The internal combustion engine, for all its mechanical sophistication, still runs on a 19th-century mechanical idea: pistons rising and falling, a crankshaft spinning, a steam-age architecture ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. This model was filed with the ...

The introduction of several advanced, efficient, and more robust power options over the years has largely overshadowed steam engine technology. However, it was a revolutionary technology that, upon ...

The rotary engine was an unconventional design that delivered great power for its size. Here's what's good and bad about it.

When an inventor has a unit of measurement named after him, it's clear his work had more than a small impact on scientific and industrial progress. So it was for James Watt, whose Watt engine is often ...

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If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...