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An aeolipile, aeolipyle, or eolipile, from the Greek "Αἰόλου πύλη," lit. ' Aeolus gate ' , also known as a Hero's (or Heron's ) engine , is a simple, bladeless radial steam turbine which spins when the central water container is heated.
1790 (): Nathan Read invented the tubular boiler and improved cylinder, devising the high-pressure steam engine. 1791 (): Edward Bull makes a seemingly obvious design change by inverting the steam engine directly above the mine pumps, eliminating the large beam used since Newcomen's designs. About 10 of his engines are built in Cornwall.
Hero's aeolipile. A number of devices and inventions have been ascribed to Hero, including the following: The aeolipile (a version of which is known as "Hero's engine"), which was a rocket-like reaction engine and the first-recorded steam engine (although Vitruvius mentioned the aeolipile in De Architectura, presumably earlier than Hero). [13]
Heron also devised a machine that used air heated in an altar fire to displace a quantity of water from a closed vessel. The weight of the water was made to pull a hidden rope to operate temple doors. [9] [10] Some historians have conflated the two inventions to assert, incorrectly, that the aeolipile was capable of useful work. [citation needed]
Tanks : developed at the same time (1915–1916) in France and in Great Britain. France was the second country to use tanks on the battlefield (after Great Britain). in 1916, the first practical light tank, the Renault FT with the first full 360° rotation turret became, for armour historian Steven Zaloga "the world's first modern tank". [219]
Jet engines can be dated back to the invention of the aeolipile around 150 BC. This device used steam power directed through two nozzles so as to cause a sphere to spin rapidly on its axis. [ 1 ] So far as is known, it was not used for supplying mechanical power, and the potential practical applications of this invention were not recognized.
What is now France made up the bulk of the region known to the Romans as Gaul. Greek writers noted the presence of three main ethno-linguistic groups in the area: the Gauls , Aquitani and Belgae . Over the first millennium BC the Greeks, Romans and Carthaginians established colonies on the Mediterranean coast and offshore islands.
During World War I Yves Le Prieur, a French naval officer (who later invented a pioneering scuba-diving apparatus), developed air-to-air solid-fuel Le Prieur rockets - used to destroy captive observation balloons (called saucisses - "sausages" in French, or Drachen - "dragons" in German) used by German artillery-spotters.