The Steam engine
When you hear the term steam engine most of you will picture a train. However steam engines are widely associated with cars as well. It was widely used at the turn of the 20th century. You also may have the general thought that steam cars were slow, boring and inefficient but the Stanley steam car "Rocket" set the land speed record in 1906 with the car reaching up to a speed of 127.66mph (205.5km/h) at the Daytona Beach Road Course, this is incredibly fast for a steam engine produced many years ago. Improved versions of the steam engine in 1907 was able to reach estimated speeds up to 140mph but the car sailed in the air and snapped in half upon impact. As recent as 2009 a team of british engineers produced a steam powered car known as Inspiration broke the record set by the Stanley Rocket as it reached a speed of 137mph. This shows that steam technology hasnt really taken off after the 1900's as there is not a significant difference between the speed reached by the Stanley Rocket and the Inspiration.
The first experimental steam engines vehicles were first produced during the late 18th century and the early 19th century. Richard Trevithick was the first person to make and produce a high pressured steam engine, he quickly understood that the improvements in the boiler technology made using high pressure in an engine much safer than it had been before, the pistons in the engine could now move on its own without having to be subjected to any pressure near to atmospheric pressure however the development of the steam engine ended for him fairly soon as he did not possess the financial capability to carry on his work.
In the engine a double acting cylinders were used contrast to the single acting cylinders that were used for most locomotives at the time. The double acting cylinder system was used as a model for all the steam engines that were made later. A double acting cylinder is mainly used because the steam acts alternatively on both sides of the piston so therefore the engine was able to provide forces in either the forward or the backward direction if necessary and it is generally better for steam cars because it provides a higher power output.
The steam cars had several disadvantages, for instance the engine would take about 10-15 minutes to start up before you could start driving it compared to the 5 second start up to your average internal combustion engine.It also produced smelly and dirty fumes that wasn't very pleasant to be inhaling into your lungs and I quote my grandfather "every journey on a steam bus was noisy and you came off the bus with your face covered in black dust".The steam engine also needed to be small in order to be practical for a car which meant the engine had to be high pressured, this was possible but also potentially dangerous.
Steam engines were a good idea but lacked the practicality the internal combustion engine could provide.
The first experimental steam engines vehicles were first produced during the late 18th century and the early 19th century. Richard Trevithick was the first person to make and produce a high pressured steam engine, he quickly understood that the improvements in the boiler technology made using high pressure in an engine much safer than it had been before, the pistons in the engine could now move on its own without having to be subjected to any pressure near to atmospheric pressure however the development of the steam engine ended for him fairly soon as he did not possess the financial capability to carry on his work.
In the engine a double acting cylinders were used contrast to the single acting cylinders that were used for most locomotives at the time. The double acting cylinder system was used as a model for all the steam engines that were made later. A double acting cylinder is mainly used because the steam acts alternatively on both sides of the piston so therefore the engine was able to provide forces in either the forward or the backward direction if necessary and it is generally better for steam cars because it provides a higher power output.
The steam cars had several disadvantages, for instance the engine would take about 10-15 minutes to start up before you could start driving it compared to the 5 second start up to your average internal combustion engine.It also produced smelly and dirty fumes that wasn't very pleasant to be inhaling into your lungs and I quote my grandfather "every journey on a steam bus was noisy and you came off the bus with your face covered in black dust".The steam engine also needed to be small in order to be practical for a car which meant the engine had to be high pressured, this was possible but also potentially dangerous.
Steam engines were a good idea but lacked the practicality the internal combustion engine could provide.