Steam car

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Stanley Steam Car (1912)
Stanley Steam Car (1912)
White touring car (1909)
White touring car (1909)

A steam car is a car (automobile) powered by a steam engine.

Contents

[edit] Technology

Boiler in a 1924 Stanley Steamer Serie 740. To the right is the condensor.
Boiler in a 1924 Stanley Steamer Serie 740. To the right is the condensor.

A steam engine is an external combustion engine (ECE - the fuel is combusted away from the engine), as opposed to an internal combustion engine (ICE - the fuel is combusted within the engine). While gasoline-powered ICE cars have an operational thermal efficiency of 15% to 30%, automotive steam units were capable of only about half this efficiency. A significant benefit of the ECE is that the fuel burner can be configured for very low emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and unburned carbon in the exhaust, thus avoiding pollution.

Steam-powered and electric cars outsold gasoline-powered ones in many U.S. states prior to the invention of the electric starter, since internal combustion cars relied on a hand crank, which was difficult and occasionally dangerous to use, as improper cranking could cause a backfire capable of breaking the arm of the operator. Electric cars were popular to some extent, but had a short range, and could not be charged on the road if the batteries ran low.

Early steam cars could take over a minute to start from cold, but once fully fired up and working pressure was attained, could be instantly driven off. To overcome this, development has been directed towards flash boilers, which heat a much smaller quantity of water to get the vehicle started.

The steamer has other drawbacks, also. The absence of a gearbox is more than counterbalanced by the weight of cooling and forced draft fans, fans, and boiler feed, fuel feed, and air pumps; the battery and fan to feed even a flash boiler will more than overcome the weight of a gearbox, and need to run even at idle.[1]

Furthermore, the radiator must be larger, since all heat engines depend on the temperature differences in the working fluid; in steam cars, this heat exchange must be larger and more rapid, and so, too, must the radiator.[2]

[edit] Early steam cars

For earlier developments, see History of steam road vehicles

Although the first applications of steam to propelling a road vehicle were attempted in the 17th century, it was not until the advent of high pressure steam engines, in the early 1800s, that such vehicles became a practical proposition. Limitations in manufacturing technology and the poor condition of road surfaces meant that nothing that could be realistically regarded as a 'steam car', suitable for personal transportation, was created until the end of the 19th century.

[edit] Amédée Bollée

From 1873 to 1883 Amédée Bollée of Le Mans built a series of steam-powered passenger vehicles able to carry 6 to 12 people at speeds up to 60 km/h (38 mph), with such names as Rapide and L'Obeissante. In his vehicles the boiler was mounted behind the passenger compartment with the engine at the front of the vehicle, driving the differential through a shaft with chain drive to the rear wheels. The driver sat behind the engine and steered by means of a wheel mounted on a vertical shaft. The lay-out more closely resembled much later motor cars than other steam vehicles.

[edit] Cederholm brothers

In 1892, painter Joens Cederholm and his brother, André, a blacksmith, designed their first car, a two-seater, introducing a condensor in 1894. It was not a success.[3]

[edit] De Dion & Bouton steam vehicles

See steam tricycle

The development by Serpollet of the flash steam boiler[4] brought about the appearance of various diminutive steam tricycles and quadricycles during the late 80s and early 90s, notably by de Dion & Bouton; these successfully competed in long distance races but soon met with stiff competition for public favour from the internal combustion engine cars being developed, notably by Peugeot, that quickly cornered most of the popular market. In the face of the flood of IC cars, proponents of the steam car had to fight a long rear-guard battle that was to last into modern times.

[edit] Early 20th century steam cars

Steam cars outnumbered others. In the U.S. in 1902, 485 of 909 new car registrations were steamers.[3] From 1899 Mobile had ten branches and 58 dealers across the U.S. The center of U.S. steamer production was New England, where 38 of the 84 manufacturers were located. They included White (Cleveland), Eclipse (Boston), Cotta (Lanark, IL), Crouch (New Brighton, PA), Hood (Danvers, MA; lasted just one month), Kidder (New Haven, CT), Century (Syracuse, NY), and J. W. Skene Cycle and Automobile Company (Lewiston, ME, which built everything but the tires). By 1903, 43 of them were gone. In 1923, Brooks (Canadian) opened for business, lasting until 1926.[3]

[edit] Locomobile Runabout

What is considered the first marketable popular steam car appeared in 1899 from the Locomobile Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, which manufactured several thousand of its Runabout model in the period 1899-1905, designed around a motor design leased from the Stanley Steamer Company. The company ceased producing steam cars in 1903, and was acquired by Durant Motors in 1922.

[edit] White Steamer

The White Steamer was manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio from 1900 until 1910 by the White Motor Company.

[edit] Stanley Steamer

Stanley Steam Car, (1923)
Stanley Steam Car, (1923)

Perhaps the best-known and best-selling steam car was the Stanley Steamer, produced from 1896 to 1924. Between 1899 and 1905, Stanley outsold all gasoline-powered cars, and was second only to Columbia Electric in the U.S.[3] It used a compact fire tube boiler to power a simple double-acting two-cylinder engine. Because of the phenomenal torque available at all engine speeds, the steam car's engine was typically geared directly to the rear axle, with no clutch or variable speed transmission required. Until 1914, Stanley steam cars vented their exhaust steam directly to the atmosphere, necessitating frequent refilling of the water tank; after 1914, all Stanleys were fitted with a condenser, which considerably reduced their water consumption.

In 1906 the Land Speed Record was broken by a Stanley steam car, piloted by Fred Marriot, which achieved 127 mph (203 km/h) at Ormond Beach, Florida. This annual week-long "Speed Week" was the forerunner of today's Daytona 500. This record was not exceeded until 1910, and has not been broken by a steam car since.

[edit] Doble Steam Car

Attempts were made to bring more advanced steam cars on the market, the most remarkable being the Doble Steam Car[5] which shortened start-up time very noticeably by incorporating a highly efficient monotube steam generator to heat a much smaller quantity of water along with effective automation of burner and water feed control. By 1923, Doble's steam cars could be started from cold with the turn of a key and driven off in 40 seconds or less. When the boiler had achieved maximum working pressure, the burner would cut out until pressure had fallen to a minimum level, whereupon it would re-ignite; by this means the car could achieve around 15 miles per gallon (18.8 litres/100 km) of kerosene despite its weight in excess of 5,000 lb (2.27 tonnes). Ultimately, despite their undoubted qualities, Doble cars failed due to poor company organisation and high first cost.

[edit] Paxton Phoenix

Abner Doble developed the Doble Ultimax engine for the Paxton Phoenix steam car, built by the Paxton Engineering Division of McCulloch Motors Corporation, Los Angeles. Its sustained maximum power was 120 bhp (89 kW). The project was eventually dropped in 1954.[6]

[edit] Decline of steam car development

Steam cars dropped-off in popularity following the adoption of the electric starter, which eliminated the need for risky hand cranking to start gasoline-powered cars. The introduction of assembly-line mass production by Henry Ford, which hugely reduced the cost of owning a conventional automobile, was also a strong factor in the steam car's demise as the Model T was both cheap and reliable.

[edit] Modern steam cars

Today most of these problems have been satisfactorily solved, but currently the re-introduction of any modern steam car project would run up against the problem of a general loss of steam engine culture which would make it difficult to set up an infrastructure of spares and qualified mechanics. It would also be necessary to meet more stringent safety standards and legislation than existed in the heyday of steam-powered road vehicles. The biggest arguments in favour of such a movement would be: greatly reduced pollution by particulates and noxious gases without recourse to filters, silence in operation, and direct drive without a gearbox. However the competition which development of a modern steam-powered vehicle has to consider is not so much from gasoline-powered cars as from electric, hydrogen-powered and hybrid vehicles.

With the introduction of the electric starter, the internal combustion engine became more popular than steam, and the Model T was considerably less expensive than any steam car. But the internal combustion engine was not necessarily superior in terms of performance, range, fuel economy and emissions. The same is true today. Many steam enthusiasts feel steam has not received its share of attention in the discussion of automobile efficiency. [1]

[edit] Saab steam car

As a result of the 1973 oil crisis, SAAB started a project in 1974 headed by Dr. Ove Platell which made a prototype steam-powered car. It used an electronically-controlled 28 pound multi-parallel-circuit steam generator with 1 millimetre bore tubing and 16 gallon per hour firing rate which was intended to produce 160 hp (119 kW), and was about the same size as a standard car battery. Lengthy start-up times were circumvented by a system using compressed air that was stored when the car was running and which powered the car upon starting until adequate steam pressure was built up. The engine used a conical rotary valve made from pure boron nitride. To conserve water, a hermetically sealed water system was used.

[edit] Enginion Steamcell

From 1996, a R&D subsidiary of the Volkswagen group called Enginion AG was developing a system called ZEE (Zero Emissions Engine). It produced steam almost instantly without an open flame, and took 30 seconds to reach maximum power from a cold start. Their third prototype, EZEE03, was a three-cylinder unit meant to fit in a Skoda Fabia automobile. The EZEE03 was described as having a "two-stroke" (i.e. single-acting) engine of 1000 cc (164 cubic inch) displacement, producing up to 220 hp (500 N·m or 369 ft·lbf).[7] Exhaust emissions were said to be far below the SULEV standard. It had an "oilless" engine with ceramic cylinder linings using steam instead of oil as a lubricant. However, Enginion found that the market was not ready for steam cars, so they opted instead to develop the "Steamcell" power generator/heating system based on similar technology.[8][9]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Setright, L.J.K. "Steam: The Romantic Illusion", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 19, p.2170.
  2. ^ Setright, p.2170-1.
  3. ^ a b c d Georgano, G.N. Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930. (London: Grange-Universal, 1985).
  4. ^ Combe Jean-Marc & Escudier Bernard (1986, L'Aventure scientifique et technique de la vapeur; editions du CNRS, Paris, France; ISBN 2-222-03794-8
  5. ^ Walton J.N. (1965-74) Doble Steam Cars, Buses, Lorries, and Railcars . "Light Steam Power" Isle of Man, UK.
  6. ^ "The True Story of the Paxton Phoenix." Road and Track, April 1957. pp. 13 - 18
  7. ^ Feature Article - Clean & "Ezee" - 07/01
  8. ^ Ghost in the machine - motoring-tech - 15 December 2001 - New Scientist Tech
  9. ^ Company website, now dead.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links