Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-04-01

PROPULSION OF VESSELS AT SEA

tls;on Of Uesseis at sea. By Major- General Sir
iliam C0ngreUe, Bart. F. r. s..
there never was moment of such in
st in the annals OF naval architecture as
present. The introduction of steam. has
he'd the prospect of attaining such power
facilities in navigation as have until this
hent never been contemplated. It is,
lever, evident, that the great expense of
hing large ships by steam, and also the
at sacrifice of stowage requisite for the
ehinery and fuel, must prescribe narrow
its to the application of this power as a
+ rec Of general advantage. Induced by
Sc reflections, have turned my thoughts
The production of power for propelIing
sells, which should possess all the econo-
of wind, and at the same time all the
nageableness and universally of steam:
inquiries and experiments which / have
be induce me to believe all these impor-
points attainable, with an extent of
yer which is not to be derived from the
blcation of steam. The source from which
topose to derive this power is the rising
a falling Of the waves with which the
81 Jan is covered, when the slightest breeze
walls. It's, indeed, extraordinary, that
ore are no traces to be found of any at
& pts to attain power from the undulation
I he sea, when the comparative force of
b dashing of the waves against the body
& Die ship, and the pressure of the wind in
~ sails, is constantly before the sailors
B; and when it is known that the differ
e of the momenta of these two elements
early in the ratio of a thousand to one:
BRING, however, this comparison in his
I'D, the seaman will not be much surpris-
to find how considerable force may be
aimed by simple mechanical means from
fery small wave; the boat in which he
barks rises and falls, while alongside the
assel, with force which he is sensible that
eefort of his, nor of twenty people it may
antaln can surmount or even control; and
q is precise Illustration of the power
IRpose to apply.
no give general view of the mode by
Itch | collect this force, in the first in
3 pca, it -a~y DO oeated to. he effected hy a
les Of overshot water wheels, fixed in a
lzontal line along the waters edge, con-
+. tied so as to revolve all the same way,
= communicating with paddle wheels Of
same size and description as would be
y I'D for steam; these wheels, which de-
inmate wave wheels, vary in number and
\ meter according to the size of the ves-
g. The nature of their action will be i'm
zediately explained, as well as the mode of
4 culating their force, and it will be found
ht series OF sixteen of these wheels, six
et in diameter, and six feet broad, would
q sufficient to collect, from the undulation
the waves, when their perpendicular as
mt above the level of the sea shall not ex-
'ed three feet, power Of upwards of four
'ndred horses, without involving any ex-
nse but that of the machinery externally
Piled, the power arising simply from the
~ OF water into the wheels.
The wave wheel is an overshot wheel.
Flded into compartments, so that the water
wing in at the top may be retained in one
\ Fe as it descends, while it shall be wholly
Grated on the other as it rises. Now,
zen wheel being placed with its centre
e the water line of the vessel, it is evident,
at II wave rise to the height Of three
FL above the level, this wheel will, at
saes, be wholly immersed by the ascending
fve; and again wholly immerged by the
ascending three feet below the level; in
IS latter case, the charge of water taken
20 the descending buckets, from the pass
q OF the wave over the wheel, will act
I'm the full force of an overshot wheel,
using it to make half a revolution as the
pier discharges itself, when the wheel will
again covered by a succeeding wave,
which situation, while the charge of wa
is lowing into the descending bucket,
i ascending ones being inverted and full
ar, will, by their buoyaney nnder water.
ferta power to turn the wheel equal to
lat OF the charge of water when the wheel
suspended in air whether, therefore, the
neel be immersed or immerged, it will re-
I've constantly and uniformly, with the
zee Of an overshot wheel, continually sup
Ped with water.
Now, the power of such wheel is as the
eearge Of water multiplied into the velocity
Its centre of gravity, and that charge, in
wheel five feet diameter and FIVE feet
Foad, would be about 5000 lbs; while, on
h superstition of twenty waves succeeding
Pch other in the space of minute, the We
Pcity of its centre of gravity would be 200
Fet In that time and as the load of a ten
Prise steam engine, moving through 200
eet per minute, would be also about 5000
Ps. It follows, that one of these wheels
goald yield a power Of ten horses. From a
Pmllar calculation, as the loads of these
gheels vary, as to the cubes of their dame
Frs, while the velocities of their centres Of
Eravlty remain the same, the number Of
raves succeeding each other in any given
Inc, diminishing as their depths in
|reease, "a ten-feet wheel, with succession
| only ten waves in minute, making half
u number of the revolutions of the FIVE
Ia II 4 4 = > I. L