Re: Steam engine/Helm

You know I totally forgot about the sterling engine! That would make a
perfect alternative to a steam engine (once I figure out how to translate
mechanical energy into spelljamming energy), but I think I'll have both;
the sterling engine could be like a state of the art engine.

In the setting I plan on giving the steamtech nation a fleet of steam (and
now sterling) powered military ships which allows them to free themselves
of the stranglehold the mages and the Arcane (their front-men actually
since the arcane haven't made themselves known yet). Their secret weapon is
a type of giant gunpowder rocket piloted by expendable pilots. :P

At 01:39 AM 7/26/2005, you wrote:

>Better yet, use a Sterling engine. This thing has been around in one form or
>another since the 1600's. You can use coal or better kerosene when the sun
>is not available or strong enough or want a boost in speed.
>
>In the flow, I'd crank up a double wall metal cylinder past my air envelop
>with a pump to run water or better yet mineral oil back to my engine. Have a
>spark device to ignite the flow, that creates the heat required to run the
>engine.
>
>I can get silly and say put one on each side of your ship and use a
>butterfly to open and close on the front of the cylinder to get extra thrust
>on each bang cycle:)