Giffard Capacitor
The Giffard capacitor is a component belonging to an airship's engine system. Based on available accounts, it is a replaceable part subject to wear or damage requiring periodic procurement and installation.
Overview
The Giffard capacitor forms part of the engine apparatus of an airship. Its precise function within the broader engine system is not fully documented in surviving accounts, though its necessity for flight operations is implied by the effort taken to obtain and install one before a test flight of The Liliana (Airship). The component appears to be obtainable through procurement from suppliers — such as those in Great Jerohm — or, if necessary, through fabrication by a skilled engineer such as Harkerpal.
Role in For Steam and Country
In For Steam and Country, Marina du Willet relayed that Harkerpal had gone to obtain a specific part for repairs to The Liliana (Airship), identifying it by name: "I think he mentioned something called a Giffard capacitor." Harkerpal subsequently sourced the component and returned to install it in the airship's engine room. Once the work was complete — "Harkerpal had completed his Giffard capacitor installation" — the Liliana was prepared for its test flight. The installation represented a necessary step in restoring or maintaining the vessel's operational readiness.
Role in The Blood of Giants
In The Blood of Giants, the Giffard capacitor aboard The Liliana (Airship) was placed in jeopardy following a bat attack and subsequent crash. Concern was raised that the component may have been lost in the incident: "we may have lost our capacitor." In the aftermath, Harkerpal faced the prospect of either fabricating a new capacitor or procuring a replacement from Great Jerohm. Whether a replacement was successfully obtained or fabricated is not confirmed in surviving accounts.