Misplaced Pages

Steam engine: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 04:20, 29 March 2004 editAngela (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users45,368 editsm Reverted edits by 216.221.102.85 to last version by 152.163.252.37← Previous edit Revision as of 20:28, 31 March 2004 edit undo213.157.5.112 (talk) condenserNext edit →
Line 9: Line 9:
A steam engine needs a boiler to boil ] to produce steam under pressure. Any ] source can be used, but the most common is a ] or ] ]. The steam is allowed to expand by pushing against a piston or turbine, whose motion is used to do work. A steam engine needs a boiler to boil ] to produce steam under pressure. Any ] source can be used, but the most common is a ] or ] ]. The steam is allowed to expand by pushing against a piston or turbine, whose motion is used to do work.


The first steam device, the ''aeolipile'', was invented by ], a ], in the ] AD, but used only as a toy. ], a French physicist, built a working model of a steam engine after observing steam escaping from his ] in about ]. Early industrial steam engines were designed by ] (]), ] (]), and ] (]), each of whom added new refinements. The first steam device, the ''aeolipile'', was invented by ], a ], in the ] AD, but used only as a toy.
], a French physicist, built a working model of a steam engine after observing steam escaping from his ] in about ].
Early industrial steam engines were designed by ] (]), ] (]), and ] (]), each of whom added new refinements.


Early engines worked by the ] of condensing steam, whereas later types (such as ]s) used the power of expanding steam. Early engines worked by the ] of condensing steam, whereas later types (such as ]s) used the power of expanding steam.
Line 15: Line 17:
Steam engines are of various types but most are ] or ] devices. Steam engines are of various types but most are ] or ] devices.


] demonstrated the first functional self-propelled steam vehicle, his "steam wagon", in ]. Arguably, this was the first ]. Steam engine powered automobiles continued to compete with other motive systems into the early decades of the ]. However ] demonstrated the first functional self-propelled steam vehicle, his "steam wagon", in ].
Arguably, this was the first ].
Steam engine powered automobiles continued to compete with other motive systems into the early decades of the ].
steam engines are less favored for automobiles, which are generally powered by ]s, because steam requires at least thirty seconds (in a flash boiler) or so to develop pressure. However steam engines are less favored for automobiles, which are generally powered by ]s, because steam requires at least thirty seconds (in a flash boiler) or so to develop pressure.


On ], ] at the ] in ], the first self-propelling ] steam engine or steam locomotive built by ] was first demonstrated. On ], ] at the ] in ], the first self-propelling ] steam engine or steam locomotive built by ] was first demonstrated.
Line 22: Line 26:
The strength of the steam engine for modern purposes is in its ability to convert raw heat into mechanical work. Unlike the internal combustion engine, the steam engine is not particular about the source of heat. The strength of the steam engine for modern purposes is in its ability to convert raw heat into mechanical work. Unlike the internal combustion engine, the steam engine is not particular about the source of heat.


A steam engine exhausting to atmosphere will have an efficiency (including the boiler) of 5% but with the addition of a condenser the efficiency is greatly improved to 25% or better. A power station with exhaust reheat, etc. will achieve 30% efficiency. A steam engine exhausting to atmosphere will have an efficiency (including the boiler) of 5% but with the addition of a ] the efficiency is greatly improved to 25% or better.
A power station with exhaust reheat, etc. will achieve 30% efficiency.


One source of inefficiency is that the condenser causes losses by being somewhat hotter than the outside world. Thus any closed-cycle engine will always be somewhat less efficient than any open-cycle engine, because of condenser losses. One source of inefficiency is that the condenser causes losses by being somewhat hotter than the outside world. Thus any closed-cycle engine will always be somewhat less efficient than any open-cycle engine, because of condenser losses.

Revision as of 20:28, 31 March 2004


A steam engine is a heat engine that makes use of the potential energy that exists as pressure in steam, converting it to mechanical work. Steam engines were used in pumps, locomotive trains and steam ships, and were essential to the Industrial Revolution. They are still used for electrical power generation.

A steam engine needs a boiler to boil water to produce steam under pressure. Any heat source can be used, but the most common is a wood or coal fire. The steam is allowed to expand by pushing against a piston or turbine, whose motion is used to do work.

The first steam device, the aeolipile, was invented by Heron of Alexandria, a Greek, in the 1st century AD, but used only as a toy. Denis Papin, a French physicist, built a working model of a steam engine after observing steam escaping from his pressure cooker in about 1679. Early industrial steam engines were designed by Thomas Savery (1698), Thomas Newcomen (1712), and James Watt (1769), each of whom added new refinements.

Early engines worked by the vacuum of condensing steam, whereas later types (such as steam locomotives) used the power of expanding steam.

Steam engines are of various types but most are reciprocal piston or turbine devices.

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot demonstrated the first functional self-propelled steam vehicle, his "steam wagon", in 1769. Arguably, this was the first automobile. Steam engine powered automobiles continued to compete with other motive systems into the early decades of the 20th century. However steam engines are less favored for automobiles, which are generally powered by internal combustion engines, because steam requires at least thirty seconds (in a flash boiler) or so to develop pressure.

On February 21, 1804 at the Pen-y-Darren ironworks in Wales, the first self-propelling railway steam engine or steam locomotive built by Richard Trevithick was first demonstrated.

The strength of the steam engine for modern purposes is in its ability to convert raw heat into mechanical work. Unlike the internal combustion engine, the steam engine is not particular about the source of heat.

A steam engine exhausting to atmosphere will have an efficiency (including the boiler) of 5% but with the addition of a condenser the efficiency is greatly improved to 25% or better. A power station with exhaust reheat, etc. will achieve 30% efficiency.

One source of inefficiency is that the condenser causes losses by being somewhat hotter than the outside world. Thus any closed-cycle engine will always be somewhat less efficient than any open-cycle engine, because of condenser losses.

Most notably, without the use of a steam engine nuclear energy could not be harnessed for useful work, as a nuclear reactor does not directly generate either mechanical work or electrical energy - the reactor itself simply heats water. It is the steam engine which converts the heat energy into useful work.

See also