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British team edge closer to breaking steam-powered world speed record

 
6 1,776 views Apr 3, 2009

The team have reached 80mph but the record stands at 127mph

The team have reached 80mph but the record stands at 127mph

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It seems the people of Britain have a healthy obsession with breaking world speed records - just last week we reported on a British engineer who had broken the world wind-powered car speed record. In this same spirit, another team of Brits are working on breaking a record that has not been broken for over 103 years - the world steam-powered record.

Of course, allowing the record to stand for so long has dealt a harsh blow to the ego of the modern world, which is why the team at British Steam Car have taken it upon themselves to undertake this arduous task.

If you were wondering, the 103-year old steam power record stands at an impressive 127mph. This was recorded by an American man, Fred Marriot, who claimed the record in 1906 at Daytona Beach.

The British Steam Car team, on the other hand, is hoping to bring that record down a notch by posting a speed of around 170mph with steam alone as the propellant. Currently the 3-ton car is under testing, with tests starting off slow to hone the car's stability and handling characteristics.

Driven by Don Wales, the car has reached around 80mph on its second speed run, and Wales commented that following the car's performance in these tests he now feels "more confident about breaking the record".

So just how does a steam-powered car reach the supercar speeds of 170mph? Lightweight material such as carbon-fiber is propelled by 12 boilers being pumped with water at around 13 gallons per minute. This is sent through a 13in diameter turbine, which drives an epicyclical gear train with a 4:1 ratio for a wheel speed of 3,000rpm at 200mph. For more details check out our previous story by clicking here.

British Steam Car first shake-down





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Comments (6)

  1. ma_Quantum avatar Quantum Posted: 4/3/2009 11:11am PDT

    i really don't see the use of it
     
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  2. ma_I h8 China avatar I h8 China Posted: 4/3/2009 12:29pm PDT

    It's like a giant kettle on wheels.
     
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  3. ma_I h8 America avatar I h8 America Posted: 4/3/2009 12:52pm PDT

    ^^^ better than what Caddilac or Lincoln build. Brits/Europeans are renowned for thier quality unlike the yanks.
     
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  4. ma_www.mywheelsonwalls.com avatar www.mywheelsonwalls.com Posted: 4/4/2009 1:39am PDT

    Brits are renowned for the their quality? BL, Triumph, and Norton all of which were complete crap!! Whats left of the British auto industry is fantastic and competes head and shoulders against its past competitors as they, for the most part, are now owned by those competitors.

    Sidenote-My personal favorite was having tickets for the London eye on the Millenium only when I got there it was to be closed for its much hyped grand opening due to a "quality problem"....

    As for the above project its nothing more than what engineers do best and thats keeping busy expanding their own abiltiies!
     
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  5. ma_mburleigh8 avatar mburleigh8 Posted: 4/5/2009 10:17am PDT

    I would kinda like to see a comeback of the steam power car, If someone can make a steam powerd car reach 127 mph back in 1906, and the way technology is now, you would think it would be almost easy to develop a good everyday steam power car for today.
    and forget the gas station.
     
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  6. By  tmchugh Posted: 1/22/2010 1:23pm PST

    This is a joke, right???!!! Have the 'designers' of this rolling britstank ever even seen a LSR vehicle? It's about two feet too high off of the ground. The first cross wind this thing encounters and it will be doing a turtle-esque cart wheel.A steam turbine? Horsepower is a function of torque, something turbines lack. A compound two cylinder with a typical drive ratio of 1.5:1 would make more sense. This LSR turd REALLY showcases British talent in engineering. NOT!I'm surprised the webmaster let this thing on here. Where's Gordon Murray when you need him, or today's Colin Chapman?
    Hey Ih8America-What's built in the U.K. by Britain that's better then a current Cadillac or Lincoln? A Bristol? Get a clue. Also, learn how to spell it properly so you don't look like the arse you are.
     
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