Thinking Out Loud
I don’t have the clout to make this happen, but I’m happy to know that I’m not the only one thinking in these terms. I’ve thought for a long time that the best solution to our oil and pollution problem would be a steam-electric hybrid. Apparently, BMW is thinking in the same direction (not exactly, but close).
The complaints about steam are that:
- It takes about 2 minutes to work of a head of steam to drive the vehicle.
This is why I suggest a steam-electric hybrid. Use the electric power to give the user immediate driveability, and then switch to steam as soon as it is ready. - Water freezes when it is cold.
No one says that the system has to use “steam” from water. With all of our chemical smarts, it seems that we could create a closed-loop system that would use something other than Di-Hidrogen Monoxide.
The best news about steam is that you do not get greenhouse gasses from an external combustion engine. Second, you can burn anything that burns consistently, including ethanol. And finally, steam engines are 98% efficient, compared to about 35% for the current technology in internal combustion engines.
Honda: Are you listening?