Motive power

In thermodynamics, motive power is a natural agent, such as water or steam, wind or electricity, used to impart motion to machinery such as an engine. Motive power may also be a locomotive or a motor, which provides motive power to a system. Motive power may be thought of as a synonym for either "work", i.e. force times distance, or "power".

History

In 1679, physicist Denis Papin conceived the idea of using steam to power a piston and cylinder engine, by watching a steam release valve of a bone-digester rhythmically move up and down. In 1698, based on Papin’s designs, mechanical designer Thomas Savery built the first engine. The first scientific treatise on the energetics of engines was the 1824 book: Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire written by French physicist Sadi Carnot.

As an example, the Newcomen engine of 1711 was able to replace a team of 500 horses that had “powered” a wheel to pump water out of a mine, i.e. to “move” buckets of water vertically out of a mine. Hence, we have the precursory model to the term motive power. Based on this model, in 1832, Carnot defined work as “weight lifted through a height”, being the very same definition used to this day.

Motive power (disambiguation)

Motive power can refer to:

Motive Power

Motive Power is a bi-monthly railway related magazine that focuses on diesel locomotives in Australia. The first issue was published on 23 August 1998. Its headquarters is in Sydney. The content includes photographs of locomotives & trains, news about newly delivered and repainted locomotives, technical articles, and fleet listings of the various Australian railway operators. Articles about railway photography itself are sometimes included, as well as articles and advertisements about railway modelling.

See also

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