Jesse James plans land-speed record for hydrogen-powered streamliner
Famous motorcycle builder and all-around celebrity Jesse James plans to attempt a new world record top speed run for a hydrogen-powered vehicle later this month on a dry lake bed somewhere in California. The actual car being used is a former land speeder called the Dees-Milodon Engineering-Davis B Streamliner, which had previously attained speeds as high as 237 miles per hour at Bonneville.
Replacing the car's old Chrysler powerplant will be a brand new 572 cubic inch Chevy crate motor that's been converted to run on gaseous hydrogen and is force fed by twin turbochargers that add 50 pounds of boost. The fuel will be stored in 10,000 psi tanks sourced from hydrogen specialists Quantum Technologies.
If you think piloting a
[Source: AutoWeek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt 9:05AM (6/03/2009)
Dibs on his wife if he eats it.
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guyledouche 9:54AM (6/03/2009)
LOL!!!
paulwesterberg 10:43AM (6/03/2009)
Despite the hype setting land speed records with protective gear, in a straight line, on the salt flats is pretty darn safe.
I bet you have a greater chance of dieing driving the speed limit on the freeway on your way to work.
DasBoese 9:39AM (6/03/2009)
If you're going to power a landspeed record car with hydrogen, there is but one acceptable option:
Use a goddamn rocket engine.
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jharlan 12:21PM (6/03/2009)
Hydrogen again? Why? Who is paying for this, Exxon?
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DasBoese 1:16PM (6/03/2009)
My guess would be cable subscribers and James himself.
Tim 9:42AM (6/03/2009)
DAMN!
Matt beat me to it...;(
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John 9:46AM (6/03/2009)
Jesse James is certinally an oddball. When you listen to him talk he always seems like he is on drugs. That and his strange fascination with the devil, 666 and his devil horns symbol he always makes. I think he really does have a death wish.
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DasBoese 1:11PM (6/03/2009)
You're not too familiar with rock'n'roll and heavy metal culture, are you?
gorr 10:50AM (6/03/2009)
I have said and i repeat to build try and test gazeous hydrogen internal combustion engine of any sort and power. This have not been done yet too much. IM sure than they can build some of 4000 -8000 h.p without pollution and without rapid destruction of the engine like the big 8 000 h.p engine of dragsters fed by liquid nitro-methane that cost 2 000$ for one minute and blow the engine completelly in one short run. With a good 2 stroke v8 of 5+ liter, they can go to 10 000 h.p without fuel cost, pollution and long engine life with good drivability.
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DasBoese 1:30PM (6/03/2009)
On the contrary, it has been done to death.
That's why we know it sucks.
As to your 10.000 HP engine pipe dreams, as an engineering student your technical ignorance is a personal insult to me. Please stop insulting me.
GoodCheer 2:14PM (6/03/2009)
Not that gorr ever actually answers questions, but:
Why on earth would you want a "4000-8000 hp" engine in a street vehicle? I find 100hp is more than enough for me (I almost never have the throttle wide open, and almost never drive at peak-power rpm). I've driven 400hp cars, and the number of times you can use anything like all of that power is vanishingly small. I can't imagine how careful you'd have to be with 1000 hp... unless you have traction control that is really really good.
Ahhh, why oh why do I keep falling for it?
guyledouche 2:54PM (6/03/2009)
I don't even know why anybody pays any attention to Gorr. His posts make less sense than a solar powered submarine. I cant even decode half the chit he writes.
Dude is a rough hand job. Nuff said.
zoomev 10:54AM (6/03/2009)
Hydrogen is a red herring to the existing oil industry's infrastrusture. They want to keep global economy addicicted to thier logistical system and all support industries.
We have an opportunity to walk away from that with pure EV's powered by energy generated from wind, solar and hydro.
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Serge 5:03PM (6/03/2009)
The dying thralls of a hydrogen beast. Soon a movie titled "Who Killed the Hydrogen Car" will be released, but I will not be renting it.
Next ...
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Chris M 5:23PM (6/03/2009)
Ironically, switching to H2 fuel tends to cut power output nearly in half, so while that "streamliner" might technically set a H2 ICE land speed record, it won't be very impressive.
If he really wanted to set an impressive land speed record, use that 10,000 psi H2 with a rocket engine. (Thanks, DasBoese)
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Richard in FLA 1:08PM (6/04/2009)
I agree, steam alone would would work better at 10,000 psi. It would use less fuel too.
bob 1:55PM (7/22/2009)
I want to see Jesse fly an ultralight plane
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