British team smashes steam car record

[jhefner]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090825/...r-dba1618.html

2 hours 26 mins ago

A British-built steam supercar has broken a 103-year-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles.

The 25ft-long British Steam Car reached an average speed of 139.843mph on two runs over a measured mile at the Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The vehicle has been nicknamed the "fastest kettle in the world".

The timing beat the previous record of 127mph set by American Fred Marriott in a Stanley steam car at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1906.

Mr Marriott's timing was the longest-standing officially-recognised land speed record but it was beaten by the British team, based in Lymington, Hampshire, with Charles Burnett III at the wheel.

[stiz]

doing well this week, first sending the aussies home empty handed and now this

[cheezyflier]

now that's bravery. to ride in front of a raging boiler at 140 mph.

[Moparmike]

Dang...in 103 years and all the aerodynamic improvements over a Stanley all they got was another 12mph? :d

I would've expected a faster time. I'm sure they'll be back for more and go faster with that rig!

[OBIO]

I think most of the limiting factor is in the nature of the beast, so to speak. The limit of what can be done with steam as a power source was pretty much maxed out in 1906, and even modern technology can not make steam power any more efficient.

OBIO

[jhefner]

I think most of the limiting factor is in the nature of the beast, so to speak. The limit of what can be done with steam as a power source was pretty much maxed out in 1906, and even modern technology can not make steam power any more efficient.

OBIO

I mostly agree with that; the steam locomotive record, officially held by the LNER A-4 Class Mallard, was close to the Stanley's record at 126 MPH.

What limits most steam engines is the amount of steam generated by the boiler, the pressure of the steam, and the rate at which the reciprocating engine can go. Steam engines have a limit as to how fast they can go before a rod breaks; I think it is around 60 RPM. Locomotives tried to go faster by making the driving wheels as large as they could, and still fit within the constrants of the locomotive itself.

What makes this steam car different is that they are using a steam turbine instead of a reciprocating steam engine. So, the theoretical limit is not due to how fast the turbine can turn, but the amount and pressure of steam that can be feed to the turbine, and how efficient the turbine/drive train is.

Smaller steam turbines are less efficient than larger ones; and I believe they are using a non-condensing turbine, which is much less efficient than a condensing turbine. Still, it may be possible for them to "tweek" some more H.P. from their current machine; their original goal was 170 MPH.

The Stanleys did not have the knowledge of aerodynamics that today's students have. They made a second attempt after their initial record breaking attempt; it is believed Fred may have reached 150 MPH when his car literally went airborne and rolled. It nearly killed him; and ended any further attempts at breaking their own record. In contrast, you can be sure this new record beater has optimized aerodyamics for low drag and negative lift.

The steam boiler used in the Stanley's second attempt in 1907 developed 1300 PSI of steam pressure. That is high, even today; so I doubt the new record breaker develops steam at a higher pressure; it may generate more steam, however; and thus more potential power.

We will just have to see.

-James

[srgalahad]

The official Team site:
http://www.steamcar.co.uk/

and another look:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog...s/4270456.html

[Lionheart]

Interesting news. Thanks for the heads up James.

:ernae:

For anyone that didnt know, William Lear (of Lear Jet, auto radios, and the 8-track tape player fame), was creating a steam car engine in the 1970's. His latest version went from piston to a turbine design, which ran an automatic 3 speed transmission. The steam had a reciruculator recovery system for 'some' of the exhaust through the turbine, extending the water range. The vehicle had to be able to get to 125 MPH in so many seconds to be allowed to run in the California Highway Patrol cars, which is what he was aiming for.

The system was fast, but the steam piston versions were more economical.

<--- steam car enthusiast

On a side note, I happened to find myself behind a Locomobile, perhaps a 1903 model, driving through a neighborhood, lololol... I followed it for a mile. Wierd to see pure water dripping out of the exhaust pipe.




Bill

[jhefner]

Bill;

You may have seen this already, but Bud Fraze; a young engineer that worked with Lear on the steam car project, shared his experience working with Bill in a public forum. It make for interesting reading.

http://www.steamautomobile.com/ForuM...p?1,105,page=3

-James

<-- Steam everything fan; owner of five steam pumps and several steam toys, compiler of the Surviving World Steam Project, contributor of articles to the Bulletin of the International Stationary Steam Engine Society, and creator of steam planes for FS.

[hewman100]

What do you expect from a nation of tea drinkers: The fastest kettle in the world

[Moparmike]

James,
I'm somewhat of a steam nut too. I love checking out the old steam traction engines, not a lot of opportunity around here for me to dig into steam rail power but I dig that too.
You're right in the packaging would be a problem to get more horsepower into a vehicle. The efficiency is what they need to work on improving. I really thought that a turbine would've done better, the power-to-weight ratio is much better than a recip but as you said the need for high-pressure steam is what you need to really start bumping up the output.

Will be interesting to see how they improve the car and if they can squeeze more speed out of it!

[jhefner]

James,
I'm somewhat of a steam nut too. I love checking out the old steam traction engines, not a lot of opportunity around here for me to dig into steam rail power but I dig that too.
You're right in the packaging would be a problem to get more horsepower into a vehicle. The efficiency is what they need to work on improving. I really thought that a turbine would've done better, the power-to-weight ratio is much better than a recip but as you said the need for high-pressure steam is what you need to really start bumping up the output.

Will be interesting to see how they improve the car and if they can squeeze more speed out of it!

Neat, nice to know there are kindred spirits here.

Sadly, from another news account I read (but can't find now), the record breaking run was their last attempt. They are now heading back to the UK, and the car will go into a museum.

Obviously, the team and others had hoped for a faster top speed; maybe others can learn from their work. Had Fred Marriot not wiped out at 140-150 MPH in 1907, the record may still stand.

-James