[Land-speed] Seeking Information on vehicle and current owner+ Steam Thoughts

[Joe Lance]

Some thoughts about steam:

Old steam locomotives and early steam cars (Doble, Stanley) used open cycle
steam engines for a good reason. There is a difficult water chemistry
control problem with any closed cycle steam engine.

In the 1960s Bill Lear (the Lear jet guy) tried to develop a closed cycle
steam engine car. He had a running prototype but I don't remember the
details or how he handled the water chemistry problem---Maybe you can find
some more info with an internet search.

One of George Westinghouse's early patents (1980?) was for a rotary steam
engine which consisted of a round cylinder containing a rolling offset
rotary piston--- sort of like a Wankel engine but without any vanes to wear
out. It was a very simple device which relied on tight tolerances.
 
We used old George's rotary engine concept in a nuclear powered totally
implantable artificial heart design and received a patent for it. I was the
primary author of the patent which is Patent # 3,534,409, Lance et al, Oct.
20, 1970.  An isotope heat source was used to generate the steam for the
miniaturized rotary steam engine which drove a hydraulic system that
alternately compressed the artificial left and right ventricles. Waste heat
was rejected to the blood stream. The design met the thermal and radioactive
dose limits deemed acceptable at the time.

The WWII Germans experimented with transverse mounted V8 steam locomotive
engines--both ends of the crankshaft were connected directly to the
locomotive drive wheels.  I believe there is more info on-line about this.

Makes me wonder if an IC engine could be made into an automotive steam
engine.  The boiler feed water could be run through the engine block cooling
passages for a regenerative heating effect. Be easiest if it was an open
cycle, okay for salt flat runs.

Lance   

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Land-speed [mailto:land-speed-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
Larry Mayfield
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2014 11:23 AM
To: land-speed at autox.team.net
Subject: [Land-speed] Seeking Information on vehicle and current owner

What I am looking for is information on who the current owner of the current
steam record holder, the Barber Nichols car that ran in 1985 and set the
SCTA steam record and where that car is located, if it still exists.    Why
am I interested? Well, this year will conclude the Sunbeam efforts I have
had under way for a long,  long time and I need something to fiddle with.
No, I don't think I would campaign the car, but, maybe to kind of restore it
and to see how it actually works. Steam is a growing interest with me.  Why?
Well because I think that modern applications of control systems,  materials
and designs could improve  steam usefulness.  Especially in the automotive
world.  Maybe so, maybe not. 

 

So, please shoot me any and all information regards the current or last
known owner(s), contacts and where the car might be located and I will be in
your debt.  No matter how old the information might be. 

 

Many, many thanks!

 

mayf

 

_________________________
drmayf
Worlds Fastest Sunbeam, period.
204.913 mph flying mile
210.779 mph exit speed
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