Slide Valve

Cylinder Valve

Corliss Valve

Early twenty first century

Small-scale stationary plant
This project 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, of Melbourne, Australia, was intensively developing this type of unit from 2002 until his death in 2007. The company Pritchard Power (now Uniflow Power) [12] stated in 2010

that they continue to develop the stationary S5000, and that a prototype had been built and was being tested, and designs were being refined for market ready products.[13] Until 2006 a German company called Enginion was actively developing a Steamcell, a micro CHP unit about the size of a PC tower for domestic use. It seems that by 2008 it had merged with Berlin company AMOVIS.[14] A similar unit is marketed by Powertherm,[15] a subsidiary of Spilling (see below)

Small ship auxiliaries and large portable generators

Once again quiet operation is the immediate benefit sought in this field, a potential recognised by Ted Pritchard, but 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.[16][17]

[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[18] 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. IAV, a Berlin-based R&D company that later developed the Steamcell, 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)[19] designed to fit under the bonnet (US hood) of a koda Fabia small family saloon. All these engines made heavy use of non-flaming ceramic heat cells both for the steam generator and at strategic boost points where steam was injected into the cylinder(s).

[edit] Rail use

No. 52 8055,[20] a rebuild of an existing locomotive (East Germany, 1960). The 5AT project,[21] a proposal for an entirely new locomotive (Britain, 2000s). The ACE 3000 project,[22] proposed by locomotive enthusiast Ross Rowland 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. Novel versus conventional layout Both 52 8055 and the proposed 5AT are of conventional layout, with the cab at the back, while the ACE 3000 had the cab located at the front. Other approaches are possible, especially with liquid fuel firing. For example:

Cab forward type. This is a well-tried design with the potential for a large power output and it would give the driver a good view ahead. Being single-ended it would have to be turned on a turntable, or a triangular junction. Example: Southern Pacific 4294. Garratt type. Another well-tried design with large power potential. Example: South Australian Railways 400 class. A future design could include shorter water tanks, and a cab at each end, to give the driver a good view in either direction.

Sentinel-Cammell locomotive

A design mounted on power bogies with compact water-tube boiler similar to Sentinel designs of the 1930s. Example: Sentinel-Cammell locomotive (right).

Fireless locomotives Another proposal for advanced steam technology is to revive the fireless locomotive, which runs on stored steam independently pre-generated. An example is the Solar Steam Train project [23] in Sacramento, California.

See also

List of steam technology patents Steam car

References
1. ^ Walton J.N. (1965-74) Doble Steam Cars, Buses, Lorries, and Railcars. "Light Steam Power" Isle of Man, UK. pp. 27; 79; 62; 181;184; 187;120; 149. 2. ^ "Brief Biographies of Mechanical Engineers". Steamindex.com. http://www.steamindex.com/people/engrs.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-13. 3. ^ Robertson, Kevin, Leader and Southern Experimental Steam, Alan Sutton Publishing 1990, pp 22-33, ISBN 0862997437 4. ^ "The Holcroft-Anderson Recompression Locomotive". Aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com. 200804-01.

5. 6. 7.

8.

9.

10. 11.

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/holcroft/holcroft.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ a b Porta, L.D. Advanced steam locomotive development, three technical papers. Camden Miniature Steam Services, Somerset UK, 2006. ISBN 978-0-9547131-5-7 ^ "Willkommen bei DLM". Dlm-ag.ch. http://www.dlm-ag.ch/. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2007-10-22. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. http://web.archive.org/web/20071022125003/http://www.dlmag.ch/prospekte/modern_steam.pdf. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2007-10-15. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20071015210459/http://www.dlmag.ch/prospekte/schiff_us.pdf. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ "DLM AG". Web.archive.org. 2008-04-09. Archived from the original on 2008-0409. http://web.archive.org/web/20080409075718/http://www.dlmag.ch/index2_nonjava-en.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ "Why a steam engine". Pritchardpower.com. http://www.pritchardpower.com/technology.aspx. Retrieved 2010-08-18. ^ Prof. W. Earl Bardsley, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand. "The Sustainable Global Energy Economy: Hydrogen or Silicon?". Springer Link. http://www.springerlink.com/content/4m534g6833jv7487/. ^ "Uniflow Power Ltd - Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency". Pritchardpower.com. http://www.pritchardpower.com/. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ "Uniflow Technology: Technology page". Pritchardpower.com. http://www.pritchardpower.com/technology.aspx. Retrieved 2012-02-12. ^ "Amovis GmbH - Automotive Visions". Amovis.de. http://www.amovis.de/en/kompetenzen.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-18. ^ "PowerTherm". Powertherm.de. http://www.powertherm.de/english/index.php. Retrieved 2009-08-18. ^ "Spilling - Company". Spilling.de. http://www.spilling.de/english/unternehmen_historie.php. Retrieved 2009-08-18. ^ "Spilling Oil Free Steam Engine". Steamautomobile.com. http://www.steamautomobile.com/ForuM/read.php?1,7256,7260. Retrieved 2009-0818. ^ "Our History". Pritchardpower.com. http://www.pritchardpower.com/Our%20History.html. Retrieved 2009-08-18.[dead link] ^ [1][dead link] ^ "DLM's 52-8055". 5at.co.uk. http://www.5at.co.uk/52-8055.html. Retrieved 2009-0818.[dead link] ^ "5AT Advanced Steam Locomotive Project". 5at.co.uk. http://www.5at.co.uk/. Retrieved 2009-08-18. ^ "The Ultimate Steam Page". Trainweb.org. http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ult.html. Retrieved 2009-08-18. ^ "Solar Steam Train project announcement". Thegenerator.com.au. 2009-07-09. http://thegenerator.com.au/articles/energy-matters/3107-solar-steam-train-projectannouncement. Retrieved 2012-02-12.