http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/car_news_article.aspx?cp-documentid=8778261
three megawatts of heat in. 360 BHP or 0.48 megawatts out. 16% efficiency.
Given the calc above it seems that they forgot the KISS principal here and complicated things to the point where they are unlikely to succeed.
I think steam trains of the 50's and 60's could get over 100MPH pulling a whole lot of coaches (the Flying Scot) and using technology from
the 1800's. (Simple coal fired boilers and piston engines. So there must be simpler ways to do this.
I think they started to go down the high pressure route and the fun of resolving all the issues ran away with them and nobody sat back and said - hey
cant a reciprocating or radial engine with low pressure steam do the job in a simpler way.
it's a nuts project showing exactly how not to build a steam car 
More a bomb on wheels, if it crashes they'll be a huge crater 
The yanks will be dropping them from planes next...
quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
I think steam trains of the 50's and 60's could get over 100MPH pulling a whole lot of coaches (the Flying Scot) and using technology from the 1800's.
Looks simple enough to me.
This picture shows where they have plugged the kettles in
kettle
[Edited on 9/7/08 by ReMan]
quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
Looks simple enough to me.
This picture shows where they have plugged the kettles in
kettle
[Edited on 9/7/08 by ReMan]
Bonkers!
- But yeah, good on them i guess. Mad fools.
The manage to mention the JCB diesalmax a few times in the artical as well dont they!
Daniel
So it's inefficient... so how many record-breaking cars are efficient!
Good luck to them - should be 'interesting'.
And it's not like a bomb, as suggested above. Flash steam systems hold only a small volume of superheated steam, only what's in the hot
tubes - it's not like a boiler-full of boiling water. The water gets pumped into white-hot tubes, gets converted to steam, then it's out
into the turbines.
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
So it's inefficient... so how many record-breaking cars are efficient!
16% isnt too appaling.
Dont forget that your average internal combustion engine is only around 30% efficient.
Daniel
Your petrol engine PEAKS at 30% efficient. So when it's putting out 150kw mechanical power the radiator is supplying 350kW of heat.
However in normal driving the efficiency is much worse and probably averages well under 10%.
best efficiency is with wide open throttle (basically highest cylinder pressure - it's a thermodynamics thing). Diesels score on efficiency
because their cylinder pressure is not reduced by throttling on part load - as well as having higher compression ratio anyway
PS that doesn't look like a 170mph car to me, it looks like high 200s at least.....
3 Megawatts? they must be mad!!
Mines the manky old Parka..
I have a friend who is fully intending to build a steam powered road car in the next few years...........
I have ridden in (on!) a replica of a 1900's steam car, the sort you would see on a Brighton Vintage Car run - a lot like this one.
It was totally silent as it puttered along at 10 mph or so, but when he opened it up it accelerated VERY fast up to 50mph leaving a very long sausage
of steam 15 ft high and 100 yards long in the road behind him. At that point the driver gave up as the tiller steering was just too dangerous!
It's worth remembering that in the very early stages of car development the steam car nearly displaced the internal combustion engined ones...
Simon is under no illusions about his project. He and his brother have a couple of 'rollers and a tug.
Steam's all very well, but warm up time means you can't easily just pop down the shops!