The Falkirk Wheel

[Matty F]

It is claimed by many people that the shape of the leading edge of the Falk irk Wheel has no engineering purpose. Well, even if the engineers didn't think about it (which I don't believe), the sharp leading edge is a better shape when entering the water than a blu nt 1300 tonne object hitting the water, causing rather a splash I imagine. It would also lessen the strain on the very small motors driving the wheel around.

I also find it hard to imagine that miserly Scottish engineers would waste quite a lot of extra money making the pointed bits. It would be much easier and cheaper to just make it round.

If the points make no difference, why not run it the other way around, blun t part first? No, it make engineering sense to have the point enter the wat er first.

Do boats have flat bows or pointed bows? I rest my case.

[Jim K]

lkirk Wheel has no engineering purpose.

, the sharp leading edge is a better shape when entering the water than a b lunt 1300 tonne object hitting the water, causing rather a splash I imagine . It would also lessen the strain on the very small motors driving the whee l around.

e quite a lot of extra money making the pointed bits. It would be much easi er and cheaper to just make it round.

unt part first? No, it make engineering sense to have the point enter the w ater first.

PSST it doesn't go round as fast as in the video ;>)

Jim K

[A.Lee]

They made it to look nice as well as work well.

[John Williamson]

Not only that, the wheel structure doesn't actually enter the water, as it's housed in a dry chamber. If you google for images of it, there is at least one aerial shot that shows this.

[D.M.Chapman]

Watch this - from about 30 seconds in is the clearest view.

As you say, the structure remains dry...

I guess the same argument goes for air resistance though. I mean, planes tend to be pointy ;-)

Darren

[D.M.Chapman]

[Matty F]

[John Williamson]

[The Natural Philosopher]

water resistance will be irrelevant in that. I'd say that that is some kind of mass thing - they wanted mass there, and that was a simple and nice looking way to get it there.

Or it is simply bit of 'architectural sculpture'.

[D.M.Chapman]

I do yeah, hence the smiley :-) Still, every little helps ;-)

Indeed. I'd imagine the shape of the wheel is not the expensive bit of the engineering needed for that project. Why not make it look nice as well for a tiny % increase in price.

Never been but it's on my list. Finally managed to do the Newport transporter bridge a couple of year back. That impressive as well (in a very different way to the Falkirk Wheel)

Darren

[mcp]

They do run it the other way round, possibly to even out the wear.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

The thing's running so slowly it would make f*ck all difference.

[alan]

It runs both ways. There is How It Works video at

[Bill Wright]

And greyhounds.

Bill

[SteveW]

I hope to get there some time in the next couple of years. I nearly made it a few years ago, but it's a bit far unless I'm up that way.

Not too far from us we have the Anderton boat lift and, even closer, the Barton swing aquaduct. Both very impressive pieces of engineering considering their age. As far as I know, the swing aquaduct is still the only one of its kind in the world.

SteveW

[Davey]

Many years ago, I crossed over the Barton Aqueduct. We also saw the Anderton Lift at the side of the canal, but this was before it was restored, so we couldn't experience it. In two different trips, we first saw the rubbish-filled eastern end of the defunct Cheshire Ring, and a couple of years later, circumnavigated it in its entirety. Well done the restorers.

[F Murtz]

As far as I am concerned it is for weight distribution.

[Matty F]

That would be good enough reason to expend money doing the points. However I the whole device is evenly balanced so I don't see how changing the weight distribution helps.

Perhaps it's like a cow catcher on the front of a train, to scoop up anybody who climbs into the hole underneath, or for boats that fall in there. Otherwise they would be squashed by a big round thing.

[fred]

In the video they mention alternating rotations to make even wear on the bearings so it is a finely tuned structure. I imagine, like the bearings, the entire structure is carefully designed (yet not overdesigned) to manage the stresses that shift in the rotating arms when the gondolas move from the pure tension and compression forces of vertical alignment to the bending stresses of a horizontal balance. Those transitions will be on the steep slopes of a sine/cosine so quite rapid even on the slow turn of the wheel. I reckon those additional lobes smooth the transition in transfer of forces and make it easier on the structure.

[Halmyre]

Yes, it's design is inspired by Celtic (hard C) imagery.