Rotary Steam Engine

I wanted to simplify the operation of high pressure steam locomotives on Tamarian railways.  The rotary steam engine concept transfers power directly to the drive wheels.  This engine has very few moving parts and would be well within the manufacturing potential of any society capable of producing a revolver or multi barreled cannon.

Although the design depicted below is that of an actual combustion engine, the concept will work for double acting steam if injection heads are placed on either end of the large cylinder.

Pilatus Rack

Tamarian trains traversing exceptionally steep terrain are modified to operate with a third, central rack that enables the trains to climb without the danger of falling backward.  This is an example of a European Pilatus Rack.  I selected this design because it seemed to fit the concept of a rotary steam engine very well.  Most Tamarian locomotives are powered by two such engines that could be mounted vertically to drive the cog wheels pictured above.

Hydraulic Bicycle

Algernon receives a marvelous gift from High Priest Volker Pfaff in the form of a hydraulic bicycle.

This machine uses a hydraulic crankshaft and a fluid drive, rather than a chain-driven sprocket.  It has many advantages over sprocket-driven bikes, the most significant one centering upon its infinitely variable gearing.  This is controlled by a lever on the handlebar, which varies the output stroke of the crankshaft pin, resulting in more or less fluid being delivered to the drive motor attached to the rear wheel.  This produces a torque-multiplication effect, similar to the one created in an automatic transmission.  It glides like a regular bike when the pedals aren't in motion, but unlike a conventional bicycle, it can produce forward motion from pushing the pedals backwards, or by rocking back and forth in a stepping motion.  Thus, a rider can power pedal through turns, rather than having to coast.

The hydraulic crankshaft is more efficient than a chain drive, translating more of the rider's muscle power into motion.  It's impervious to dirt, water and corrosion.  It's lighter, has fewer moving parts, and is cheaper to make than a standard derailleur.  The hydraulic system has an internal shut-off valve that slows, or stops fluid, enabling hydraulic braking without the need for friction brakes.

I got the idea for this from the Power Curve web site, which can be found here:  Power Curve Liquid Drive Bicycle

This image is courtesy of the now-defunct Millennium Airship company.

Airships occupy a unique niche in aviation history on earth.  Rather than relying on strictly historical examples and incorporating traditional airship design into my story, I thought I'd push the envelope somewhat.  The big Tamarian airships described in the story use hydrogen as a lift gas, internal ballonets for buoyancy and large electric motors for propulsion and wings that provide dynamic lift.  These aircraft can land on any flat surface, but loading and unloading requires great care.  This somewhat limits their utility and creates interesting plot-problems for me to explore!


Electric Trucks and Personnel Carriers

These are not ubiquitous machines in the milieu I describe because of their expense.  Even "modern" armies, like the Tamarian Expeditionary Force, rely far more on mules, horses and trains than on electric transports.  The two main reasons for this both involve battery technology.  First, the nickel-iron batteries of this milieu are very heavy and offer limited energy density.  This means range is ALSO restricted.  A typical Tamarian EPT can only travel in a 30 mile radius, which is about as far as a horse can travel in a single day, but the EPT can cover that distance quickly as long as it's driving on a road.  The second problem with electric transport concerns the availability of a refueling resource. 

To deal with this, the Tamarians use aluminum wire stored in spools that are transported by rail to recharging centers.  This aluminum acts as an energy carrier, which reacts with water in a catalytic combustion chamber to produce hydrogen, which in turn, powers a very large, stationary fuel cell.  The aluminum oxide ash is collected and sent home for recycling.  In this way, the Tamarians transport part of their vast hydroelectric resource to power their military installations and vehicles. 

Fuel cells sound like modern technology, but they've been around since the early 1800's.

This is a Kei Truck from Japan, dressed up in military garb.
Tamarian transport trucks would likely be of similar size and design.




In Crisis, Algernon and Kira ride to Marvic in a truck of similar
size and style to this one.  Much of what gets moved around in
the city of Marvic uses little electric trucks.

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