Article 27595 of sci.energy: Path: freenet.victoria.bc.ca!holly.softwords.bc.ca!news.bctel.net!news.cyberstore.ca!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.sprintlink.net!in2.uu.net!news.compuserve.com!news.production.compuserve.com!news From: j h manion <71121.1604@CompuServe.COM> Newsgroups: sci.energy Subject: THE ZERO-EMISSIONS CAR Date: 9 Sep 1995 18:50:13 GMT Organization: 71121.1604@compuserve.com Lines: 117 Message-ID: <42snl5$83f$1@mhafn.production.compuserve.com> The big three are developing battery powered cars to answer pollution reduction requirements of California. Beginning in 1998, 2 per cent of new cars sold in that state must emit zero pollutants. The zero has been redefined lately to 'not exceed the power-plant emissions associated with charging an electric vehicle.' The clean car is here! I am puzzled by the complete lack of interest in automotive steam power. If adopted on a large scale, our choked-up cities could breathe again and many economic benefits could accrue. Note the 1945 dateline that follows. The following is taken from the San Diego Union newspaper of 01/07/45. WHO SAID "GET A HORSE?" By W. J. Raridan Fifty miles to the gallon--of hydrant water! That's what the age of miracles brought about long ago, but few seemed to appreciate it 'way back when the automobile was in its infancy and nobody knew whether it would live on steam or gasoline when it grew up. It took rationing to give the steam automobile a chance to snort at its more popular competitors. But it's too genteel to snort--though it does hiss at rivals now and then. Usually it hums contentedly as if most of its family hadn't been crowded into oblivion by legions of ubiquitous citizens. Although the original automobiles were all powered by steam, steam powered automobiles were never numerous. Not many Stanleys or Whites are now to be found. But there is a Doble here in San Diego, owned by C. T. Briar, retired naval aviation pilot, of 1211 Maryland Place. Many an envious eye follows Briar as he speeds about town in his 20-year old car using unrationed aqua pura, fuel oil and air. He is, in respect to personal transportation, as much a potentate as one other Doble owner, an Indian Rajah, who uses the car in hunting elephants. Most gas cars need overhauls after they've gone 20,000 miles. That distance only means a rear end lube oil change to the Doble. A set of tires averages 65,000 miles. The car will travel about as far on a gallon of fuel oil as other machines move on a gallon of gas and fuel oil is much less expensive. Briar gave other statistics: The Doble engine contains only 35 moving parts, while gasoline motors have hundreds. It will do 60 at an RPM of 900. At 1200 RPM it hits its top speed of 90. The San Diego car, E-19, has covered 183,000 miles. A machine like it in New York has gone 360,000 miles. The steamers have 15-gallon tanks for water, allowing long non-stop trips. They operate slightly more cheaply in hot weather than in cold. Almost anything combustible will serve as fuel in a pinch. The motor resulted from pioneer experimentation on three now common household conveniences--automatic hot water systems, refrigeration equipment and automatic oil-burning furnaces. Because of many automatic release valves and special boiler construction there is no possibility of blow-ups. The boiler is made up of seamless steel tubing coils that expand and contract like the hair-spring of a watch under steam pressure and temperature variance. They are welded in series. Briar declared that steam cars could be mass-produced more cheaply than gasoline cars. Improvement of metals since the day when steam challenged gas would make possible a steam car that would literally last a lifetime, said Briar. One factor in which Briar showed pride was the silence of the motor and its completely automatic electric control. When the machine is cold, he turns a switch that lights a fire over the boiler and starts a fan to create draft. Within two minutes he's ready to go. After that, all day long, the boiler stays hot, fire coming on and off under thermostatic control as long as the switch is left on, but the boiler will retain plenty of steam without fire for hours, and a few seconds of fire will build up full 100 H. P. Some steamers in Europe use coal and others use solid fuels, Briar pointed out. Seven members of the Russian general staff are now using refurbished old Dobles. Japan might be able to send out powerful planes without gasoline supplies, he said, and told how in 1931 he and Warren Doble, co-inventor of the motor, now engineer with an aircraft company in California, made preliminary arrangements with the Boeing aircraft school for the use of a plane, and the successful flight of a steam-powered plane resulted later at Oakland. It was flown by William Besler and financed by Besler Systems. The plane power-unit weighed only 240 lbs., and would have been much lighter if metals since brought into big production had then been available. When no offer for the plane was received from any other direction, it was finally sold to Japan. Briar predicted steam would "come back" in post-war trucks and busses. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -END- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JHM thoughts: Other contemporary writers had the airplane steam engine going to Davenport, Iowa for service in a locomotive. No mention of the airframe which was a Travelair bi-plane. They reported horsepower as 90. The Doble was manufactured by Doble-Detroit Steam Motors Company and marketed during the 1920s. It claimed a range of 250 miles non-stop. For detailed information, try your public library. I found FLOYD CLYMERS MOTOR SCRAPBOOK, STEAM CAR EDITION 1945 published by Clymer Motors, Los Angeles, California I believe a steam car powered by fuel oil would have low emissions. Have heard no complaints about fuel oil fired home furnaces. For zero-emissions, compressed natural gas is available and at a lower per gallon equivalent cost of gasoline by 44 cents. And speaking of costs, the steam car should cost less because of fewer parts and require repairs much less often. How can we stir some investigation in this area? It appears to me that the steam alternative provides superior performance at a much reduced cost to the consumer (as compared to electric). I would appreciate comments and questions.