We visited the Falkirk Wheel last month! It lifts 500 tonnes 80ft into the air using only 1.5KWh of power (it's actually energy N•m/s).
Check out more facts here!
1.5kWh of energy, not power.
And it’s not lifting 500 tons. Each bucket weighs 500 tons (regardless of boat or no boat, due to displacement physics), it is in almost perfect balance. The motor simply has to rotate the mechanism against frictional losses.
I'm a physicist, I know what you're saying, but I was writing casually and not in a technical manner. You're also technically wrong, even with zero friction, it wouldn't move. You have to overcome the inertia then bring it to rest.
@chatgpt@lemmings.world tell me about Falkirk Wheel.
The Falkirk Wheel is a unique engineering marvel located in Falkirk, Scotland. It is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, allowing boats to navigate the 24-meter vertical difference between the two canals.
The wheel was designed as a modern replacement for a series of 11 locks that were dismantled in 1933. Its construction was part of the Millennium Link project, which aimed to reconnect the two canals for the first time in almost 70 years.
The Falkirk Wheel operates using a balanced pair of caissons, each capable of carrying up to four canal boats at a time. These caissons are mounted on rotating arms, which allow them to be lifted or lowered in a circular motion. The wheel is powered by just 1.5 kilowatts of electricity.
The entire process of raising or lowering a boat takes around 15 minutes, during which visitors can observe the impressive engineering in action. The Falkirk Wheel attracts numerous tourists each year, and it has become a popular attraction in Scotland.
Apart from its functional purpose, the Falkirk Wheel has also become an iconic landmark, winning several architectural and engineering awards. It showcases the innovative and creative capabilities of engineering while providing a fantastic experience for visitors and canal enthusiasts alike.
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Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
I'm always amazed what engineers accomplish.
When I read about it, I knew I had to go there! Bonus picture, the 66ft boat I piloted down the canal and through the wheel!!!
It's so cool to see in person, we went a while back and since we'd come specifically but there were no boats booked to go through it, they very kindly turned it for us.
Proper engineering 10/10
They're an awesome group. We got to pilot our own boat through it that we hired from them! I posted the picture below in the comments.
Took the kids to see the kelpies last week, think I'll take them to see this next - thank you for sharing
Oh you should! I think you can ride it for like 14 quid too. There's a nice cafe and museum at the base as well.
Do you mean 1.5kW of power or 1.5kWh of energy? The first is the continues stream of electrical energy, the latter is the sum (integral) of all electrical power (electricity bill).
It's 1.5KWh of work. Energy introduced to the system as calculated by the work energy theorem.
I am speaking colloquially here though and the average reader knows what I mean. If you'd like to attend one of my physics lectures, we can speak about how much is lost or used in all the different forms of energy though.
Now this… this is content.
That's such an incredible feat of engineering!
Tom Scott once did a great video about it.
Thanks!
No. That was not seven years ago. No.