Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[U.S. team looks to shatter steam-powered land speed record]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/14/u-s-team-looks-to-shatter-steam-powered-land-speed-record/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/14/u-s-team-looks-to-shatter-steam-powered-land-speed-record/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/14/u-s-team-looks-to-shatter-steam-powered-land-speed-record/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

U.S. steam record car

Cyclone Motor steam-powered vehicleIn the summer of 2009, a British team journeyed to the U.S. with its steam-powered streamliner in an effort to break the land speed record for a steam vehicle, which had previously been set at 127 miles per hour back in 1906 by Fred Marriot in a Stanley Steamer. Long story short, the team crushed the record with a 139.843-mile-per-hour run.

Apparently, steam vehicle aficionado Chuk Williams wants the U.S. to reclaim that record. According to Gas 2.0, Williams has secured a powerplant from Cyclone Power Technologies that he hopes will propel his 21-foot-long, 1,600-pound streamlined vehicle to a top speed of more than 160 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in August of 2011.

That Cyclone Power engine is a unique piece of engineering. According to Gas 2.0, it's a "Rankine Cycle heat regenerative external (yes, external) combustion engine" that weighs in at just 200 pounds, cranks out 180 horsepower and boasts a maximum starting torque of 850 foot-pounds. Sure sounds impressive. We wish Williams the best of luck in his endeavor to secure the record. Check out a video of Chuck and his steamer at this link.

U.S. team looks to shatter steam-powered land speed record originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just like any self-respecting car guy, Jay Leno has had his fair share of run-ins with local law enforcement. And, much like the rest of us, some of those run-ins result in great story material for those Monday morning watercooler conversations. But as you'd expect, Leno's are more entertaining.

Take, for example, a recent exchange Leno had with Visor Down in the U.K. Says the late-night comedian:
I have the record for the oldest vehicle to be done for speeding. It was a 1912 Stanley Steamer, and I had it cranked up to 75mph on a freeway.
Nice. Needless to say, we're suitably impressed by the speed Leno was able to attain in such a rarefied piece of automotive history. Sadly, the police officer didn't seem to share our respect:
I'm kind of proud of that, especially considering the engine is steam-powered and makes less than 10 bhp. The cop who issued the citation was remarkably straight-faced and unimpressed with my feat, which I thought was a little unimaginative of him. How could you seriously issue a speeding ticket to something with the same engine as a small steam locomotive?
Jay, if it makes you feel any better (and we're sure it doesn't), we completely agree. Read the rest of the interview at Visor Down here.

[Source: Visor Down]

Jay Leno's best speeding story is better than yours originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British Steam Car - Click above to watch the video after the break

So, you've been following the progress of the British Steam Car Challenge for the last few years - well, at least we've been following the team's progress that long - and it's all finally led up to a new world record. Fastest Steam Car in the World... it's got a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say?

As a matter of fact, the car handily earns its off-hand comparisons to a tea kettle, as you can clearly hear from the video pasted after the break. Though we don't get to witness the steam-powered streamliner streak past at its official record of 139.843 miles per hour, seeing the beast move under its own power is an impressive sight.

How does it work? 12 LPG-fueled boilers heat 10.5 gallons of water to 750-degrees F. Then, nearly two miles of plumbing inside the car takes that pressurized steam to a two-stage turbine spinning at a stratospheric 13,000 RPM. No wonder it makes such a racket!

[Source: Telegraph]

Continue reading VIDEO: Record-setting British Steam Car in action

VIDEO: Record-setting British Steam Car in action originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British Steam Car Challenge world speed record - Click above for high-res image gallery

Finally, after much ado and a number of stalled attempts, the British Steam Car Challenge team has finally set the world record it had sought for so long. With an official two-way average of 139.843 miles per hour, the steam-powered streamliner really is the Fastest Kettle in the World. Congrats!

Driver Charles Burnett III was behind the wheel for both outings, and he managed to reach a peak speed of 136.103 mph on the first run and 151.085 mph on the second. Both passes were made in the presence of the FIA, so after all the correct paperwork is filed, the previous record, set at 127 mph in 1906 by Fred Marriot in a Stanley Steamer, should officially be eclipsed. Shortly after the two runs took place, Burnett said:
It was absolutely fantastic I enjoyed every moment of it. We reached nearly 140mph on the first run before I applied the parachute. All systems worked perfectly, it was a really good run. The second run went even better and we clocked a speed in excess of 150 mph. The car really did handle beautifully. The team has worked extremely hard over the last 10 years and overcome numerous problems. It is a privilege to be involved with such a talented crew, what we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance.
Click past the break for the official press release. Thanks to all who sent this in!


Gallery: British Steam Car Challenge world speed record

90079513900795039007950790079509

[Source: British Steam Car Challenge]

Continue reading British Steam Car Challenge finally sets world speed record at 140 mph

British Steam Car Challenge finally sets world speed record at 140 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to watch a video of an early steam car run

Believe it or not, steam-powered cars were actually some of the fastest machines on four wheels in the early 1900s. To wit, a Stanley Steamer managed to hit a boiler-induced terminal velocity of 127.659 mph way back in 1906. The record still stands, but it seems likely to be surpassed in very short order by a team of madcap Brits who have just tested their steam-powered land-speed racer in preparation for an all-out assault on the record books next year.

The steam car certainly looks the part of a record-breaker, with its long, aerodynamic outer shell covering nearly two miles of plumbing and a 13,000 RPM two-stage turbine powering the rear wheels. A total of 12 burners run on LPG and heat 10.5 gallons of water per minute to temperatures as high as 750-degrees F.

Early testing has been promising but the car has yet to see the kinds of speeds and pressures that will be necessary to topple the longstanding record. If successful, the British Steam Car Challenge team surpass speeds of 170 miles per hour when official testing takes place at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. We wish them luck... one hundred years is too long for a record like this to stand.

[Source: Wired]

Continue reading First test of steam-powered land speed record car successful

First test of steam-powered land speed record car successful originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A British team is out to demolish the land speed records for a steam powered vehicle in both the kilometer and the mile. The records are 121.6 mp for the kilo, set in 1906, and an unofficial 145.6 mph for the mile, set in 1985. As if using tap water to go stupid fast wasn't cool enough, they're doing it in a vehicle straight out of Buck Rogers' garage. The chief designer worked on both the Thrust 2 Jet Car and the ThrustSSC. The "car" in question is made of aluminum and carbon composites sitting a tubular steel frame. Out back, there's a two-stage, LPG-fired Curtis-type steam turbine fed by four boilers. Total output is only 325 bhp, but the team expects to break 200 mph using an output shaft gear ratio of 5:1. No word on whether Peter Gabriel is providing the official theme song.

Thanks for the tip, sr20boston

[Source: Steam Car]

Letting off some steam: vapor-powered car goes for land speed record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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