The sight of the watermill is evocative of rural Britain--the wheel turning gently to grind corn. However, that is only part of the story of the harnessing of the power of water, a story that extends back 2,000 years and is still far from over, as this invaluable book shows.
Like many apparently simple devices, the vertical water wheel has been around for so long that it is taken for granted. Yet this "picturesque artifact" was for centuries man's primary mechanical source of power and was the foundation upon which mills and other industries developed. Stronger than a Hundred Men explores the development of the vertical water wheel from its invention in ancient times through its eventual demise as a source of power during the Industrial Revolution. Spanning more than 2000 years, Terry Reynolds's account follows the progression of this labor-saving device from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and America-covering the evolution of the water wheel itself, the development of dams and reservoirs, and the applications of water power.
This book is the most comprehensive empirical study to date of the social and technical aspects of milling during the ancient and medieval periods.Drawing on the latest archaeological evidence and historical studies, the book examines the chronological development and technical details of handmills, beast mills, watermills and windmills from the first millennium BCE to c. 1500. It discusses the many and varied uses to which mills were turned in the civilisations of Rome, China, Islam and Europe, and the many types of mill that existed.The book also includes comparative regional studies of the social and economic significance of milling, and tackles several important historiographical issues, such as whether technological stagnation was a characteristic of late Antiquity, whether there was an industrial revolution" in the European Middle Ages based on waterpower, and how contemporary studies in the social shaping of technology can shed light on the study of pre-modern technology."
A Practical Guide to Plastics Sustainability: Concept, Solutions, and Implementation is a groundbreaking reference work offering a broad, detailed and highly practical vision of the complex concept of sustainability in plastics. The book's aim is to present a range of potential pathways towards more sustainable plastics parts and products, enabling the reader to further integrate the idea of sustainability into their design process. It begins by introducing the context and concept of sustainability, discussing perceptions, drivers of change, key factors, and environmental issues, before presenting a detailed outline of the current situation with types of plastics, processing, and opportunities for improved sustainability. Subsequent chapters focus on the different possibilities for improved sustainability, offering a step-by-step technical approach to areas including design, properties, renewable plastics, and recycling and re-use. Each of these pillars are supported by data, examples, analysis and best practice guidance. Finally, the latest developments and future possibilities are considered. - Approaches the idea of sustainability from numerous angles, offering practical solutions to improve sustainability in the development of plastic components and products - Explains how sustainability can be applied across plastics design, materials selection, processing, and end of life, all set alongside socioeconomic factors - Considers key areas of innovation, such as eco-design, novel opportunities for recycling or re-use, bio-based polymers and new technologies
Polygeneration with Polystorage: For Energy and Chemicals addresses the problem of both traditional and dispersed generation with a broad, multidisciplinary perspective. As the first book to thoroughly focus on the topic of polygeneration, users will find the problem presented from different scientific and technical domains down to both macro and micro levels. Detailed analyses and state-of-the-art developments in specific fields are included, focusing on storage in conventional energy supply chains and demand-side renewable polygeneration systems, management advice and the necessary market mechanisms needed to support them. This reference is useful for academics and professionals in conventional and unconventional energy systems. - Includes an outlined framework towards polygeneration and polystorage down to both micro and macro levels - Contains fluid and continuous chapters that provide detailed analysis and a review of the state-of-the-art developments in specific fields - Addresses the wider global view of research advancement and potential in the role of polygeneration and polystorage in the move toward sustainability
Describes how water power has been used for hundreds of years, discusses the benefits and liabilities of using water power, and introduces new potential sources of water power.