Machines Trivia

1. When were the first working escalators built?

From Quiz Going Up the Down Escalator

Answer: in the 1890s

The Great Wall and the pyramids were built of stone. Stone is great for durability, but not so good on movability! So those structures never had escalators. Aircraft? I can find no proof of escalators on aircraft at any time.

From Quiz Plug it in, but only if you have GFCI!

Answer: by installing GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) either in the home outlet or in the hair dryer

Since 1991, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that hair dryers have GFCI's installed internally in their circuitry. However, even if the dryer unit does not have GFCI, installing one in the home outlet can prevent severe shocks. If the GFCI senses any loss of current, it immediately switches off power to that circuit. Switching off the device itself is not sufficient to protect from electric shock when it comes into water if the switch is located on the device.

From Quiz Steam Turbines

Answer: Overspeed trip.

The Australian electrical system runs at 50 cycles per second, therefore the turbine operating speed will be 3000 rpm. Taking into consideration any electrical grid fluctuations, the over speed trip is safely set above any such acceptable fluctuations at 3300 rpm.

From Quiz Boilers Big and Small

Answer: To prevent steam from the main steam range flowing back into the boiler.

Once boilers are supplying steam to a range it is their steam flow which will fluctuate. This is caused by differing firing rates across the boilers. If a boiler fining rate decreases too much then as the steam flow decreases then also the pressure will drop below that of the range. When this is achieved the non return will close and prevent any steam flowing back into that particular boiler.

From Quiz Boilers Steaming Along

Answer: Poor heat transfer.

As scale builds up on the internal, water side of a boiler the transfer of heat is reduced. As the scale gets thicker it reduces the amount of heat transferred to the water and begins to cause the over heating of the fire side of the metal surface. This will then cause the metal to overheat and begin to blister and eventually fail.

From Quiz Boilers 2

Answer: A boiler which has the fire and hot gases within the tubes.

As opposed to a water tube boilers where the water in the boiler is in the tubes, a fire tube boiler requires that the hot gases are within the tubes.

From Quiz Boilers

Answer: A closed steel vessel, containing water which is heated for the purpose of generating steam.

A steam boiler is designed to contain water and steam of both high temperature and pressure.

From Quiz Going Up the Down Escalator

Answer: alternating current motors

Plain and simple, folks - AC motors. Any of the other choices would be inefficient for moving lots of people rapidly. And that's the whole purpose of escalators.

From Quiz Plug it in, but only if you have GFCI!

Answer: in a microwave oven

Magnetrons were used in World War II to detect enemy ships. Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer with Raytheon Corporation, was testing a magnetron for defense research when he discovered that the candy bar in his pocket melted. This intrigued him and led him to experiment with popcorn, eggs, etc till he concluded that microwaves emitted by a magnetron can be used to heat food.

From Quiz Steam Turbines

Answer: To prevent excessive axial movement of the rotor.

With the steam flow moving in parallel with the rotor, this causes axial thrust in that direction. The trip is designed to function before any moving parts make contact.

From Quiz Boilers Big and Small

Answer: To warm through and equalize the pressure of the main steam line.

This bypass valve, once open, will allow only a restricted flow of steam into the main steam line and therefore prevent any rapid heat expansion to the steam line. Once equalized pressure is reached, there will be no rapid flow of steam into the main steam line which could cause violent movement in the line.

From Quiz Boilers Steaming Along

Answer: Together, all answers are correct.

In most cases, depending on how severe the tube failure is, it will be heard as you would expect to hear any high pressure leak. Your feed water control system will try and make up for the water losses from the failed tube leak. The firing will increase in much the same way as it will try and compensate for the loss of pressure the tube failure will cause.

From Quiz Boilers 2

Answer: The process where boiling water steam bubbles do not burst.

Foaming is caused by poor water quality control which allows the surface tension of the water to increase, which prevents the steam bubble from bursting.

From Quiz Boilers

Answer: To indicate the correct water level in the boiler.

The gauge glass is an essential mounting fitted to a boiler. The boiler should not be operated if the gauge glass is faulty.

From Quiz Gas Turbines

Answer: Isentropic (constant entropy)

In the ideal Brayton Cycle both the compressor and the turbine are assumed to operate isentropically (i.e. they do not change the amount of entropy of the gas). Gas pressure, temperature, and enthalpy (heat content) all increase as the gas is compressed. Of course, since no real compression process is isentropic, the ideal Brayton Cycle is only an approximation of the operation of a real engine.

From Quiz Going Up the Down Escalator

Answer: Kawasaki, Japan

The shortest escalator is in a shopping mall in Kawasaki Japan. The machine is five steps high, and has a total lift of 33 inches (18 cm). It all seems like someone's idea of a joke. Incidentally, the longest individual escalator - 449 feet (137 m) - in 2014 was in the St Petersburg Russia Metro. If you're hungry for more record setting escalator trivia - facts like longest on your continent, longest escalator SYSTEM (there's a difference), or longest FREESTANDING unit - you're on your own!

From Quiz Steam Turbines

Answer: Spring pressure.

Although there are many reasons why the trip valve would operate, it is the spring tension which actually closes the trip valve.

From Quiz Boilers Big and Small

Answer: Inefficiency.

With too much air, the fire tends to be lifted higher in the furnace and causes the flue gases to carry that heat further into the back end of the boiler. With this extra heat, the super heat temperature increases too high and will need to be cooled to bring it back to normal operating temperature. This requires more fuel as you are cooling steam which has already been heated.

From Quiz Boilers Steaming Along

Answer: There is insufficient air to complete combustion.

Black smoke can be a symptom of many problems like loss of atomizing steam, dirty burners, cold oil, poor performance of a coal mill or other such problems. The fundamental cause of black smoke is the inability to provide enough air to complete the cycle of complete combustion.

From Quiz Boilers 2

Answer: It is a control device which regulates the operation of a valve which controls the water level in the boiler.

There are many types of feed water regulators available but all essentially do the same thing. It is far more beneficial to control the water level this way as it takes away surges in level control and is therefore more stable for the boiler.

From Quiz Boilers

Answer: The first part of the boiler which becomes over heated due to the lowering water level.

As the water level continues to fall in a firing boiler, this will cause the metal to become overheated and could cause the catastrophic failure of the boiler pressure parts.

From Quiz Gas Turbines

Answer: Isobarically (at constant pressure)

In the ideal Brayton Cycle, heat addition is assumed to occur at a constant pressure. Unlike the ideal cycle's isentropic compression and expansion, this portion of the cycle more closely matches what happens in a real gas turbine.

From Quiz Going Up the Down Escalator

Answer: passenger trains

Believe it or not: for about a decade beginning in the mid 1940s, at least 15 US Navy Essex class aircraft carriers (CV) had escalators installed during a modernization program called SCB-27. This allowed gear-encumbered flight crews to transit from ready rooms to the distant flight deck without being exhausted. Improved design of later CV classes eliminated the need for escalators. Practically speaking, all railways have size limitations on rolling stock. In the USA, passenger trains are design limited to about 16 feet (4.9 m) in height and 10 feet (3 m) in width; no passenger cars are higher than two levels. An escalator would use far too much (revenue producing) room to provide vertical lift of about 7 feet (2.1 m). It's also impractical - in 60 years of train riding, I've never had to wait longer than about 15 seconds for a fellow traveler clear the (admittedly narrow) stairwell between levels.

From Quiz Steam Turbines

Answer: Tripping oil pressure.

Commonly known as tripping oil, this oil pressure remains in operation unless there is a cause to trip. Once a trip situation occurs, the tripping oil will be dumped and the emergency steam trip valve will shut.

From Quiz Boilers Big and Small

Answer: To prevent a vacuum in the boiler pressure parts.

Boilers are designed to withstand great pressures, but they are not designed to hold a vacuum. As the steam condenses in the boiler the reduced volume of the steam will cause a vacuum. This vacuum is likely to break seals around the man hole doors and could also break the glass of water level indicators.

From Quiz Boilers 2

Answer: A strengthening tube.

These tubes are distributed within the boiler's normal tubes. As they are thicker, they add crucial design strength to the boiler end sections. When cleaning the boiler tubes, the stay tubes are easy to recognise as the cleaning brush is far more difficult to push through.

From Quiz Boilers

Answer: A fusible plug.

A fusible plug has a soft metal center which melts due to the boilers excessive heat. The now hollow plug allows the steam to enter the furnace space which will put out the fire.

From Quiz Gas Turbines

Answer: Rotors

Stators are the stationary blades located between the rotating stages of the compressor. An impeller is the spinning portion of a centrifugal compressor. The only gas turbines found with a propeller are turboshafts (on helicopters) or turboprops (on airplanes), which spin the propeller through a series of shafts and gears. The propeller does not participate in the thermodynamics of the gas turbine portion of the engine.

From Quiz Going Up the Down Escalator

Answer: an inoperative escalator can still allow transit

In an emergency - fire, for example - using operating elevators is often prohibited. People are directed to stairs. A stopped elevator is useless in any case! But a stopped escalator is a staircase; it can be used as such, allowing pedestrian movement. Escalators are designed as "people movers," not freight haulers. They are almost always narrow; trying to board an escalator with any large/unwieldy item is risky at best. Most systems have signs forbidding use when a rider's movement is hampered. So, no pianos! Both devices are machines, of course. And like any other machine, both OBVIOUSLY require careful maintenance for safe, reliable operation. Think about it; unless we are hindered by infirmity, large luggage, or babies in strollers, most of us would use the escalator. It's always ready and it's quicker than waiting for the elevator to return from wherever. But if we're burdened by baggage, the elevator is a wiser, safer choice. Have you ever noticed that escalators are usually near staircases? Looking down at my own "burdened" waistline, it seems the stairs would be the wisest choice of all for me.

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Last Updated Jul 12 2025 5:44 AM

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