steam engine

steam engine
An external combustion engine where water is converted to steam in a boiler outside the cylinder. The steam is then admitted to the cylinder where it expands against a piston. As the steam expands it cools and begins to condense. This mixture of water droplets and steam is forced out of the cylinder on the return stroke and into the condenser where the remaining steam is condensed into water. This water is forced into the boiler by a pump and the cycle is repeated. Steam engines have some notable drawbacks: slow warm up, freezing of the water system in cold weather, and contamination of the water by scale, oil, and sludge which can wreak havoc with the boiler, pumps, and condenser. But they also offer certain advantages: the potential for high fuel economy with low emissions, the ability to start from rest against a load so a clutch is not needed, and the torque developed is greatest at low rpm so in some applications a multiple-ratio gearbox is not necessary.

Dictionary of automotive terms. 2015.

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  • steam engine — steam engine, adj. an engine worked by steam, typically one in which a sliding piston in a cylinder is moved by the expansive action of the steam generated in a boiler. [1745 55] * * * Machine that uses steam power to perform mechanical work… …   Universalium

  • Steam engine — Steam en gine ([e^]n j[i^]n). An engine moved by steam. [1913 Webster] Note: In its most common forms its essential parts are a piston, a cylinder, and a valve gear. The piston works in the cylinder, to which steam is admitted by the action of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • steam engine — ► NOUN 1) an engine that uses the expansion or rapid condensation of steam to generate power. 2) a steam locomotive …   English terms dictionary

  • steam engine — n. 1. an engine using steam under pressure to supply mechanical energy, usually through the action of a piston sliding in a cylinder 2. a locomotive powered by steam …   English World dictionary

  • steam engine — steam ,engine noun count an engine that gets its power from steam, especially a train engine …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • steam engine — 1751; earlier in the same sense was fire engine, atmospheric engine …   Etymology dictionary

  • Steam engine — A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. [ [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/564472/steam engine steam engine Britannica Online Encyclopedia ] ] Steam engines have a long history,… …   Wikipedia

  • steam engine — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms steam engine : singular steam engine plural steam engines an engine that gets its power from steam, especially a railway engine …   English dictionary

  • steam engine — garo variklis statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. steam engine; steam power engine vok. Dampfkraftmaschine, f; Dampfmaschine, f rus. паровой двигатель, m pranc. moteur à vapeur, m …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • steam engine — steam′ en gine n. mac an engine worked by steam, typically one in which a sliding piston in a cylinder is moved by the expansive action of the steam generated in a boiler • Etymology: 1745–55 …   From formal English to slang

  • steam engine — engine using pressurized steam to supply mechanical energy …   English contemporary dictionary

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