Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Jerryrigger
It seems like a 20hp one would be rather small, but on second thought; a hybrid, running the steam with electric for acceleration could do some amazing things...
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You have to keep in mind that all the torque on a steam engine is available at 0 rpms. Also the engine does not idle, it just stops with the car.
That's the same as an electric motor, which makes a steam-electric hybrid appear somewhat redundant.
However, the same company is offering a Waste Heat Engine (WHE) which purports to reuse the spent steam to generate electricity. If used alongside the main engine to power an electric drive motor, this would effectively add to the overall efficiency, already claimed around 35%.
But the WHE may not generate enough electricity to make it worthwhile.
As I understand it, torque = acceleration and horsepower = speed.
You would have a peppy little car with a lower top speed than most.
Perfect for ecomodders like me.