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!
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.
You know it’s one of those things, I live about 40 minutes from here and have never visited it. Nor the Kelpies nearby. Impressive engineering.
That's the large white suspension bridge? We did drive over it! But if not, no other bridges stand out to me. We turned around in Lenlithgow (sp?) after the Marches to head to Pitlochery.
We have three bridges next to each other from three different centuries! The Queensferry Crossing was the one you were on, built about 5 years ago. The one next to it is the old Road Bridge and the furthest away that is red diamonds is the rail bridge, it was built in the 1800’s and is one of a kind, unofficial wonder of the modern world.
Three designs too - 19th century cantilever, 20th suspension, 21st cable-stayed. Also, the Forth Bridge is a UNESCO world heritage site. We love our bridges!
I see! Well we're going back to Scotland. Not to shit on the English, but Scottish people were much more fun, less stuffy, and more welcoming. I'll definitely make it a point to see the bridges. Plus I need an excuse to wear my new kilt.
I think like anything it depends where you go. I’ve been great places up here and rubbish places and the same for down south of the border. Worth checking out the bridges for sure! And Roman and Celtic sites, a bunch of them!!
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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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.
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!!!
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.
Does one say power instead of energy in colloquial English? I am not a native speaker, but in German many people do it, but because they confuse both. (I know that it is technically work, but that's definitely out of scope for public communication)
Most people don't know scientific units or the difference between the two words. Especially with electricity. When we lose power, it means the electricity is turned off.
Yes, absolutely. People will frequently use either term interchangeably when talking about electricity. It's less likely in a scientific or engineering context of course, but it occasionally does happen.
Yes, people frequently get it wrong and when they are dismissive about it, they are demonstrating their lack of willingness to educate themselves.
It may seem like semantics to quibble over technical language but if I ask someone to pass me a saucepan, when I want to use a frying pan, then it’s pretty stupid of me, isn’t it?
