99
The Water Wheel
Ox, horse or even slaves powered mills until the advent of
the water wheel. The Miller would drop the grain down on a millstone and then
the power was applied by physical means. But someone thought about this to be a simple problem. The milling process was slow because of the inconsistent power
supply.
Yes, the water wheel. It’s the one of the most genius
inventions. This invention goes hand and hand with the spinning wheel. It was
the water wheel that kicked off the industrial revolution, propelling us into centuries
of manufactured goods. Where did the
water wheel come from?
The Romans, of course, are credited to have ideas for the
water wheel. Virtuvius, who lived during the Augustan era (13BCE-14CE), wrote a
10-volume collection describing Roman engineering. In his volumes he describes
the water wheel and makes mention that it [water wheel] was an under used power
source because of slavery. As we know from Chinese history, the Chinese used their knowledge of the water wheel and applied to the spinning wheel. According to Chinese history:
“…In 31 AD the engineer Tu Shih ‘invented a
water-powered reciprocator for the casting of [iron] agricultural implements.’
Smelters and casters were ‘instructed to use the rushing of water to operate
their billows.’”[1]
Medieval Era Europe embraced the water wheel. One of the main reasons is because
of the Bubonic Plague. Mechanical systems were needed to make up for a lack of
man power. Mills were moved to waterways, in which a mill race, a concentration of
water through a narrow channel, moving the water wheel.
The
water wheel is still being used today. In some Eastern European countries,
water is still being used in small gristmills. Some enthusiasts are using it to
power small scale lumbor yards. The water will make an even bigger come back as
an alternative power sources for homes.
Why is this invention important? Because it inspired other intentions that has brought us to this point in the history of manufacturing.
No comments:
Post a Comment