We reeeally ended up neglecting this branch of the tech tree.

    by ThatHeckinFox

    16 Comments

    1. ciaphas-cain1 on

      We reached a point of essentially peak efficiency in terms of using steam boilers and dynamos, “and the scientists wept for there were no more engines to build”

    2. Solar uses the photoelectric effect.

      Wind, hydro, wave ECT don’t use steam production (though still turbines).

      Edit: solar photovoltaics use the photoelectric effect. There are minor technologies that boil water

    3. froggertthewise on

      I’d like to point out we did in fact replace the steam engine with the steam turbine.

    4. thats not entirely true. The turbines of today are VASTLY superiour to the turbines of 60 years ago. And serious r&d is being put into CO2 turbines. In the end, its messy thermodynamics: turn heat into a useful source of energy. Physics will be a bitch all the way, so the solutions end up looking complicated, and progress is slow as the physics themselves dont change. What does change is material science, manufacturing, and computation, that tends to result in less “flashy” changes.

    5. Actually we didn’t neglect it at all. Modern steam turbines are a lot more efficient than early piston engines, and our means of effectively using the heat created to make as much steam as possible have also gotten better

    6. Youbettereatthatshit on

      Take a few engineering courses on the topic and you’ll realize it’s far from ignored. It’s probably one of the most studied phenomena in engineering.

      Also people say ‘boil water’. Steam is very powerful and terrifying when a steam line opens out vents through a prv. You respect it a lot more when you realize how useful it is

    7. SoyMurcielago on

      Now im wondering if we could use some sort of air pump ing device like a bellows to induce rotation on a wind turbine to power a dynamo to produce electricity

      I know it requires a base of electrical supply to power on (pmuch all generation stations require power to produce power) and it probably wouldnt be efficient but im wondering how it would compare to say natural wind (free energy!) or other water/steam turbines

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