Can I steam-power my NA?

[bryanthompson]

Dont' take the subject seriously, I was trying to be clever

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4076811.stm

British design engineer Glynne Bowsher and his team have almost finished building a super-fast vehicle reminiscent of the Batmobile.

And this car puts a new technological breath of life into what is regarded as a traditional means of power.

He knows engine and vehicle design like old friends, having worked on Richard Noble's record-breaking Thrust 2 jet car and having designed ThrustSSC, the first vehicle to break the sound barrier on land.

His team, the British Steam Car Challenge (BSCC), is hoping that its Inspiration vehicle will live up to its name and not only break a long-standing steam-car speed record, but also inspire thinking about alternative fuels for the future.

...

INSPIRATION STEAM CAR
Construction: Tubular steel spaceframe with composite/metal panels
Length: 5.25m
Width: 1.70m
Height: 1.10m
Fuel: LPG (Liquified petroleum gas)
Working fluid: Water/steam
Performance: Maximum speed 200+ mph (320km/h); Initial acceleration: 0.52G
Brakes: Twin front wheel brakes and twin rear inboard rear disc brakes
Steering: Rack and pinion

...

INSPIRATION ENGINE SPEC
Two stage turbine on single spool
Output: 300bhp at 12,000rpm (turbine speed) (225kw)
Output shaft gear ratio: 4:1 or 4.45:1 to twin output shafts
Differential: Epicyclic type with viscous couplings

[Moneyguy1]

Hey..take it seriously!!

The Stanley brothers produced a racer in 1907 "The Woggle Bug" that hit 150 mph. Very efficient, but range was a problem since the steam/water was not condensed and reused. 50 miles was the distance between refills on their production model. It wasn't a problem with all the horse troughs along the highways and byways until the hoof and mouth epidemic came along and the troughs were largely eliminated as a method of disease control. When this happened, many historians conclude, the days of the steamer were limited.

One wonders where the technology would have led given enough interest. True enough the internal combustion engine hasn't changed a whole lot in over a century. I am holding out for a system similar to locomotives (diesel/electric) which replaced steam. The single most troubling problem with steam is bursting of the pressure vessel. This was not an uncommon occurance in early steam engines if the water level fell below critical and the steel plates were allowed to overheat.