Has Steam Gone Walkabout?
What about a steam powered car? In recent times people’s consciences and attention has turned to more environmentally friendly ways of commuting. So with electric, hydrogen, hybrid and bio-fuel vehicles all available on the current automotive market, why not give steam another go?
Perhaps the biggest hurdle for a steam powered comeback is the grip that the oil companies have on automotive power. However the winds seem to be changing, with more-and-more people reflecting on how their lifestyle and decisions impact on the environment. Internal combustion engines produce a lot of pollution and tend to be rather noisy. Without a doubt cleaner burning engines are resonating with buyers who have cash to spend. EVs and hybrids are expensive but there are people very happy to buy them.
Difficulties that drove steam powered cars to become museum pieces were:
- The external combustion steam engines could not be manufactured as cheaply as Henry Ford’s internal combustion engines.
- Steam engines were also much heavier engines.
- It took several minutes before the boiler was hot enough for the steam motor to generate power for take-off.
These difficulties created the “Warehouse and Kmart” phenomenon of today, where people flock to where the cheap buys are regardless of the impact. But with today’s modern materials, steam cars could be as light as their internal combustion engine alternatives. With a new advanced condenser and a fast heating boiler, the possibility of a modern-day steam car with decent efficiency and a warm-up time that’s measured in seconds rather than minutes could provide the comeback punch that steam needs to become an attractive and viable option for new-car buyers.
Just ponder on this for a moment – a new modern motorcar running on steam that has powerful seamless acceleration instantly, is clean burning, very quiet and, unlike combustion engines, can run on almost any fuel that produces heat.
Steam engines don’t need any gears or transmissions. They are much more in the same vein as EV cars that have all their torque available at any rpm. Due to the fact that steam provides constant pressure, unlike the piston strokes of an internal combustion engine, steam-powered cars require no clutch and no gearbox – making them extremely easy to drive. By virtue of their design, steam engines provide maximum torque and acceleration instantly like electric motors, and particularly for urban driving where there’s lots of stopping and starting, clean-burning steam would be great!
What developments in steam have occurred since it rudely got forgotten and laid aside? Some good news is that in 2009, a British team set a new steam-powered land speed record of 148 mph (237 km/h), finally breaking the Stanley Rocket’s record which had stood for more than 100 years. In the 1990s, a Volkswagen Enginion (a model for research and development) boasted a steam engine that had comparable efficiency to internal combustion engines, but with lower emissions. And, in recent years, Cyclone Technologies claims it has developed a steam engine that’s twice as efficient.
It might have preceded the internal combustion engine by around 200 years, but as the world is finally starting to take a serious look at the future viability of personal transport, perhaps the wonder of gliding by steam power will once again be seen on our modern roads. In an age of touchscreen infotainment systems, EV cars that can do 400 km on a charge and driverless cars, surely there is room for new, clean-and-efficient steam cars.
Currently the increased focus on environmental responsibility could be weakening the link between the oil industry and modern motorcars. Wouldn’t you just love to be able to fill your car up with rainwater and head off on your work commute!
Thoughts?
Level 2, 9 Help Street