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[DoctorZuber]

We have lava lakes now, It would just be really nice to be able to build a water wheel out of magma safe materials and power it with flowing magma.

[Frogwarrior]

The first thing I thought of upon seeing the thread title was for the best game show ever.

"Are you ready to play...
WHEEL...
OF...
MAGMA!!!!!"

Awesome.

[Ultimuh]

The first thing I thought of upon seeing the thread title was for the best game show ever.

"Are you ready to play...
WHEEL...
OF...
MAGMA!!!!!"

Awesome.

The winners gets a life-time supply of Plump Helmets and a band new embark wagon!
(The losers will be soaked in magma but they don't advertise that part.)

[DoctorZuber]

lols, you guys are the dwarfiest. luvz eet!

[Argonnek]

Wouldn't a water wheel made of iron or steel be obscenely heavy? I would think that it would shatter the axle, or maybe require such ridiculous amounts of kinetic energy to power it that you would need a constant cascade of rapid-flowing magma that it would send up a mist of magma that would immolate anything it touched.
Then again, since when have the laws of physics applied in Dwarf Fortress?

[G-Flex]

Yeah, I can only see a magma wheel working with magma that's moving a lot faster than magma you'd ever want to be near, and I doubt that would happen often. The stuff doesn't constantly flow much, is incredibly viscous, and you'd need a really heavy wheel for it to work anyway.

[The Architect]

About the only way to utilize magma for power would be through steam.

So... Let's convince Toady to allow custom buildings that require being over magma, and also buildings that produce power. Then we just combine them and name it "Steam Boiler".

Hackneyed and oversimplified, but it would be cool. Maybe even sensible if he allowed it to require water input as well.

[Fetus4188]

Wouldn't a water wheel made of iron or steel be obscenely heavy? I would think that it would shatter the axle, or maybe require such ridiculous amounts of kinetic energy to power it that you would need a constant cascade of rapid-flowing magma that it would send up a mist of magma that would immolate anything it touched.
Then again, since when have the laws of physics applied in Dwarf Fortress?

Yeah, I can only see a magma wheel working with magma that's moving a lot faster than magma you'd ever want to be near, and I doubt that would happen often. The stuff doesn't constantly flow much, is incredibly viscous, and you'd need a really heavy wheel for it to work anyway.

The magma itself being very dense would only to move a fairly slow rate to enact a great deal of force on any kind of surface, nor would the wheel's weight prevent it from turning effectively, that's the whole purpose of the wheel and axle system.  Obviously it would require fairly precise crafting and in reality would be made useless as the heat from the magma, while not outright melting the wheel, would soften it and cause it to deform under its own weight and quickly becoming unbalanced and useless.

The only really good ways to turn large amounts of heat into mechanical energy is with steam driven pistons or turbines or a Stirling engine, which I believe are all well beyond the allotted technology level for dwarves.

[Atanamis]

Useful steam engines weren't produced until the 1500's, but the idea and poorly performing designs have been around since at least the first century. With the ability to dig down to magma, creating a more practical steam engine seems like it would definitely be possible for our dwarves.

Regarding the original idea, if we can pump magma around like a fluid, it should work like a fluid for a water wheel made of magma safe materials. I'd view this as an extremely low priority and the slow speed of magma means it would be more useful for torque than speed, but with a gearbox that might not matter.

[G-Flex]

Access to magma doesn't make a steam energy more practical. It's not as if humans ever had a problem with burning a whole bunch of wood/coal in order to accomplish something.

[Neowulf]

Thermal vents- A power generator that uses a fan blade to capture the hot air rising off magma, like a windmill turned on it's side. As long as it has an unblocked Z path (if water can fall down it, consider it unblocked) above it to the open sky and below it to magma, it produces power (something like 10).
2x2 with 1 corner being the fan square (where the path checking is made from), requires 1 metal fan blade, 1 mechanism, and 2 building material.


Just throwing the suggestion in...

[Schilcote]

Access to magma doesn't make a steam energy more practical. It's not as if humans ever had a problem with burning a whole bunch of wood/coal in order to accomplish something.

Except magma can provide a lot more heat for a far, far longer time. With magma, just having a ducted fan (which dwarves, who were supposed to have slightly more advanced technology than everyone else back then anyway should be able to build) and some water would give you a very small geothermal power plant, which should provide more than enough energy for anything Dwarves want to use.

What I really want to see are these three things: A: Magma-powered steam engines B: Propellers and C: Literally floating fortresses. See where I'm going yet?

[shadowclasper]

actually, this should be made as a mod... a magma power source called "Heat Turbine" uses 1 mechanism and 1 magma safe giant screw

[Urist McCheeseMaker]

oh gods... where i see schilcote going is this: flying fortress, refeuling on magma once in a while (very dwarven!). eventually, you'd have big open magma-refueling stations operated and defended by fellow dwarves (still dwarven-ish). soon enough, flying fortresses become a luxurious and safe way of travel. all the nobles will be getting aboard, and travelling to wherever they want.

dwarven building a luxurious and safe... ANYTHING, catering to a noble's whims and generally not blowing things up? that's not right!

[LegoLord]

What I really want to see are these three things: A: Magma-powered steam engines B: Propellers and C: Literally floating fortresses. See where I'm going yet?

That is called steampunk, and belongs in steampunk games.  Toady does not want to make a steampunk game - he has stated, himself, that he wants to stick around to a 1400s era tech base.