Promoting Interdisciplinary Creativity in Steampunk Worldwide
Steampunk Basics: A (Really) Quick Tour of Steam Power
 |
|
| A Stanley Steamer: the steam-powered car |
It All Starts, Like So Many Things, In Ancient Greece:
Hero of Alexandria (also known as Heron, rather like Diddy is also P. Diddy or Puff Daddy) started it all with his design of a steam-powered device called an aeollipile, or Hero-engine. It was never given a practical application (it's been said he intended the device as a toy) and yet the seed was planted...
 |
The cauldron on the bottom gets hot, the steam rises, and the ball dances -- a simple toy |
Wait about 2,000 years and then...
1679: the pressure cooker
1698: the first crude steam engine
1769: James Watt improves the steam engine. The result? Just a little thing we like to call the Industrial Revolution.
 |
Watt's engine, which brought us affordable mass-produced goods and sweatshops alike |
The High-Pressure Steam Engine
Richard Trevithick created the next innovation, the high-powered steam engine, sometime in the early 1800s (that pre-Victorian time called the Regency). Now steam engines could be both more powerful and smaller.
 |
|
| I am including this picture of a boiler simply because it seems to be wearing goggles!!! |
Applications:
The Steam-Powered Bicycle;
The Locomotive;
And finally something a bit more, well, modern day, especially if you've been following the news from Japan:
Yes -- steam power plays a role in today's nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy only produces HEAT. Only when the heat produces STEAM is useful energy generated. Without Hero/Heron and James Watt and all the rest, Homer Simpson wouldn't have a job. And isn't that a chilling thought?
-
Comment by Jon Hartless on May 28, 2011 at 9:00am -
Is the Stanley Steamer parked at the Black Country Museum, by any chance?
-
Comment by Stephanie Abbott on May 28, 2011 at 9:42am -
Yes! When I am hard up for images that won't offend the copyright gods, I often turn to Wikipedia Commons, all of which is acceptable for reuse.
-
Comment by Jon Hartless on May 28, 2011 at 1:48pm
-
Thought I recognised the corner of the building... well worth a visit if you ever get the chance.
Comment
SWAG Support Fund
Latest Activity
Gwen Ellery commented on Paul Marlowe's blog post Literary Award Shortlist for "Ether Frolics""Thanks for the link, Paul. Do you know if Kobo includes a sample excerpt on their site? I couldn't find one."
Travis I Sivart posted a status"Writing, brandy, smoke from my pipe, dark soundtracks & "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" comes on! How'd that get in there? *chair dancing*"
Travis I Sivart commented on Travis I Sivart's event Sounds Of Steam, Steampunk to Reality: Making Your Dreams Come True, May 27th, 2013"It varies, and has the full range of Steampunk music in it, from Cabaret to metal.Just FYI, the format is the first two hours is talk with music breaks, and the third hour is music with chat breaks."
Gwen Ellery commented on Travis I Sivart's event Sounds Of Steam, Steampunk to Reality: Making Your Dreams Come True, May 27th, 2013"Good to know! If it's heavily industrial, I may need to give it a listen after my morning cup of tea. :-)"
Winfield H. Strock III posted a blog postThe Jekyll and Hyde of Writing
Writing and rewriting are two sides of the same coin but each takes a different kind of mindset to accomplish. Most folks think of writing when they imagine what writers do; scribbling creative characters, scenes; oozing creativity onto the page into the wee hours of the night. Beginning writers dive into…See More
Travis I Sivart commented on Travis I Sivart's event Sounds Of Steam, Steampunk to Reality: Making Your Dreams Come True, May 27th, 2013"Yes Gwen, that can make it challenging. But if this seems to be your cup of tea but you don't want to interrupt your beauty rest, you can always download it and listen to it afterwards. :)"
Top Content
MEMBERS' BOOK COVERS
#STEAMPUNKCHAT TRANSCRIPTS
Loading feed
Badge
© 2013 Created by Lia Keyes.
You need to be a member of S.W.A.G to add comments!
Join S.W.A.G