Internal Combustion

Assuming that Zhansyn Wyllys is successful with his experiments in distilling petroleum, what are the Proscritions going to say about the internal combustion engine?

Not gonna happen. AFAIK, petroleum IC engines require electricity which is banned by the proscriptions, a line which the Charisian Empire is unwilling to cross at this time. OTOH, I fix computers not cars, so it may be that there is a way of burning gasoline without using electricity.

Keith_w wrote:Not gonna happen. AFAIK, petroleum IC engines require electricity which is banned by the proscriptions, a line which the Charisian Empire is unwilling to cross at this time. OTOH, I fix computers not cars, so it may be that there is a way of burning gasoline without using electricity.

Use diesel. That is an ongoing discussion that ceops up from time to time on the forun.

Don

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Keith_w wrote:Not gonna happen. AFAIK, petroleum IC engines require electricity which is banned by the proscriptions, a line which the Charisian Empire is unwilling to cross at this time. OTOH, I fix computers not cars, so it may be that there is a way of burning gasoline without using electricity.

It's called a diesel engine.

Although starting one up withOUT electricity is an exercise in turning a crank really fast...

Although we're likely to see liquid fueled steam engines before that as it's a natural progression. And who knows? Maybe Weber will go full on steampunk with Safehold's tech base before the Proscriptions get lifted.

evilauthor wrote:It's called a diesel engine.

Although starting one up withOUT electricity is an exercise in turning a crank really fast...

I have my doubts that we'll see diesels anytime soon. But you should be able to build a pneumatic or hydraulic starter for one; so at least you aren't turning the crank so fast by hand.
And heavy flywheels can help you build up the starting energy over time then dump it into cranking the engine. Any of those should clearly be within the proscriptions.

Jonathan_S wrote:]I have my doubts that we'll see diesels anytime soon. But you should be able to build a pneumatic or hydraulic starter for one; so at least you aren't turning the crank so fast by hand.
And heavy flywheels can help you build up the starting energy over time then dump it into cranking the engine. Any of those should clearly be within the proscriptions.

Or simply winding a spring with a crank with a mechanical advantage. Which as someone who has crank started an engine makes life much safer.

I have the chipped tooth to prove it and want to stay away from direct crank. <shudders> How I didn't break an arm is a mystery.

Have fun,
T2M

Don't forget the steam chariots of the 2nd DeathWorld novella by Harry Harrison.

They were pretty cool...

thinkstoomuch wrote:

Jonathan_S wrote:]I have my doubts that we'll see diesels anytime soon. But you should be able to build a pneumatic or hydraulic starter for one; so at least you aren't turning the crank so fast by hand.
And heavy flywheels can help you build up the starting energy over time then dump it into cranking the engine. Any of those should clearly be within the proscriptions.

Or simply winding a spring with a crank with a mechanical advantage. Which as someone who has crank started an engine makes life much safer.

I have the chipped tooth to prove it and want to stay away from direct crank. <shudders> How I didn't break an arm is a mystery.

Have fun,
T2M

I had that experience using the flywheel on an old John Deere. It backfired and while I didn't chip a tooth, I sure ended up on my arse.

Don

enutt wrote:Assuming that Zhansyn Wyllys is successful with his experiments in distilling petroleum, what are the Proscriptions going to say about the internal combustion engine?

The Proscriptions ban anything beyond "Wind, Water, or Muscle." Pater Wylsynn approved Steam power and pneumatic power as an extension of Wind Power and/or Water Power, but it would be a bigger stretch of the Proscriptions to apply the same logic to internal combustion engines which bypass the "water" component of steam.

Petroleum distillation is going to be far more useful to Safehold's chemical industry than it will be to the energy industry.

Weird Harold wrote:The Proscriptions ban anything beyond "Wind, Water, or Muscle." Pater Wylsynn approved Steam power and pneumatic power as an extension of Wind Power and/or Water Power, but it would be a bigger stretch of the Proscriptions to apply the same logic to internal combustion engines which bypass the "water" component of steam.

Petroleum distillation is going to be far more useful to Safehold's chemical industry than it will be to the energy industry.

Um, guns are already approved. And what goes on inside an internal combustion (and diesel for that matter) engine's cylinders is almost identical to what happens in the firing chamber of a gun when the trigger is pulled. The only differences are that a piston is being pushed instead of a bullet, the "bangs" are happening many times a second, and the action isn't being used to directly kill people.

If anything, that LAST part would get it approved for use quickly. You're using explosions to do useful, productive work instead of killing more of God's children.