isajorsergio
Platinum Member
- Apr 22, 2018
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- 6,601
The idea of using horses to quantify power came from James Watt, the Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer who is known for his contributions to improving the steam engine. Another unit of measurement for electrical and mechanical power, Watt, was named in honour of him.⠀
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During Watt’s time, horses were regarded as the highest power yielding source and they were used in places such as production mills. Horses would be harnessed to a central mill shaft and made to walk in circles to power grindstones and other such equipment. They were considered cheap to acquire and maintain for such purposes.⠀
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Hence, Watt chose to quantify the capabilities of his steam engine in horsepower terms since it was horses that this technology hoped to replace. With the aid of a mathematical equation, he estimated that a mill horse could push around 33,000 pounds in one foot in a minute. That was the power of one horse, i.e. one horsepower⠀
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He then went on to market his engines as being able to offer the power of 200 horses at once. His success led other competitors to copy his approach and the term remains to this day.
⠀
During Watt’s time, horses were regarded as the highest power yielding source and they were used in places such as production mills. Horses would be harnessed to a central mill shaft and made to walk in circles to power grindstones and other such equipment. They were considered cheap to acquire and maintain for such purposes.⠀
⠀
Hence, Watt chose to quantify the capabilities of his steam engine in horsepower terms since it was horses that this technology hoped to replace. With the aid of a mathematical equation, he estimated that a mill horse could push around 33,000 pounds in one foot in a minute. That was the power of one horse, i.e. one horsepower⠀
⠀
He then went on to market his engines as being able to offer the power of 200 horses at once. His success led other competitors to copy his approach and the term remains to this day.
