Low tech - ancient inventions with an huge impact: Archimedes' screw

Archimedes' screw, a simple yet ingenious device, has played a surprisingly significant, though often unsung, role in world history across the centuries. Its impact isn't always dramatic, but its steady contributions to agriculture, water management, and even industry have been undeniable. Here's a breakdown of its role:

1. Ancient World & Its Initial Impact (Approx. 3rd Century BCE - 5th Century CE):

• Attribution & Origins: While often attributed to Archimedes, the exact origins are debated. Some scholars believe earlier forms might have existed in Assyria. Regardless, Archimedes' contribution likely involved a refined and more efficient design.

• Irrigation in Agriculture: This was its primary function in the ancient world. In arid regions like Egypt and parts of the Mediterranean, the screw was used to lift water from lower bodies (canals, rivers, etc.) to irrigate fields. This enabled:

  • Increased Crop Yields: Allowing for cultivation in areas previously unsuitable for farming, leading to greater food production and supporting larger populations.

  • More Reliable Agriculture: Reducing reliance on seasonal floods and rainfall, creating more stable agricultural systems.

  • Economic Growth: Surplus crops could be traded, contributing to economic development.

• Mining & Drainage: The screw was also employed to drain water from mines, allowing for deeper and more efficient mineral extraction.

• Early Engineering & Technology: The screw's simple yet elegant design demonstrated an early understanding of mechanics and hydraulic principles. It served as a testament to ancient ingenuity and laid the groundwork for more complex machinery.

2. Medieval Period & its Continued Use (5th Century CE - 15th Century CE):

• Continuity of Agricultural Applications: The screw continued to be used in agriculture for irrigation across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe, particularly in areas with relatively flat terrain and readily available water sources.

• Maintenance of Existing Infrastructure: While major innovations might have been less frequent during this period, the screw helped maintain existing irrigation systems and agricultural productivity.

• Spread Along Trade Routes: As trade routes expanded, the screw's design and application likely spread, although not uniformly. Its adoption was often dependent on local needs and available resources.

3. The Renaissance & Early Modern Period (15th Century CE - 18th Century CE):

• Continued Utility: The screw remained a valuable tool for drainage, irrigation, and even for powering some rudimentary mills.

• More Sophisticated Designs: Engineers and inventors started exploring more advanced designs, incorporating features to increase efficiency and durability.

• Inspiration for New Technologies: The principle of the screw was incorporated into other mechanical devices, demonstrating its continued relevance to technological advancements.

4. The Industrial Revolution & Beyond (18th Century CE - Present):

• Industrial Applications: While largely replaced by pumps, the screw's principle was adapted to other applications.

  • Machine Screws & Fasteners: The fundamental screw thread principle became essential in manufacturing.

  • Food Processing: Variations of the screw are used in machinery for grinding, mixing, and extrusion in the food industry.

  • Conveying Materials: Screws are widely used in various industries for moving bulk materials (grains, powders, etc.)

• Modern Revivals:

  • Renewable Energy: Archimedes screws are being explored for small-scale hydropower generation.

  • Environmental Applications: They are used in wastewater treatment and for moving materials in ecological projects.

  • Educational Tools: The screw remains a valuable teaching tool for illustrating basic mechanical principles.

Key Takeaways of the Archimedes' Screw's Role in History:

• Long-Lasting Legacy: Its use spans millennia, demonstrating its enduring practicality.

• Contribution to Food Security: It played a crucial role in enabling and maintaining agricultural productivity, contributing to the growth and stability of civilizations.

• Foundation for Future Technologies: Its simple design and effectiveness laid a foundation for more complex mechanical and hydraulic systems.

• Adaptability and Versatility: It has been applied in diverse fields, from agriculture to industry, and continues to find new uses.

• Symbol of Ingenuity: It represents early human ingenuity and the power of simple mechanical solutions.

In conclusion, while the Archimedes' screw might not be as celebrated as some other inventions, its consistent contributions to agriculture, industry, and technology across the centuries make it a truly significant piece of engineering history. It reminds us that often the most impactful technologies are those that are simple, reliable, and adaptable to the changing needs of society.

A huge impact invention

 Archimedes' screw solved one of the greatest practical problems of antiquity, which was finding an easy way to lift liquids.  Archimede created a machine that allowed this operation to be carried out with relative simplicity: the Archimedean screw.  The machine is made up of a large screw and placed inside a tube, not necessarily welded watertight.  The lower part of the tube is immersed in a liquid and, by rotating the screw, each step collects a certain quantity of substance which is raised along the spiral until it exits from the upper part, to be discharged into a storage basin.

 The energy for rotation can be provided by a handle, by animals, by windmill propellers or by agricultural tractors.  The Archimedean screw is attributed to Archimedes on the basis of the testimonies of Diodorus Siculus and Athenaeus.  Recent studies, however, indicate that it may have already been invented before Archimedes, as it is thought to have been used to irrigate the hanging gardens of Babylon.  Archimedes may have studied the screw during his stay in Alexandria in Egypt and may have imported an instrument into Italy that was therefore already known in the Middle Eastern country.  Archimedes' studies have a notable influence on the history of science both in antiquity, when the rigor of his demonstrations is taken as a model, and in the Renaissance when his works, published in versions or in the original text, are the subject of great interest for those who founded modern experimental science.  Galileo Galilei takes up Archimedes' screw in his work Le Meccaniche: in the passage "On Archimedes' screw for removing water", he demonstrates how it works.  “It does not seem to me that in this place Archimedes' invention of raising water with the screw should be passed over in silence: which is not only marvelous, but miraculous;  for we will find that the water ascends in the vine, continually descending.”

 Even today, Archimedes' screw is used in various contexts to lift substances in the solid, liquid and gaseous states.  Furthermore, the hydraulic auger can be applied to uneven water levels, as it exploits the potential energy in a stationary position.  At the highest point, the potential energy of the water is maximum and as a result of the consequent fall towards the lowest point, it is conveyed into a rotor connected to a generator which transforms the kinetic energy given by the movement of the screw into electrical energy .  The fluid enters the cochlea, namely its three or four compartments, at the highest point, while a motor, started by an electrical impulse, sets it in motion.  The different compartments form individual chambers in which the incoming water pushes, thanks to the earth's gravitational force, creating a rotation principle.  The energy produced by the rotation of the auger shaft is transmitted, through a belt multiplier, to a generator;  the rotation speed is minimal, in fact what wins in this technology is not the speed, but the thrust force.

 Source: Archimede's Blog, via facebook