A bit of a fantasy, but...

[BlueChariot]

At the very least I'm gonna make my desert cruising destroyer with a diesel in it, retaining the ship style steering from the rear and throttle/braking via a lever like what's available for disabled people.

However, if I win the lottery I shall be hiring you for building what may be the world's first steam powered truck. Steam engines do have a knack for exploding if they don't work properly, it seems.

If it does fail, my report to the motoring industry would be as follows:

 

[AllanD]

Why not just do water injection on the engine in the truck? It squirts in a little water in the cylinder right before it fires or after and turns...explodes into steam which helps alot in power and economy. My old auto shop teacher did it to his Geo Metro 3 banger and was pulling off about 65mpg... and then he had a 460 ford that got 5mpgs.. lol

most people don't realize that the primary gas that is pushing the pistons down the bore is already steam....

What do you think happens when you combine a HYDROcarbon with a 20% mix of oxygen and 78% Nitrogen (effectively inert)

You get a LOT of water, Some Carbon Dioxide & Carbon Monoxide
and some heated Nitrogen (remember, inert!)

But of all the gases that result the one with the highest coefficient of expansion due to increased temperature is the "water gas", aka "Steam"

Going from liquid water at 211deg F to steam at 213F water changes volume by a factor of 1200... and that kind of expansion can really push things around....

Considering that the gas temperature in an internal combustion engine is ~1100degF at idle...

Yeah adding a little more water into the combustion chamber as atmoized droplets can have a big payoff...

AD

 

[rangerluver]

It's true, if you actually think about it logically. What do you see coming out of a tail pipe? (and I realize most of us still have cats on our vehicles)

Steam or on a newer vehicle you can actually see water run out after it has been sitting at a light or stop sign for any length of time.

After a converter takes out the impurities, what we have left is water.

 

[tx3nc]

You're right about steam engines being fairly simple, Safe, reliable boilers or steam generators however are not. Check out jay Leno's site, He has a steam car that was manufactured in the thirtys and he refers to it as the most complex piece of machinery in his garage.

Boiler explosions are bad.... M'kay?