Steam engine car breaks speed record

    The British made a race car on a steam engine, which accelerated to an average maximum of 225 km / h and broke the speed record of a hundred years ago (!), Writes New Scientist.

    The car’s engine burns natural gas to heat water in 12 boilers, each the size of a briefcase. Under pressure, the steam warms up to 400 ° C and breaks out of the boilers with great power into a two-stage turbine that rotates at 13,000 rpm, transmitting torque to the wheels.

    The speed record was officially registered on August 26, 2009 by specialists of the International Federation of Motorsport ( FIA) According to their requirements, the car had to travel the 1.6 km highway twice a hour in the forward and reverse directions, so that the strong California wind did not affect the result.

    In two attempts, the three-ton 7.6-meter Charles Burnett III was able to accelerate to 219 and 243 km / h. He met in eight minutes, although before entering the highway he needed 4 km to accelerate and the same amount for subsequent braking.

    The previous achievement of the steam engine speed of 204 km / h belonged to a modified car of the popular brand Stanley Steamerand held on since 1906. In those days, steam engines were considered the most promising technology for automobile transport. Everything changed by the 1920s in connection with the improvement of the internal combustion engine and the cheapening of gasoline.

    Charles Burnett III has a theoretical speed limit of 274 km / h, so its creators intend to try again, even if the FIA ​​officially registers a 225 km / h record in the coming days.

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