam engines began. So, in 1802, the first ship for a pair appeared in England - the boat "Charlotte Dundas". Its creator is William Symington. The boat was used for towing barges along the canal. The role of the mover on the ship was played by a paddle wheel installed at the stern. The boat successfully passed the tests the first time: it towed two huge barges 18 miles in six hours. At the same time, he was greatly hampered by the headwind. But he did it.

And yet they put him on hold, because they feared that because of the strong waves that were created under the paddle wheel, the banks of the canal would be washed out. By the way, the Charlotte test was attended by a man whom the whole world today considers the creator of the first steamer.

in the world

From his youth, an English shipbuilder dreamed of a ship with a steam engine. And now his dream became realizable. After all, the invention of steam engines became a new impetus in shipbuilding. Together with the envoy from America R. Livingston, who took over the material side of the issue, Fulton began the project of a ship with a steam engine. It was a complex invention based on the idea of ​​a paddle propulsion system. Along the sides of the vessel were plates imitating many oars stretched in a row. At the same time, the plates kept interfering with each other and broke. Today we can easily say that the same effect could be achieved with just three to four plates. But from the standpoint of science and technology of that time, it was unrealistic to see. Therefore, it was much more difficult for shipbuilders.

In 1803, Fulton's invention was presented to the whole world. The steamer was walking slowly and evenly along the Seine, striking the minds and imaginations of many scientists and leaders of Paris. However, Napoleon's government rejected the project, and the disgruntled shipbuilders were forced to seek their fortune in America.

And so, in August 1807, the world's first steamer named "Claremont", in which the most powerful steam engine was involved (photo presented), sailed along the Hudson Bay. Many then simply did not believe in success.

The Claremont set off on its maiden voyage without cargo and without passengers. Nobody wanted to travel aboard a fire-breathing vessel. But on the way back, the first passenger appeared - a local farmer who paid six dollars for a ticket. He became the first passenger in the history of the shipping company. Fulton was so deeply moved that he granted the daredevil a lifetime free ride on all his inventions.

Exactly 212 years ago, on December 24, 1801, in the small English town of Camborne, mechanic Richard Trevithick showed the public the first car with a steam engine, Dog Carts. Today this event could be safely attributed to the category, albeit remarkable, but insignificant, especially since the steam engine was known earlier, and even used on vehicles (although it would be a stretch to call them cars) ... But here's what is interesting: just now, technological progress has created a situation strikingly reminiscent of the era of the great "battle" of steam and gasoline at the beginning of the 19th century. Only batteries, hydrogen and biofuels will have to fight. Do you want to know how it will end and who will win? I will not prompt. Let me give you a hint: technology has nothing to do with it ...

1. The passion for steam engines has passed, and the time has come for internal combustion engines. For the good of the case, I repeat: in 1801, a four-wheeled carriage rolled along the streets of Camborne, capable of carrying eight passengers with relative comfort and slowness. The car was driven by a single-cylinder steam engine, and the fuel was coal. The creation of steam vehicles was taken up with enthusiasm, and already in the 20s of the XIX century, passenger steam omnibuses transported passengers at a speed of up to 30 km / h, and the average turnaround time reached 2.5-3 thousand km.

Now let's compare this information with others. In the same 1801, the Frenchman Philippe Le Bon received a design patent piston engine internal combustion fueled by lamp gas. It so happened that three years later, Le Bon died, and others had to develop the technical solutions he proposed. Only in 1860, the Belgian engineer Jean Etienne Lenoir assembled a gas engine with ignition from an electric spark and brought its design to the degree of suitability for installation on a vehicle.

So, car steam engines and internal combustion engines are practically the same age. The efficiency of a steam engine of that design was about 10% in those years. The efficiency of the Lenoir engine was only 4%. Only 22 years later, by 1882, August Otto improved it so that the efficiency of the now gasoline engine reached ... as much as 15%.

2. Steam traction is just a brief moment in the history of progress. Beginning in 1801, the history of steam transport lasted nearly 159 years. In 1960 (!), Buses and trucks with steam engines were still being built in the USA. Steam engines have been greatly improved during this time. In 1900 in the United States, 50% of the car park was "steam". Already in those years, competition arose between steam, gasoline and - attention! - electric carriages. After the market success of Ford's Model T and seemingly defeat steam engine a new surge in the popularity of steam cars fell on the 20s of the last century: the cost of fuel for them (fuel oil, kerosene) was significantly lower than the cost of gasoline.

Until 1927, Stanley produced about 1,000 steam cars a year. In England, steam trucks competed successfully with gasoline trucks until 1933 and lost only because the authorities introduced a tax on heavy freight transport and lower tariffs on imports of liquid petroleum products from the United States.

3. The steam engine is inefficient and uneconomical. Yes, it was like that once. The "classic" steam engine, which released exhaust steam into the atmosphere, has an efficiency of no more than 8%. However, a steam engine with a condenser and a profiled flow path has an efficiency of up to 25–30%. The steam turbine provides 30–42%. Combined-cycle plants, where gas and steam turbines are used "in tandem", have an efficiency of up to 55–65%. The latter circumstance prompted BMW engineers to start working on options for using this scheme in cars. By the way, the efficiency of modern gasoline engines is 34%.

The cost of manufacturing a steam engine at all times was lower than the cost of a carburetor and diesel engines the same power. Liquid fuel consumption in new steam engines operating in a closed cycle on superheated (dry) steam and equipped with modern lubrication systems, high-quality bearings and electronic systems regulation of the duty cycle is only 40% of the previous one.

4. The steam engine starts slowly. And that was once ... Even the production cars of the Stanley firm “made couples” for 10 to 20 minutes. Improvement of the boiler design and introduction of cascade heating mode reduced the readiness time to 40-60 seconds.

5. The steam car is too leisurely. This is not true. The 1906 speed record - 205.44 km / h - belongs to the steam car. In those years, cars on gasoline engines they didn’t know how to drive so fast. In 1985, a steam car drove around at a speed of 234.33 km / h. And in 2009, a group of British engineers designed a steam-turbine "bolide" with a steam drive with a capacity of 360 liters. with., which was able to move with a record average speed in the race - 241.7 km / h.

6. The steam car smokes, it is not aesthetic. Examining the old drawings, which depict the first steam carriages, throwing thick clouds of smoke and fire from their chimneys (which, by the way, testifies to the imperfection of the furnaces of the first "steam engines"), you understand where the persistent association of a steam engine and soot came from.

Concerning appearance machines, the point here, of course, depends on the level of the designer. Hardly anyone will say that steam cars Abner Doble (USA) are ugly. On the contrary, they are elegant even in the present day. And we also drove quietly, smoothly and quickly - up to 130 km / h.

Interestingly, modern research in the field of hydrogen fuel for automobile engines has spawned a number of "side branches": hydrogen as a fuel for classic piston steam engines and especially for steam turbine engines ensures absolute environmental friendliness. The "smoke" from such a motor is ... water vapor.

7. The steam engine is capricious. It is not true. He is constructively significant simpler engine internal combustion, which in itself means greater reliability and unpretentiousness. The service life of steam engines is many tens of thousands of hours of continuous operation, which is not typical of other types of engines. However, this is not the end of it. Due to the principles of operation, the steam engine does not lose efficiency when the atmospheric pressure drops. Exactly because of this reason vehicles steam powered are extremely well suited for use in the highlands, on difficult mountain passes.

It is interesting to note one more useful property of a steam engine, which, by the way, is similar to an electric motor. direct current... A decrease in the shaft speed (for example, with an increase in the load) causes an increase in the torque. Due to this property, cars with steam engines fundamentally do not need gearboxes - in themselves, they are very complex and sometimes capricious mechanisms.