why are there suggestions here steam cars ran on fuel besides water. are they talking about the initial water heating? that could be done with batteries today. similar to a tea urn.
Abner Doble learned the unfortunate lesson that you can do everything right and still not succeed.
Early automobile manufacturers had to decide on the source of energy to power the automobile: steam, electric or gasoline. Against the prevailing and growing dominance of the gasoline engine, Abner Doble gambled on steam.
@gilbertgotaroot Doble built his first steam car while still in high school. He left the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue his dream of building the finest steam car in the world. By 1918 he had built 80 steam cars in Detroit. In 1920, Doble and his brothers, all engineers, moved their steam car business to Emeryville, California, where they built 42 additional cars before being forced out of business because of changing consumer demands in America.
Although history has proven that Doble made the wrong choice, his steam-powered cars were engineering marvels of the day. The 1924 model Doble steam car, which could run for 1,500 miles on a 24-gallon tank, had a flash boiler the could produce a working head of steam in one minute. It was a luxury car that film stars and royalty were proud to own.
When the gasoline powered car finally triumphed, Doble traveled the world as a steam power consultant.
@r8wing That's actually incorrect, ~1 gallon of water was required ever 1,500 miles. The large volume of water was used to maintain cooling and ensure supply. As for the emissions, complete combustion produces CO2 and H2O in an oxygen rich environment. In a pressurised/high velocity/oxygen rich environment, complete combustion produces C2, O2 and H2O with small quantities of CO2. All Dobles pass modern emission standards as they produce negligible CO2.
You've got it all wrong on combustion. Complete combustion produces CO2 and H2O and is the ideal situation. Incomplete combustion - which occurs when there isn't enough oxygen to combine with all carbon and hydrogen atoms available in the fuel - may yield carbon, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons, and is not desirable because it generates a lot of pollution and insufficient heat. To state that combustion generates OXYGEN is ludicrous to the extreme.
Then it doesn't count as exhaust, does it? Of course not all the oxygen feed into the burner takes part in the reaction regardless of what type of combustion is used. Anyways, when you burn hydrocarbons you get carbon dioxide, there's no way around it. You may also get nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and a hundred other compounds, but water and CO2 are for sure.
@r8wing I spoke with the owner of one of the Dobels and he said that there was no carbon monoxide produced in the combustion process. Jay Leno's also done several interviews regarding the emissions. There is no CO produced.
Of course there isn't any carbon monoxide (CO) because the burning is complete, at low pressure in a rich oxygen environment, but there's plenty of carbon DIOXIDE (CO2), which is quite normal given the conditions.
@gilbertgotaroot - it didn't lose out to gasoline / petrol, the Model-T for example was built to run on vegetable fuel. today called biodiesel and no different to vegetable cooking oils.
the anti-hemp conspiracy contributed to use of oil petroleum and diesels being used instead of alcohol and vegetable fuels from plant crops.
And by fitting a steam expander unit to each axle one could make a 4WD car with little hassle. Too bad they didn't do it back then steam cars were still competitive.
The red one, probably a Stanley, doesn't have a condenser so it would consume a copious amount of water apart from fuel. The gray one is very elegant, imagine driving this around in 1925!
Steam engines are quite inefficient because of the heat exchanger, a Doble would do about 10 mpg. The advantage is that fuel can be pretty much anything that burns, including kerosene, heavy fuel oil, even alcohol:)
@r8wing I'm lead to believe that the final generation of Dobles were closer to 50-65mpg. Also, the Dobles had some very interesting features, including steam turbo chargers. (The gray one has one fitted)
That would be a VERY optimistic fuel rating for a car with an external combustion engine, direct-drive transmission an weighing in the range of 2.5 tons. Make sure you're not making a confusion with water consumption, even the cars with a condenser were losing steam. The Doble Model E from 1924 was consuming water at a rate of about one gallon every 60-65 miles indeed, but fuel consumption is whole nother story.
@r8wing Please check your facts. Dobles do not actually consume water, it is a closed system. They required no more topping up of water than a modern car. The fuel economy is well known and was one of their major selling points. You also have to remember that it is complete combustion, they do not produce Co2, the only emissions from Dobels were Oxygen, Carbon and Water.
Now I see it clearly. "Complete combustion, they do not produce Co2, the only emissions from Dobels were Oxygen, Carbon and Water"? Dude, what marks did you have at Chemistry in high school?
Magnificent. Read up on the Doble's specs, you'll be amazed at what they could do and their durability. Just consider what applying todays technology to steam cars could achieve...
why are there suggestions here steam cars ran on fuel besides water. are they talking about the initial water heating? that could be done with batteries today. similar to a tea urn.
JustSomePerson888 2 months ago
Those late steam cars look more like petrol powered cars than steam locomotives look like diesel ones.
Myrtone 5 months ago 2
@Myrtone I'm lead to believe the Dobels are actually running on Petrol in this footage, quite efficiently too I might add.
gilbertgotaroot 2 months ago
Abner Doble learned the unfortunate lesson that you can do everything right and still not succeed.
Early automobile manufacturers had to decide on the source of energy to power the automobile: steam, electric or gasoline. Against the prevailing and growing dominance of the gasoline engine, Abner Doble gambled on steam.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot Doble built his first steam car while still in high school. He left the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue his dream of building the finest steam car in the world. By 1918 he had built 80 steam cars in Detroit. In 1920, Doble and his brothers, all engineers, moved their steam car business to Emeryville, California, where they built 42 additional cars before being forced out of business because of changing consumer demands in America.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
Although history has proven that Doble made the wrong choice, his steam-powered cars were engineering marvels of the day. The 1924 model Doble steam car, which could run for 1,500 miles on a 24-gallon tank, had a flash boiler the could produce a working head of steam in one minute. It was a luxury car that film stars and royalty were proud to own.
When the gasoline powered car finally triumphed, Doble traveled the world as a steam power consultant.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
On a 24-gallon tank of WATER that is, not counting fuel. Quote Wikipedia:
"The 1924 model Doble Series E steam car could run for 1,500 miles (2,400 km) before its 24-gallon water tank needed to be refilled;"
r8wing 7 months ago
@r8wing That's actually incorrect, ~1 gallon of water was required ever 1,500 miles. The large volume of water was used to maintain cooling and ensure supply. As for the emissions, complete combustion produces CO2 and H2O in an oxygen rich environment. In a pressurised/high velocity/oxygen rich environment, complete combustion produces C2, O2 and H2O with small quantities of CO2. All Dobles pass modern emission standards as they produce negligible CO2.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
You've got it all wrong on combustion. Complete combustion produces CO2 and H2O and is the ideal situation. Incomplete combustion - which occurs when there isn't enough oxygen to combine with all carbon and hydrogen atoms available in the fuel - may yield carbon, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons, and is not desirable because it generates a lot of pollution and insufficient heat. To state that combustion generates OXYGEN is ludicrous to the extreme.
r8wing 7 months ago
@r8wing The O2 coming out of the exhaust pipe is not produced in the reaction, it is excess from the turbo charger.
I suggest you check out Jay Leno's material on the Dobels, he's published a lot of it.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
Then it doesn't count as exhaust, does it? Of course not all the oxygen feed into the burner takes part in the reaction regardless of what type of combustion is used. Anyways, when you burn hydrocarbons you get carbon dioxide, there's no way around it. You may also get nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and a hundred other compounds, but water and CO2 are for sure.
r8wing 7 months ago
@r8wing I spoke with the owner of one of the Dobels and he said that there was no carbon monoxide produced in the combustion process. Jay Leno's also done several interviews regarding the emissions. There is no CO produced.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
Of course there isn't any carbon monoxide (CO) because the burning is complete, at low pressure in a rich oxygen environment, but there's plenty of carbon DIOXIDE (CO2), which is quite normal given the conditions.
r8wing 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot - it didn't lose out to gasoline / petrol, the Model-T for example was built to run on vegetable fuel. today called biodiesel and no different to vegetable cooking oils.
the anti-hemp conspiracy contributed to use of oil petroleum and diesels being used instead of alcohol and vegetable fuels from plant crops.
JustSomePerson888 2 months ago
And by fitting a steam expander unit to each axle one could make a 4WD car with little hassle. Too bad they didn't do it back then steam cars were still competitive.
r8wing 7 months ago
The red one, probably a Stanley, doesn't have a condenser so it would consume a copious amount of water apart from fuel. The gray one is very elegant, imagine driving this around in 1925!
r8wing 7 months ago
Yes thoses are REAL CARS
scoobydog411 10 months ago
They should scrap those hybrids and do cars like these !
Even those old models would simply go faster than them.
Now with today's technology like EForchetto said, these would be monsters !
Such performances for only 900 rpm at 70 mph, the engine would hold more than 500.000 miles lifetime.
TerminatorFRA 10 months ago
@TerminatorFRA
Steam engines are quite inefficient because of the heat exchanger, a Doble would do about 10 mpg. The advantage is that fuel can be pretty much anything that burns, including kerosene, heavy fuel oil, even alcohol:)
r8wing 7 months ago
@r8wing I'm lead to believe that the final generation of Dobles were closer to 50-65mpg. Also, the Dobles had some very interesting features, including steam turbo chargers. (The gray one has one fitted)
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
That would be a VERY optimistic fuel rating for a car with an external combustion engine, direct-drive transmission an weighing in the range of 2.5 tons. Make sure you're not making a confusion with water consumption, even the cars with a condenser were losing steam. The Doble Model E from 1924 was consuming water at a rate of about one gallon every 60-65 miles indeed, but fuel consumption is whole nother story.
r8wing 7 months ago
@r8wing Please check your facts. Dobles do not actually consume water, it is a closed system. They required no more topping up of water than a modern car. The fuel economy is well known and was one of their major selling points. You also have to remember that it is complete combustion, they do not produce Co2, the only emissions from Dobels were Oxygen, Carbon and Water.
gilbertgotaroot 7 months ago
@gilbertgotaroot
Now I see it clearly. "Complete combustion, they do not produce Co2, the only emissions from Dobels were Oxygen, Carbon and Water"? Dude, what marks did you have at Chemistry in high school?
r8wing 7 months ago
this is soooo cool!
pyrosimple 1 year ago
There's only 4 or 5 running Doble's in the world so seeing 2 of them together is a real treat.
KenMacMillan 1 year ago
Doble was the best car ever!!
Jthetinman 1 year ago
Magnificent. Read up on the Doble's specs, you'll be amazed at what they could do and their durability. Just consider what applying todays technology to steam cars could achieve...
EForchetto 2 years ago
Already working on it ;) (Check my other videos for details)
gilbertgotaroot 2 years ago
Wish I had more. Have a few shots from behind, a good one of a safety valve blow off and a few photos of them stationary.
gilbertgotaroot 2 years ago
Nice. Jay Leno has a Model E.
bentleyv8t 2 years ago
unsurpassed, even today i'd prefer one if they would be available!
bluemoondiadochi 2 years ago 2
Love to see more of this.
flyingscrapyard 2 years ago
Delighted to see oil 22 running on the road having had the pleasure of seeing it under test at its home.
towtug 2 years ago