alternative fuel

[benely45]

What do you all think about alternative fuels? The lola caterpillar was loud and that  was about it and the other car was just as poor. Do you think they'll improve or will they just have to give up?

[Andy Zarse]

I don't remember it being especially loud. Pretty quiet in fact. Mind you, it didn't really run long enough to register in the memory banks.

As to fuel, no alternative to standard petrol at least in the medium term. LPG and Corn gas (methane based) are really just liquid petrol. Diesel? don't make me laugh!  

[chrisbeatty]

I seem to remember it being far too quiet for a racing car (did it actually race anything??) That said maybe it was just quieter than the other cars that were lapping it everytime it went past

I don't think much will happen in the short term, there were rumours that Audi were contemplating diesel in the R9, but my guess is it won't happen.

I know the IRL are trying to move to more "eco friendly" fuels but if thats a series standard it's a different matter entirely!!

[Steve Pyro]

All I remember of it was a cloud of black sh*t following behind it - like a Routemaster bus.

When are we going to see the return of a steam car?

http://www.steamcar.co.uk/

[rcutler]

Are we all forgetting Team NASAMAX. They run on Bio Ethanol which to you and me is alcohol. It won an award at last years race and if I remember rightly it finished!

It was not un-competitive though!!

[rcutler]

OK found out.

After a dramatic and incident-packed 24 hour race shown live on TV across the world, the Nasamax DM139 Judd V10 of Team Nasamax with Robbie Stirling at the wheel crossed the line at 1600 hours on Sunday 13 June in 17th position of the 26 cars to finish the race from the 48 who took the start. The car had dropped to 47th on the leaderboard at 10 laps after investigations in the pits for the engine misfire, then risen steadily through the ranking until a half hour stop to change the starter motor, and gained places again in the last hours.

[Canada Phil]

All I remember of it was a cloud of black sh**t following behind it - like a Routemaster bus.

When are we going to see the return of a steam car?

http://www.steamcar.co.uk/

Hi Steve,
             It's all been done before.
Try the Stanley Steamer http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/stanley.htm
ofcourse the 1/2 hour to get the boiler up to temp would be a bit of a draw back these days but 150MPH at the turn of the century. the previous one, must have been scary.
Canada Phil

[Andy Zarse]

I'm not sure it's not just going to fall straight over. The front suspension design, other than use of rack and pinnion steering, is eerily similar to that of a certain make of very unstable van.  

[benely45]

well now i've fort about it the lola caterpillar wasn't that loud. But diesel power aint that bad (better than steam). Still if they returned to Le Mans i would follow them

[Bobblehat]

I'm not sure it's not just going to fall straight over. The front suspension design, other than use of rack and pinnion steering, is eerily similar to that of a certain make of very unstable van.  

But it only has to go in a straight line!

150mph is the steam land speed record! Its nearly 100 years old, I say go for it they have my backing

[benely45]

Steam power would be worse than diesel! Anyone who ran that at Le Mans would be crazy!
Its far to dangerous for a start.
just stick to the 4 normal proven ones petrol, diesel, LPG, and alcohol.
Any body raced the circuit on Gran Turismo 4 yet?

[Mr. Invincible Mou]

Oh, I don't know. A small nuclear reactor should help produce plenty of steam power. After all, look at what it does to the submarine force.

And it can't be all that dangerous if they let sailors look after it  

[Steve Pyro]

Steam power would be worse than diesel! Anyone who ran that at Le Mans would be crazy!
Its far to dangerous for a start.

Sorry, I have to majorly disagree - and declare my reasons.  I carry out statutory Pressure Systems Safety Regulations inspections on steam boilers, power stations and other pressure vessels.

If the steam raising plant is properly designed and constructed in accordance with the relevant design codes and the Pressure Equipment Directive, the system would NOT be dangerous.

This type of steam raising system would use a flash steam generator which, unlike a normal water filled steam boiler, has very little steam volume.  The water passes through a coil over a heat source and 'flashes off' to steam.  It can be further heated to provide a degree of superheating to produce more available energy.

This steam would then pass to the motive power unit, a turbine or reciprocating engine to drive the wheels.  I suspect the exhaust steam would then not exhaust to atmosphere (wasteful) but be recycled via an air cooled condenser back to the feed water storage tank to be reheated.

The only concern with this type of system is the need to have storage tanks on the car for both fuel and water.  The fuel can be diesel or kerosene (no different to the dangers associated with other racing fuels) and I've yet to see water burn.

The boiler unit itself (which is perceived as being the only source of 'stored energy') in reality - as stated above - has a very low steam volume and hence low stored energy.

An alternative would be to produce the steam via a hydrogen fuel cell - a number of manufacturers are presently working on this idea.

Get real - steam is no longer a 19th century romantic vision of Puffing Billy and Ivor the Engine - it's here and now.

[Fran]

Umm, thanks for explaining that Steve.  

[Steve Pyro]

Fran, you've now passed Applied Thermodynamics 101