These cover energy matters which pertain mainly to Britain. Here, the links to my internal website include articles and papers from me, but also include stuff from the web. Principally “Energy Solutions” that have been forgotten by the organisations which once promoted them.
The articles on aviation cover a variety of technical issues relating to supersonics and the early history of the jet engine.
I am also interested in modern industrial history covering the years from about 1880 to 1970, which by its nature has to cover innovations in Europe, America and Japan.
The links to articles are provided below:
- Hydrogen trains
- Wind Power and Plant Cycling -A View from 2018
- Engineering Science of High Temperature Corrosion
- Efficiencies of Modern Coal Fired Steam Plant ( DT1 doc 2006)
- Materials for IGCC Processes
- Hydrogen Production and Electricity Generation Using Gasification and Steam Reforming
- An Objective Look for the Prospect of CHP in Britain
- The Story of Nuclear Power : Golden Egg or Poisoned Chalice? -Book Review
- PDF of 2010 Presentation to Napier University, Edinborough on why Carbon Capture and Storage is a Bad Idea
- CEGB Man’s Potted History of British and Continental Electricity and Gas ( Steve Browning and Fred Starr)
- Steam Reforming and the Hydrogen Economy 2021-22 Situation and Costs
- Concorde, an engineering failure
- Concorde – The faster it goes the less fuel it uses
- How Aircraft Wings Give Lift – How the Theory was Discovered – Book Review
- Design and Development of the SR71 Blackbird
- Attacking the Sound Barrier 1935-45
- Metallurgical and Other Myths of the Jet Engine Era – High temperature steels were adequate- Arnold Griffith slowed up jet engine progress-Frank Whittle did not invent the jet engine while at Cranwell- Concorde’s RR 58 Aluminium Alloy needed for structure was too weak
1.Gas Industry
1.1 Forced Shutdown of Steam Reformer in the 1960s
1.2 Brief Description of Hitchin Steam Reformer Site in 1960s
1.3 ICI Steam Reforming History from Johnson Matthey Technology Review
1.4 The British Gas Lurgi – Its failure to be taken up by the CEGB as the core of an IGCC system
1.5 Steam Reforming at British Gas – Cost Implications for Hydrogen
2. Nineteenth Century German Wrought Iron and Open Hearth Steel Production
- Wrought Iron Manufacture- Pictures from Munich Museum
- Wrought Iron Picture 1
- Wrought Iron Picture 2
- Removing Wrought Iron Ball from Puddling Furnace
- Actual Wrought Iron Ball
- Open Hearth Steel Production-Pictures and Explanations from Munich Museum
- Blacksmith Using Tilt Hammer to Make Tools
3. The Piston Engine Revolution
Although these papers, from the conference of the same name, are published in book form, the conference organisers decided that they should be made available without let or hinderance. If you do decide to make use of the papers, please acknowledge the time and money that was spent by the conference organisers, Bryan Lawton, Ed Marshall, John Anning and Fred Starr in setting up the conference and getting the conference volume published.
The conference was held in Manchester under the aegis of the Newcomen Society. The papers cover the development of the piston type internal combustion engine, from its earliest days, when it operated on town or producer gas, to more modern times. At the time of writing, 2020, the IC engine still holds its own in the automotive field, but although it made manned flight possible, this reign ended with the coming of the jet engine.
The Newcomen Society for the Study of the History of Engineering and Technology was formed a 100 years ago, with the aim of recording the achievements of engineers and technicians from the past. The Society is mainly made up of professional engineers and scientists, but is open to all.
It has a number of branches throughout Britain and strong links to similar organisations overseas. Talks and lectures are held monthly during most of the year, the main branch in London meeting in Science Museum Offices. The Newcomen Society website gives full details.
Membership of the Society enables you to to receive the Journal, which comprises formal papers and the Links magazine. All the papers, going back to the early 1920s, when the the Society came into being are now available, to Society Members, for electronic down loading.
1.Early Aero Engines : Graham Mottram
2.The First Internal Combustion Engine: G. Ricci, P. Gasparini, P. Lazzerini and F. Viola
4.The Development of the Piston Engine for Motor Cars : Anders Ditlev Clausager
5. Stirling Engines -A Brief Review of Loaded Hot Air : Derek Duffet
6. The Bristol Sleeve Valve Engines : Patrick Hassell
7.Napier Multicylinder Engines : Alan Vessey
8. Harry Ricardo – The Man and His Contribution : David Morrison
9. Very Early IC Engines : Bryan Lawton
10. First 50 Years of Aircraft Engines : Daniel Schaad
11. Early Liquid Fuels and the Controversial Octane Number Tests : EL Marshall
12. The Mitchell Crankless Engines : John Anning
13. The Pratt and Whitney R4360 Aircraft Radial : Graham White
14. Large Gas Engines : Bryan Lawton
15. Gas Producers for Internal Combustion Engines – Ancient and Modern : D. Andrews and F. Starr
16. Post 1945 R&D at Ricardo : CCJ French
17. A Heuristic Look at Aero Engine Development 1915-1950 : Brian Price
18. Origins of the V12 Engine : Karl Ludvigsen
19. Air and Road Blackburn Engines : MW Vincent
20. Fedden’s Flat Six Aeroengine : Philip Whiteman
21. Paxman’s Diesel Engine Development : Richard Carr
22. Valve Cooling -The Key to Record Breaking : F. Starr
4. German Technologists and Scientists
These are links to articles I wrote for HE Translations website
- Johannes Kepler, discoverer of the true orbits of the planets
- Ludwig Prandtl, the man who showed us why aircraft are subject to drag and how to reduce it
- Occultation of Mars: Short article describing observations in Dec 2022
- The lost potential of jet engine pioneer Sir Frank Whittle
- Cuckoo Clocks, Jet Engines, CEGB and British Gas Innovation
- Plastic Pipes and Washing Up in the 1940s
- Concorde and Titanium
- Cataract Surgery on Fred Starr
- Thoughts on the Shut Down of Wylfa Nuclear Power Plant
- Lies, Damned Lies and Nuclear Power
- Desirable Properties in Politicians as well as Materials