The Mason Mechanical System Iteration 01

Basic Energy Transformation - 3-Node Machines
by Miguel Guzman Miranda (Aglanor)
A module implementation for Mason Mechanical System by Hans Häggström (zzorn)
collaborations: Ryan Thibodeau (links & suggestions)

Summary:

TODO: we'd need someone to draw clear schemes of the mills parts (using an Autocad-like program) so we don't need to depend on external links, and move all the external links to the references section

Machinery

In this first iteration we'll be building mills, three kind of them, in order of complexity:

Water Mill

Next to a river, it is the most basic kind of mill. Has a water wheel and a grinding stone wheel.

Wind Mill

Milling mechanism as simple as a water mill, it needs a taller building so it must be a little harder to build.

Mule Mill

This mill is powered by a mule. The mule is a living being and can get tired and hungry.

Components

These are the component parts for each of the mills.

Water Mill components

The study of the Water Mill is based on a comprehensive tour of Little Salkeld Watermill, in Cumbria, CA. This is an old watermill which was restored in 1975 by Ana and Nick Jones.

Water Wheel

The Water Wheel draws the power for the mill from a current of water.

The Water Wheel is an Energy Source Node.
Diagram
The output for this Energy Source is mechanical (rotational) energy.
The source for this Energy Source is Water.
Connection ports: output (1)
Possible output nodes: Water Mill Gears.

Water Mill Gears

This item comprises a wheel and a set of gears that transmit the energy to the stones.

The Water Mill Gears is a Processor Node.
Diagram.
The input for this Processor is Mechanical (rotational) Energy, the output is Mechanical (rotational) Energy.
The processes for this processor are: energy transmission.
Connection ports: input (1); output (1)
Possible input nodes: Water Wheel.
Possible output nodes: Mill Stones.

The gears are described in detail in the diagram, but we won't be using this level of detail in this iteration (perhaps only for a graphical model of the mill that depicts those gears in action). Perhaps in the future Mason will permit the creation of a Watermill Gear machine, it would be comprised of the following parts: Pit Wheel, Crown Wheel, Main Shaft, Spur Wheel, Stone Nut.

Mill Stones

The Mill Stones grind the grain into flowers flour.

The Mill Stones is an Effector Node.
Diagram
The input for this Processor is Mechanical (rotational) Energy.
The effects for this effector are: turn grain into flour.
Connection ports: input (1)
Possible input nodes: Water Mill Gears, Wind Mill Gears, Mule Mill Gears.

Variations


Technology

MMS Diagram

In this iteration the diagrams have up to 3 nodes. They can have only the types of nodes: Energy Source, Processor, Effector. Thus, the variations on the diagram are not many.

Sample Diagrams

There is only 1 possible diagram, as follows:

Energy Source Processor Effector

UML Diagram

Here we'll rewrite the component parts in an Object Oriented design (UML).

References

Little Salkeld Watermill
    An old watermill which was restored in 1975, with machinery diagrams.
Old Mills Album Page
Windmill and Watermill Web Links
Whitemill Watermill
Hanford Mills Museum
    An example of mills that produced raw timber and furniture and were powered entirely by water. (Ryan Thibodeau)
The Dutch Windmill
    A very in-depth description of the types, components, and functions of windmills. (Ryan Thibodeau)