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You missed the point dude, I am just asking this as to why couldn't we innovate the steam engine a bit better? If we could innovate modern ICE cars to the point where we now use "evaporation" systems and catholic converters, why couldn't we formulate new designs for the steam engine ?
And yes autocorrect keeps putting it at "catholic" so I am gonna leave it as it is
I mean if we wanna talk from a physics-based yeah they would be slower and would probably require more work to drive, but that's what I am saying, we humans are smart to the point where we could make anything come into reality.
They wouldn't be slower. Jay Lenos one cylinder stanley steamer touring car with direct(no transmission) drive does 120mph flat out.
Imagine how much rambling we could have avoided at least if we didn't have petrol-powered cars today and would have found a way to get hi tech steam cars
Is a win win, no electricity or petrol required
Today all you would need is to pour in a bottle of water into the tank/engine every 25,000 miles
I mean this is all hypothetical so try not to get all fuzzy over it, but just think how much tree huggers and environmentalists could have been satisfied
Of course there will still be complaints from other sectors, but at least our cars could have been safe.
No need to worry about emissions and no need to worry mining for those batteries
Imo
If steam engines were better they would of beat out gas powered engines.
Imo
If steam engines were better they would of beat out gas powered engines.
You are correct next thing these tree huggers would say but don’t use any wood to heat the steam put in a small nuclear reactor in the vehicle lol lol.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easy62
You are correct next thing these tree huggers would say but don’t use any wood to heat the steam put in a small nuclear reactor in the vehicle lol lol.
That would, in fact be the most efficient way to go, and a car could go over 5,000 miles without having to stop for any fuel. Unfortunately the public perception of the risk, after big disasters such as Chernobyl will keep it from being tried. Ford actually did test one in 1957, the Nucleon.
Imagine how much rambling we could have avoided at least if we didn't have petrol-powered cars today and would have found a way to get hi tech steam cars
Is a win win, no electricity or petrol required
Today all you would need is to pour in a bottle of water into the tank/engine every 25,000 miles
I mean this is all hypothetical so try not to get all fuzzy over it, but just think how much tree huggers and environmentalists could have been satisfied
Of course there will still be complaints from other sectors, but at least our cars could have been safe.
No need to worry about emissions and no need to worry mining for those batteries
I work in a hospital boiler room. Been here for 19 years now. Before this I worked in the engine room of steam driven US Navy ships, USS Iwo Jima LPH2 & USS LaSalle AGF3.
Even low pressure steam systems require the water to be chemically treated to remove dissolved oxygen and prevent scaling. Can’t just use water straight from the tap and expect it to function properly. After a certain amount of use the heat exchanging tubes needs to be cleaned with a descaling agent and then fully inspected for for damage.
What would be your choice of heat source? Electric would require more batteries than an electric car would use so that would not be cost effective. Natural gas or propane could work but both are highly combustible if in an accident. Those vehicles already made to run on these gases have extra protection to help prevent explosion. This limits tank size and thus driving range. This amount of gas would not work for a steam powered vehicle. It takes more energy to get cold water up to steam than it does to continue to generate steam. By the time you’ve gotten the water boiling and making steam you would have less driving range than a first generation Nissan Leaf. The other fuel sources include wood, coal, or a diesel based fuel.
Now how would you engineer the engine? Would you use steam turbine or steam pistons? Steam turbines spin at a high rate of speed. That turbine shaft has to be absolutely perfectly straight and balanced as well as strong enough to withstand the torque and temperatures it will be operating under. All those bumps in the road would wear down the bearings holding that shaft straight and balanced. Haven’t worked with steam piston system so I don’t know enough about them. Both of these types of engines require oil and grease just like internal cumbustion engines. Because of the heat that oil used in steam turbine engines needs to be pumped through nozzles across the bearings constantly.
The amount of energy a steam powered car would use is just far too great to be feasible and environmentally friendly form of transportation. You have to haul the passengers, fuel, water, and enough steal to handle those pressures. All of that would make the vehicle too heavy and it would be difficult to stop at highway speeds in an emergency. These types of vehicles also aren’t known for their acceleration. They are very slow to accelerate. If you have enough straight road, fuel, and water then you can reach insane speeds.
Than you all come up with a steam driven vehicle if you all think it’s so simple and economical. Some on here are just to far out there in left field.
I'd say it's more a matter of ignorance. OP didn't recognize that steam engines still need fuel in addition to water. The heat has to come from somewhere.
Steam powered vehicles are made more efficient through electric blowers, heat recovery system that preheats the water before it enters the boiler chamber, blower vanes, flame sensors, and many other electronic controls. But all these things improve efficiency once the boiler is at full operating pressures and temperatures. Some of those sensors are optical and thus need cleaning. Some of those controls require regular calibration and cleaning because of the temperatures and pressures they operate under. There have also been explosions of old steam powered vehicles like cars and tractors. Look them up.
Hmmm I was thinking propane, either that or apple cords and newspapers.
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This particular one is hand fired. About $9K on a pallet but you only need to buy it once. 
