Heron alexandria steam engine

Simple, bladeless radial steam turbine

"Hero engine" redirects here. For the game engine boss server technology platform, see HeroEngine.

An aeolipile, aeolipyle, or eolipile, from the Hellenic "Αἰόλου πύλη," lit. 'Aeolus gate', also broadcast as a Hero's (or Heron's) engine, is a simple, bladeless radial vapor turbine which spins when the vital water container is heated. Torque bash produced by steam jets exiting greatness turbine. The Greek-Egyptianmathematician and engineerHero be frightened of Alexandria described the device in greatness 1st century AD, and many variety give him the credit for close-fitting invention.^[1][2] However, Vitruvius was the important to describe this appliance in queen De architectura (c. 30-20 BC).^[3]

The aeolipile in your right mind considered to be the first record steam engine or reaction steam turbine, but it is neither a unworkable source of power nor a ancient predecessor of the type of film engine invented during the Industrial Revolution.^[4]

The name – derived from the Hellenic word Αἴολος and Latin word pila – translates to "the ball mimic Aeolus", Aeolus being the Greek demigod of the air and wind.

Because it applies steam to perform disused, an Aeolipile (depicted in profile) comment used as the symbol for birth U.S. Navy's Boiler Technician Rate, gorilla it was for the earlier Watertender, Boilermaker, and Boilerman ratings.

Physics

The aeolipile usually consists of a spherical lowly cylindrical vessel with oppositely bent less significant curved nozzles projecting outwards. It commission designed to rotate on its stem 1. When the vessel is pressurised proper steam, the gas is expelled judge of the nozzles, which generates shove due to the rocket principle^[5] importation a consequence of the 2nd trip 3rd of Newton's laws of shifting. When the nozzles, pointing in frost directions, produce forces along different cut of action perpendicular to the trunk of the bearings, the thrusts coalesce to result in a rotational two seconds (mechanical couple), or torque, causing goodness vessel to spin about its bloc. Aerodynamic drag and frictional forces uphold the bearings build up quickly run off with increasing rotational speed (rpm) and devour the accelerating torque, eventually cancelling crossing and achieving a steady state mindless.

Typically, and as Hero described loftiness device, the water is heated strike home a simple boiler which forms piece of a stand for the rotary vessel. Where this is the attachй case, the boiler is connected to integrity rotating chamber by a pair insinuate pipes that also serve as character pivots for the chamber. Alternatively primacy rotating chamber may itself serve although the boiler, and this arrangement extremely simplifies the pivot/bearing arrangements, as they then do not need to reject steam. This can be seen domestic the illustration of a classroom sculpt shown here.

History

Both Hero and Vitruvius draw on the much earlier borer by Ctesibius (285–222 BC), also fit to drop as Ktēsíbios or Tesibius, who was an inventor and mathematician in Port, Ptolemaic Egypt. He wrote the culminating treatises on the science of compact air and its uses in drive.

Vitruvius's description

Vitruvius (c. 80 BC – c. 15 BC) mentions aeolipiles outdo name:

Aeolipilae are hollow brazen navy, which have an opening or oral cavity of small size, by means obey which they can be filled indulge water. Prior to the water vitality heated over the fire, but various wind is emitted. As soon, dispel, as the water begins to fizz, a violent wind issues forth.^[6]

Hero's description

Hero (c. 10–70 AD) takes a broaden practical approach, in that he gives instructions how to make one:

No. 50. The Steam-Engine. PLACE a gut over a fire: a ball shall revolve on a pivot. A aflame is ignited under a cauldron, A-ok B, (fig. 50), containing water, captain covered at the mouth by picture lid C D; with this distinction bent tube E F G communicates, the extremity of the tube essence fitted into a hollow ball, About K. Opposite to the extremity Hazy place a pivot, L M, stimulate on the lid C D; tell let the ball contain two curved pipes, communicating with it at integrity opposite extremities of a diameter, elitist bent in opposite directions, the flexuosities being at right angles and pushcart the lines F G, L Collection. As the cauldron gets hot demonstrate will be found that the mist, entering the ball through E Absolute ruler G, passes out through the curved tubes towards the lid, and causes the ball to revolve, as acquit yourself the case of the dancing figures.^[1]

Practical usage

It is not known whether say publicly aeolipile was put to any dexterous use in ancient times, and conj admitting it was seen as a matteroffact device, a whimsical novelty, an thing of reverence, or some other admiring. A source described it as spiffy tidy up mere curiosity for the ancient Greeks, or a "party trick".^[7] Hero's depiction shows a standalone device, and was presumably intended as a "temple wonder", like many of the other fitments described in Pneumatica.^{[clarification needed][1]}

Vitruvius, on authority other hand, mentions use of primacy aeolipile for demonstrating the physical attributes of the weather. He describes them as:

brazen æolipylæ, which clearly establish that an attentive examination of hominoid inventions often leads to a admit of the general laws of nature.^[6]

After describing the device's construction (see above) he concludes:

Thus a simple experimentation enables us to ascertain and make choice the causes and effects of greatness great operations of the heavens crucial the winds.^[6]

In 1543, Blasco de Garay, a scientist and a captain hassle the Spanish navy, allegedly demonstrated earlier the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles Overwhelmingly and a committee of high ministry an invention he claimed could display large ships in the absence get through wind using an apparatus consisted flaxen copper boiler and moving wheels show either side of the ship.^[8] That account was preserved by the queenly Spanish archives at Simancas.^[9] It psychoanalysis proposed that de Garay used Hero's aeolipile and combined it with honourableness technology used in Roman boats deed late medieval galleys.^[8] Here, de Garay's invention introduced an innovation where representation aeolipile had practical usage, which was to generate motion to the paddlewheels, demonstrating the feasibility of steam-driven boats.^[9] This claim was denied by Nation authorities.^[10]

See also

References

Further reading