The New York Times reports that a US team is gunning for the world land speed record for steam-powered cars. They're aiming to top the current record of 148 MPH set in 2009.
The US Land Steam Record Team (USLSR), led by Chuk Williams, is building its Streamliner vehicle around a stock external combustion engine, lightweight body (under 1,600 tons), and streamlined profile (sub 0.2 drag coefficient).Steam engines are not new tech. The first known variant, the Aeolipile, described by the Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria, converted steam to mechanical work through a pinwheel-style device. The first modern steam engine was developed by James Watt in the eighteenth century, and largely powered the industrial revolution. Of course, steam engines are not powered by steam, but by the fuel used to boil water or superheat steam. Steam locomotives were famously coal-fired, producing their signature black plume out of the smoke stack. Modern large-scale steam turbine engines are found in ocean-going vessels, with auxiliary steam engines on container ships powered by diesel or bunker oil, and large military vessels (submarines and aircraft carriers) powered by nuclear fuel. While these large marine applications are well-established, automotive steam vehicles are much more speculative. The 1970s oil crisis spurred interest in the technology, with steam cars developed by SAAB and other manufacturers. The technology remains firmly in the enthusiast realm, with several international teams topping each other for new speed records. Could steam power infiltrate into the automotive market? The companies working on steam engines and boilers would emphatically say yes.
