Posted on 12/13/2011 8:35:38 PM PST by Olog-hai
German researchers have developed a super-tiny steam engine that’s just a few thousandths of a millimeter wide.
Although the engine sputters incessantly and isn’t developed enough to be used in the real world, the discovery could make it easier to produce ultra-efficient micro-engines in the future, according to researchers at the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems.
“The machine really does perform work,” said researcher Clemens Bechinger in a statement. “This was not necessarily to be expected, because the machine is so small that its motion is hindered by microscopic processes which are of no consequence in the macroworld.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at thelocal.de ...
Steampunk goes high tech!
I see a Green Loan in the future.
How do they get around the Reynold's number issue with steam?
/johnny
Maybe it will be used for an ObamaCare pacemaker.
And the practical use is what?
to spin a micro steam turbine of course!
ROFLMAO! Good one.
Gee.. so many practical things they could be working on...
Musta got some porkulus money for this one. A completely worthless nano steam engine.
That would be about the right size for HIS heart! Sarc.
It’s the technology that allowed them to do it that is important...great things will come from stuff like this.
Nano-punk.
:D
Also too small for pics.
That’s nothing... I’ve developed a micro nuke plant so tiny, you can’t see it. I just need ten million from the government to fine tune it...
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