Engines & Equipment

Were these things invented to make your hair stand on end? Find out how Van de Graaff generators create static electricity and why they were invented in the first place.

ByJohn Zavisa

Not so long ago, the world's naval forces worked entirely above water. But all that changed with the addition of the submarine to the standard naval arsenal.

ByMarshall Brain&Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

It doesn't seem like twisted rope and wooden gears or levers would be able to produce the force and speed needed to launch heavy loads a great distance.

Water-cooled air conditioners work in a different way than standard air conditioners that chill the air with a compressor. If water-cooler air conditioners don't use a compressor, then how do they cool the air? Find out the answer in this article.

Thomas the Tank Engine is a merchandising phenomenon that includes small wooden train sets, video tapes, books, clothing, an official Web site and tons of fan sites. But wait, what exactly is a "tank engine" anyway?

How do the engines breathe in diesel submarines? Don't internal combustion engines need a lot of oxygen to run? Where would all of this oxygen come from when the sub is underwater?

There is a force that causes a 3-pole motor to spin in one direction and not the other. What exactly is this force and how does it prevent the motor from spinning in another direction. Find out the answer to this question in this article from HowStuffWorks.

When I was a kid, my Aunt had constantly flowing water from a natural spring down the hill. She said the water was pumped uphill using a hydraulic ram. This device ran constantly and didn't need any electricity! What is a hydraulic ram and how does i

How are people able to breathe inside a submarine? What do they do to keep the air breathable?

ByHowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Electric-propelled boats, which are much quieter and more environmentally friendly than gas-powered motorboats, are finally beginning to hit the waves and find their market.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

The Dorasan train station was built near the DMZ to connect North and South Korea. But the only people using this fully functional station are some tourists.

ByDave Roos

Antique steam shovels can still be found rusting away at old mining sites or painstakingly restored and on display in museums the world over. How much do you know about these mammoth-sized digging tools?

ByAkweli Parker

Forklifts are a necessary tool in most warehouses, shipping depots and manufacturing facilities. In fact, without forklifts, we wouldn't be able to move manufactured goods nearly as efficiently as we do today.

ByChristopher Neiger

In 2015, the U.S. population numbered 320 million, but less than 10 percent of those people rode the rails. So who does?

ByJulia Layton

Train crashes are in the news lately, but are our fears justified?

ByStell Simonton

Few are unfamiliar with the mixer trucks that transport concrete from the factory to the construction site. How do they keep that stuff from hardening while they move?

ByEric Baxter

Since a torpedo cannot have an air-breathing engine like a boat, how is it propelled through the water?

Ever gaze in wonder at the huge cranes, bulldozers, backhoes, loaders, shovels and fork lifts on a construction site? Find out all about hydraulic machines, from backyard log splitters to big construction equipment.

ByMarshall Brain

Tractor pulls are popular displays of raw horsepower.The trucks used in these competitions use engines that are capable of producing thousands of horsepower.

ByMarshall Brain

A fascinating article that describes how a block and tackle (as well as levers and gears) works!

ByMarshall Brain

Ready for a fifth mode of transportation? Elon Musk is. He's sketched out a proposal for a nearly supersonic transportation system that could shoot you from San Francisco to Los Angeles faster than you can watch an episode of "Game of Thrones."

ByJohn Perritano

Imagine whipping through the sky at thousands of miles per hour. This special type of jet engine can do exactly that.

ByNicholas Gerbis

的一个关键部分的基础设施有限公司uld really use in the U.S. is a high speed, efficient, and effective train system.

ByDerek Markham, Planet Green

In January 2004, the citizens of Milan, Italy, were preparing for a strike that would shut down all public transportation. Since an estimated 28 percent of greater Milan’s 3 million populace relied heavily on public transit, the strike meant gridlock for most of the city.

ByJonathan Atteberry