Propulsion method
Propulsion method may refer to a number of different articles:
*For a list of
space propulsion methods, see
spacecraft propulsion.
*For
water propulsion, the most common types are underwater
propeller,
water jet,
paddle wheel and, experimentally,
magnetohydrodynamic drive.
Sails are also common, and historically represented the most significant form of early propulsion for large watercraft.
Paddles or
oars were probably the earliest form of
water propulsion.
*For
air propulsion, the most common types are
propeller,
jet engine,
turboprop,
ramjet,
rocket propulsion, and, experimentally,
scramjet.
*For
ground propulsion, virtually all of the above have been used at one time or another. Most ground vehicles use
wheels of one sort or another, but the power plant used to drive them can vary widely. In modern times, most vehicles use some form of
internal-combustion engine, with
electric motors supplementing them. Historically, vehicles were drawn by
animals or driven by
steam.
*
Nuclear propulsion*For these and other types of
transportation, see
transport.
