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waterwheel
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Waterwheel, Hamah, Syria.
Study how a series of gears in a waterwheel translates a stream's energy to a millstone
Irrigation in Hama Orontes River Noria waterwheel and aqueduct, Hamah, Syria. Waterwheels driven by the force of the river current activate a system of pumps to provide an inland water supply. Engraving from Jakob Leupold's Theatrum Machinarum, 1724–39.
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Waterwheel, Hamah, Syria.
Waterwheel, Hamah, Syria.

waterwheel

engineering
Also known as: watermill
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History

waterwheel, mechanical device for tapping the energy of running or falling water by means of a set of paddles mounted around a wheel. The force of the moving water is exerted against the paddles, and the consequent rotation of the wheel is transmitted to machinery via the shaft of the wheel. The waterwheel was perhaps the earliest source of mechanical energy to replace that of humans and animals, and it was first exploited for such...

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