Technikatörténeti szemle 9. (1977)

KRÓNIKA - Debreczeny Ágnes: Energia – Ember – Munka. Az Országos Műszaki Múzeum új kiállítása

design by Donát Bánki (1859—1922). The Ganz Factory manufactured waterdriven turbines relying upon the design of Viktor Kaplan. Those turbines find by far the most widespread applications in our days. The accumulation of scientific knowledge and the expansion of the basis of production had brought about a number of machines by the early 18th century, that could have been the basis of a rapidly progressing manufacturing industry. However, their productivity stagnated because the water-wheels, the energies of winds, animals or human muscle power were no longer adequate for driving those intricate mechanisms. The steam engine was a new promise. The first efforts to employ steam engines in industry were made in the last years of the 17th century (Savery, Newcomen) — typically enough, just in coal mining, the production of the principal source of energy. Those engines of one or two kW power had an efficiency as low as 1%! However, James Watt's experiments were commenced in the latter half of the century (after 1765); the ancestor of a higher-power steam engine emerged at the end of the century. No better evidence of the engine's significance can be found than the fact that in England alone over 200 steam engines were sold during the last 15 years of the 18th century — mostly to mines and textile factories. Not much later, however, the same quantity of new steam engines were marketed every year. Their application had a decisive impact on transport as well. The steam-boat and the steam locomotive represented new means of transporting the energy carriers as well as new consumers of energy. As a result, the steam engine increased the consumption as well as the production of energy. After a monopoly of the steam engine for over a century, a new competitor appeared on the scene — the internal-combustion engine. After much earlier, long-forgotten experiments, N. A. Otto and E. Langen constructed the first workable gas engines in the last quarter of the past century, followed by the triumph of motor-car transport associated with the names of G. Daimler and W. Maybach. In Hungary, internal combustion engines were devised in 1879 by Donát Bánki and János Csonka. Furthermore, their names are associated with the design of the first carburettor in the world. By the end of the last century, R. Diesel introduced the high-power kerosene or gasoline engine. Dating back to long traditions, steam stood the competition. Following also old-time but forgotten experiments, the works of Pelton and Lavall laid the foundation for a brilliant future of steam turbines. Today's top-power turbine exceeds the performance of Watt's steam engines over a million times! In the field of gas turbines, György Jendrassik's name (1898—1954) is associated with achievements significant on a world-wide scale. The first Hungarian gas turbine was devised during the years 1930 to 1939, with a power of 100 HP. It is also Jendrassik's name that has to be mentioned in connection with Diesel engines. During the late twenties Jendrassik's engine was in the focus of universal interest.