Steam engine

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A drawing of a steam engine. 1 - piston 2 - piston rod 3 - crosshead bearing 4 - connecting rod 5 - crank 6 - eccentric valve motion (valve that moves irregularly) 7 - flywheel (a special large wheel) 8 - sliding valve 9 - centrifugal governor

A Steam engine is an engine which uses steam power to operate. It can convert the energy present in heat (of water steam usually) into mechanical work. Steam engines were used on locomotives or steam boats, but also in factories to move pumps. They were the prime moving force behind the Industrial Revolution.

The steam to power a steam engine is made in a boiler. Water in the boiler is heated to make steam. The steam coming out of the boiler applies the force on a piston or turbine blade. Movement of the piston or the turbine blade is then used to turn wheels or drive other machinery. To boil the water in the boiler, several types of fuels may be used. It may be wood, coal, or oil.

A steam engine in the Deutsches Museum in Munich

A steam engine (probably driving an elevator at a mine in Germany

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Steam engines