Kunstgraben
Encyclopedia
A Kunstgraben is a type of man-made water channel
that was once used by mines to drive the water wheel
s needed for power, mine drainage and a host of other purposes. The term is German (plural: Kunstgräben).
, water power was the main source of energy utilised by the various mechanical engines employed in the mining industry, such as water wheels, reversible water wheels, water-column engines or water turbine
s.
To enable mine workings to be driven ever deeper, more and more power was needed. The water available in the vicinity of the pits was insufficient for that purpose and springs frequently dried up as a result of be diverted for use in the mines. As a result, the water needed for the mine workings sometimes had to be transported over long distances.
s; the best-known Kunstgraben aqueducts being the Altväter Bridge near Halsbrücke
and the Sperberhai Dyke
in the Harz Mountains.
Typically a Kunstgraben started at a weir
or divert (Wasserteiler) and ran along Röschen and via water storage ponds or Kunstteich
e to the pit. The water power engine usually had a headrace and a tailrace (Aufschlagrösche and Abzugsrösche). A footpath was laid parallel to the Kunstgraben that acted as an access route for the ditch overseer (Grabensteiger), whenever he went to the weir to adjust the paddles. These paths are frequently used as walking trails today, where they have survived.
The Kunstgräben were often covered by rough boards (Schwarten). These acted, on the one hand, to keep the ditches clear and protect them from becoming overgrown and, on the other hand, to protect the ditches from destruction by cattle. In addition, it also helped to defend the owners of the ditches from the claims of neighbouring landowners, who had otherwise to be compensated for the loss of income and land resulting from the construction of Kunstgräben and who often brought claims as a result of allegedly drowned livestock and game.
Water channel
Main article: Ship model basinA water channel is an experimental tank for studying resistance and propulsion behaviour of ships, submarines, or other sea vessels. In the study of naval architecture , its general purpose is to allow understanding of the motion behavior of ships in advance....
that was once used by mines to drive the water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
s needed for power, mine drainage and a host of other purposes. The term is German (plural: Kunstgräben).
Background
Until the invention of the steam engineSteam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
, water power was the main source of energy utilised by the various mechanical engines employed in the mining industry, such as water wheels, reversible water wheels, water-column engines or water turbine
Water turbine
A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now they are mostly used for electric power generation. They harness a clean and renewable energy...
s.
To enable mine workings to be driven ever deeper, more and more power was needed. The water available in the vicinity of the pits was insufficient for that purpose and springs frequently dried up as a result of be diverted for use in the mines. As a result, the water needed for the mine workings sometimes had to be transported over long distances.
Usage
The aim was to have the greatest possible height difference at the site of the water power engine. This difference is known as the height of impact (Aufschlaghöhe). To achieve this the Kunstgräben were laid with only a very slight gradient, so that they resembled contours in the terrain and followed all the twists and turns of the valleys. In order to overcome natural obstacles Kunstgräben were frequently led along the bottom of tunnels in so-called Röschen or,more rarely, over aqueductAqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s; the best-known Kunstgraben aqueducts being the Altväter Bridge near Halsbrücke
Halsbrücke
Halsbrücke is a municipality in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany....
and the Sperberhai Dyke
Sperberhai Dyke
The Sperberhai Dyke is in fact an aqueduct which forms part of the Upper Harz Water Regale network of reservoirs, ditches, dams and tunnels in the Harz mountains of central Germany...
in the Harz Mountains.
Typically a Kunstgraben started at a weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
or divert (Wasserteiler) and ran along Röschen and via water storage ponds or Kunstteich
Kunstteich
A Kunstteich is an historic German term for a man-made lake or pond associated with the mining industry and its technology. These ponds were created by the construction of barriers, typically dams and embankments, and were used to supply hydropower and water to the mines. Water stored in the...
e to the pit. The water power engine usually had a headrace and a tailrace (Aufschlagrösche and Abzugsrösche). A footpath was laid parallel to the Kunstgraben that acted as an access route for the ditch overseer (Grabensteiger), whenever he went to the weir to adjust the paddles. These paths are frequently used as walking trails today, where they have survived.
The Kunstgräben were often covered by rough boards (Schwarten). These acted, on the one hand, to keep the ditches clear and protect them from becoming overgrown and, on the other hand, to protect the ditches from destruction by cattle. In addition, it also helped to defend the owners of the ditches from the claims of neighbouring landowners, who had otherwise to be compensated for the loss of income and land resulting from the construction of Kunstgräben and who often brought claims as a result of allegedly drowned livestock and game.
Well-known examples
- Dyke DitchDyke DitchThe Dyke Ditch is the longest artificial ditch in the Upper Harz in central Germany. Its purpose was to collect surface runoff for the operation of the Upper Harz mining industry from precipitation-heavy regions a long way away . It was laid in 1732 and continually extended eastwards until 1827...
(Dammgraben)
- Upper Harz DitchesUpper Harz DitchesThe Upper Harz Ditches are hillside ditches, running roughly parallel to the contours, that were laid out in the Upper Harz in Germany from the 16th to the 19th centuries to supply water power to the silver mines there...
- Upper Harz Water TunnelsUpper Harz Water TunnelsThe Upper Harz Water Tunnels are part of the Upper Harz Water Regale - a network of reservoirs, ditches, tunnels and other structures in the Harz mountains of central Germany. The German term Wasserlauf refers to the underground element of the network of watercourses used in the historic silver...
See also
- Lower Harz Pond and Ditch SystemLower Harz Pond and Ditch SystemWithin the Lower Harz region are still many traces of the historical water management facilities used by the mining industry. In addition to water-carrying ditches and ponds, there are also long-abandoned ditches and dry pond beds...
- Upper Harz Water RegaleUpper Harz Water RegaleThe Upper Harz Water Regale is a system of dams, reservoirs, ditches and other structures, much of which was built from the 16th to 19th centuries to divert and store the water that drove the water wheels of the mines in the Upper Harz region of Germany...
- KunstteichKunstteichA Kunstteich is an historic German term for a man-made lake or pond associated with the mining industry and its technology. These ponds were created by the construction of barriers, typically dams and embankments, and were used to supply hydropower and water to the mines. Water stored in the...
Sources
- Herbert Pforr: Das erzgebirgische Kunstgrabensystem und die Wasserkraftmaschinen für Wasserhaltung und Schachtförderung im historischen Freiberger Silberbergbau. In: Bergbau Heft 11/2007, S. 502-505 (Digitalisat)