Physics / Engineering
Steam engine
An ideal double-acting steam engine couples admission and expansion to a slider-crank and loaded flywheel. Change boiler pressure and cut-off while inspecting the indicator diagram.
Try this
Steam admission switches sides at dead centre. Cut-off starts expansion. Increase load to stall the flywheel; give it a starting push. Ideal pressure-cycle model.
Equations used in the module
Equations x(θ) = r cos θ + √(l² − r² sin²θ) τsteam = (pL − pR) A dx/dθ I ω′ = τsteam − τload − b ω p V = constant after admission cut-off; W = ∮ p dV
