-
141 Thomson, James
SUBJECT AREA: Mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic engineering[br]b. 16 February 1822 Belfast, Ireland (now Northern Ireland)d. 8 May 1892 Glasgow, Scotland[br]Irish civil engineer noted for his work in hydraulics and for his design of the "Vortex" turbine.[br]James Thomson was a pupil in several civil-engineering offices, but the nature of the work was beyond his physical capacity and from 1843 onwards he devoted himself to theoretical studies. Hhe first concentrated on the problems associated with the expansion of liquids when they reach their freezing point: water is one such example. He continued this work with his younger brother, Lord Kelvin (see Thomson, Sir William).After experimentation with a "feathered" paddle wheel as a young man, he turned his attention to water power. In 1850 he made his first patent application, "Hydraulic machinery and steam engines": this patent became his "Vortex" turbine design. He settled in Belfast, the home of the MacAdam-Fourneyron turbine, in 1851, and as a civil engineer became the Resident Engineer to the Belfast Water Commissioners in 1853. In 1857 he was appointed Professor of Civil Engineering and Surveying at Queen's College, Belfast.Whilst it is understood that he made his first turbine models in Belfast, he came to an arrangement with the Williamson Brothers of Kendal to make his turbine. In 1856 Williamsons produced their first turbine to Thomson's design and drawings. This was the Vortex Williamson Number 1, which produced 5 hp (3.7 kW) under a fall of 31 ft (9.4 m) on a 9 in. (23 cm) diameter supply. The rotor of this turbine ran in a horizontal plane. For several years the Williamson catalogue described their Vortex turbine as "designed by Professor James Thomson".Thomson continued with his study of hydraulics and water flow both at Queen's College, Belfast, and, later, at Glasgow University, where he became Professor in 1873, succeeding Macquorn Rankine, another famous engineer. At Glasgow, James Thomson studied the flow in rivers and the effects of erosion on river beds. He was also an authority on geological formations such as the development of the basalt structure of the Giant's Causeway, north of Belfast.James Thomson was an extremely active engineer and a very profound teacher of civil engineering. His form of water turbine had a long life before being displaced by the turbines designed in the twentieth century.[br]Bibliography1850, British patent no. 13,156 "Hydraulic machinery and steam engines".Further ReadingGilkes, 1956, One Hundred Years of Water Power, Kendal.KM
См. также в других словарях:
The Point! — Studio album by Harry Nilsson Released 1971 … Wikipedia
The Brood (professional wrestling) — The Brood Stable Members Gangrel (leader) Christian Edge Debut October 26, 1998 Disbanded July 12, 1999 … Wikipedia
At the point — Point Point, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See {Pungent}, and cf. {Puncto}, {Puncture}.] 1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
In the point — Point Point, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See {Pungent}, and cf. {Puncto}, {Puncture}.] 1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
On the point — Point Point, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See {Pungent}, and cf. {Puncto}, {Puncture}.] 1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
On the point — Point Point, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See {Pungent}, and cf. {Puncto}, {Puncture}.] 1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
The Razor's Edge — For other uses of The Razor s Edge see The Razor s Edge (disambiguation) Infobox Book name = The Razor s Edge | image caption = 1946 hardcover edition promoting the first film adaptation author = W. Somerset Maugham cover artist = country =… … Wikipedia
The Return of the Condor Heroes — (zh tsp|t=神鵰俠侶|s=神雕侠侣|p=shén diāo xiá lǚ) is a classic wuxia novel written by Jin Yong, first published on May 20, 1959 in the first issue of Ming Pao and ran for about three years. This is the second novel of the Condor Trilogy . The story… … Wikipedia
The Star (Amman newspaper) — The Star is an English language newspaper published in Amman, Jordan every Thursday. The daily Jordan Times and it are the only two English newspapers in the Kingdom, and have been so for a long time despite short lived attempts to create other… … Wikipedia
The Valentines (doo-wop band) — The Valentines were one of the most highly regarded American Doo Wop groups from the mid 1950s. Their records are highly sought by collectors. Although they never had a record on the national hit parades, they were extremely popular in New York… … Wikipedia
on the point of — {prep.} Ready to begin; very near to. Usually used with a verbal noun. * /The coach was on the point of giving up the game when our team scored two points./ * /The baby was on the point of crying when her mother finally came home./ Compare: ABOUT … Dictionary of American idioms
