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Object numberCHREM:2013.5
Object categoryindustry equipment
Object nameBellis and Morcom reciprocating steam engine
DescriptionBellis and Morcom reciprocating steam engine, attached to GEC 200kw generator no 26538. Attached to GEC 6.6kw generator / exuler no 21177. Local power - Bellis and Morcom's steam engine is a great example of how electricity was made in a small local power station in 1913. It is a steam engine linked to a dynamo. Its power source was coal, burnt in steam boilers. This tried and trusted technology based on pistons was known as a reciprocating steam engine. By the time this engine was built its technical principles had been continuously worked on and improved for nearly 100 years. However, they turned out not to be ideal for making electricity. Piston engines were not very suitable for running for long periods at the high speeds which electricity generation needed. They preferred to run slowly. Fast piston engines needed a lot of attention and constant oiling of the moving parts. By the 1930s, engines like this were being replaced by more efficient steam turbines in ever-larger central power stations. Generating sets like this sometimes survived for standby duty in emergencies for a few years longer
Production date 1910-01-01 - 1919-12-31 1913 - 1913
Persons keywordBelliss and Morcom Ltd, Birmingham
Dimensions
- Height: 5000 mm
Width: 4600 mm
Depth: 2200 mm