Факультет технологии и предпринимательства

Text 1. G e o r g e S t e p h e n s o n

George Stephenson is one of the most famous engineers who ever lived. He is popularly regarded as the author of the railway and the steam locomotive. No other invention had such an overwhelming effect upon society as this first form of mechanical transport. Stephenson was born at Wylam, Northumberland, on 9 June 1781. His early life was spent in extreme poverty, but in 1804 he moved Killingworth supplementing his meagre income by repairing watches and clocks, and in 1812 he was appointed enginewright of Hugh Pit colliery. In two years Stephenson completed his first engine, the Blücher, which was put to work at Killingworth colliery. In 1823, he was invited by his colleague, Edward Pease, to build and equip a railway from Stockton to Darlington. Stephenson persuaded the directors to use steam instead of horse traction. The railway opened on 27 September 1825, and the first public passenger train in the world was drawn by Stephenson’s “Active”, later renamed “Locomotive”.

In 1829 the Liverpool and Manchester railway held a contest to decide upon the best kind of traction to use and it was won by Stephenson’s “Rocket”. The “Rocket” insured a place for the steam locomotive as a means of transport. His success was attributed to its multitube boiler and its more efficient system for exhausting the steam and creating a draft in the firebox, basic features that continued to be used in the steam locomotive. The “Rocket” had one pair of driving wheels. After it became the four-coupled locomotive, followed by the six-coupled. The number of coupled wheels grew to a maximum of 14, a locomotive with this remarkable number being built in Russia. The Liverpool and Manchester railway was opened on 15 September 1830, and it became the first public railway on which all traffic was hauled by steam locomotives.

Stephenson was engineer of many other railways in the midlands, he was also consultant to many foreign companies, notable in Belgium and Spain. His only son Robert Stephenson assisted him in a survey for the Stockton and Darlington and Liverpool and Manchester railways, but, however, Robert was particularly concerned with the construction of railway bridges and his work extended to Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and Egypt. George Stephenson’s last years were spent in retirement at Tapton House, Chesterfield, where he died on 12 August 1848. The development of railways is one of the great landmarks in the progress of human civilization. And of course, George Stephenson’s name, a prominent engineer in the history of railways is great. A monument to father and son was erected in Westminster Abbey.

Q u e s t i o n s :

1) Where and when was G. Stephenson born?

2) What contest did the Liverpool and Manchester railway hold in 1829?

3) What was the success of the “Rocket” attributed to?

4) Had George Stephenson any children?

5) Was Robert Stephenson an engineer too?

Text 2. E l e c t r o n i c s

To separate electronics from the concepts of electricity is extremely difficult. The field of electricity is generally concerned with magnetism, light, heating and the production of electricity by generators and chemical action.

Electronics usually deals with the application of electricity in communications, in radio, television and other devices where vacuum tubes and transistors are employed. We know the vacuum tube and the transistor to be major components of various electronic devices.

The many disadvantages of vacuum tubes include high cost, bulky construction, high amount of operating current, limited life and high operating temperature. However the vacuum tube is ideal in many situations where electrical energy is readily available and where heat is no problem.

A more recent invention – the transistor – is known to have replaced the vacuum tube in many situations. The transistor operates on a minimum amount of electrical energy, emits very little heat and has a long life. The transistor is tiny compared to the size of the vacuum tube of equivalent energy output. This feature has permitted an electronic circuit to be so small that the electronic technician uses magnifying lenses to aid him in his circuit construction and repair.

Later research has revealed a device, which has revolutionized the field of transistorized circuitry. A Japanese investigator, Lew Esaki, discovered a simple semiconductor class of crystal that is even more amazing than the transistor. The tunnel diode, as it is called, operates on a negligible amount of electric current, its diameter being some few thousandths of an inch. With such a transistor man will be able to see telephones to be worn on wrists, pocket-size TV sets and ring radio sets.

Several recent developments in the field of electronics have led to better ways to communicate efficiently over long distances. The maser and the laser permit man to beam extremely coherent and concentrated energy with almost no loss of intensity. Lasers and masers are known to have been used for transmitting power, radio waves and other waves used in communication.

Q u e s t i o n s :

1) Where will lasers and masers be used?

2) Are there any disadvantages of vacuum tubes?

3) Lew Esaki, a Japanese investigator, discovered a transistor, didn’t he?

4) Why has a transistor replaced a vacuum tube in many situations?