Steam Car Word Speed Record Attempt
Writing by stickman on Wednesday, 27 of June , 2007 at 4:09 pm
A group of British people are trying to break the Word Land Speed Record for a Steam Car. Currently the record is held by a Stanley Steamer set in 1906 with a top speed of 127 miles per hour. They are looking for sponsorship to finish funding the building / testing /racing of car at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US and are allowing people to buy space (pixels) on their web site
We at DigitalBuzz.co.uk have kicked in £20 to start and may well add more over the coming month. We of course wish them the best of luck!
Some background information on the challenge is below.
The British Steam Car Challenge was conceived with the twofold aim of breaking the land speed record for steam powered vehicles as well as creating excitement in the arena of alternate fuels. It is hoped that the project will create interest among the next generation of engineers and designers to work toward cleaner and safer forms of transportation, both public and private.
The first mention of a steam powered vehicle will usually conjure images of ancient tiller steered motor cars and pre-war rail engines. It was during the early nineteen hundreds that the petrol engine gained dominance in the personal transportation marketplace. Many ascribe this shift to market and business pressures rather than technological advancements or lack thereof. A big argument for this shift is the dominance of the steam turbine in the power generation sector of the economy.
While not exactly new in concept, steam powered vehicles have potential that today’s internal combustion engines lack. While the compact size and robust power density figures make the internal combustion engine attractive, its drawback also stems from its popularity. The current reliance of the internal combustion engine on highly refined hydrocarbon based fuels makes the external combustion engine an attractive concept for many applications. External combustion engines such as the steam engine are not fuel specific, meaning that any fuel can be used. This includes the cleanest fuel, direct sunlight.
Similarly, the technology used in the project is far from antiquated. In fact, some leading edge technologies have been employed to make the record attempt possible. The development phase of the project includes over 18 months of proof-of-concept and research work on the steam generation and power delivery systems.
It is the hope of the team and many of the project supporters to bring another land speed record to Britain. The car is being designed and constructed in the UK, and the first of two record attempts will be made in the UK. This drives home the idea that the project is truly a British effort.
More information on the challenge is available at their main site here.
Category: Record Attempt, News
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