09-25-2013, 08:08 PM
The steam engine could have been developed quite a bit earlier but they had to wait for metallurgy to catch up -- we needed steel boilers that would hold a bit of pressure.
For fun, look up some of the early mine engines. In the first designs they actually filled the cylinder with steam and then sprayed in cold water to condense the steam and create a vacuum which sucked the piston down.
The temperature changes were very hard on the cylinders.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcomen_steam_engine">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcomen_steam_engine</a><!-- m -->
For fun, look up some of the early mine engines. In the first designs they actually filled the cylinder with steam and then sprayed in cold water to condense the steam and create a vacuum which sucked the piston down.
The temperature changes were very hard on the cylinders.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcomen_steam_engine">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcomen_steam_engine</a><!-- m -->
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.