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Video: British Team Breaks Land Speed Record For Steam Car

 
11 4,225 views Aug 26, 2009
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The speed to beat is 127.659mph (205km/h), which has stood since 1906

The speed to beat is 127.659mph (205km/h), which has stood since 1906

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After more than eight years of development, the British Steam Car Team has finally broken the world speed record for a steam-powered car--a record that has stood since 1906. The new record setting run was completed in the Mojave Desert in California this week, with the latest steam car achieving an average speed of 139.843 mph--easily smashing the previous record of 127 mph. Today a video of the feat has become available via the Telegraph.

To have the record ratified by the FIA, the Hampshire-based team had to finish two runs in opposite directions, less than an hour apart. It reached a peak speed of 136.103 mph on the first run and 151.085 mph on the second.

The layout of the steam car shares many characteristics with regular production vehicles. It’s a rear wheel powered, rear engine vehicle that has a traditional rack and pinion front wheel steering system. The braking system consists of four wheel discs (parachute assisted) and there is double wishbone independent suspension at all four corners.

Power comes from a two stage steam turbine fed by a boiler running on LPG and developing a peak of 360 horsepower. The 13 inch diameter turbine drives an epicyclical gear train with a 4:1 ratio for a wheel speed of 3,000 rpm at 200 mph. The boiler section is in the center of the car directly behind the single seat cockpit. For space reasons, there are actually four separate boilers each capable of being run independently.

 





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Comments (11)

  1. By chris Posted: 5/1/2008 10:06am PDT

    hrm.. steam TURBINE? wouldnt that be a different class than the current holder that is probably a steam piston design?

    none the less, very cool idea. makes me wonder if steam power could actually be viable in warmer climates as an alternative fuel. i'm sure the greens would hate it because its burning a fuel AND producing steam which is far worse of a greenhouse gas than CO2. but steam condenses into rain.

    regardless. very cool.
     
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  2. By MyWheelsOnWalls.com Posted: 5/1/2008 10:19am PDT

    I believe the rules state that steam is steam. I'm looking forward to being their this year as I had no idea they were going to go for the record this year.
     
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  3. By chris Posted: 5/1/2008 11:33am PDT

    mwow; understandable; steam is steam. I'm just saying, its apples and oranges. or like.... tangerines and oranges. or something like that.
     
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  4. By MyWheelsOnWalls.com Posted: 5/1/2008 11:43am PDT

    Chris- You are absolutely right and if the FIA governed such events steam would not be created equally.

    If this case its the SCTA who are a great crowd and such racing is one of the last and only forms of motorsport where money and rules do not rule but the the racer and what he/she is trying to achieve does.

    If you ever get the chance to check them out. There is a rookies guide to attending on this site http://www.saltflats.com/ or directly go here http://www.saltflats.com/Getting%20Started%20Guide.html

    Once again a superb trip!!!
     
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  5. By chris Posted: 5/1/2008 3:00pm PDT

    If only i wasn't a 2 day drive away from bonneville,...
     
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  6. By Raptor Posted: 5/1/2008 3:11pm PDT

    Chris look at it in a bright way. It would take me 2 days to get there by plane(s). :)

    One thing I do wish to see is that British supersonic jet car in action. They tested it in Bonnewille, right?
     
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  7. ma_J-Kwon avatar J-Kwon Posted: 12/12/2008 9:40pm PST

    I congratulate their accomplishment. If this team manages to efficiently design mass producible vehicles, we may see a new kind of green car in the future.
     
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  8. ma_Mike avatar Mike Posted: 12/13/2008 7:11am PST

    J-Kwon- well, it would be nothing new considering steam cars predate the internal combustion engine. The White Steam Car company and Stanley Steamer company both competed with other cars around the turn of the 20th century. Jay Leno has both. Cool stuff though.
     
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  9. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 12/13/2008 7:48pm PST

    mike: right on the head there.. also.. electric cars predate gasoline as well. but it has to be said that as with electric, predating and being replaced by gasoline doesnt necessarily make it a worse technology than gasoline. working in the power generation industry.. you get a certain respect for steam. my life has come to depend on it.
     
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  10. ma_earthworm avatar earthworm Posted: 4/3/2009 4:52pm PDT

    Forget the damned "greenies".
    They are obstructionists, much like our Republicans.
    As an automotive mode of power, steam just takes up too much space, but in conjunction with the computer, does have merit..
    I think its silly to try to race these vehicles.
    Economical feasibility is the important thing.
     
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  11. By  Alister Posted: 8/26/2009 6:48pm PDT

    So in 103 years they have managed to increase the record by 12.843 mph wow!!!!!!
    Congratulations anyway as I only my fellow former countrymen would be ecletic enough to do such an attempt.
     
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