Vesipyörän

Vesipyörän is a Finnish term that translates to "water wheel" in English. It refers to a device that harnesses the kinetic energy of moving water to perform work. Historically, water wheels were a crucial source of mechanical power before the advent of steam engines and electricity. They were employed in a wide variety of applications, including milling grain, sawing lumber, powering bellows for blacksmiths, and operating trip hammers.

The fundamental principle behind a water wheel is the transfer of energy from the flowing water to the rotating wheel. The force of the water pushes against the paddles or buckets attached to the wheel's circumference, causing it to turn. This rotational motion is then transferred via a shaft and gears to other machinery.

There are several types of water wheels, primarily distinguished by how the water interacts with them. Overshot wheels receive water at the top, utilizing both the weight and the impulse of the water. Undershot wheels are placed in the stream, with the water flowing beneath them and pushing the paddles from below. Breastshot wheels are positioned in the middle, where the water strikes the wheel at approximately the axle level. The choice of wheel type depended on factors such as the available water flow rate and head (the vertical distance the water falls). While largely replaced by modern power sources, the concept of water wheels remains a significant part of industrial history and is still sometimes used in small-scale renewable energy generation.