Steam mechanism. History of steam engines. Cylinder and spool tube

I will skip the inspection of the museum exhibition and go straight to the turbine room. Anyone interested can find it full version post on my LJ. The machine room is located in this building:

29. Going inside, I was breathless with delight - inside the hall there was the most beautiful steam engine I have ever seen. It was a real steampunk temple - a sacred place for all adherents of the aesthetics of the steam era. I was amazed by what I saw and realized that it was not in vain that I came to this town and visited this museum.

30. In addition to the huge steam engine, which is the main museum object, various examples were also presented here steam engines smaller, and numerous information stands told the story of steam technology. In this photo you can see a fully functioning 12 hp steam engine.

31. Hand for scale. The machine was created in 1920.

32. A compressor from 1940 is on display next to the main museum specimen.

33. This compressor was used in the past in the railway workshops at Werdau station.

34. Well, now let’s take a closer look at the central exhibit of the museum exhibition - a 600-horsepower steam engine produced in 1899, to which the second half of this post will be devoted.

35. The steam engine is a symbol of the industrial revolution that occurred in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Although the first samples of steam engines were created by various inventors at the beginning of the 18th century, they were all unsuitable for industrial use as they had a number of disadvantages. The widespread use of steam engines in industry became possible only after the Scottish inventor James Watt improved the mechanism of the steam engine, making it easy to operate, safe and five times more powerful than previously existing models.

36. James Watt patented his invention in 1775, and already in the 1880s, his steam engines began to penetrate factories, becoming the catalyst for the industrial revolution. This happened primarily because James Watt managed to create a mechanism for converting the translational motion of a steam engine into rotational motion. All steam engines that existed before could only produce translational movements and be used only as pumps. And Watt’s invention could already rotate the wheel of a mill or the drive of factory machines.

37. In 1800, the company of Watt and his partner Bolton produced 496 steam engines, of which only 164 were used as pumps. And already in 1810 there were 5 thousand steam engines in England, and this number tripled in the next 15 years. In 1790, the first steam boat began running between Philadelphia and Burlington in the United States, carrying up to thirty passengers, and in 1804, Richard Trevinthick built the first operating steam locomotive. The era of steam engines began, which lasted throughout the nineteenth century, and railway and the first half of the twentieth.

38. It was short historical background, now let's return to the main object of the museum exhibition. The steam machine you see in the pictures was manufactured by Zwikauer Maschinenfabrik AG in 1899 and installed in the machine room of the spinning mill "C.F.Schmelzer und Sohn". The steam engine was intended to drive spinning machines and was used in this role until 1941.

39. Chic nameplate. At that time, industrial machinery was made with great attention to aesthetic appearance and style; not only functionality was important, but also beauty, which is reflected in every detail of this machine. At the beginning of the twentieth century, simply no one would buy ugly equipment.

40. The spinning mill "C.F.Schmelzer und Sohn" was founded in 1820 on the site of the current museum. Already in 1841, the first steam engine with a power of 8 hp was installed at the factory. to drive spinning machines, which was replaced in 1899 by a new, more powerful and modern one.

41. The factory existed until 1941, then production was stopped due to the outbreak of war. For all forty-two years, the machine was used for its intended purpose, as a drive for spinning machines, and after the end of the war in 1945 - 1951, it served as a backup source of electricity, after which it was finally written off from the balance sheet of the enterprise.

42. Like many of its brothers, the car would have been cut, if not for one factor. This car was the first steam engine in Germany, which received steam through pipes from a boiler house located at a distance. In addition, it had an axle adjustment system from PROELL. Thanks to these factors, the car received the status of a historical monument in 1959 and became a museum. Unfortunately, all factory buildings and the boiler house building were demolished in 1992. This machine room is the only thing left of the former spinning mill.

43. Magical aesthetics of the steam era!

44. Nameplate on the body of the axle adjustment system from PROELL. The system regulated the cutoff - the amount of steam that is admitted into the cylinder. More cut-off means more efficiency, but less power.

45. Devices.

46. ​​By its design, this machine is a multiple expansion steam engine (or as they are also called a compound machine). In machines of this type, steam sequentially expands in several cylinders of increasing volume, moving from cylinder to cylinder, which can significantly increase the efficiency of the engine. This machine has three cylinders: in the center of the frame there is a high-pressure cylinder - it was into this that fresh steam from the boiler room was supplied, then after an expansion cycle, the steam was transferred to the medium-pressure cylinder, which is located to the right of the high-pressure cylinder.

47. Having completed the work, the steam from the medium pressure cylinder moved to the low pressure cylinder, which you see in this photo, after which, having completed the last expansion, it was released out through a separate pipe. In this way, the most complete use of steam energy was achieved.

48. The stationary power of this installation was 400-450 hp, maximum 600 hp.

49. The nut frame for machine repair and maintenance is impressive in size. Below it are ropes, with the help of which the rotational movement was transmitted from the flywheel of the machine to the transmission connected to the spinning machines.

50. Impeccable Belle Époque aesthetics in every detail.

51. In this photo you can see the structure of the machine in detail. The steam expanding in the cylinder transferred energy to the piston, which in turn carried out translational motion, transferring it to the crank-slider mechanism, in which it was transformed into rotational and transmitted to the flywheel and further to the transmission.

52. In the past, an electric current generator was also connected to the steam engine, which is also preserved in excellent original condition.

53. In the past, a generator was located on this site.

54. Mechanism for transmitting torque from the flywheel to the generator.

55. Now an electric motor has been installed in place of the generator, with the help of which the steam engine is set in motion for the amusement of the public several days a year. The museum hosts “Steam Days” every year, an event that brings together steam engine enthusiasts and modellers. These days the steam engine is also driven.

56. Original generator DC now stands aside. In the past it was used to generate electricity to light a factory.

57. Manufactured by Elektrotechnische & Maschinenfabrik Ernst Walther in Werdau in 1899, according to the information plate, but the original nameplate shows the year 1901.

58. Since I was the only visitor to the museum that day, no one stopped me from enjoying the aesthetics of this place alone with the car. In addition, the absence of people contributed to getting good photos.

59. Now a few words about the transmission. As can be seen in this photo, the surface of the flywheel has 12 grooves for ropes, with the help of which the rotational movement of the flywheel was transmitted further to the transmission elements.

60. The transmission, consisting of wheels of different diameters connected by shafts, distributed the rotational movement to several floors of the factory building, on which spinning machines were located, powered by energy transmitted through a transmission from a steam engine.

61. Close-up of a flywheel with grooves for ropes.

62. Here you can clearly see the elements of the transmission, with the help of which the torque was transmitted to a shaft running underground and transmitting rotational motion to the factory building adjacent to the machine room, in which the machines were located.

63. Unfortunately, the factory building has not survived and behind the door that led to the neighboring building there is now only emptiness.

64. Separately, it is worth noting the electrical control panel, which in itself is a work of art.

65. A marble board in a beautiful wooden frame with rows of levers and fuses located on it, a luxurious lantern, stylish appliances - Belle Époque in all its glory.

66. Two huge fuses located between the lamp and the instruments are impressive.

67. Fuses, levers, regulators - all equipment is aesthetically pleasing. It can be seen that when creating this shield about appearance were not the least of their concerns.

68. Under each lever and fuse there is a “button” with an inscription that this lever turns it on/off.

69. The splendor of technology from the period of the “Belle Epoque”.

70. At the end of the story, let's return to the car and enjoy the delightful harmony and aesthetics of its details.

71. Control valves for individual machine components.

72. Drip oilers designed to lubricate moving components and assemblies of the machine.

73. This device is called a grease fitting. From the moving part of the machine, worms are set in motion, moving the oiler piston, and it pumps oil to the rubbing surfaces. After the piston reaches the dead center, it is lifted back by rotating the handle and the cycle is repeated.

74. How beautiful! Pure delight!

75. Car cylinders with intake valve columns.

76. More oil cans.

77. Steampunk aesthetics in a classic form.

78. Camshaft machine that regulates the supply of steam to the cylinders.

79.

80.

81. All this is very very beautiful! I received a huge charge of inspiration and joyful emotions while visiting this machine room.

82. If fate suddenly brings you to the Zwickau region, be sure to visit this museum, you won’t regret it. Museum website and its coordinates: 50°43"58"N 12°22"25"E

The invention of steam engines was a turning point in human history. Somewhere at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, the replacement of ineffective manual labor, water wheels, and completely new and unique mechanisms began - steam engines. It was thanks to them that the technical and industrial revolutions, and indeed all the progress of mankind, became possible.

But who invented the steam engine? To whom does humanity owe this? And when was this? 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 attached. Steam came out of the nozzles tangentially, thereby causing the engine to rotate. This was the first device that was powered by steam.

The creator of the steam engine (or rather, the turbine) is Taghi al-Dinome (Arab philosopher, engineer and astronomer). His invention became widely known in Egypt in the 16th century. The mechanism was designed as follows: streams of steam were directed directly to the mechanism with blades, and when smoke poured out, the blades rotated. The Italian engineer Giovanni Branca proposed something similar in 1629. The main disadvantage of all these inventions was that high consumption steam, which in turn required huge amounts of energy and was not practical. Developments were suspended because the scientific and technical knowledge of mankind at that time was not enough. In addition, there was no need for such inventions at all.

Developments

Until the 17th century, the creation of a steam engine was impossible. But as soon as the level of human development soared, the first copies 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 Raglan Castle. Its device served to lift water onto 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 a 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 the 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 machine, far from 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 installing a water-lifting steam-atmospheric machine of his own production. The mechanism of action was that, falling from a height, water began to rotate the wheels.

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

Error

The Papen steamship had the following operating principle. It was necessary to pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the cylinder. Under the cylinder itself there was a brazier, which served to heat the liquid. When the water began to boil, the resulting steam expanded and lifted the piston. Air was pushed out from the space above the piston through a specially equipped valve. After the water boiled and steam began to pour out, it was necessary to remove the fryer, 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 formed under the piston, and thanks to the force of atmospheric pressure, the piston returned to its original place. During its downward movement useful work was done. However, the efficiency of Papen's steam engine was negative. The ship's engine was extremely uneconomical. And most importantly, it was too complex and inconvenient to use. Therefore, Papin'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, 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 points. And taking the best of their work, he created his own apparatus in 1712. The new steam engine (photo presented) was designed as follows: a cylinder was used, which was in a vertical position, as well as a piston. Newcomen took this from Papin's work. However, steam was already generated in another boiler. A solid skin was secured around the piston, which significantly increased the tightness inside the steam cylinder. This machine was also steam-atmospheric (water rose from the mine using atmospheric pressure). The main disadvantages of the invention were its bulkiness and inefficiency: the machine “ate” a huge amount of coal. However, it brought much more benefits than Papen’s invention. Therefore, it was used for almost fifty years in dungeons and mines. It was used to pump out groundwater and also to drain ships. I tried to transform my car so that it could be used for traffic. However, all his attempts were unsuccessful.

The next scientist to announce himself was D. Hull from England. In 1736, he presented to the world his invention: a steam-atmospheric machine, which had paddle wheels as propulsion. His development was more successful than Papin's. 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 luckier than Papin, his inventions gradually lost relevance and were abandoned. Still, steam-atmospheric machines of that time had many specific shortcomings.

The history of the creation of the steam engine in Russia

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

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

So, on August 7, 1766, Polzunov’s steam engine was launched and put under load. However, already in November of the same year it broke down. The reason turned out to be too thin walls of the boiler, which was not intended for the load. Moreover, the inventor wrote in his instructions that this boiler can only be used during testing. The production of a new boiler would easily pay for itself, because the efficiency of Polzunov’s steam engine was positive. In 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 gathered dust for more than 15 years in a 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 enough to use steam engines.

Demands of the time

Meanwhile, life did not stand still. And humanity has constantly thought about creating a mechanism that would allow us not to depend on capricious nature, but to control our own destiny. Everyone wanted to abandon the sail as quickly 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 a reward for anyone who can create a mechanism that can replace the power 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 came up with a viable proposal.

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

The first steam engine in the world

The year 1784 was a turning point for England and the world in the Industrial Revolution. And the man responsible for this was the English mechanic James Watt. The steam engine he created became the most famous discovery of the century.

For several years I studied the drawings, structure and operating principles of steam-atmospheric machines. And based on all this, he concluded that for the engine to operate 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 expensive and inconvenient.

The new steam engine was designed differently. So, the cylinder was enclosed in a special steam jacket. Thus Watt achieved his constant heated state. The inventor created a special vessel immersed in cold water (condenser). A cylinder was connected to it by a pipe. When the steam was exhausted in the cylinder, it passed through the pipe into the condenser and there it turned back into water. While working on improving his machine, Watt created a vacuum in the condenser. Thus, all the steam coming from the cylinder was condensed in it. Thanks to this innovation, the expansion process of steam was greatly increased, which in turn made it possible to extract much more energy from the same amount of steam. It was a crowning achievement.

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 coal consumption per one horsepower was four times smaller than, respectively, that of steam-atmospheric machines, which is what James Watt sought. The steam engine very quickly conquered first Great Britain, and then the whole world.

"Charlotte Dundas"

After the whole world was amazed by the invention of James Watt, the widespread use of steam engines began. Thus, in 1802, the first steam-powered ship appeared in England - the Charlotte Dundas. William Symington is considered its creator. The boat was used to tow barges along the canal. The role of propulsion on the ship was played by a paddle wheel mounted on the stern. The boat successfully passed 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 managed it.

And yet it was laid up because they were afraid that due to the strong waves that were created under the paddle wheel, the banks of the canal would be washed away. By the way, the man whom the whole world today considers the creator of the first steamship was present at the tests of the Charlotte.

in the world

Since his youth, the English shipbuilder dreamed of a ship with a steam engine. And now his dream became realizable. After all, the invention of steam engines was a new impetus in shipbuilding. Together with the American envoy R. Livingston, who took over the material side of the issue, Fulton took up the project of a ship with a steam engine. It was a complex invention based on the idea of ​​an oar propeller. Along the sides of the ship there were tiles in a row, imitating many oars. At the same time, the tiles kept interfering with each other and breaking. Today we can easily say that the same effect could have been achieved with just three or four panels. But from the standpoint of science and technology of that time, it was unrealistic to see this. Therefore, shipbuilders had a much more difficult time.

In 1803, Fulton's invention was presented to the whole world. The steamer moved slowly and evenly along the Seine, striking the minds and imagination of many scientists and figures in 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 steamship called the Claremont, which was powered by a powerful steam engine (photo presented), sailed along Hudson Bay. Many then simply did not believe in success.

The Claremont set off on its maiden voyage without cargo and without passengers. No one wanted to travel on board a fire-breathing ship. But already on the way back, the first passenger appeared - a local farmer who paid six dollars for the ticket. He became the first passenger in the history of the shipping company. Fulton was so moved that he gave the daredevil a lifetime free ride on all his inventions.

The reason for the construction of this unit was a stupid idea: “is it possible to build a steam engine without machines and tools, using only parts that can be bought in a store” and do everything with your own hands. The result is a design like this. The entire assembly and setup took less than an hour. Although it took six months to design and select parts.

Most of the structure consists of plumbing fixtures. At the end of the epic, the questions from sellers of hardware and other stores: “can I help you” and “why do you need them” really infuriated me.

And so we assemble the foundation. First the main cross member. Tees, bochata, and half-inch angles are used here. I secured all the elements with sealant. This is to make it easier to connect and separate them with your hands. But for final assembly it is better to use plumber's tape.

Then the longitudinal elements. The steam boiler, spool, steam cylinder and flywheel will be attached to them. Here all the elements are also 1/2".

Then we make the stands. In the photo, from left to right: a stand for the steam boiler, then a stand for the steam distribution mechanism, then a stand for the flywheel, and finally a holder for the steam cylinder. The flywheel holder is made from a 3/4" tee (external thread). The bearings from the repair kit for roller skates are ideally suited to it. The bearings are held in place by a coupling nut. Such nuts can be found separately or taken from a tee for metal-plastic pipes. This tee is pictured below right corner (not used in the design). A 3/4" tee is also used as a holder for the steam cylinder, only the threads are all internal. Adapters are used to attach 3/4" to 1/2" elements.

We assemble the boiler. A 1" pipe is used for the boiler. I found a used one on the market. Looking ahead, I want to say that the boiler turned out to be too small and does not produce enough steam. With such a boiler, the engine works too sluggishly. But it works. The three parts on the right are: plug, adapter 1"-1/2" and squeegee. The squeegee is inserted into the adapter and closed with a plug. Thus, the boiler becomes airtight.

This is how the boiler turned out initially.

But the steam tank turned out to be not high enough. Water got into the steam line. I had to install an additional 1/2" barrel through an adapter.

This is a burner. Four posts earlier there was the material “Homemade oil lamp from pipes”. This is how the burner was originally designed. But no suitable fuel was found. Lamp oil and kerosene smoke heavily. Need alcohol. So for now I just made a holder for dry fuel.

This is a very important detail. Steam distributor or spool. This thing directs steam into the slave cylinder during the power stroke. When the piston moves in reverse, the steam supply is shut off and a discharge occurs. The spool is made from a cross for metal-plastic pipes. One of the ends must be sealed with epoxy putty. This end will be attached to the rack through an adapter.

And now the most important detail. It will determine whether the engine will start or not. This is the working piston and spool valve. Here we use an M4 pin (sold in furniture fittings departments; it’s easier to find one long one and saw off the required length), metal washers and felt washers. Felt washers are used for fastening glass and mirrors with other fittings.

Felt is not the best material. It does not provide sufficient tightness, but the resistance to movement is significant. Later we managed to get rid of the felt. Non-standard washers were ideal for this: M4x15 for the piston and M4x8 for the valve. These washers need to be placed as tightly as possible, through plumbing tape, onto a pin and with the same tape wound 2-3 layers from the top. Then thoroughly rub in the cylinder and spool with water. I didn't take a photo of the upgraded piston. Too lazy to take it apart.

This is the actual cylinder. Made from a 1/2" barrel, it is secured inside a 3/4" tee with two coupling nuts. On one side, with maximum sealing, the fitting is tightly attached.

Now the flywheel. The flywheel is made from a dumbbell plate. IN central hole a stack of washers is inserted, and a small cylinder from a repair kit for roller skates is placed in the center of the washers. Everything is secured with sealant. A furniture and picture hanger was ideal for the carrier holder. Looks like a keyhole. Everything is assembled in the order shown in the photo. Screw and nut - M8.

We have two flywheels in our design. There must be a strong connection between them. This connection is ensured by a coupling nut. All threaded connections are secured with nail polish.

These two flywheels appear the same, however one will be connected to the piston and the other to the spool valve. Accordingly, the carrier, in the form of an M3 screw, is attached at different distances from the center. For the piston, the carrier is located further from the center, for the valve - closer to the center.

Now we make the valve and piston drive. The furniture connection plate was ideal for the valve.

The piston uses the window lock escutcheon as a lever. She came up like family. Eternal glory to whoever invented the metric system.

Drives assembled.

Everything is installed on the engine. Threaded connections are secured with varnish. This is the piston drive.

Valve drive. Please note that the positions of the piston carrier and valve differ by 90 degrees. Depending on which direction the valve carrier leads the piston carrier, it will depend on which direction the flywheel will rotate.

Now all that remains is to connect the tubes. These are silicone hoses for aquariums. All hoses must be secured with wire or clamps.

It should be noted that there is no safety valve provided here. Therefore, extreme caution should be taken.

Voila. Fill with water. Let's set it on fire. We are waiting for the water to boil. During heating, the valve must be in the closed position.

The entire assembly process and the result are on video.

STEAM ROTORY ENGINE and STEAM AXIAL PISTON ENGINE

A steam rotary engine (rotary-type steam engine) is a unique power machine, the development of which has not yet received proper development.

On the one hand, various designs of rotary engines existed back in the last third of the 19th century and even worked well, including for driving dynamos for the purpose of generating electrical energy and powering all kinds of objects. But the quality and precision of manufacturing of such steam engines (steam engines) was very primitive, so they had low efficiency and low power. Since then, small steam engines have become a thing of the past, but along with the truly ineffective and unpromising piston engines steam engines Steam rotary engines, which have a good future, are also a thing of the past.

The main reason is that at the level of technology of the late 19th century, it was not possible to make a truly high-quality, powerful and durable rotary engine.
Therefore, of the entire variety of steam engines and steam machines, only steam turbines of enormous power (from 20 MW and above), which today produce about 75% of electricity in our country, have survived safely and actively to this day. More steam turbines high power provide energy from nuclear reactors in missile-carrying combat submarines and large Arctic icebreakers. But these are all huge machines. Steam turbines dramatically lose all their efficiency as their size decreases.

…. That is why there are no power steam engines and steam engines with a power below 2000 - 1500 kW (2 - 1.5 mW), which would effectively operate on steam obtained from the combustion of cheap solid fuel and various free combustible wastes, in the world.
It is in this empty field of technology today (and an absolutely bare, but commercial niche that is in great need of a product supply), in this market niche of low-power power machines, that steam rotary engines can and should take their very worthy place. And the need for them in our country alone is tens and tens of thousands... Especially small and medium-sized power machines for autonomous power generation and independent power supply are needed by small and medium-sized enterprises in areas remote from large cities and large power plants: - in small sawmills, remote mines, in field camps and forest plots, etc., etc.
…..

..
Let's look at the factors that make rotary steam engines better than their closest relatives - steam engines in the form of reciprocating steam engines and steam turbines.
… — 1) Rotary engines are positive displacement power machines - like piston engines. Those. they have low steam consumption per unit of power, because steam is supplied to their working cavities from time to time, and in strictly dosed portions, and not in a constant, abundant flow, as in steam turbines. That is why steam rotary engines are much more economical than steam turbines per unit of output power.
— 2) Rotary steam engines have a shoulder of application of the acting gas forces (torque shoulder) significantly (several times) greater than piston steam engines. Therefore, the power they develop is much higher than that of steam piston engines.
— 3) Rotary steam engines have a much longer stroke than piston steam engines, i.e. have the ability to translate most of internal energy of steam in useful work.
— 4) Steam rotary engines can operate effectively on saturated (wet) steam, without difficulty allowing a significant part of the steam to condense into water directly in the working sections of the steam rotary engine. This also increases the efficiency of a steam power plant using a steam rotary engine.
— 5 ) Steam rotary engines operate at speeds of 2-3 thousand revolutions per minute, which is the optimal speed for generating electricity, as opposed to too low-speed piston engines(200-600 rpm) of traditional locomotive-type steam engines, or from too high-speed turbines (10-20 thousand rpm).

At the same time, technologically, steam rotary engines are relatively simple to manufacture, which makes their production costs relatively low. In contrast to steam turbines, which are extremely expensive to produce.

SO, A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS ARTICLE — a steam rotary engine is a very effective steam power machine for converting steam pressure from the heat of burning solid fuel and combustible waste into mechanical power and electrical energy.

The author of this site has already received more than 5 patents for inventions on various aspects of the design of steam rotary engines. A number of small rotary engines with power from 3 to 7 kW have also been produced. The design of steam rotary engines with power from 100 to 200 kW is currently underway.
But rotary engines have a “generic drawback” - a complex system of seals, which for small engines turn out to be too complex, miniature and expensive to manufacture.

At the same time, the author of the site is developing steam axial piston engines with opposed - counter-movement of pistons. This arrangement is the most energy-efficient variation of all possible schemes for using a piston system.
These motors in small sizes are somewhat cheaper and simpler than rotary motors and the seals they use are the most traditional and simplest.

Below is a video of using a small axial piston boxer engine with counter-movement of pistons.

Currently, such a 30 kW axial piston opposed engine is being manufactured. The engine life is expected to be several hundred thousand hours because the steam engine speed is 3-4 times lower than the engine speed internal combustion, in the friction pair “piston-cylinder” - subjected to ion-plasma nitriding in a vacuum environment and the hardness of the friction surfaces is 62-64 HRC units. For details on the process of surface hardening using the nitriding method, see.

Here is an animation of the operating principle of a similar axial piston boxer engine with counter-moving pistons

Interest in water vapor as an accessible source of energy appeared along with the first scientific knowledge of the ancients. People have been trying to tame this energy for three thousand years. What are the main stages of this path? Whose thoughts and projects have taught mankind to make the most of it?

Prerequisites for the emergence of steam engines

The need for mechanisms that can facilitate labor-intensive processes has always existed. Until about the middle of the 18th century, windmills and water wheels were used for this purpose. The possibility of using wind energy directly depends on the vagaries of the weather. And to use water wheels, factories had to be built along the banks of rivers, which is not always convenient or practical. And the effectiveness of both was extremely low. Was fundamentally needed new engine, easily manageable and devoid of these disadvantages.

History of the invention and improvement of steam engines

The creation of a steam engine is the result of much thought, success and disappointment of many scientists.

The beginning of the journey

The first, isolated projects were just interesting curiosities. For example, Archimedes designed a steam gun, Heron of Alexandria used steam energy to open the doors of ancient temples. And researchers find notes on the practical use of steam energy to drive other mechanisms in the works Leonardo da Vinci.

Let's look at the most significant projects on this topic.

In the 16th century, the Arab engineer Taghi al Din developed a design for a primitive steam turbine. However, it did not receive practical application due to the strong dispersion of the steam jet supplied to the blades of the turbine wheel.

Let's go back to medieval France. Physicist and talented inventor Denis Papin, after many unsuccessful projects, settled on the following design: a vertical cylinder was filled with water, above which a piston was installed.

The cylinder was heated, the water boiled and evaporated. The expanding steam lifted the piston. It was fixed at the top point of the rise and the cylinder was waited for to cool and the steam to condense. After the steam condensed, a vacuum formed in the cylinder. The piston, freed from its fastening, rushed into the vacuum under the influence of atmospheric pressure. It was this fall of the piston that was supposed to be used as a working stroke.

So, the useful stroke of the piston was caused by the formation of a vacuum due to steam condensation and external (atmospheric) pressure.

Because Papen's steam engine like most subsequent projects, they were called steam-atmospheric machines.

This design had a very significant drawback - repeatability of the cycle was not provided. Denis comes up with the idea of ​​producing steam not in a cylinder, but separately in a steam boiler.

Denis Papin entered the history of the creation of steam engines as a very important detail- steam boiler.

And since steam began to be produced outside the cylinder, the engine itself became an external combustion engine. But due to the lack of a distribution mechanism to ensure uninterrupted operation, these projects found almost no practical application.

A new stage in the development of steam engines

For about 50 years, it was used to pump water in coal mines. Thomas Newcomen steam pump. It largely repeated previous designs, but contained very important new items - a pipe for removing condensed steam and a safety valve for releasing excess steam.

Its significant disadvantage was that the cylinder had to be either heated before steam injection, or cooled before it condensed. But the need for such engines was so high that, despite their obvious inefficiency, the last copies of these machines served until 1930.

In 1765 English mechanic James Watt, having started improving Newcomen's machine, separated the condenser from the steam cylinder.

It became possible to keep the cylinder constantly heated. The efficiency of the machine immediately increased. In subsequent years, Watt would significantly improve his model, equipping it with a device for supplying steam on one side or the other.

It became possible to use this machine not only as a pump, but also to drive various machines. Watt received a patent for his invention - a continuous steam engine. Mass production of these machines begins.

TO early XIX century, more than 320 Watt steam engines operated in England. Other European countries began to purchase them. This contributed to a significant increase in industrial production in many industries both in England itself and in neighboring countries.

Twenty years earlier than Watt, the Altai mechanic Ivan Ivanovich Polzunov was working on a steam engine project in Russia.

The factory management invited him to build a unit that would drive the blower of the smelting furnace.

The machine he built was two-cylinder and ensured continuous operation of the device connected to it.

After successfully operating for more than a month and a half, the boiler leaked. Polzunov himself was no longer alive by this time. The car was not repaired. And the wonderful creation of the lone Russian inventor was forgotten.

Due to the backwardness of Russia at that time the world learned about the invention of I. I. Polzunov with a great delay...

So, to power a steam engine, it is necessary that the steam produced by the steam boiler expands and presses on the piston or turbine blades. And then their movement was transmitted to other mechanical parts.

The use of steam engines in transport

Despite the fact that the efficiency of steam engines of that time did not exceed 5%, by the end of the 18th century they began to be actively used in agriculture and transport:

• a steam-powered car appears in France;
• in the USA, a ship begins to operate between the cities of Philadelphia and Burlington;
• a steam-powered railway locomotive was demonstrated in England;
• a Russian peasant from the Saratov province patented the crawler tractor power 20 l. With.;
• Attempts were made several times to build an aircraft with a steam engine, but, unfortunately, the low power of these units coupled with the large weight of the aircraft made these attempts unsuccessful.

By the end of the 19th century, steam engines, having played their role in the technical progress of society, were giving way to electric motors.

Steam devices in the 21st century

With the advent of new energy sources in the 20th and 21st centuries, the need to use steam energy again arises. Steam turbines are becoming an integral part of nuclear power plants. The steam that powers them is obtained from nuclear fuel.

These turbines are also widely used in condensing thermal power plants.

In a number of countries, experiments are being conducted to produce steam using solar energy.

Piston steam engines have not been forgotten either. In mountainous areas as a locomotive Steam locomotives are still used today.

These reliable workers are both safer and cheaper. They do not need power lines, and fuel - wood and cheap coal - are always at hand.

Modern technologies make it possible to capture up to 95% of atmospheric emissions and increase efficiency to 21%, so that people have decided not to part with them for now and are working on a new generation of steam locomotives.

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