Advanced steam technology (sometimes known as
Modern Steam) reflects an approach to the technical development of the
steam engineA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.The idea of using boiling water to produce mechanical motion has a long history, going back about 2000 years...
intended for a wider variety of applications than has recently been the case. Particular attention has been given to the long-term endemic problems that have led to the demise of steam power in a commercial environment; these include excessive pollution, maintenance costs, labour intensive operation, low power/weight ratio, low overall thermal efficiency... This applies particularly to medium and small-scale installations where steam power has generally now been superseded by the
internal combustion engineThe internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases, which are produced by the combustion, directly applies force to a movable...
or by electrical power drawn from the National Grid. The proposed steam engines may be for stationary, road, rail or marine use.
The
ArgentinianArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
engineer
Livio Dante PortaLivio Dante Porta was an Argentine steam locomotive engineer. He is particularly remembered for his innovative modifications to existing locomotive systems in order to obtain higher performance, energy efficiency and reduced pollution. He developed the Kylpor and Lempor exhaust systems...
in the development of "
Stephensonian" railway locomotives incorporating advanced steam technology was a precursor of this movement from 1948. Where possible, Porta much preferred to design new locomotives, but more often in practice he was forced to radically update old ones to incorporate the new technology.
Achieving the ends
The Sir Biscoe Tritton Lecture, read by Roger Waller, of the DLM company
http://www.dlm-ag.ch/ to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 2003 gives an idea of how these problems are currently being addressed. Waller refers mainly to some
rack and pinionA rack and pinion is a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. The circular pinion engages teeth on a flat bar - the rack...
mountain railway locomotives that were newly built from 1992-98. They were developed for three companies in Switzerland and Austria and continue to work on two of these lines at present (2008). The new steam locomotives burn the same grade of light oil as their diesel counterparts and all demonstrate the same advantages of ready availability and reduced labour cost; at the same time they have been shown to procure greatly reduced air and ground pollution. Their economic superiority has meant that they have largely replaced the diesel locomotives and railcars previously operating the line; over which steam locomotives present the additional advantage of providing strong tourist attraction.
A parallel line of development was the return to steam power of the old
Lake GenevaLake Geneva or Lake Léman is the largest natural freshwater lake in western Europe . In addition it is the largest body of freshwater in continental Europe in term of volume . 60% of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40% under France...
paddle steamer
Montreux that had been refitted with a diesel-electric engine in the 1960s . Economic aims similar to those achieved with the rack locomotives were pursued through automatic control of the light-oil-fired boiler and remote control of the engine from the bridge enabling the steam ship to be manned by the same number of personnel as a motor ship.
All this can be summed up as follows on the basis of the DLM company prospectus:
Modern Steam stands for a new economic and ecologic steam technology, providing the following advantages:
- One-man operation for steam locomotives
- Automatic boiler and remote-controlled steam engine for ships
- Light-oil firing with clean combustion
- Low cost of ownership providing good return on investment
- High thermal efficiency of engine and boiler
- High-level insulation of boiler, steam engine and piping
- Modular concept and exchangeable parts
- Up-to-date bearing technology reducing maintenance and protecting the environment
- To which may be added:
- Ready availability for use
- Can also be used as part of a cogeneration system with a petrol, diesel or gas turbine engine
- Lends itself well to combined heat and power (CHP
CHP can mean:* California Highway Patrol* Christian Heritage Party* Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi -Other:* Consolidated Health Plans* Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh* Christian Heritage Party* Christian Historical Party...
) operation
- Can exploit geothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
sources of steam
Carbon neutrality
A power unit based on advanced steam technology may produce smaller quantities of toxic products than a
diesel engineA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression...
of the same power but as with any
heat engineA heat engine is a physical or theoretical device that converts thermal energy to mechanical output. The mechanical output is called work, and the thermal energy input is called heat. Heat engines typically run on a specific thermodynamic cycle...
that involves combustion, it will inevitably emit a quantity of the
greenhouse gasGreenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state...
. However, significant reductions in other worrying pollutants such as
COCarbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas, yet very toxic to humans. It consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, connected by a covalent double bond and a dative covalent bond...
and
NOxNitrous oxide, commonly known as happy gas or laughing gas, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula N
2O. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
are achievable through the intrinsic nature of steam technology without the need for add-ons such as filters etc or special preparation of fuel. If
wood fuelWood fuel is wood used as fuel. The burning of wood is currently the largest use of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate electricity. Wood fuel may be available as...
is used then the system could, theoretically, be
carbon neutralBeing carbon neutral, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset...
. The use of
biofuelBiofuel is defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel obtained from lifeless or living biological material and is similar to fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Also, various plants and plant-derived materials are used for biofuel manufacturing...
remains controversial; that said, liquid biofuels are easier to manufacture for steam plant than for diesels, as they do not demand the stringent fuel standards required to protect diesel injectors. It follows then that advanced steam technology may offer the potential to achieve carbon neutrality more easily and cheaply than with other types of heat engine.
Advantages of advanced steam technology
In principle, combustion and power delivery of steam plant can be considered as separate stages. Whilst high overall thermal efficiency may be difficult to achieve – largely due to the extra stage of generating a working fluid between combustion and power delivery, mainly attributable to leakages and heat losses – the separation of the processes gives the possibility of addressing specific problems at each stage without revising the whole system every time. For instance the boiler/steam generator can be adapted to use any heat source, whether obtained from solid, liquid or gaseous fuel, and can furthermore use
waste heatWaste heat refers to heat produced by machines, electrical equipment and industrial processes for which no useful application is found, and is regarded as a waste by-product. When produced by humans, or by human activities, it is a component of anthropogenic heat, which additionally includes...
; whatever the choice, it will have no direct effect on the design of the engine unit, as that only ever has to deal with steam.
History
Although most references to "Modern Steam" apply to developments since the 1970s, certain aspects of advanced steam technology can be discerned throughout the twentieth century, notably as regards automatic boiler control along with rapid steam raising from cold. From 1922
Abner DobleAbner Doble , was an American mechanical engineer who built and sold steam-powered automobiles. His father was William Ashton Doble, inventor of the Doble water wheel, and his grandfather and namesake was the founder of the Abner Doble Company.Abner Doble began apprenticing at his family's factory...
developed an electro-mechanical system that reacted simultaneously to steam temperature and pressure, starting and stopping the feed pumps whilst igniting and cutting out the burner according to boiler pressure. The contraflow monotube boiler had a working pressure of from to but contained so little water in circulation as to present no risk of explosion. This type of boiler was continuously developed in the USA, Britain and Germany throughout the 1930s and into the 1950s for use in cars, buses, trucks, railcars, shunting locomotives (US; switchers) a speedboat and a small aeroplane.
Small-scale stationary plant
This mainly includes combined electrical generation and heating systems for private homes and small villages burning wood or bamboo chips. This is intended to replace 2-stroke donkey engines and small diesel power plants. Drastic reduction in noise level is one immediate benefit of a steam-powered small plant.
Ted Pritchard, Melbourne, Australia was intensively developing this type of unit from 2002 until his death in 2007 and the company Pritchard Power
http://www.pritchardpower.com/ intends to have a test unit in operation in 2008.
Until 2006, a German company called
Enginion was also actively developing a
Steamcell, a micro CHP unit about the size of a
PC towerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator...
for domestic use. It seems that now (2008) it has merged with another Berlin company called AMOVIS
A similar unit is marketed by Powertherm, a subsidiary of Spilling (see below).
Small ship auxiliaries and large portable generators
Once again quiet operation is the immediate benefit to be sought in this field, a potential recognised by Ted Pritchard; although nothing of note has yet appeared.
Small fixed stationary plant
The Spilling company produces a variety of small fixed stationary plant adapted to biomass combustion or power derived from waste heat or pressure recovery.
Automotive uses
During the first 1970s oil crisis, a number of investigations into steam technology were initiated by large automobile corporations although as the crisis died down, impetus was soon lost.
Ted Pritchard's main field of research from the late 1950s through the Sixties and into the Seventies was the building of several efficient steam power units working on the uniflow system adapted to a small truck and two cars. One of the cars was achieving the lowest emissions figures of that time.
IAVIAV GmbH, or Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr, is one of the leading engineering providers to the automotive industry.The company's core competencies include perfected, production-ready solutions in all fields of powertrain, electronics and vehicle development. Founded in Berlin in 1983 by...
, a Berlin-based R&D company that eventually developed the Steamcell, previously during the 1990s was working on the single-cylinder ZEE (Zero Emissions Engine), followed by the compact 3-cylinder EZEE (Equal-to-Zero-Emissions-Engine) designed to fit under the bonnet (US hood) of a
Škoda FabiaThe Škoda Fabia is a supermini produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It was the successor to the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001...
small family saloon. All these engines made heavy use of non-flaming
ceramic heat cellA ceramic heat cell, also known as Caloric Porous Structure Cell , is a ceramic device to convert thermal enegy to mechanical work by combustion of, in principle, any fuel that can be vapourised and pre-mixed with air. The cell is designed to work without flame, which keeps emissions of ...
s both for the steam generator and at strategic boost points where steam was injected into the cylinder(s).
Schoell Cycle Engine
A compact heat regenerative external combustion engine has been developed in the United States that reportedly achieves high thermal efficiencies and power-to-weight ratio. The Schoell Cycle Engine, named after its inventor Harry Schoell, is a
Rankine cycleThe Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic cycle which converts heat into work. The heat is supplied externally to a closed loop, which usually uses water as the working fluid. This cycle generates about 80% of all electric power used throughout the world, including virtually all solar thermal, biomass,...
engine that uses multiple heat recapturing processes off its cylinders, exhaust manifold and condenser to achieve thermal efficiencies reported at over 30% . Further, the Schoell Cyclone Engine uses water as both its working fluid and lubricant, and can operate at super-critical pressures and temperatures, which the developer claims to result in greater power output relative to its size. Cyclone Power Technologies Inc., the owner of this technology, claims to be working on a 6 cylinder, 336lbs, 95HP engine capable of producing up to 860 ft. lbs of torque at starting, sufficient for powering a full sized passenger automobile.
http://www.cyclonepower.com/
Rail use
- No. 52 8055
The Rekolokomotives of DR Class 52.80 first appeared in 1960 in service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany as extensive rebuilds of the wartime locomotives or Kriegslokomotiven of DRB Class 52...
, a rebuild of an existing locomotive.
- The 5AT project , a proposal for an entirely new locomotive.
- The ACE 3000 project , proposed by locomotive enthusiast Ross Rowland
Ross E. Rowland, Jr. is a significant figure in the United States railroad preservation, recreation and enthusiast communities who is closely identified with running public and demonstration excursions on existing railroads utilizing steam locomotives....
during the 1970s oil crisis. The locomotive would look like a diesel, and was designed to compete with current diesel locomotives by using coal, much cheaper than oil at the time. The ACE 3000 would feature many new technologies, such as automatic firing and water-level control. The locomotive would be able to be connected to a diesel unit and run in unison with it, so that it would not be necessary to hook up two identical locomotives. The ACE 3000 was one of the most publicised attempts at modern steam, but the project ultimately failed due to lack of funds.
Both 52 8055 and the proposed 5AT are of conventional layout, with the cab at the back, while the ACE 3000 has a more modern appearance. Other approaches are possible, especially with liquid fuel firing. For example:
- Cab forward
The term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs which place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.-Rail locomotives :...
type. This is a well-tried design with the potential for a large power output and it would give the driver a good view of the road ahead. Being single-ended, it would have to be turned on a Turntable (railroad)In rail terminology, a turntable is a device used to turn railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in...
or be able to run round a convenient triangular junction.
- Garratt
A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might...
type. Another well-tried design with large power potential. Probably the best all-rounder. Could be modified by shortening the water tanks and adding a cab at each end to give the driver a good view in either direction.
- A design mounted on power bogies with compact water-tube boiler similar to Sentinel
Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives and later diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...
designs of the 1930s. This would give a compact, double-ended, locomotive but would require considerable development work.
Fireless locomotives
Another proposal for advanced steam technology is to revive the
fireless locomotiveA fireless locomotive is a type of locomotive designed for use under conditions restricted by either the presence of flammable material or the need for cleanliness...
, which runs on stored steam independently pre-generated. An example is the Solar Steam Train project in
Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is the seventh-largest...
.