River Don Engine
Encyclopedia
The River Don Engine is a 1905-built steam engine
used for hot rolling steel armour plate. It is a 3-cylinder
simple engine of 40 inches (1 m) diameter, 48 inches (1.2 m) stroke. At its operating steam pressure of 160psi, it developed 12000 hp, and was able to reverse from full speed in 2 seconds. The rapid reverse was an essential feature of an engine used for rolling, as delays would result in cooling of the workpiece. This engine was one of four built to the same design, one going overseas to the Japanese Government, one to John Brown's Atlas plant, and the destination of the final one being unaccounted for. It is claimed to be one of the most powerful steam engines ever built, and the most powerful remaining in Europe.
The River Don Engine worked for over 50 years at Cammell's mill before being moved first to British Steel's River Don plant (hence its name) and then to its present home at the Kelham Island Museum
, Sheffield. The engine was last used for commercial work in the 1970s, to roll out reactor shield plates for nuclear power plants.
The engine is normally regularly demonstrated at the museum, without load, and under 5psi of steam pressure. It had to be taken out of service following the Sheffield Floods of July 2007 which extensively damaged the museum and parts of the engine. An 8-week program to restore it to working order was begun in June 2008, and has since been completed, making the engine once again capable of normal operation.
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
used for hot rolling steel armour plate. It is a 3-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
simple engine of 40 inches (1 m) diameter, 48 inches (1.2 m) stroke. At its operating steam pressure of 160psi, it developed 12000 hp, and was able to reverse from full speed in 2 seconds. The rapid reverse was an essential feature of an engine used for rolling, as delays would result in cooling of the workpiece. This engine was one of four built to the same design, one going overseas to the Japanese Government, one to John Brown's Atlas plant, and the destination of the final one being unaccounted for. It is claimed to be one of the most powerful steam engines ever built, and the most powerful remaining in Europe.
The River Don Engine worked for over 50 years at Cammell's mill before being moved first to British Steel's River Don plant (hence its name) and then to its present home at the Kelham Island Museum
Kelham Island Museum
The Kelham Island Museum is an industrial museum on Alma Street, alongside the River Don, in the centre of Sheffield, England. It was opened in 1982.-The site:...
, Sheffield. The engine was last used for commercial work in the 1970s, to roll out reactor shield plates for nuclear power plants.
The engine is normally regularly demonstrated at the museum, without load, and under 5psi of steam pressure. It had to be taken out of service following the Sheffield Floods of July 2007 which extensively damaged the museum and parts of the engine. An 8-week program to restore it to working order was begun in June 2008, and has since been completed, making the engine once again capable of normal operation.