Scientific and technical progress of the late 19th - early 20th century

The modern scientific and technological revolution, which began in the early 20th century, represents a combination of fundamental qualitative changes in the means, technology, organization and management of production on the basis of new scientific principles. This revolution is prepared not only by the development of science and the productive forces, but also by the social changes that have taken place in society as a result of the world revolutionary process.

Unlike the industrial revolution of the 18th century, which marked the transition from manufactory to large-scale machine production, the modern scientific and technological revolution is the transition to a qualitatively new higher stage of machine production - to large-scale automated machine production.

Unlike the machine system of the 19th century, which consisted of three elements: the machine-tool, the machine-engine and the transmission mechanism, the modern automatic machine system includes, in addition to the three links, a qualitatively new control element. In recent decades, on the basis of the managerial link, a fundamentally new machine has been created - the control machine, which gradually turns into an independent type of machine system. The transition to a four-link structure of machines containing an automatic device that simulates some human thought-logical functions is the starting point of the modern scientific and technological revolution.

The scientific and technological revolution is characterized by the restructuring of the technical and branch structure of the national economy. In the process of this restructuring material and material prerequisites are created for the subsequent stage - large-scale automated machine production. Perestroika occurs in all elements of material production - in the machine system, in the technology of production, in the structure of the entire national economy.

The role of science in the development of production has immeasurably increased. Science is transformed into a direct productive force, becomes an integral specific element of the productive forces of society.

The basis of the modern scientific and technological revolution is the electrification and electrification of all links in the production process. Consequently, the most important changes in the development of production are directly related to the development of energy, electrical engineering, and electronics. The creation of large-scale automated machine production, complex automated control systems, the introduction of electronic computers in production, transport, construction, research, design, planning organizations can not be carried out without huge electricity costs, without the creation of new electrical and electronic devices.

The most general qualitative indicator of the level of development of technology is labor productivity. This indicator is directly related to others - the productivity of the machine, expressed in the amount of the product it produces per unit time.

The productivity of machines, and with it the productivity of machinery as a whole, is constantly growing. The quality of the machine can be estimated by its performance. But productivity, in turn, is a consequence of a number of factors, the most significant of which are the intensity and intensity of the work. The intensity of the work of machines is achieved by increasing the speed of movement, concentration and intensification of mechanical, physical and chemical processes. As an example of the intensification of processes in an electrical device, one can refer to significant voltage increases in power transmission lines - from tens and hundreds to hundreds of thousands of volts.

Another qualitative indicator of the development of technology is the coefficient of efficiency, which makes it possible to assess the perfection of machines. It can be said that the efficiency of machines has a growth tendency. As a rule, after reaching 95%, the efficiency growth slows down, although individual jumps may occur.

However, in the current conditions for the development of scientific and technological progress, the qualitative progress of technology can in no case be assessed only by the values ​​of efficiency and other economic indicators.

More and more penetrating into the secrets of nature, man, as already noted, has learned to create such powerful technical objects that the powers developed by them are comparable with geophysical and cosmic ones.

The development of such facilities requires an integrated system approach, taking into account not only the technical and economic, but also the social, environmental consequences of their activities. The modern specialist should always remember that our society must be oriented first of all at the person, creating conditions for his healthy, creative life, for his all-round development.

In the creative activity of an engineer or a scientist, great importance is not only the ability to see the sprouts of a new one, but also to correctly evaluate the old. In the process of technology development, there are constant replacements of one type of technical objects by others, more appropriate to new needs. During the period of their appearance, these objects accelerated industrial progress, but over time they began to hamper its further development, despite the fact that they were constantly improving. For example, locomotives widely used in the first half of this century, were many times more powerful, fast and economical locomotives Stefenson or Cherepanov. But if the first locomotives were a new step in the development of transport equipment, then they have for a long time already looked like an anachronism.

Consequently, unlike living beings, technical objects give way to more modern ones during the period of their highest flowering. This is also one of the laws of technology. Understanding this process makes it easier to overcome old traditions with regard to technical objects, which are sometimes given to many years of creative activity, helps to abandon them more easily if they do not have prospects for development in the future.

And appreciating the contribution of this or that figure of science and technology, we must first of all bear in mind that they have made a new one in comparison with their predecessors.

An important feature of the development of technology is a return to old ideas based on the achievements of scientific and technological progress. So, the first three-phase transformers MO Dolivo-Dobrovolsky had a spatial magnetic circuit, but due to the complexity of the technology of their manufacture, they were not used. More than 75 years have passed. The technical level of transformer construction has significantly increased, the development of production of rolled cold-rolled steel and the use of aluminum foil and tape for windings made it possible to establish a serial production of powerful transformers with a spatial magnetic core.

One more characteristic feature of the development of technology should be borne in mind: the new is often created in old constructive forms, which seem to scientists and inventors to be the most perfect. For example, one of the first electric motors of the XIX century. (Burbuz engine) in its external forms almost exactly repeated the steam engine: the reciprocating motion of the pistons was replaced by a similar motion of the magnets in the solenoids, the switching was carried out by changing the polarity, the rotational movement of the shaft was achieved with the help of a crank mechanism. On the possibility of using a linear engine at that time, and did not even think about it.

When developing new devices, you always have to deal with the technical contradictory requirements to the object, for example, the requirements for reliability and intensity of work, speed and strength.

Veselovsky O. N. Shneberg A. Ya "Essays on the history of electrical engineering"