Mechanisms — rotary steam engine

Recent Blogs

Smith Rotary Engine diagram
Smith Rotary Engine
How the Smith rotary steam engine works — eccentric rotor, abutment vane, port timing, and worked indicated-power example for heritage demonstration steaming.
Ruth's Rotary Engine diagram
Ruth's Rotary Engine
Ruth's Rotary Engine explained — abutment geometry, vane sealing, indicated power formula, and a worked steaming example from a heritage textile mill drive.
Rotary Engine (form 2) diagram
Rotary Engine (form 2)
How a Form 2 rotary steam engine works — eccentric drum, sliding abutment, multi-vane sealing. Real numbers, worked example, and heritage steam applications.
Bartrum and Powell Rotary Engine diagram
Bartrum and Powell Rotary Engine
How the Bartrum and Powell rotary steam engine works — abutment vane geometry, sealing limits, indicated power formula, and a worked rebuild example.
Lamb Rotary Engine diagram
Lamb Rotary Engine
How the Lamb Rotary Engine works — a single-cylinder steam engine that converts piston motion to rotary output through an oscillating cylinder. Specs, formula, and...
Stocker Rotary Engine diagram
Stocker Rotary Engine
Stocker Rotary Engine explained — how the rotating-piston steam engine works, its kinematics, real heritage applications, and a worked sizing example.
Roller Piston Rotary Engine diagram
Roller Piston Rotary Engine
How a Roller Piston Rotary Engine works — internal geometry, sealing, torque output, and real steam-power applications from marine launches to mill drives.
Ritter Rotary Engine diagram
Ritter Rotary Engine
How the Ritter Rotary Engine works — a 19th-century rotary steam engine using sliding abutments and a drum piston. Theory, formula, worked example, and restoration...
Napuer Rotary Engine diagram
Napuer Rotary Engine
How the Napier Rotary Engine works, its design history, worked example calculating power output, plus tradeoffs vs reciprocating steam engines for marine use.
Knickerbocker Four Piston Rotary Engine diagram
Knickerbocker Four Piston Rotary Engine
How the Knickerbocker four piston rotary steam engine works — geometry, indicated horsepower formula, worked example, and troubleshooting for heritage restorers.
Holly Rotary Engine diagram
Holly Rotary Engine
Holly Rotary Engine explained — how the eccentric piston and abutment work, real heritage examples, formulas, and a worked horsepower calculation for restorers.
Franchot Rotary Engine diagram
Franchot Rotary Engine
Franchot rotary engine explained — how the double-acting rotating cylinder converts steam into shaft power, with worked example for a heritage marine plant.
Forrester Rotary Engine diagram
Forrester Rotary Engine
Forrester rotary engine explained — abutment geometry, sealing tolerances, and worked sizing for heritage steam restorations in mills and pumping stations.
Double Slide Piston Rotary Engine diagram
Double Slide Piston Rotary Engine
How the Double Slide Piston Rotary Engine works — geometry, port timing, and a worked example from a heritage workshop restoration. Diagrams, formulas, FAQs.
Davies' Disc Engine diagram
Davies' Disc Engine
Davies' Disc Engine explained — a rotary steam engine using a wobbling disc instead of pistons. How it works, formulas, applications in marine and pumping...
Cochrane Rotary Engine diagram
Cochrane Rotary Engine
How the Cochrane Rotary Engine works — vane geometry, port timing, sealing tolerances, and a worked sizing example for heritage steam plant restoration.
Boardman Rotary Engine diagram
Boardman Rotary Engine
Learn how the Boardman rotary engine converts steam pressure into shaft torque using a sliding-vane disc. Sizing, tradeoffs, and real marine applications.
Berrenburg Rotary Engine diagram
Berrenburg Rotary Engine
Berrenburg Rotary Engine explained — how the rotating piston block delivers torque, why it replaced reciprocating engines in some marine and pump applications.
Disk Engine diagram
Disk Engine
Disk Engine explained — how the wobbling disk converts steam pressure to rotary motion, used in pumps, marine auxiliaries, and small power units.