History questions not worth their own thread III

Status
Not open for further replies.
Size (no need for a big water tank, burner, and engine), efficiency (much of the heat energy and steam was lost, not to mention the costs of supplying water), safety (boilers were known to blow on occasion, I assume early internal combustion engines did as well, but not as dramatically) come to mind.

Early on, I would suspect that steam engines probably would provide greater raw power output.
 
The only advantage of the steam engine is that it can be made to use pretty much any fuel/heat source.

Today we still see them as steam turbine engines/generators using nuclear or solar thermal energy sources. The steam piston engine is definitely a goner.
 
How come the internal combustion engine defeated the steam engine (I'm assuming the raw power, but I'm not sure)? How could the steam engine possibly win?

Greater power to mass and volume ratio. Powerful steam engines are bulky and heavy. Internal combustion is much more compact.
 
something that can probably seen from a comparision of a train and a truck or car . Steam could do far more but the car /truck could go anywhere . Sort of .
 
Modern trains use diesel internal combustion engines. It goes beyond the ability to make small engines. Internal combustion is far more efficient than steam.
 
not that ı am particularly knowledgeable but much also depends on the size of the plant . Depending on fuel prices there appear to be continious attempts to reintroduce steam to railroads but obviously not in the traditional sense .
 
For the most part, internal combustion has even replaced steam power for ships. If nothing else, it's easier to use.
 
What was the death toll of Highland Potato Famine?
 
Was the US Constitution ever completely translated into Latin?
 
@ LightSpectra
That is not what I meant.


I should have been more specific, the Founders were learned men, many of whom knew Latin. Did they ever translate it into Latin?
 
This map made in 1492(?) by Martin Behaim has me confused. I know what St. Brendan's island is and the story behind it, but I don't know what Cigangu is. Is it a mythical island too, or is it suppose to be a real place like Japan or the Philippines?

Spoiler :
 
It's Cipangu, and it is a reference to Japan.
 
Is there any idea of what was the signal (the thumbs thing) to have a losing gladiator killed, during the Roman Empire?
 
Is there any idea of what was the signal (the thumbs thing) to have a losing gladiator killed, during the Roman Empire?

What was the signal to have them all eaten by a dinosaur, then?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom