View source for Stationary steam engine

{{Short description|Fixed steam engine for pumping or power generation}}
{{more footnotes|date=March 2015}}
[[Image:tower.bridge.99.machinery.london.arp.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A stationary steam engine, preserved at [[Tower Bridge]] in [[London]].  This is one of two tandem cross-compound hydraulic pumping engines formerly used to raise and lower the bridge.]]
'''Stationary steam engines''' are fixed [[steam engine]]s used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from [[Steam locomotive|locomotive engines]] used on [[Rail transport|railways]], [[traction engine]]s for heavy steam haulage on roads, [[steam car]]s (and other motor vehicles), [[agricultural engine]]s used for ploughing or threshing, [[marine steam engine|marine engines]], and the [[steam turbine]]s used as the mechanism of power generation for most [[nuclear reactor#Electrical power generation|nuclear power plants]].

The development of the steam engine was gradual. They were introduced during the 18th century and widely made for the whole of the 19th century and most of the first half of the 20th century, only declining as electricity supply and the internal combustion engine became more widespread. Over time, they would improve in pressure, expansion and speed.<ref name="whf">{{Cite book |last=Fowler |first=William H |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002022052 |title=Stationary steam engines, illustrated with numerous examples from actual practice |date=1907 |publisher=The Scientific publishing company |location=Manchester}}</ref>

== Development of the stationary steam engine ==
In the [[1st century|first century AD]], "Hero" described a turbine type engine utilizing steam for power known as the [[aeolipile]]. Since then very little with steam power has been done until the 17th and 18th centuries. It was an invention by [[James Watt]] that would first imbody all aspects common to modern engines.<ref name="whf"/> It used the expansion of steam, a separate condenser, and speed regulation with a [[Governor (device)|governor]].

The first steam engines operated very slowly. The greatest improvement was the increased pressure at which they could operate. Super heaters were added to [[Boiler|boilers]] to increase temperature and the economy of the engine. The first engines utilized a single cylinder where low pressure steam was introduced to the bottom of the piston and then condensed.<ref name="whf"/> More cylinders were added creating the compound steam engine. As pressure increased, it was found that the compound design was more economical.

== Components of a stationary steam engine ==

* The number of cylinders and valves determine the type of engine. The area of the cylinder along with the speed of the piston and the pressure of the steam determines the power output. Valves are used for exhaust and drainage of steam.
* Pistons are the surface of which the pressure from the steam is applied inside the barrel of the cylinder. To achieve the build up of pressure, the pistons must be sealed to the cylinder walls. This is done using piston rings.
* The [[connecting rod]] is responsible for transferring the load of the piston to the crank pin or crank shaft and is subject to tension and compression.

==Types of stationary steam engine==
[[Image:Steam engine in action.gif|thumb|right|Double-acting horizontal stationary steam engine. The [[piston]] is on the left, the [[Crank (mechanism)|crank]] is mounted on the flywheel axle on the right.]]
[[File:Mill engine, Queen Street Mill - geograph.org.uk - 1177536.jpg|thumb|Mill engine, Queen Street Mill, [[Burnley]]. William Roberts horizontal tandem compound engine - 'Peace'. ]]
[[File:Marshall undertype steam engine, Fengate Farm - geograph.org.uk - 1193829.jpg|right|thumb|Marshall undertype steam engine]]
There are different patterns of stationary steam engines, distinguished by
the layout of the [[Cylinder (engine)|cylinders]] and [[crankshaft]]:
*[[Beam engine]]s have a rocking [[Beam (structure)|beam]] providing the connection between the vertical cylinder and crankshaft.
*[[Table engine]]s have the [[crosshead]] above the vertical cylinder and the crankshaft below.
*Horizontal engines have a horizontal cylinder.
*Vertical engines have a vertical cylinder.
*Inclined engines have an inclined cylinder.
*Undertype engines are distinguished by having a locomotive-style [[Fire-tube boiler|boiler]] over top of a horizontal engine. 

Stationary engines may be classified by secondary characteristics as well:
*[[High-speed steam engine|High-speed engine]]s are distinguished by fast-acting valves.
*[[Corliss steam engine|Corliss engine]]s are distinguished by special rotary [[valve gear]].
*[[Uniflow steam engine|Uniflow engine]]s have admission valves at the cylinder heads and exhaust ports at the midpoint.

When stationary engines had multiple cylinders, they could be classified as:
*Simple engines, with multiple identical cylinders operating on a common crankshaft.
*[[Compound steam engine|Compound]] engines which use the exhaust from high-pressure cylinders to power low-pressure cylinders.

An engine could be run in simple or condensing mode:
* Simple mode meant the [[exhaust gas]] left the cylinder and passed straight into the atmosphere
* In condensing mode, the steam was cooled in a separate cylinder, and changed from vapour to liquid water, creating a vacuum that assisted with the motion. This could be done with a water-cooled plate that acted as a [[heat sink]], or pumping-in a spray of water.

Stationary engines may also be classified by their application:
*Pumping engines are found in [[pumping station]]s.
*Mill engines to power [[Cotton mill|textile mill]]s
*[[Winding engine]]s power various types of [[hoist (device)|hoist]]s.
*[[Refrigeration]] engines are typically coupled to ammonia compressors.

Stationary engines could be classified by the manufacturer
*[[Boulton & Watt]]
*[[George Saxon & Co]]
{{Clear}}
[[File:Coldharbour Mill - beam engine - geograph.org.uk - 2204582.jpg|thumb|325px|The restored [[Peter Brotherhood|Kittoe and Brotherhood]] beam engine at [[Coldharbour Mill Working Wool Museum|Coldharbour]], which is steamed up regularly on Bank Holiday weekends.]]

==History==
In order of evolution:
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
* [[Thomas Savery|Savery]] atmospheric engine (1700)
* [[Newcomen steam engine|Newcomen engine]] (1712)
* [[Watt steam engine|Watt engine]] (1775)
* [[Jonathan Hornblower|Hornblower]] (1781)
* [[Richard Trevithick|Trevithick]] (1799) 
* [[Arthur Woolf|Woolf]] (1804)
* [[Cornish engine]] (1812)
* [[William McNaught (Glasgow)|McNaught'ed]] compound beam engines (1845)
* [[Corliss steam engine|Corliss engine]](1859)
* [[History of the steam engine#Porter-Allen high speed engine|Porter-Allen engine]] (1862)
* [[Uniflow steam engine|Uniflow engine]] Todd's (1885)
* [[Steam turbine]] (1889)
<ref>{{harvnb|Hills|1993}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
*[[Boilers]]
*[[Centrifugal governor]]
*[[Lineshaft]]
*[[Belt (mechanical)|Belt]]
*[[List of steam energy topics]]
*[[Live steam]]
*[[Steam fair]]
*[[Stationary engine]]
*[[Steam donkey]]
*[[:Category:Preserved stationary steam engines|Preserved stationary steam engines]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*Buchanan, R. A., and Watkins, George, ''The Industrial Archaeology of the Stationary Steam Engine'', London, 1976, {{ISBN|0-7139-0604-9}}
*Fowler, W. H. (1919). ''Stationary steam engines, illustrated with numerous examples from actual practice / Ed. by William H. Fowler''. The Scientific publishing company, [1907].
*Bowditch, J. (1992). Power from Steam: A History of the Stationary Steam Engine by Richard L. Hills (review). ''Technology and Culture'', ''33''(4), 821–823. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.1992.0025</nowiki>
*{{cite book|last=Hills|first= Richard Leslie |author-link=Richard L. Hills |title=Power from Steam: A History of the Stationary Steam Engine |publisher=Cambridge University Press |edition=paperback|year=1993 |pages=244|isbn= 9780521458344|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6TLOQBhd0YC|access-date=13 May 2009}}
*{{cite book|url=http://oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk/forum_topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7926&FORUM_ID=99&CAT_ID=3&Forum_Title=Rare+Text+(Book+Transcriptions)&Topic_Title=ARTHUR+ROBERTS+ENGINE+LIST&whichpage=1&tmp=1#pid81483|title=Arthur Robert's Engine List|publisher=One guy from Barlick-Book Transcription|last=Roberts|first=A S|year=1921|work=Arthur Roberts Black Book.|access-date=2009-01-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723183726/http://oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk/forum_topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7926&FORUM_ID=99&CAT_ID=3&Forum_Title=Rare+Text+(Book+Transcriptions)&Topic_Title=ARTHUR+ROBERTS+ENGINE+LIST&whichpage=1&tmp=1#pid81483|archive-date=2011-07-23}}
*Watkins, George, ''Stationary Steam Engines of Great Britain'', Landmark Publishing, various ISBNs
:Vol 1, Yorkshire (2000)
:Vol 2, Scotland and Northern England (2000)
:Vols 3:1, 3:2, Lancashire (2001)
:Vol 4, Wales, Cheshire,& Shropshire (2002)
:Vol 5, The North Midlands (2002)
:Vol 6, The South Midlands (2003)
:Vol 7, The South and South West (2003)
:Vol 8, Greater London and the South East (2003)
:Vol 9, East Anglia & adjacent counties (2004)
:Vol 10, Marine Engines (and readers' notes, indexes to the series etc) (2005)

This series reproduces some 1,500 images from the Steam Engine Record made by George Watkins between 1930 and 1980, which is now in the Watkins Collection at English Heritage's National Monuments Record at [[Swindon]], [[Wiltshire|Wilts]].

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{YouTube|JDtU3EEFSOU|title=Vertical Stationary Steam Engine}}
* {{YouTube|2aZGcBVNQt4|title=Vertical Stationary Steam Engine}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120213063835/http://oldenginehouse.users.btopenworld.com/othermuseums.htm Old Engine House, List of Museums] &ndash; ''examples of stationary steam engines preserved in the UK (with pictures and links)''
*[http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/mills/livesteam.htm International Steam.co.uk] &ndash; ''comprehensive coverage of stationary steam engines in their original locations, working and non-working, in many countries''
*[http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/stationarysteam/ preserved stationary steam engines] &ndash; ''includes lesser-known museums containing such engines (UK)''
*[http://www.smokstak.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=7 Steamers steam engine forum] &ndash; ''Questions and answers about old steam engines, traction engines''

{{Steam engine configurations|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stationary Steam Engine}}
[[Category:Stationary steam engines]]
[[Category:Steam engines]]
[[Category:Stationary engines]]