Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Steam Powered Car
Hi I am looking to build a modern steam car. Any suggestions are welcome. To build on a Rhoades car (4wheel bike) platform. Want to have it ready by april 2008.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Great idea though, I'm very interested if you needed any opinion or anything.
-Ryan
Thanks
Bit of History
The horseless carraige way back in the 1880's and 1890's were almost exclusively steam powered, with a few being electric, and some breaking ground with gasoline engines. Nearly 100 makes of steam car were on the market at the turn of the century.
There were a few makes of steam car in the late teens and early 20's; and at that time was really the high point of automotive steam interest. White, Doble and Stanley are the makes that are best known today. Stanley cars, from the 'coffin nose' models (early) to the conventional models (later) all used basically the same boilers, engines and axels. The early cars had the unusual hood treatment because of thier lack of condenser in the front.
Doble steam cars were conventionally styled and used flash boilers to make a full head of steam in about 3 minutes. This was one of Stanleys downfalls, the time it took to fire a stanley initally could take in excess of 15 minutes. Doble was the longest lasting steam car manufacturer, sticking it out until 1928.
I know of a magazine article in Popular Science written in 1962 about a hobbyist turning an MG roadster into a steam car; the main motive being the feeling of "gliding" down the road. The boiler in that car was a flash type, and had a working pressure of 1200psi. (Stanley's had a working pressure of 650psi, Dobles around 900psi)
Boilers
Stanley boilers were a fire-tube design, and were wrapped with 300,000lb tensile-strength piano wire for safety. Doble boilers were a water-tube design, which is much safer at higher pressures. For higher pressures, increased safety and almost instant steam pressure, water-tube boilers are the way to go.
Engines
Almost all previous steam cars have had conventional steam engine setups, with a steam chest for each cylinder, internal cross-slides, connecting rods coupled directly to a rear axle gear, etc. The basics are the same as a locomotive, just in a much smaller package. All cars were self-starting, because of the use of multi-clyinder engines, the norm being 2 cylinder. Generators were coupled directly to the rear axle, the only problem being you had to be driving at 15mph or more to get a good charge from it.
Burners
Stanley cars had Kerosene burners, which had a pilot light not unlike a gas water heater. This pilot light had to burn all the time the car was not operated, and used around a gallon of fuel a night. (assuming you parked your car in the garage for the night). Doble cars, I'm pretty sure were fired with a spray of gasoline and a single spark plug, resulting in a WOOSH when the ignitor was pressed. I'm not sure about White steamers, but Kerosene burners were most likely fitted in them.
If you're making a steam car today, I'd use a propane burner, just a giant version of something like on a BBQ. Propane's fairly safe, and alot easier to come by then kerosene. There wouldn't be any atomizing issues with propane fuel either, as there would be with and liquid fuel.
As for valve gear, water pumps, water tanks, condensers (one could use just any radiator from a car) this would be entirely up to the builder, same going for the chassis, body, electrics etc.
I personally love the idea of having something different like this, and with modern tools and manufacturing techniques, one could make a very reliable engine/boiler combo. The cars themselves can be extremely speedy and balanced when built right. A car to educate others about the rise and fall, and the great potential of steam power is a great engineering challenge. Some sort of tube-buggy could be made, anything really.
This is only a touch on the subject, and more of a history, but it's the basics. Anything else you're curious about, or any further detail that's needed, just ask.
-Ryan
I'll watch the discusion with much interest.
Probably the biggest drawback to steam power is a) you have to use fossil fuel anyway and b) most modern drivers will probably blow themselves up.
I guess the best combination is nuclear fuel + steam but that's not going to happen on a car.
Thanks for your time.
Bernie