Update on the British Steam Car Challenge 200 mph record attempt
Last fall, we alerted you to a land-speed record which is in serious danger of being broken. The record in question was set in 1906, and is for steam powered vehicles (like the one above). One might imagine that steam engines have not made significant advances since then, but that would be untrue. As a matter of fact, steam engines have made huge strides since that record was set, and it's about time that the record books are re-written.
Potential environmental benefits of using steam power become evident when you consider the fact that steam powered engines are capable on running off the heat of any combustible material, and the combustion actually takes place outside of the engine, which is referred to as "external combustion" as opposed to the more common internal combustion engine which powers just about every vehicle on today's roads. Click below for more information.
Related:
- 1906 steam powered car land speed record is in serious danger
- Aerodynamic JCB Dieselmax broke land speed record without wind tunnel testing
- Steam powered bikes in Make magazine
[Source: British Steam Car Challenge via Gizmag]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
f3b.innovations 1:59AM (8/26/2009)
Air cars.
I keep seeing items regarding this emerging so called green technology.
In the 20 odd years I spent in engineering the most expensive commodity / service within the factory was always COMPRESSED AIR by a long way. Not only is it produced by electricity from centralized power stations (the largest source of CO2) then there are the inefficiencies in the compressor. Then if it is supplied to the consumer in pressurized bottles you have the manufacture, filling , storage and delivery of the bottles (over and over).
If this were ever to be adopted on a large scale it would seriously increase the carbon outputs globally.
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Manu Sharma 10:10AM (6/21/2007)
"steam powered engines are capable on running off the heat of any combustible material, and the combustion actually takes place outside of the engine"
I'm told that this is precisely what happens in the air car engine covered by this blog previously.
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TG 5:40PM (6/21/2007)
Why bother with the heat and a scaulding risk of steam when the [French made], compressed air engine is just a steam engine without heat and steam?
Scroll down this blogsite for Paris Taxis on compressed air and thousands of compressed air powered vehicles exported by France to India.= TG
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