elemental engine

An elemental engine is a device which uses the energy produced by combining two fundamental elements to generate power. In its simplest form, an elemental engine consists of f two elemental basins connected to a nozzle and a turbine. The elemental basins contain pure opposed elements which are combined, producing an antielement which is forced through the nozzle at high speed by the pressure created by the reaction, turning the turbine. More complex engines may have valves, regulators, waste tanks, gearing mechanisms, and/or a number of other additions to provide it with more use.
The largest complication with elemental engines is the fuel mixture. Storing pure elements in general is difficult, as they can quickly combine with their surroundings, rendering them inert and useless as fuel. Producing the fuel also requires expensive and difficult arcane or alchemic processes to split it from other sources, or risky collection within the Sora. Additionally, all three possible combinations have individual issues. Fire is difficult to store safely, as it quickly heats up any container it's held in. This means any elemental engine using a fire/water combination requires bulky protective covers to keep the fire from injuring users or even igniting flammable objects. Air and earth are both simple to store, but they produce poisonous miasma which must be captured, stored, and somehow disposed of. Fuliginous and nivose energy have the most problems, as both are difficult to store and the resultant void can be incredibly destructive if not properly contained. Additionally, while the mixture produces the most energy of the three pairs, very few materials can withstand it.
Fire/water fuel is the most common mixture, meaning most devices using steam engines are somewhat bulky and can be dangerous if the fuel is not properly shielded. Miasma (air/earth) engines are mostly found in environments where the resultant antielement won't cause problems, such as within the Sora, or by those who do not need to breathe. Void (fuliginous/nivose) engines are by far the most rare, mostly being used for devices requiring incredible outputs of energy. Adamantine, diamond, and other exceptionally strong materials are the only things able to withstand the energies at the scale required for actual use, rendering most mundane applications unfeasible.
Elemental engines are used in numerous devices, including vehicles like kinactrochs, automars, and bathymars; tools like dynamollers and petriplancter; and novelties such as adstrophers.

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