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Radetzky March

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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:32 pm

I like my fantasy with a heavy side of dystopia, so the long run lack of sustainability in a steam-powered society is something that I think makes for a very interesting and realistic fictional universe. Not only the environmental devastation that coal-burning produces, but the impact of technology on society- the poverty of coal-mining towns during the historical age of steam power, the prevalence of child labor in mines and factories, the sharply divided class sytem, and the ruthless exploitation of the workers in the name of profit. I really enjoy when steampunk adventure or alternate history stories give a nod to the consequences advanced technology would have on a society with the mentality of the Victorian era, rather than just focusing on gadgets and adventures.

That said, I like wind-up gadgets powered by clockwork and springs. Perhaps a coil (like a watchspring) could provide the initial motion to a vehicle, and further power could come from an electrical battery which recharges itsself from the rotation of the axles? Not the most efficient or high-tech, but still, environmentally sound. 3nodding

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:25 am

Radetzky March

I like my fantasy with a heavy side of dystopia, so the long run lack of sustainability in a steam-powered society is something that I think makes for a very interesting and realistic fictional universe.

The second law of thermodynamics strikes again! And societal oppression, I suppose...

Radetzky March

Perhaps a coil (like a watchspring) could provide the initial motion to a vehicle, and further power could come from an electrical battery which recharges itsself from the rotation of the axles?

You might be interested in this. Oh, and they've tried the auto-charging battery thing. Sadly, it doesn't work.

Horatio Crane

Dark Matter is purely theoretical.

On the contrary!

(And sorry if I sound like a pedant, but seeing "theoretical" there made me cringe a bit. I kindly exhort you to use the term "hypothetical". Calling something a theory, in scientific parlance, actually means that it's a well-tested, well-proven explanation for the workings of the world; for some reason it's come to mean something different in the popular mind.)

Ranmoth

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TempusBliss

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Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:21 pm

exclaim Idea Alert!

If I remember, the burning of coal is a combustion reaction. The problem is that a complete combustion reaction is hard to achieve (the only products of this reaction are carbon dioxide and dihydrogen oxide), and there are several factors on making pollutants. As we know from our modern counterparts, the elements themselves can be filtered through a material of opposite ionic charge.

Activated carbon would be a wonderful material for absorbing pollution. It is byproduct of charcoal. Being that it has a exceptionally high surface area, it can absorb a plethora of nasty chemicals. The problem with making this material... Holy moly! I found a way to get rid of the acid made from a Group 1 element falling in water. The main issue would be keeping up temperatures that range from 450-900 degrees Centigrade.

Another was to clean the volitael chemcials from the burning of carbon is the use of scrubbers. They absorb the chemicals and when the reacts with the scrubber solution (scrubbers can be either wet or dry), they make several useful chemicals.

Idea end. exclaim

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:02 pm

Radetzky March

I like my fantasy with a heavy side of dystopia, so the long run lack of sustainability in a steam-powered society is something that I think makes for a very interesting and realistic fictional universe. Not only the environmental devastation that coal-burning produces, but the impact of technology on society- the poverty of coal-mining towns during the historical age of steam power, the prevalence of child labor in mines and factories, the sharply divided class sytem, and the ruthless exploitation of the workers in the name of profit. I really enjoy when steampunk adventure or alternate history stories give a nod to the consequences advanced technology would have on a society with the mentality of the Victorian era, rather than just focusing on gadgets and adventures.

That said, I like wind-up gadgets powered by clockwork and springs. Perhaps a coil (like a watchspring) could provide the initial motion to a vehicle, and further power could come from an electrical battery which recharges itsself from the rotation of the axles? Not the most efficient or high-tech, but still, environmentally sound. 3nodding

Keep in mind that steampunk means we want steam. If we we're to skip that fact, there would be lots of way to greenly power our tech.

NekoSigma

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