Steam motor

A steam engine is a single or double acting steam engine with valve timing, running fast with up to 1500 rpm. The crankshaft essentially corresponds to that of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. In contrast to the classic steam engine, a steam engine and all the components in a compact case is very similar to that of a diesel engine housed. With a steam engine can be realized among other things, a modern, clutch- and gearless drive vehicle.

Building principles

Steam engines can in principle be operated with all common liquid and solid fuels including wood and biogas. When using a porous burner combine steam engines very low emissions and almost free choice of ( liquid or vaporized ) fuel with a relatively high efficiency, and in this respect a modern diesel engine comparable. This is achieved by steam pressure up to 80 bar, and steam temperatures of about 450 to 500 ° C.

Because of the high steam temperatures, there were initially problems because of the necessarily oil-free operation. This seems due to the special materials of carbon and ceramic solved by now, but still too short life (so far max. 3,000 to 5,000 hours) of chemically and physically heavily loaded porous burner ( a ceramic or metal sponge in which the combustion takes place without an open flame ) prevents currently a broad introduction to the market. Several companies and institutions working in cooperation hard on a solution.

Novel use steam instead of a conventional piston engine to the rotary pistons, been converted into an expander vane pump. The water circulates in a closed circuit ( heating by heaters - relaxation and thus cooling the steam in the steam engine - liquefaction of the residual steam in a condenser - reinjection of the water using a pump ). This design can be used as small cogeneration, especially in single-family homes.

Concrete applications

Already in the 1920s, successful steam-powered trucks were (see Sentinel ) and passenger cars (like the " Stanley Steamer " ) was built. For the use of steam engines in rail vehicles, the Henschel works built 1941, a test locomotive DR 19 1001. To a production run, it did not come here, however. In England, the Midland Railway had already made with the locomotive in 2299 1908-1919 experiments with steam engines, with the first and third axes two steam engines had, on the average four. The Swiss SLM tested in 1927 a high-pressure locomotive with 60 bar boiler pressure and steam engines. Here the problems were but mainly in high-pressure boilers, also was in Switzerland by the increasing electrification no need for steam locomotives.

1933, the brothers George D. and William J. Besler built a lightweight steam engine in a modified Travel Air 2000 biplane and led so on April 20, 1933, the first flights to the public through. At just 80 kg, the 150 -horsepower engine was superior to all gasoline engines of its time. The possibility of immediate reversal of rotation of the steam engine only 30 m runway length for landing were needed. See also steam aircraft.