The Pyréolophore
The fuel for the world's first internal combustion engine was exploding plant spores.
Details here.
And here.
Comments
You have to start somewhere. Some aspects of the operation reminds me of portions of semi-automatic rifles, where combustion gases are used to operate the load / cocking mechanism. The use of the engine in a boat applied more of a jet principle than turning a screw for propulsion. Very clever!
At first I thought that the description at the link had an error when describing the number of cycles as being "12 to 13 per minute." But after watching the virtual reconstruction and remembering watching some very large steam engines from the same period I conclude that the description is correct.
At first I thought that the description at the link had an error when describing the number of cycles as being "12 to 13 per minute." But after watching the virtual reconstruction and remembering watching some very large steam engines from the same period I conclude that the description is correct.
Posted by KDP on 10/13/16 at 10:00 AM
Change the moss dust to nuclear fuel and you have Project Orion!
Posted by Phideaux on 10/13/16 at 11:27 AM
Phideaux, have you seen any Fithp hanging around lately?
Posted by KDP on 10/13/16 at 11:49 AM
It's too bad about their moves to coal and naphtha. They could also have been the first greenies, with boats full of moss gardens and moss drying plants.
Posted by Virtual on 10/13/16 at 12:29 PM
@ KDP -- not since I stopped taking pills given to me by strangers at parties.
Posted by Phideaux on 10/13/16 at 11:15 PM
Fun thing about lycopodium powder: it's still used to create the flash-bang in some magic tricks. And in some chemistry displays, which often aren't much different.
Posted by Richard Bos on 10/14/16 at 02:27 PM
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Category: Inventions | Nature | Nineteenth Century