SOLID MANIA heat engine

grabcad

Steam engines are heat engines that harness mechanical work through steam as their working fluid. As external combustion engines, they separate the working fluid from combustion products and can use non-combustion heat sources like solar, nuclear or geothermal energy. The Rankine cycle is the ideal thermodynamic process for analyzing this operation. Inside a boiler, water gets heated to become high-pressure steam that performs mechanical work when expanded through pistons or turbines; post-expansion, low-pressure steam is condensed and recycled back into the boiler. The term "steam engine" generally encompasses integrated steam plants (like railway locomotives and portable engines) as well as standalone machinery (beam engines and stationary steam engines). Specialized devices such as steam hammers and pile drivers also rely on separate boilers. Although reciprocating piston steam engines were the main power source until early 20th century, they have been replaced by electric motors and internal combustion engines in commercial applications. However, steam turbines dominate power generation worldwide, making the "steam age" more robust than ever.