The First Flywheel

"FORGED: 614U
DESTROYED: 628U
This was the first flywheel ever made; made out of stone and requiring a constant lubrication flow to prevent seizing, this flywheel powered the prototype siege launcher engine. That engine was pressed into service in the Unification War and was set on fire by enemy forces. Unable to withstand the heat, the containment cylinder made contact with the flywheel, causing a containment failure and destroying the siege engine and everything around it.
Mounted on this plinth is the largest component of the flywheel found in the aftermath of the battle, enshrined by the order of the First Princeps of Etoile."
-Plaque inscription

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The First Flywheel was used as the principal driver in demonstrators; it was used to determine the feasibility of the slip clutch, the power wagon, and the siege launcher. By coupling the flywheel to a rotating power source and a unidirectional gearing, the flywheel was able to be spun up to great speed. By later coupling the rotating flywheel with some sort of machine, the flywheel could transmit rotational or reciprocal power.

Significance

The First Flywheel is a relic from the early days of Power Technology and is a common tourist/children's attraction in the Etoile Capital City, being placed on a plinth just outside the Engineer's Guildhall. New Engineering Guild apprentices are encouraged to lay a hand on the wheel before their first time entering the hall; this has worn the wheel significantly.
This flywheel was also the impetus behind heavy research on flywheel containment; the catastrophic containment failure it experienced and its broken state is a strong reminder to any Power engineer about the level of force they work with on a regular basis.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Current Location

Etoile Capital City

Related Technologies

• Power

Owning Organization

Principality of Etoile

Rarity

Unique

Weight

500lb

Dimensions

5x5ft

Raw materials & Components

The First Flywheel was made out of stone and lubricated with rendered animal oils; for the prototype construction, it was made from the densest material in easy supply. Flywheels later would be made out of iron and wolfram for better power density and lubricated with chemically derived oils.