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Who suggested the idea of a steam engine? Who invented the Steam Engine - When was it invented? How Watt and Bolton built and PRed their cars

Exactly 245 years ago - January 5, 1769 - James Watt received a patent for the steam engine he invented. Why not remember the history of the creation of the steam engine from ancient times?

Actually the patent itself and its owner -

The history of the creation of a steam engine begins with the fact that the first description of a device that was driven by steam dates back to the first century and belongs to Heron of Alexandria.

Steam came out tangentially from the nozzles, which were attached to the ball, and forced it to rotate.

A real steam turbine was designed already in medieval Egypt, by the 16th century engineer, astronomer and philosopher Arab Taqi ad-Din Muhammad. The history of the creation of the steam engine continued. He invented a technique for rotating a spit using steam. It was directed at the blades fixed along the rim of the wheel.

Italian engineer Giovanni Branca proposed a similar machine in 1629. It was designed to rotate a cylindrical anchor device in mortars, which in turn raised and lowered a pair of pestles in mortars. In such steam engines, the steam flow was not concentrated, and this led to large energy losses, because a significant part of the steam energy was dissipated in all directions.

To further develop the history of the creation of a steam engine - a steam device - an economic situation was needed in which engine developers could take advantage of its result. But in the ancient era, as in the Middle Ages, and even in the Renaissance, such conditions did not exist. It was only towards the end of the 17th century that steam units were created, but so far as isolated curiosities. The first machine was created by the Spanish inventor Hieronimo Ajans de Beaumont. His inventions had a significant influence on T. Severi's patent.

The Englishman Edward Somerset in 1655 described the basic principle of operation of steam engines and the range of their applications. In 1663 he printed the design and installed a device at Raglan Castle for raising water onto the wall of a large tower. This device was driven by steam (back in the 19th century you could see recesses in the wall where the engine was located). But there were no people willing to risk money for this invention, and therefore further development of the steam engine turned out to be impossible. French physicist and inventor Denis Papin also contributed to the history of the creation of the steam engine - he worked on creating a vacuum in a closed cylinder.

Collaborating with the Dutch physicist Huygens, in the 1670s he worked on a device that would expel air from a cylinder by explosion.

Papin saw the incompleteness of the vacuum produced by an explosion, so after arriving in Britain in 1680, he developed the same cylinder, but using boiling water, which formed condensation in the cylinder, he achieved a more complete vacuum.

So with this unit, he was able to lift the load attached to the piston using a rope thrown over a pulley. But the machine worked only to demonstrate its capabilities, and to re-work it had to be completely disassembled and then reassembled again. Then the inventor realized that to automate the cycle, it was necessary to produce steam in a separate boiler. Due to this, Papen is considered the inventor of the steam boiler, and thus he paved the way for Newcomen's steam engine.

But he did not propose a complete design for a functioning steam engine. Papin made a huge contribution to the history of the creation of the steam engine by working on the design of a boat that was driven by a wheel with reaction force, combined with the inventions of Severi and Taqi ad-Din. He is also credited with the invention of a number of other important devices, one of them a safety valve.

Of all the devices described for solving necessary and useful problems, not a single one has found actual application. The first steam engine (in the entire history of the creation of a steam engine) that brought real benefits was developed by a military engineer from England, Thomas Savery, in 1698. This design is a “fire installation”. In 1698, Severi received a patent for it. In general it was a piston pump, but rather inefficient because the heat of the steam was lost during cooling of the container. Due to the high steam pressure, the pipelines and tanks of the engine sometimes exploded, so it was extremely dangerous in operation. This unit was used in other industries, in water mills to rotate wheels, and in mines it was used to pump out water. Therefore, the inventor gave the design another name: “miner’s friend.”

In 1712, an English blacksmith presented his invention - the “atmospheric engine”.

It was an improved model of Severi's steam engine, only Newcomen significantly reduced the working steam pressure. This engine was first used to pump liquid from a deep mine. In this pump, the rocker arm is connected to a draft descending to the pump chamber into the shaft. The reciprocating movements of the thrust passed to the pump piston, which supplied water upward. This Newcomen steam engine became the first engine in the history of the creation of a steam engine, which was widely used in practice. It is with the invention of this engine that the beginning of the industrial revolution in Great Britain is associated.

In 1763, the first vacuum two-cylinder steam engine was developed in Russia.

It was designed by mechanic I.I. Polzunov, and already in 1764 it was built.

It was used at the Barnaul Kolyvano-Voskresensky factories in order to bring blower bellows into working condition.

The next people who increased the efficiency of steam engines and made a huge contribution to the history of the creation of the steam engine were the Englishman Richard Trevithick and the American Oliver Evans. Trevithick built single-stroke high-pressure industrial engines.

They are known to many as "Cornish engines". Their operating pressure was 50 pounds per square inch, or 345 kPa (3.405 atmospheres). But the increase in pressure led to an increase in the danger of explosions in boilers and machines, and this in turn led to multiple accidents. Therefore, one of the main parts on steam engines was considered a safety valve. Its purpose is to release excess pressure. The safe and reliable operation of these units began with the accumulation of experience and after the standardization of construction, operation and maintenance operations.

STEAM ENGINE - a heat engine in which the potential energy of steam coming from a steam boiler is converted into mechanical work by the reciprocating movement of a piston.

The working process of a steam engine is determined by periodic changes in steam pressure in the cylinder (steam, according to stepping into the cylinder of a steam engine, expands and moves the piston). The return-but-forward movement of the piston is pre-formed with the help of a crooked-spike-no-mechanism -ma in a rotational movement wa-la. In a steam engine there is a double action (increases the speed of work, improves the smoothness of running) steam, with the help si-ste-we pa-ro-ras-pre-de-le-niya, in-or-red-but-yes-on both sides of the qi-li-nd-ra, from- working steam with another hundred you go to the at-mo-sphere or to the con-den-sat. To reduce heat losses, the cylinder of a steam engine is equipped with a steam ru-bash-coy (chamber for under-der -zha-niya approximately at a hundred-yang temperature of the walls of the qi-lin-d-ra).

Steam engines are divided according to designation - into stationary, non-stationary (re-moving and transport -nye); according to the use of steam - low pressure (up to 1.2 MPa), medium pressure (up to 6 MPa), high th pressure (over 6 MPa); according to the number of revolutions va-la - low-speed (up to 50 rpm), high-speed (up to 1000 rpm); according to pressure you-pus-kae-mo-go pa-ra - con-den-sa-tsi-on-nye (pressure in con-den-sa-to-re 0.01- 0.02 MPa), exhaust (pressure 0.11-0.12 MPa), heat pumps with steam release for heating for a specific purpose or for steam turbine bins (pressure from 0.12 MPa to 6 MPa) depending on the value from -bo-ra (for example, heating, re-ge-ne-ra-tion, technological processes); according to the distribution of the qi-lin-d-rows - horizontal, oblique, vertical; according to the number of qi-lin-d-rows - single-qi-lin-d-rows, many-qi-lin-d-rows, double-en-en-d-s, built-en- ny and others, in which each cylinder feeds the primary steam of the same parameters (incl. -ny pa-ral-lel-but). Do steam engines have multiple expansions, in which steam then expands exists in 2, 3, 4 cylinders of increasing volume, transferring from cylinder to cylinder through the so-called re-si-ve-ry (kol-lek-to-ry). A special group consists of direct-precision steam engines, in which the release of steam from the qi-lin-dr. there is just an edge of the piston (through the additional window, the piston opens at the end of the ow phases, through some steam the cylinder is pumped), which increases the efficiency of the machine.

The first-known device, with-in-mine in motion by steam (eo-li-pil), was a description of Ge- by ron Alek-san-d-riy-sky. The first experiments with steam as a medium for production took place back in the 17th century. In 1680, D. Pa-pen invented a steam engine, in 1698 T. Se-ve-ri invented a steam engine for pumping water from mines (pa-ro -howling on-the-gne-ta-tel-but-all-draining-on-the-pump). In 1707, Se-ve-ri was discharged by Peter I and installed in the Summer Garden in St. Petersburg for po-da-chi water in the fon-tan.

The development and intensive use of the steam engine began in the 18th century, when the main lack -the current of hydro-si-lo-vyh us-ta-no-wok (za-vis-si-most from local conditions) began to impede the development the development of metallurgical enterprises, the introduction into the production of spinning, weaving machines and others. In 1712, T. New Co-man invented a steam engine for driving mines. In Russia, the New-ko-me-na steam engine was installed in 1772 in Kronstadt to pump water from the dock. The first steam engine in Russia built by I.I. Pol-zu-no-vym in 1764-1766 for the production of air-blowing bellows for smelting furnaces. The first steam engine as a universal engine was first created by J. Wattom in 1774-1784. In Russia, the Uatt steam engine was manufactured for the first time under the leadership of K.K. Gas-koy-na on Alek-san-d-rov-skoy ma-nu-fak-tu-re in 1805; one of the tires has a capacity of 60 hp. With. (44.1 kW) in 1820 it was installed at the St. Petersburg Mint. Started in 1820 by E.A. and M.E. Why have you built about 20 steam engines with power ranging from 2 to 60 hp? With. (from 1.47 to 44.1 kW). Steam engines were used as a water-powered engine in pumping stations, steam-ro-vo-zakhs, steam-ro-ho-dahs, pa-ro-vyh cars and other transport media.

By the 2nd half of the 19th century, the steam engine had already reached the highest level. Over the course of 100 years, the power of a steam engine increased from 5-10 liters. With. (3.68-7.35 kW) up to 20,000 l. With. (14.7 MW); steam pressure from 0.01 MPa to 12 MPa; steam temperature from 100 to 400 °C; speed from 20-30 to 1000 rpm.

However, in the middle of the 20th century, steam engines were not used to move internal combustion, pa-ro-you-mi tur-bi-na- mi, the efficiency of which is higher. In their development, steam engines are capable of generating new areas of knowledge; steam engines created on the basis of industrial experience have raised a number of questions and solutions before scientists who created a new science - technical thermo-mo-di-na-mi-ku.

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

It became possible to use steam to operate engines in the 17th century. This invention was not used for long, but it made a significant contribution to the development of mankind. In addition, the history of the invention of steam engines is very fascinating.

Concept

A steam engine consists of an external combustion heat engine, which uses the energy of water vapor to create the mechanical movement of a piston, which in turn rotates a shaft. The power of a steam engine is usually measured in watts.

History of invention

The history of the invention of steam engines is connected 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 al-Shami worked on this in Egypt.

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

Denis Papin is considered to be the first to invent the steam engine. The invention was a cylinder with a piston that rises due to steam and falls as a result of its condensation. The devices of Savery and Newcomen (1705) had the same principle of operation. The equipment was used to pump water out of workings during mining.

Watt managed to finally improve the device in 1769.

Inventions of Denis Papin

Denis Papin was a physician by training. Born in France, he moved to England in 1675. He is famous for many of his inventions. One of them is a pressure cooker, which was called “Papen’s cauldron”.

He was able to identify the relationship between two phenomena, namely the boiling point of a liquid (water) and the resulting pressure. Thanks to this, he created a sealed cauldron, inside of which the pressure was increased, which caused the water to boil later than usual and increased the processing temperature of the products placed in it. This increased the speed of cooking.

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

By 1698, Papen managed to create a unit using the same principle, working 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, Savery, had already patented a steam pump, and by that time no other application had yet been invented for such units.

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

Inventions of Thomas Newcomen

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

Already by 1712, in collaboration with glass and plumbing master John Culley, 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 Papin's.
The creation of steam took place in a separate boiler, which worked on the principle of the Savery machine.
The tightness in the steam cylinder was achieved due to the leather with which the piston was covered.

Newcomen's unit raised water from mines using atmospheric pressure. The machine was large in size 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 groundwater flooding.

In 1722, Newcomen's brainchild proved its effectiveness by pumping water out of a ship in Kronstadt in just two weeks. System with windmill I could do this in a year.

Due to the fact that the machine was created on the basis of earlier versions, the English mechanic was unable to obtain a patent for it. The designers tried to use the invention to move a vehicle, but were unsuccessful. The history of the invention of steam engines did not stop there.

Watt's invention

James Watt was the first to invent equipment that was compact in size but powerful enough. The steam engine was the first of its kind. A mechanic from the University of Glasgow began repairing Newcomen's steam unit in 1763. As a result of the repair, he realized 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 a mechanic was passing by the laundries and noticed clouds of steam coming out from under the boiler covers. He realized that steam is a gas, and it needs to move in a cylinder with reduced pressure.

By sealing the inside of the steam cylinder with hemp rope soaked in oil, Watt was able to eliminate 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 did not go as well as expected for the unlucky inventor. He was forced to pawn the patent for debts.

In 1772, he met Matthew Bolton, who was a wealthy industrialist. He bought and returned Watt's patents. The inventor returned to work, supported by Bolton. In 1773, Watt's steam engine was tested and showed that it consumed significantly 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 machines. Over time, all these technologies will make it possible to move trains and steamships using steam. This will completely change a person's life.

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

Polzunov's invention

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

The head of the factories was familiarized with the project and received the go-ahead to create the device from St. Petersburg. Polzunov's 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 shortcomings that were not visible on paper. However, he was ordered to begin construction of a large, powerful machine.

Polzunov was provided with assistants, two of whom were mechanically inclined, and two were required to perform auxiliary work. It took one year and nine months to create 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 machine took place automatically; it could work continuously. This was proven in 1766, when Polzunov's students carried out the last tests. A month later, the equipment was put into operation.

The car not only recouped the money spent, but also provided a profit to its owners. By autumn, the boiler leaked and work stopped. The unit could be repaired, but the factory management was not interested in this. 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 resulting steam expands and presses on the piston, resulting in the movement of mechanical parts.

The principle of operation can be better studied using the illustration below.

Without going into details, the work of a steam engine is to convert steam energy into mechanical movement piston

Efficiency

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

The efficiency of a steam engine is measured as a percentage. Practical efficiency will be 1-8%. If there is a condenser and the flow path is expanded, the figure 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 an internal combustion engine. 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 still noticeable today, since nuclear energy can be used for the steam equivalent. On my own nuclear reactor cannot convert its energy into mechanical work, but it is capable of generating large amounts of heat. This is what is used to generate steam, which will set the car in motion. Solar energy can be used in the same way.

Locomotives powered by steam perform well at high altitudes. The efficiency of their work does not suffer from low atmospheric pressure in the mountains. Steam locomotives are still used in the mountains of Latin America.

In Austria and Switzerland, new versions of steam locomotives running on dry steam are used. They show high efficiency thanks to many improvements. They do not require maintenance and consume light petroleum 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 big advantage in mountainous areas.

Flaws

The disadvantages include, first of all, low efficiency. To this should be added the bulkiness of the design and low speed. This became especially noticeable after the advent of the internal combustion engine.

Application

It is already known who invented the steam engine. It remains to find out where they were used. Until the mid-twentieth century, steam engines were used in industry. They were also used for railway and steam transport.

Factories that operated steam engines :

sugar;
match;
paper mills;
textile;
food enterprises (in some cases).

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

At one time, various types of transport powered by a steam engine were created. Some did not take root due to 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. Let us briefly consider a successful example of the Serpolle 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 with electric and gasoline counterparts.

Thus, in the USA in 1900, the most steam engines were produced. They were found on the roads until the thirties of the twentieth century.

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

Steampunk as a trend of the era of steam engines

Speaking about steam engines, I would like to mention a popular trend - steampunk. The term consists of two English words - "steam" and "protest". Steampunk is a type of science fiction that is set in 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 life in the second half of the 19th century, the style of narration is reminiscent of H. G. Wells’s novel “The Time Machine”. The stories describe city landscapes, public buildings, and technology. A special place is given to airships, ancient cars, and bizarre inventions. All metal parts were fastened with rivets, since welding had not yet been used.

The term "steampunk" originated in 1987. Its popularity is associated with the appearance of the novel “The Difference Engine”. It was written in 1990 by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.

At the beginning of the 21st century, several famous films were released in this direction:

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

The forerunners of steampunk include the works of Jules Verne and Grigory Adamov. Interest in this trend is manifested from time to time in all spheres of life - from cinema to everyday clothing.

In the minds of most people in the smartphone age, steam-powered cars are something archaic that makes us smile. Steam pages in the history of the automotive industry were very bright and without them it is difficult to imagine modern transport in general. No matter how hard the skeptics of lawmaking, as well as oil lobbyists from different countries, tried to limit the development of the steam car, they succeeded only temporarily. After all, a steam car is like the Sphinx. The idea of a steam car (i.e., powered by an external combustion engine) is still relevant today.

In the minds of most people in the smartphone age, steam-powered cars are something archaic that makes us smile.

So in 1865, England introduced a ban on the movement of high-speed self-propelled steam-powered carriages. They were forbidden to move faster than 3 km/h around the city and not to let off clouds of steam, so as not to frighten the horses harnessed to ordinary carriages. The most serious and tangible blow to steam-powered trucks was dealt already in 1933 by the law on the tax on heavy vehicles. It was only in 1934, when duties on the import of petroleum products were reduced, that the victory of gasoline and diesel engines over steam engines loomed on the horizon.

Only England could afford to mock progress so elegantly and calmly. In the USA, France, and Italy, the environment of enthusiastic inventors was literally seething with ideas, and the steam car acquired new shapes and characteristics. Although English inventions made a significant contribution to the development of steam vehicles, the laws and prejudices of the authorities did not allow them to fully participate in the battle with internal combustion engines. But let's talk about everything in order.

Prehistoric reference

The history of the development of the steam car is inextricably linked with the history of the emergence and improvement of the steam engine. When in the 1st century A.D. e. Heron from Alexandria proposed his idea of making steam rotate a metal ball, but his idea was treated as nothing more than fun. Whether it was other ideas that worried the inventors more, the first person to put a steam boiler on wheels was the monk Ferdinand Verbst. In 1672. His “toy” was also treated as fun. But the next forty years were not in vain for the history of the steam engine.

Isaac Newton's self-propelled carriage design (1680), mechanic Thomas Savery's fire apparatus (1698), and Thomas Newcomen's atmospheric engine (1712) demonstrated the enormous potential of using steam to perform mechanical work. At first, steam engines pumped water out of mines and lifted loads, but by the middle of the 18th century there were already several hundred such steam installations at enterprises in England.

What is a steam engine? How can steam move wheels? The principle of the steam engine is simple. Water is heated in a closed tank to the state of steam. The steam is discharged through tubes into a closed cylinder and pressed out by a piston. Through an intermediate connecting rod, this translational motion is transmitted to the flywheel shaft.

This principle diagram of the operation of a steam boiler in practice had significant drawbacks.

The first portion of steam burst out in clouds, and the cooled piston, under its own weight, fell down for the next stroke. This principle diagram of the operation of a steam boiler in practice had significant drawbacks. The lack of a steam pressure regulation system often led to a boiler explosion. Bringing the boiler to working condition required a lot of time and fuel. Constant refueling and the gigantic size of the steam plant only increased the list of its shortcomings.

A new machine was proposed in 1765 by James Watt. He directed the steam squeezed out by the piston into an additional condensation chamber and eliminated the need to constantly add water to the boiler. Finally, in 1784, he solved the problem of how to redistribute the movement of steam so that it pushed the piston in both directions. Thanks to the spool he created, the steam engine could operate without breaks between strokes. This principle of a double-acting heat engine formed the basis of most steam technology.

Many smart people worked on the creation of steam engines. After all, this is a simple and cheap way to obtain energy from practically nothing.

A short excursion into the history of steam-powered cars

However, no matter how grandiose the successes of the British were in the field, the first to put a steam engine on wheels was the Frenchman Nicolas Joseph Cugnot.

Cugno's first steam car

His car appeared on the roads in 1765. The speed of the stroller was a record - 9.5 km/h. In it, the inventor provided four seats for passengers, who could be taken for a ride at an average speed of 3.5 km/h. This success seemed not enough to the inventor.

The need to stop to fill up with water and light a new fire every kilometer of the journey was not a significant disadvantage, but only the state of the art of that time.

He decided to invent a cannon tractor. Thus, a three-wheeled cart with a massive boiler in front was born. The need to stop to fill up with water and light a new fire every kilometer of the journey was not a significant disadvantage, but only the state of the art of that time.

Cugno's next model, from 1770, weighed about one and a half tons. The new cart could transport about two tons of cargo at a speed of 7 km/h.

Maestro Cugno was more interested in the idea of creating a high-pressure steam engine. He wasn't even bothered by the fact that the boiler could explode. It was Cunho who came up with the idea of placing the firebox under the boiler and carrying the “fire” with him. In addition, his “cart” can rightfully be called the first truck. The resignation of the patron and a series of revolutions did not give the master the opportunity to develop the model into a full-fledged truck.

Self-taught Oliver Evans and his amphibian

The idea of creating steam engines had universal proportions. In the North American states, inventor Oliver Evans created about fifty steam installations based on Watt's machine. Trying to reduce the size of James Watt's installation, he designed steam engines for flour mills. However, Oliver Evans gained worldwide fame for his amphibious steam car. In 1789, his first car in the United States successfully passed land and water tests.

On his amphibian, which can be called the prototype of all-terrain vehicles, Evans installed a machine with a steam pressure of ten atmospheres!

The nine-meter car-boat weighed about 15 tons. The steam engine drove the rear wheels and propeller. By the way, Oliver Evans was also a supporter of the creation of a high-pressure steam engine. On his amphibian, which can be called the prototype of all-terrain vehicles, Evans installed a machine with a steam pressure of ten atmospheres!

If the inventors of the 18th and 19th centuries had 21st century technology at their fingertips, can you imagine how much technology they would come up with!? And what technology!

20th century and 204 km/h on a Stanley steam car

Yes! The 18th century gave a powerful impetus to the development of steam transport. Numerous and varied designs of self-propelled steam carriages began to increasingly dilute horse-drawn transport on the roads of Europe and America. By the beginning of the 20th century, steam-powered cars had spread significantly and became a familiar symbol of their time. Just like photography.

The 18th century gave a powerful impetus to the development of steam transport

It was their photographic company that the Stanley brothers sold when, in 1897, they decided to seriously engage in the production of steam cars in the USA. They created well-selling steam cars. But this was not enough for them to satisfy their ambitious plans. After all, they were just one of many similar automakers. That was until they designed their “rocket”.

It was their photographic company that the Stanley brothers sold when, in 1897, they decided to seriously engage in the production of steam cars in the USA.

Of course, Stanley cars had a reputation for being reliable cars. The steam unit was located at the back, and the boiler was heated using gasoline or kerosene torches. The flywheel of a double-acting two-cylinder steam engine rotates to the rear axle via a chain drive. There were no cases of boiler explosions at Stanley Steamer. But they needed a sensation.

Of course, Stanley cars had a reputation for being reliable cars.

With their “rocket” they created a sensation throughout the world. 205.4 km/h in 1906! No one has ever driven so fast! A car with an internal combustion engine broke this record only 5 years later. Stanley's plywood steam "Rocket" defined the shape of racing cars for many years to come. But after 1917, Stanley Steamer became increasingly frustrated by the competition of the cheap Ford T and resigned.

Unique steam cars of the Doble brothers

This famous family managed to provide decent resistance to gasoline engines right up to the beginning of the 30s of the 20th century. They didn't build cars for records. The brothers truly loved their steam cars. Otherwise, how else to explain the honeycomb radiator and ignition button they invented? Their models did not look like small locomotives.

Brothers Abner and John revolutionized steam transportation.

Brothers Abner and John revolutionized steam transportation. His car didn't need to warm up for 10-20 minutes to get going. The ignition button pumped kerosene from the carburetor into the combustion chamber. He got there after ignition with a spark plug. The water heated up in a matter of seconds, and after a minute and a half the steam created the necessary pressure and you could go.

The exhaust steam was sent to a radiator for condensation and preparation for subsequent cycles. Therefore, for a smooth run of 2000 km, the Doblov cars required only ninety liters of water in the system and a few liters of kerosene. No one could offer such efficiency! Perhaps it was at the Detroit Auto Show in 1917 that the Stanleys met the Doble brothers' model and began to wind down their production.

Model E became the most luxurious car of the second half of the 20s and the latest version of the Doblov steam car. Leather interior, polished wood and elephant bone elements delighted wealthy owners inside the car. In such a cabin one could enjoy mileage at speeds of up to 160 km/h. Only 25 seconds separated the moment of ignition from the moment of start. It took another 10 seconds for a car weighing 1.2 tons to accelerate to 120 km/h!

All these speed qualities were embedded in a four-cylinder engine. Two pistons pushed out steam under high pressure of 140 atmospheres, and the other two sent cooled low-pressure steam into a honeycomb condenser-radiator. But in the first half of the 30s, these beauties of the Doble brothers were no longer produced.

Steam trucks

However, we should not forget that steam traction was also rapidly developing in freight transport. It was in the cities that steam cars caused allergies among snobs. But cargo must be delivered in any weather and not only within the city. What about intercity buses and military equipment? You won't get away with small cars there.

Freight transport has one significant advantage over passenger transport - its dimensions.

Freight transport has one significant advantage over passenger transport - its dimensions. They allow you to place powerful power plants anywhere in the car. Moreover, it will only increase the load capacity and cross-country ability. As for what the truck will look like, people didn’t always pay attention to this.

Among the steam trucks, I would like to highlight the English Sentinel and the Soviet NAMI. Of course there were many others, for example Foden, Fowler, Yorkshire. But it was Sentinel and NAMI that turned out to be the most durable and were produced until the end of the 50s of the last century. They could work on any solid fuel - coal, wood, peat. The “omnivorous” nature of these steam trucks put them outside the influence of prices for petroleum products, and also made it possible to use them in hard-to-reach places.

Hard worker Sentinel with an English accent

These two trucks differ not only in the country of manufacture. The principles of location of steam generators were also different. Sentinels are characterized by the upper and lower location of the steam engines relative to the boiler. When positioned at the top, the steam generator supplied hot steam directly to the engine chamber, which was connected to the axles by a system of cardan shafts. When the steam engine was located at the bottom, i.e. on the chassis, the boiler heated the water and supplied steam to the engine through tubes, which guaranteed temperature losses.

Sentinels are characterized by the upper and lower location of the steam engines relative to the boiler.

The presence of a chain transmission from the flywheel of the steam engine to the cardans was typical for both types. This allowed the designers to unify the production of Sentinels depending on the customer. For hot countries such as India, steam trucks were produced with a lower, separated boiler and engine. For countries with cold winters - with the upper, combined type.

For hot countries such as India, steam trucks were produced with a lower, separated boiler and engine.

These trucks used a lot of proven technologies. Steam distribution spools and valves, single and double acting engines, high or low pressure, with or without gearbox. However, this did not extend the life of English steam trucks. Although they were produced until the end of the 50s of the XX century and were even in military service before and during the 2nd World War, they were still bulky and somewhat reminiscent of steam locomotives. And since there were no interested persons in their radical modernization, their fate was sealed.

Although they were produced until the end of the 50s of the XX century and were even in military service before and during the 2nd World War, they were still bulky and somewhat reminiscent of steam locomotives.

Who cares what, but to us – US

In order to revive the war-ravaged economy of the Soviet Union, it was necessary to find a way not to waste oil resources, at least in hard-to-reach places - in the north of the country and in Siberia. Soviet engineers were given the opportunity to study the Sentinel's overhead-mounted four-cylinder direct-acting steam engine design and develop their "answer to Chamberlain."

In the 30s, Russian institutes and design bureaus made repeated attempts to create an alternative truck for the timber industry.

In the 30s, Russian institutes and design bureaus made repeated attempts to create an alternative truck for the timber industry. But each time the matter stopped at the testing stage. Using their own experience and the opportunity to study captured steam vehicles, the engineers managed to convince the country's leadership of the need for such a steam truck. Moreover, gasoline cost 24 times more than coal. And the cost of firewood in the taiga need not be mentioned at all.

A group of designers led by Yu. Shebalin simplified the steam unit as a whole as much as possible. They combined a four-cylinder engine and boiler into one unit and placed it between the body and the cabin. We installed this installation on the chassis of the serial YaAZ (MAZ)-200. The work of steam and its condensation were combined in a closed cycle. The supply of wood ingots from the bunker was carried out automatically.

This is how NAMI-012 was born, or rather on the forest roads. Obviously, the principle of bunker supply of solid fuel and the location of the steam engine on a truck were borrowed from the practice of gas generator plants.

The fate of the owner of the forests – NAMI-012

The characteristics of the domestic steam flatbed truck and timber carrier NAMI-012 were as follows

Load capacity – 6 tons
Speed – 45 km/h
The range without refueling is 80 km, if it was possible to replenish the water supply, then 150 km
Torque at low speeds – 240 kgm, which was almost 5 times higher than the base YaAZ-200
A boiler with natural circulation created a pressure of 25 atmospheres and brought steam to a temperature of 420°C
It was possible to replenish water supplies directly from the reservoir through ejectors
The all-metal cabin did not have a hood and was pushed forward
The speed was controlled by the volume of steam in the engine using the feed/cut-off lever. With its help, the cylinders were filled by 25/40/75%.
One reverse gear and three control pedals.

Serious disadvantages of the steam truck were the consumption of 400 kg of firewood per 100 km of travel and the need to get rid of water in the boiler in cold weather.

Serious disadvantages of the steam truck were the consumption of 400 kg of firewood per 100 km of travel and the need to get rid of water in the boiler in cold weather. But the main disadvantage that was present in the first sample was poor cross-country ability when unloaded. Then it turned out that the front axle was overloaded with the cabin and steam unit, compared to the rear. They coped with this task by installing a modernized steam power plant on the all-wheel drive YaAZ-214. Now the power of the NAMI-018 timber truck has been increased to 125 horsepower.

But, not having time to spread throughout the country, steam generator trucks were all disposed of in the second half of the 50s of the last century.

But, not having time to spread throughout the country, steam generator trucks were all disposed of in the second half of the 50s of the last century. However, together with gas generators. Because the cost of converting the vehicles, the economic impact and ease of use were labor intensive and questionable compared to gasoline and diesel trucks. Moreover, by this time oil production was already being established in the Soviet Union.

A fast and affordable modern steam car

Do not think that the idea of a steam-powered car is forgotten forever. Now there is a significant increase in interest in engines alternative to internal combustion engines using gasoline and diesel fuel. The world's oil reserves are not unlimited. Yes, and the cost of petroleum products is constantly increasing. Designers tried so hard to improve the internal combustion engine that their ideas almost reached their limit.

Electric cars, hydrogen cars, gas-powered and steam cars have once again become hot topics. Hello, forgotten 19th century!

There is now a significant increase in interest in engines alternative to internal combustion engines running on gasoline and diesel fuel.

A British engineer (England again!) demonstrated the new capabilities of the steam engine. He created his Inspuration not only to demonstrate the relevance of steam-powered cars. His brainchild is made for records. 274 km/h – this is the speed accelerated by twelve boilers installed on a 7.6-meter car. Just 40 liters of water is enough for liquefied gas to bring the steam temperature to 400°C in just a moment. Just think, it took history 103 years to break the speed record for a steam-powered car set by the Rocket!

In a modern steam generator, you can use coal in powder form or other cheap fuel, for example, fuel oil, liquefied gas. This is why steam cars have always been and will be popular.

But for an environmentally friendly future to come, it is again necessary to overcome the resistance of oil lobbyists.