An inventory of tide prediction machines

Abstract

This report provides an update to two ‘inventories’ made many years ago of tide prediction machines (or ‘Kelvin machines’). It provides a list of all the machines that were made between the late-19th and mid-20th centuries, up until the 1960s when the advent of digital computers in tide table production made these remarkable analogue computers redundant. Photographs and brief descriptions of each machine are given. It will be seen that most of the machines still exist, and many are displayed in museums around the world, where they can be inspected by people interested in the history of tidal science.

More information

Identifiers

Catalogue record

Export record