{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.steam-engine","code":"thing-q12760","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q12760/","name":"steam engine","alternateNames":["steamdriven pumping station","stationary steam engine","Willans engine","live steam","Steam motor","LOWA DS 120","steam plough","Corliss steam engine","marine steam engine","steam locomotive engine","compound steam engine","Newcomen atmospheric engine"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.OBJ"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A steam engine is an externally heated Rankine-cycle heat engine that converts thermal energy in steam - generated by boiling water in a boiler separate from the working mechanism using combustion, nuclear, solar or another heat source - into mechanical work, classically by expanding that steam against a reciprocating piston (usually turned into rotation by a connecting rod and crank) and, in broader engineering usage, also by expanding it through a steam turbine.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise a steam engine, assess its operating condition and determine which actions its configuration, evidence and operating limits permit.","scope":{"in":["Engine identity, architecture and installed assembly boundary","Steam admission, expansion and exhaust arrangements","Mechanical work conversion, output and load interfaces","Governing, lubrication, drainage and engine-local protection","Observed condition, operating limits and readiness for permitted actions"],"out":["Boiler combustion, steam generation and boiler pressure-vessel integrity","Condenser and cooling-system design beyond engine exhaust requirements","Detailed design and condition of driven generators, pumps, vehicles or machinery","Plant-wide fuel, feedwater and water-treatment systems","Detailed component models for bearings, valves, cylinders or turbine blades"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Identify a working-fluid path in which steam acts on a moving mechanism to produce mechanical work; heating equipment that merely consumes steam does not meet this test.","Locate the mechanical output interface and distinguish it from the steam generator, which supplies the working fluid.","Record whether work conversion uses piston displacement, another displacement mechanism or flow through a bladed rotor; appearance or the label 'engine' alone is insufficient.","Distinguish a steam-driven mechanism from a compressed-air motor or combustion engine using design documentation and intended working fluid, including when demonstration operation uses a substitute fluid."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"engine-identity-and-boundary","name":"Engine identity and boundary","description":"Establishes what converts steam energy into work and which equipment belongs to the registered engine.","layers":[{"id":"conversion-mechanism","name":"Conversion mechanism","description":"Identifies the physical mechanism responsible for mechanical work.","findings":[{"id":"steam-to-work-architecture","name":"Steam-to-work architecture","description":"Record the evidenced conversion architecture and whether the item is functional equipment, a replica or a non-operating representation.","questions":[{"text":"Which moving element receives work from steam, and how does that motion reach the output?","id":"steam-to-work-architecture-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which drawings, markings or inspections establish the architecture and intended working fluid?","id":"steam-to-work-architecture-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"installation-interfaces","name":"Installation interfaces","description":"Separates the engine assembly from steam supply, exhaust equipment and load.","findings":[{"id":"owned-assembly-and-connections","name":"Owned assembly and connections","description":"Record the engine boundary, including integrated auxiliaries and interfaces to separately modelled equipment.","questions":[{"text":"Which admission valves, drains, lubricators, governors and transmission elements belong to this engine assembly?","id":"owned-assembly-and-connections-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Where are the steam inlet, exhaust outlet and mechanical output boundaries, and what equipment connects to each?","id":"owned-assembly-and-connections-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"steam-path-and-expansion","name":"Steam path and expansion","description":"Describes how steam is admitted, performs work and leaves the engine.","layers":[{"id":"admission-and-distribution","name":"Admission and distribution","description":"Captures the mechanisms that direct and regulate incoming steam.","findings":[{"id":"admission-control","name":"Admission control","description":"Record applicable valve timing, cutoff, throttling or nozzle admission arrangements without assuming a piston cycle.","questions":[{"text":"Which mechanism determines when, where and how much steam enters the work-producing elements?","id":"admission-control-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which admission settings are adjustable, and what documented constraints govern adjustment?","id":"admission-control-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"expansion-and-exhaust","name":"Expansion and exhaust","description":"Captures successive work-producing elements and the exhaust destination.","findings":[{"id":"expansion-route","name":"Expansion route","description":"Record the steam route through cylinders, chambers or stages and its connection to the exhaust system.","questions":[{"text":"Does steam perform work in one element or pass through successive expansion elements, and how are they connected?","id":"expansion-route-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Does exhaust discharge to atmosphere, a condenser or another steam system, and what interface requirements apply?","id":"expansion-route-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"steam-conditions-and-performance","name":"Steam conditions and performance","description":"Relates supplied steam and exhaust conditions to measured mechanical output.","layers":[{"id":"working-fluid-envelope","name":"Working-fluid envelope","description":"Records actual and permitted steam conditions at engine interfaces.","findings":[{"id":"inlet-and-exhaust-evidence","name":"Inlet and exhaust evidence","description":"Keep measurements, design ratings and operating restrictions distinct, with locations and pressure reference bases.","questions":[{"text":"What inlet pressure, inlet temperature and exhaust pressure were measured together, at which locations and operating state?","id":"inlet-and-exhaust-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What evidence establishes the allowable steam conditions and any restrictions concerning wet steam or liquid carryover?","id":"inlet-and-exhaust-evidence-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"work-and-consumption","name":"Work and consumption","description":"Captures comparable output and steam-use observations.","findings":[{"id":"performance-at-stated-conditions","name":"Performance at stated conditions","description":"Record measured output and consumption with sufficient context to distinguish degradation from changed operating conditions.","questions":[{"text":"What mechanical output and steam mass flow were measured over the same interval, at what speed and load?","id":"performance-at-stated-conditions-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which documented test or previous observation provides a comparable performance baseline?","id":"performance-at-stated-conditions-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"motion-load-and-control","name":"Motion, load and control","description":"Describes how work reaches the load and how motion is regulated.","layers":[{"id":"motion-transmission","name":"Motion transmission","description":"Identifies the moving assembly and its mechanical relationship to the load.","findings":[{"id":"output-kinematics-and-load","name":"Output kinematics and load","description":"Record direct linear output or the shaft, crank, gearing and coupling arrangement that delivers rotary output.","questions":[{"text":"How do the piston, rotor or other moving elements transmit work to the connected load?","id":"output-kinematics-and-load-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What speed, torque, force and direction requirements does the connected load impose?","id":"output-kinematics-and-load-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"governing-and-motion-limits","name":"Governing and motion limits","description":"Captures speed regulation, direction control and protective responses.","findings":[{"id":"control-authority-and-response","name":"Control authority and response","description":"Record available controls, their verified functions and the evidence supporting protective responses.","questions":[{"text":"Which controls regulate speed or output, and is reversal supported by this engine and installation?","id":"control-authority-and-response-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"What evidence establishes the response to load loss, governor malfunction or excessive speed?","id":"control-authority-and-response-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"condition-and-operating-readiness","name":"Condition and operating readiness","description":"Connects steam-engine condition evidence to maintenance and operating decisions.","layers":[{"id":"steam-and-motion-condition","name":"Steam and motion condition","description":"Records condition of steam-containing parts, working clearances and moving supports.","findings":[{"id":"condition-evidence","name":"Condition evidence","description":"Record architecture-relevant leakage, corrosion, wear, lubrication, drainage and motion observations, distinguishing symptoms from diagnosed causes.","questions":[{"text":"What inspections or measurements establish the condition of steam passages, seals, bearings and applicable working clearances?","id":"condition-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What evidence shows that required lubrication and condensate-removal provisions are present and functional?","id":"condition-evidence-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"permitted-operating-transitions","name":"Permitted operating transitions","description":"Relates current condition and installation status to specific proposed actions.","findings":[{"id":"action-prerequisites","name":"Action prerequisites","description":"Record which procedures, inspections and interface conditions support startup, operation, shutdown or maintenance.","questions":[{"text":"Which documented prerequisites remain unmet for the proposed startup, load change or operating test?","id":"action-prerequisites-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"What verified isolation and residual-energy conditions are required before opening steam-containing parts or accessing moving mechanisms?","id":"action-prerequisites-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of steam engine this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe how a steam engine works and its history.","Monitor an engine's pressure, water level and condition for the operator."],"mustNot":["Operate a boiler or steam engine without a certified operator.","Disable or bypass safety valves, gauges or water level devices.","Run an engine past its inspection date.","Let the public near moving parts or hot surfaces."],"requiresHuman":["Firing up, operating or repairing a boiler.","Returning an engine to service after inspection."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Boiler explosions killed many people before safety rules.","Heritage engines are shared history and need careful stewardship."],"affectedParties":["Operators and crew","Spectators","Heritage volunteers"]},"owners":{"steward":"The owner or operator; boiler inspection bodies certify pressure systems.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Boiler and pressure vessel inspection records"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q178185","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.steam-engine","Wikidata: Q12760 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12760)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Conversion architecture: reciprocating piston | rotary displacement | turbine | other documented architecture | unresolved","Assembly boundary: identified engine components and links to steam source, exhaust destination and driven equipment","Steam inlet condition: pressure in kPa with absolute or gauge basis; temperature in °C; steam quality where applicable","Exhaust condition: pressure in kPa absolute and temperature in °C at an identified exhaust location","Expansion arrangement: single expansion | compound or multiple expansion | turbine staging | other documented arrangement | unresolved","Admission and governing arrangement: documented valve, cutoff, throttle, nozzle or governor arrangement, as applicable","Output speed: rpm at an identified shaft, with load and observation time","Mechanical output: shaft power in kW, torque in N·m or linear force in N, with measurement location and operating conditions","Steam consumption: kg/h; optionally kg/kWh when matching output measurements exist","Operating readiness: unassessed | isolated | under maintenance | ready under stated conditions | running | restricted | out of service"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["A boiler with a firebox and chimney, and cylinders driving pistons and wheels.","Pressure gauges, safety valves and visible steam."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identify the engine architecture and trace its steam and mechanical interfaces.","Compare measured inlet, exhaust, speed and output conditions with documented operating limits.","Assess suitability for a proposed steam supply and mechanical load.","Determine whether inspection, maintenance or a controlled operating test is supported by current evidence.","Record condition changes and identify observations needed to investigate degraded performance.","Establish prerequisites for startup, load changes, shutdown or isolation using the engine's applicable procedures."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Boiler explosions.","Burns and scalds from steam.","Crushing injuries from moving parts."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Directive 2014/68/EU on pressure equipment, European Parliament and Council of the European Union."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Steam engines convert energy carried by steam into mechanical work for machinery, propulsion or electricity generation.","Reciprocating examples are encountered in heritage railways, preserved ships, museums and historic industrial installations.","Steam turbines are encountered in power stations and industrial plants where steam supplies rotating machinery."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Steam engine","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine","note":"Definition as a steam heat engine; restriction of the term in ordinary use to reciprocating engines; Rankine cycle and external combustion; compound expansion; boilers as part of a steam plant"},{"title":"Stationary steam engine","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stationary_steam_engine","note":"Distinction of stationary mill and pumping engines from locomotives, traction engines, marine engines and power-station turbines; historical sequence Newcomen-Watt-Woolf-Cornish-Corliss"},{"title":"Steam engine","url":"https://www.britannica.com/technology/steam-engine","note":"Specialist description of piston versus turbine machines, simple versus compound cylinders, superheating, and the Savery-Newcomen-Watt sequence"},{"title":"Steam turbine","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_turbine","note":"Turbine as a rotary steam engine; impulse versus reaction staging; dominance in marine propulsion and electric generation"},{"title":"Boiler explosion","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiler_explosion","note":"Catastrophic pressure-part failure, low-water and over-pressure causes, and the stored energy of hot water in a locomotive boiler"},{"title":"46 CFR Part 53 - Heating Boilers","url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/part-53","note":"U.S. marine incorporation of ASME BPVC Sections I and IV, and the 15 psig steam heating-boiler limit"},{"title":"Safety valve","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_valve","note":"ASME BPVC Sections I and VIII, ISO 4126, and the EU Pressure Equipment Directive as governing overpressure protection"},{"title":"Steam: its generation and use (42nd edition), sample chapter","url":"https://www.babcock.com/assets/PDF-Downloads/Steam-42-Sample.pdf","note":"Modern steam-generator duty ranges from small process boilers to ultra-supercritical utility plant"},{"title":"Steam locomotive","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotive","note":"Locomotive as a self-propelled steam plant; surviving heritage operation"},{"title":"Wheel Arrangements Explained","url":"https://www.steamlocomotives.org/how-railways-work/wheel-arrangements-explained","note":"Whyte notation and the American type-names (Pacific, Mikado, Consolidation) used for locomotive engines"},{"title":"Wikidata item Q12760: steam engine","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12760","note":"identity and sense of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Does registry usage include steam turbines and rotary displacement engines under this entry, or should its scope be restricted to reciprocating steam engines?","Does an existing Vercy world model already own this concept or an architecture that this draft would duplicate?","How should integral boilers and condensers be bounded for packaged engines, locomotives and small demonstration units?","Which authoritative documentation establishes architecture-specific operating limits, inspection requirements and permissible actions?","What minimum evidence distinguishes an operable engine from a conserved, incomplete or demonstration-only example?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q12760/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q12760/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T09:26:44Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:28+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 10 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}