• Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    Isn’t it more work done over a day? One horse is able to maintain the work done by a one horsepower machine because the machine can work all day without tiring?

    • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Yes, but why not make it one horse=1hp? That sounds like early marketing.

      Edit: Let me be clear, why not make the current 15hp = 1 horse and make the measurement be 1hp = 1 horse. It has nothing to do with engineering or marketing logic, just a 1:1 measurement.

      • Fermion@feddit.nl
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        11 months ago

        Because when looking to replace work horses with a steam engine you didn’t care what the absolute peak output of a horse was. You needed to know how big of an engine you needed based on how large the team of horses already powering the application was. Anyone trying to run a horse anywhere near their peak output for any length of time would injure them.

        • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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          11 months ago

          Then call it a 1 Horse Team Power. It would be so easy to make it clear, lol. It’s not that serious, I just don’t get it.

      • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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        11 months ago

        For comparing machines to horses, use the power a horse can sustain all day long. Early industrial use of horses did not run them ragged and swap every 5 minutes.

      • cartoon meme dog@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        prisons used to have treadmills to power machines. six hours a day, with rest breaks.

        when there’s an engine to replace that, of course they’d explain it in terms of how many men it could replace permanently.

        saying “but look at how much power Usain Bolt can produce for a few seconds” is not relevant.

        the hp unit is reasonable based on whole-day power from typical farm horses.

        • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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          11 months ago

          So you’re saying one hp = one DAY of horse power. How is that even a measurement? How old is your horse and how hard can it work in a day? Lmao, this is turning into a comedy bit.