A reciprocating steam engine with slide valve, crank-slider and flywheel โ running a Rankine-style cycle shown live on a PV indicator diagram.
Presets
Controls
Stats
Indicated powerโ
Work / cycleโ
Thermal efficiencyโ
Torqueโ
Steam useโ
MEPโ
How it works. Steam at boiler pressure is admitted to the cylinder by the slide valve. Admission lasts until the cutoff; the trapped steam then expands (roughly PV = const), pushing the piston. The valve opens to exhaust, steam is released to atmosphere or a vacuum condenser, then the returning piston compresses the cushion steam. The crank-slider turns this back-and-forth motion into rotation, smoothed by the flywheel. The enclosed area of the PV loop is the work done per cycle.