Old into new

[jmw]

Fans of canals might like to see this video of the Falkirk wheel.
This link between two canals at two different levels is energy and water efficient.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/31421-industrial-revelations-the-falkirk-wheel-video.htm

Ingenious, but a continuation of the genius behind the canal system from the beginning.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[GregLocock]

While I enjoy it as a thing, what innovation(s) was necessary that made it the best solution compared with the more traditional ones? My suspicion is that it could have been done this way any time in the last 150 years, but some sort of desire to build a funfair ride aesthetic took them down this path.

A more typical design is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strépy-Thieu_boat_lift

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[jmw]

What I like is the very low energy consumption ... the wheel is perfectly balanced .... because each tub weighs exactly what the other ways no matter whether it carries a barge or not (Archimedes).

Other solutions? The boat lift is 1875?

http://www.andertonboatlift.co.uk/

This is a very poor web site.
You tube has some videos and there is a wiki entry
Sadly the Foxton Inclined plane web site is equally bad.
What these sites need is some good videos, or better yet, animations.




JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[btrueblood]

"low energy consumption"

Well, ok, but it still needs a motor. This doesn't:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough_lift_lock

Could be argued that the water used to do the lifting could've been piped thru a turbine, etc.

I'm more impressed by the seal technology used on the ends of the caissons - how do they keep the water from spilling out thru the crack between wheel and canal when the lock gates open?

 

[jmw]

I guess these are all solutions which exploit the careful counter-balancing of two tubs so that whether hydraulic or whether the wheel lock, whether a lift or inclined plane, very little energy or water is required for the operation.
This isn't the case with conventional locks which can use quite a lot of water, even with side ponds.

The Falkirk Wheel is therefore just as acceptable as any other such solution.

How much was the choice dictated by other factors?
Well, we go through phases in design. The Victorians could never simply cast a component in iron but must add copious decoration.
It does beg the question of whether or not decoration has a place in engineering or the extent to which non-essential detail is desirable or not.
Interesting that the construction of the Peterborough lift was highly politically motivated but in the case of the Falkirk wheel the design is obviously motivated by the cultural and political environment.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[btrueblood]

It was an interesting little read for this quiet week, thanks for the OP jmw.

 

[KENAT]

Um, haven't we been here before, see the last link in my signature.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[jmw]

Kenat, that is a brilliant comment from Ivymike..

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[jmw]

I came across this neat animation of a set of ship locks:

http://www.dieselduck.net/videos/07 misc/SLS Diagram.mov

These are very useful and should feature on many more of these sites.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[racookpe1978]

Why a rotating lift-dock rather than a conventional long series of horizontal docks?

Land use, land price. Excavation fees and "where do I dump the excavated dirt?" problem. (No Gatun Dam handy, unlike Panama.) Going up that far takes a considerable horizontal distance AND greater regional impact going down the slope for the two sets of locks. Also, more water goes through each lock for each ship transit - since each conventional lock requires twice the depth that a single level basin requires. Worse, a conventional lock requires the "upper" water to be lost for each transit. With this style, the water is transferred back "uphill" with almost no loss in the upper reaches of the canal.

And, never ignore the "It looks pretty" factor. If the item can work as a different design, is economical (can get funded!) and "Can get sold" as a feature or an attraction for people to enjoy - rather than get opposed by endless enviro lawsuits and be an "ugly concrete ditch" going through the neighborhood - .....

Why not build it that way?

Enjoy two (or three, or four!) working solutions rather than a 1970'd ugly piece of government-paid square concrete box

 

[KiwiMace]

For the hundred million it costs to build these things, why not pimp the ride with a aesthetically pleasing rotation.

That French lift charges pedestrians €5.50 to ride up 72m... engineering genius or not, i'll just take the stairs thanks.