1Q40.80 Hero’s Engine

A steam engine that spins when heated.

Three forms of Hero's engine appear in this photo. A small Erlenmeyer flask hangs in mid-air, suspended by a fishing swivel and long string. A rubber stopper closes the top of the flask. Two tapered glass outlets extend horizontally from the top of the rubber stopper. The outlets are positioned opposite to each other (one pointing right, the other left). The second engine consists of a spherical flask wired to a table stand. A rubber stopper closes the top of the flask. Two horizontal tapered outlets extend from the center of the spherical flask. The outlets are positioned opposite to each other. One is bent to the right, one to the left. The third engine is a smaller version of the spherical flask. This version spins in a lightweight frame. The tapered openings for the smaller spherical flask extend from the neck of the apparatus, rather than from the spherical body. A propane torch and a small graduated cylinder holding water appear in the foreground of the photo.

Three different types of Hero’s Engine. The first (bottom left) can be put into a vacuum chamber, the second (top left) uses liquid nitrogen, and the third (top right) uses steam.

Hero’s Steam Engine

Hero’s Engine with LN2