4K | Hero's Engine Explained (Aeolipile, Ancient Steam Turbine) | Live Steam

Demonstration and explanation of Hero's Engine, also known as the Aeolipile, a reaction-type steam turbine.

Hero's Engine
Hero of Alexandria (1st Century CE) is usually credited with the invention of the Aeolipile - the world's first steam turbine. Despite the groundbreaking concept there is no evidence that it was put to any serious use. According to legend, it may have been used a temple-wonder, a novelty item used purely for show. Given the amount of noise and steam spray generated by even this small turbine (as you can see in the clip) it stands to reason that Hero's device must have been a real crowd-pleaser and could have been very successful in its application.

The Model
The brass ball is a small boiler containing water. A burner heats the boiler and turns the water into steam, causing it to expand. The generated steam is ejected from two small nozzles on each side of the boiler. This produces two small steam jets which generate thrust. Since the boiler is mounted in a ball bearing which allows it to rotate, the steam jet causes the boiler to spin in the opposite direction relative to the steam jets (Newton's third law: for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction). Its maximum speed is around 2500 rpm.

This model is a modern interpretation of Hero's engine and is made by Kontax in the U.K. It uses a somewhat simplified design compared with Hero's original design which used two bent pipes protruding from a hollow spherical vessel to eject the steam and also featured a separate boiler. But the working principle is exactly the same as Hero's engine, both being illustrative examples of reaction-type steam turbines.

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