Steam engine - the invention of the past with a promising future

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Everyone knows that the heart of every vehicle is a motor.And most modern vehicles are powered by internal combustion engines.But these engines are heaped grandchildren or even great-grandchildren of the unit, as the steam engine.It all began with the invention of Thomas Seiver.It is in 1689 built the first steam machine, which played the role of the pump.With it pumped water that flooded the mine.The design of this car was very easy.This pump vapor condenses and turns into a small amount of water.This creates a partial vacuum in it, through which water is sucked out from the depths of the shaft.But the invention

Seiver was only the first step in a long path of development of steam engines.And until the second half of the 18th century in the "go" were only water engines.They were used for industrial purposes, that is, in the factories.It was a very bulky and expensive devices.They passed by the mechanical movement of the water wheel.To do this, they had to build a factory on the banks of the river, and it was not always convenient.In addition to water engine work effectively, it was necessary to build dams, ponds hold, in short to do a lot of preparatory work.And the power of such units is not always enough for the needs of production.And in the winter or drought, they all "died."Such a situation could not continue for long.And steam engines began at the time it was "engines of progress."

And a big contribution to this made by Thomas Newcomen, who in 1712 invented the piston pump.This unit is driven by steam.And in the 60s of the 18th century, James Watt perfected the design of this unit and create a more efficient steam engine.His invention found its application in production.With such an engine operated machines in the factories of the time.A first steam turbine appeared in the late 19th century, in 1883.It created the Swede Gustav Laval.And the Englishman Charles Parsons got a patent for the invention of multi-jet turbine that it is specifically designed to drive the generator.And the turbine has been widely used in thermal power plants.

Steam turbines used today.They twist the screws and power generators large ships.These turbines thermal energy is converted into rotational motion.And they can run on conventional fuel (fuel oil), and from nuclear reactor.A device of the steam engine is a little different from the turbine unit.He also works on a pair that is obtained by heating water.And this steam moves pistons which are arranged in the cylinders.These pistons create reciprocation.A special mechanism has already converts it into rotary motion.And such piston engines are on the locomotive.

At the time, tried to introduce a steam engine and road transport.So in the USSR in the 50s of the last century we have developed a special "omnivorous" model of Victory.This was due to the fact that in the postwar Union had problems with energy.And as the Soviet engineers decided to use the steam water-tube boiler.Then this boiler was the most efficient steam engine.With it, you can receive a high heat removal from the working surface, creating a pressure of up to 170 kg / cm2, and without the risk of explosion of the boiler.These units had some drawbacks.But Soviet specialists fix them.

And in early 1956 at a pilot plant at the Institute of 21 prepared the first four such machines.In the spring of that year, these cars participated in the comparative rally, which aims - to identify the advantages and disadvantages of these models.This run was also attended by the traditional model of the Victory.And in the process of testing a steam engine showed itself at its best.During the rally the fuel used for the different species.It is oil shale, coal, peat, and crude oil.Also, the car worked well on such fuels as fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, birch wood, waste oil and alcohol mixture.However, preparations for the start of the car takes up to 35 minutes.But she had a high traffic in off-road conditions.These tests have been very successful, but soon passed, and the energy crisis in the mass production of this development has not got.And in our time with the energy again becomes tight, it may be necessary to revise relevant to the steam engine.