Water mill - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

A water mill , or hydraulic Mill , is an installation intended to use the mechanical energy produced by the current of a River which is brought to the mill by a level. In coastal regions, the movements of Marée were also put at contribution to make function mills.

History

The water mill, attested in Europe since antiquity (it is described in the Traité of architecture of Vitruve), is older than the Windmill. It parallel to develops the disappearance of slavery as from the 9th century: the energy utilization hydraulic rather than animal or human allows a productivity without comparison with that available in antiquity (each grinding stone of a water mill can grind 150kg corn per hour what corresponds to the work of 40 slaves). The water mill, just like the windmill, were supplanted at the 19th century by the arrival of the Steam engine, then by the Electrical motor.

Technique

In the majority of the cases the Paddle wheel is vertical (horizontal axis).

In a mill with the current, in fact current river or Bief involves the wheel with paddles by its lower part.
By leading water above the wheel, it is the fall of the water which transmits its energy to the roue ; the use of bucket wheels allows a higher output.
water can also arrive under the wheel, to transmit part of its kinetic energy to him.

Starting from the industrial revolution, and rather at the 20th century, certain mills use a horizontal wheel (with vertical axis) also known as “Turbine”, in particular in the case of the mills “with reserve”, which are in general of modest size. The water level is maintained with a sufficient height upstream of the mill by a stopping or a threshold provided with a Déversoir. This material is considered to wound or kill fish, whereas they cross healthy and except the paddle wheels. In all the cases a grid protects the wheel or the turbine from the branches, trunks or objects brought by the current which could damage these parts. This grid must be cleaned regularly.

In certain installations, water necessary to operation is brought by a control in a tank contiguous to the mill and storing this water.

The energy produced by a water mill is used locally. It is transmitted and possibly mechanically geared down to the apparatus to drive, via Engrenage S or of Courroie S.

Uses

The water mills were used for multiple uses before the industrial era, like:

to grind Cereal S, the former use;
in forest industry, the Sawmill S;
for the textile: Fuller S, weaving looms;
for the work of metals: Grinding stone S, forging mills, hammers rammers;
to actuate pumps.
mill with Paper: 13° with the 18° century, the energy of the mill was used to reduce the rags softened out of paper pulp by actuating rammers provided with points. With the 19° century, it actuates moreover the paper machine uninterrupted. But the mill term is then abandoned with the profit of the paper mill term.
to produce electricity with a generating

Some examples of sites which use (or used) this hydraulic power: the Machine of Marly which made function the cascades, fountains and basin of the garden of the Château of Versailles or the Pavillon of Manse which is in Chantilly and which sheltered a hydraulic machine which had the same function as that of Marly but for the gardens of the Château of Chantilly.

See too

External bonds

French federation of Associations of safeguard of the Mills
mills of the Sarthe Report photo (GR.)
/site on the restoration of a water mill

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