Find out how steam can be used to drive a paddle steamer.
Find out how steam can be used to drive a paddle steamer.
There have undoubtedly been other paddle steamers that have used a simple engine such as this one, but most large sea-going paddle steamers - such as the Waverly, launched in 1946 - used three double-acting cylinders (see the 'by the way' inset in the animation for an illustration of a double-acting cylinder).
The first paddle steamers typically used oil-fired boilers, which provided heat to boil water, which generated steam to power the boat. The steam was piped to the ship's cylinder (or cylinders). The movement of the steam entering and exiting the cylinder (or cylinders) exerted pressure on one or more pistons, creating motion.
The steam was then piped to the condenser, where it was converted back into water. The water was then recycled back to the boiler. The back and forth movement of each piston was translated into rotary motion by a crank shaft.
The crank shaft turned the paddle shaft (rod), which ultimately turned the paddle wheel. In larger engines there were two paddle wheels, one on each side of the ship, which drove it through the water.
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