How does steam work to make a train or ship move?
460378
The basic theory is that if you pump steam into a place where there is a piston, the piston will move up.  Then you release the steam and the piston will go down.  You connect the piston to something to get movement, such as some gears that turn the propellers or connect them to the wheels.  It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's basically how it's done.
143466
By using a steam powered engine to turn electric turbines or generators.
1054451
Moving water -- generally provided by a river -- is used to turn a turbine.  The turbine is wrapped in conductive cable, and the housing is lined with magnets.  Thanks to the Oersted Effect (or maybe the Faraday Effect; I get them mixed up), moving a conductor through a magnetic field generates an electric current.  The stronger the magnets and the more conductor involved, the more current you get -- which is why hydroelectric turbines are so freakin' big.
350753
wather train?????\ninteresting
115248
steam has more energy in it. steam is derived from heating water up, so steam will contains much more energy and thus translate to a more powerful turbine .
101238
well, the basic idea is that they're kind of like a big propeller inside a tube.  one side of the tube is connected to a sealed tank with some water in it, and the other side of the tube is vented out to the air.  when you light a fire under the water, the water boils and releases steam.  this fire can be powered by coal, oil, or even not be fire at all - in a nuclear reactor, the nuclear reaction is used to heat water that in turn boils and makes steam.\n\nif you've ever done any cooking on the stove, you know that if the container is sealed, the steam can build up to a VERY high pressure.  \n\nif you then open a valve and send the steam down the tube toward the turbine, the high pressure on one side will cause the turbine blades to spin.  just like a propellor working in reverse, essentially.  obviously i'm glossing over some of the details - there are a lot of subtle thermodynamics involved with a real turbine, and "propellor" is only a very rough approximation.\n\nso the shaft of the propeller is then connected via some gearbox to a generator.  a generator is basically a loop of wire that is free to turn in a magnetic field.  usually this field is generated by a permanent magnet.  \n\nif the loop spins, the mechanical energy of the spin is converted into electrical energy via a phenomenon called magnetic induction.  if you then connect the wires of the loop to some circuit, the induced current will power the circuit.\n\nan old roommate of mine was into collecting miniatures steam engines, for some reason, and apparently there are quite a few companies that make them.  here is a representative example of one or you can search on google for "steam turbine toy" or "steam turbine kit":\n\nhttp://www.lilliputmotorcompany.com/steam-turbine-wilesco-p-451.html\n\nas for a generator, lots of science hobby places sell little kit generators.  you don't want to use a big one as your tiny steam engine won't have enough torque to turn one over.  here's an example:\n\nhttp://sciencekit.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_440210\n\nhere are some links about how steam turbines work, and magnetic induction and generators:\nhttp://library.thinkquest.org/C006011/english/sites/dampfturbine.php3?v=2\nhttp://www.sciencejoywagon.com/physicszone/lesson/otherpub/wfendt/generatorengl.htm\nhttp://www.taftan.com/thermodynamics/STURBINE.HTM
269984
Sorry to be late, I didn't see your question till today. It works by creating steam. The core (nuclear material) is exposed and heats water in tubes. That water (steam) is generally used to heat water in a separate set of tubes. that steam is sued to turn turbines to created electricity. In a nutshell that is it. One side issue the "smoke" you see coming from nuclear power plants is steam. The water in the tubes is used over and over and never released.
159387
First of all, IT'S GRAVITY BABY! Not really, but it does play a part. It's mostly the force of the wave, working with gravity to move that board at that certain speed.\nsomewhat like that
520548
B Steam. Steam is the gases form of water. all of the rest are liquid forms of water. Note: what a lot of people think of as steam is not steam. Steam is an invisible gas, once it cools it becomes fog, clouds, and eventually mist. \n\nI had to add this because one of the previous persons was correct in noting that Clouds are sometimes made of ice crystals, so steam is still the most correct answer, but real clouds that are frozen is also correct.
284269
I am sure someone cleverer will come along and shoot holes in this but I think this has a lot to do with Newton's 3 Laws (Newton being a clever dead bloke).\n\nForce: When you kick your sister in the shin you are using force\nMass: If she is fat, she has lots of mass\nInertia: Being fat, she will not be able to chase you. She has inertia. \n( Example from - http://www.allworldknowledge.com/newton/index.html)\n\nSo you are on the train and you are moving - its worth remembering that gravity (the force which keeps you on the floor) only goes downward not along. You on the train are moving along and the 'force' of the train going along, keeps you going along. Get it?\n\nWell you're still going along, watching the world go by, and then you jump.\n\nBy jumping you're still going along with the direction of the train thats one force. But when you start coming down it's the gravity pulling you back, as another force. The train moving you along hasn't changed, you just have two forces one pulling you down (the jump) and one pulling you along (the train).\n\nSo you end up in exactly the same place. With a few miserable commuters.
225193
well, what kind of locomotive.....a steam engine, a diesel engine, electric, what?\n\nthe following may help...best wishes..\n\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive
990503
The Basics\nWhen most people think about motors or engines, they think about rotation. For example, a reciprocating gasoline engine in a car produces rotational energy to drive the wheels. An electric motor produces rotational energy to drive a fan or spin a disk. A steam engine is used to do the same thing, as is a steam turbine and most gas turbines.\n\nRocket engines are fundamentally different. Rocket engines are reaction engines. The basic principle driving a rocket engine is the famous Newtonian principle that "to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." A rocket engine is throwing mass in one direction and benefiting from the reaction that occurs in the other direction as a result.\n\nA rocket engine is generally throwing mass in the form of a high-pressure gas. The engine throws the mass of gas out in one direction in order to get a reaction in the opposite direction. The mass comes from the weight of the fuel that the rocket engine burns. The burning process accelerates the mass of fuel so that it comes out of the rocket nozzle at high speed. The fact that the fuel turns from a solid or liquid into a gas when it burns does not change its mass. If you burn a pound of rocket fuel, a pound of exhaust comes out the nozzle in the form of a high-temperature, high-velocity gas. The form changes, but the mass does not. The burning process accelerates the mass.\n\nAnd that is how the rocket moves foward
242689
There is a boiler in Nuclear Subs, and a diesel engine in (obviously) diesel subs. The steam pressure from the boiler pushes through a set of mechanical turbine fans, which have output shafts driving a set of small gears. These small gears turn a large one, called the bull gear, which reduces the speed of the screw, or the impeller part (the big fan that spins) of the "hydrodynamic propeller", in order to provide torque (strength). If the propeller were to turn at high speeds, it would "tread water", because the low pressure it creates would be enough to vaporize the water (this is called "cavitation". The propeller would be simply stirring up steam and have no push. So the propeller has alot of strength at low speeds and is very large. It can push on an extremely large area of water. The water does not move, due to laws of inertia and mass, and gives the submarine something to push against, and therefore allowing it to move forward.\n\nA vague representation of this ability is the little experiment where you put a ruler on the edge of a table, and put something small and heavy on the end that sits on the table. Slap down on the end hanging off, and watch the object go flying. Next, spread a sheet of newspaper over the ruler, all the way to the edge of the table. Now slap down on the ruler again, and if you it hard enough, you will either break or bend your ruler. This happens because, thought the newspaper is much lighter than the previous object, it has the entire area of air above it, which has mass. The surface area of the newspaper is large enough to distribute all of the force to the mass of air, and, because of the law of inertia, the air holds the newspaper down.\n\nIn a diesel sub, it is basically the same concept, except that there is a direct drive between the engine and the small gears.
105521
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/SteamTrains.htm\nhttp://www.cottontimes.co.uk/trevithicko.htm
2892
sometimes they are made using a type of distill process.  they boil rose petals (for instance) and then collect the steam
632009
Stationery is writing paper, etc.  A "stationary" engineer tends a stationary boiler (perhaps in a huge hotel).  It is stationary as opposed to a boiler that moves in a steam engine or sailing ship, etc.  The required qualifications for the stationary engineer depend on the steam pressure of the steam boiler.  Higher steam pressures require higher qualifications (and licenses).  The stationary engineer ensures safe and economical operation of the boiler (and supporting equipment including valves, pipes, pumps and controls).  Recording performance data and performing scheduled maintenance helps extend the life of the equipment trouble free.
75606
Since the orifice is in the bottom of the tank and water starts flowing out vertically -downwards-the weight of the railway tank decreases as the water in it decreases. Therefore the pressure exerted by tank on the rail track decreases.The track which was depressed earlier now elevates itself depending upon the reduction of weight.The water tank raises up a little. But the elevation is too small to measure by ordinary methods. Using optical instruments we can measure the elevation. \n On the other hand if the water flows horizontally from the orifice the water will trace a parobolic path.Due to conservation of momentum the tank with all its contents will begin to move in the opposite direction. When more and more water flows out, the tank gains more and more momentum. The speed of the tank increases accordingly. Finally it will move with a constant velocity which it gained lastly when all the water in it is emptied. \n\nIt is worthwhile to study the motion of rockets at the same time.Instead of railtank we have rocket and instead of water  we have gas coming out with treamendous velocity which provides an upthrest to lift it and move it to greater height.