US 20060137922A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0137922 A1 Ketcham (43) Pub. Date: Jun. 29, 2006

(54) STEAM DRIVEN ROAD VEHICLE (52) US. Cl...... ISO/65.2

(76) Inventor: John C. Ketcham, Elon, NC (US) (57) ABSTRACT Correspondence Address: A steam driven road vehicle having a ?rebox, a boiler, a CHARLES Y. LACKEY drive mechanism operated by steam from the boiler, a Water ATTORNEY AT LAW supply supplying Water to the boiler, and a drive connection P.O. BOX 5871 connected between the drive mechanism and an axle of the WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27113-5871 (US) vehicle. A fuel bin is supported by the vehicle frame holds a supply of fuel to be fed to the ?rebox. A poWer driven (21) Appl' NO" 11/021,196 conveyor conveys fuel from the fuel bin to the ?rebox. An (22) Filed: Dec_ 24, 2004 electrical system is made up of a plug-in element Which connects With an electric source, and a preheating element Publication Classi?cation on the boiler for producing preheat in the boiler. A heat control device controls the temperature of the output of the (51) Int, Cl, preheating element, and a time control device is arranged to 360K 6/00 (200601) energize the preheating element prior to driving the vehicle.

A mmocous

‘ B WATER mm 1 c (XJNDENSBR

I D EwcmcAL REGENERATION Patent Application Publication Jun. 29, 2006 Sheet 1 0f 2 US 2006/0137922 A1

FIGURE 1

A HEATING 0011s

I 1: WATER mm 2 c CONDENSER

I D ELECTRICAL REGENERATION Patent Application Publication Jun. 29, 2006 Sheet 2 0f 2 US 2006/0137922 A1

FIGURE 2

A Misting Valve B Burners

30 wam'hnk 32 Fual'l‘ank 34 Batteries 36 Switch 38 Pump . 40 ?aahBuilw 42 Mlcruwave 44 HeatingCoils 46 Combmtlon Boiler 48 Mean- 50 Condemsm' 52 Baum-y Chargin- 54 Switch x - 56 Wamrl’mp 58 Ignite:- 60 Float Valve 62 Float Valve 64 Pump US 2006/0137922 A1 Jun. 29, 2006

STEAM DRIVEN ROAD VEHICLE mode. When using diesel fuel, it is possible to use bio-diesel made largely from soybean oil and very friendly to the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION environment. Bio-diesel can be used alone or in combination With hydrocarbon diesel Which is in plentiful supply. The use [0001] 1. Field of the Invention of condensers Will enable the recapture of Water from steam [0002] The present invention relates to steam driven road thus reducing the need to large amounts of Water. vehicles and more particularly to a steam driven automobile [0012] FIG. 2 shoWs another embodiment of the steam utilizing microWave heating means. driven vehicle. Before the car can be driven, the Water tank [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art 30 must be ?lled, the diesel fuel tank 32 must be ?lled, and the array of batteries 34 must be charged. [0004] A steam driven automobile Was ?rst developed in the early 1900’s and made popular at that time by the [0013] The sWitch 36 operating the pump 38 that takes Stanley brothers Who produced and sold the Stanley Water to the ?ash boiler 40 is turned on and the microWave Steamer. Others improved the technology and the product gun 42 and the heating coils 44 are activated. Pressures in Was quiet and powerful. Since the automobile could go up ?ash boiler 40 Will reach 650 psi, and pump 38 must be able to 120 miles per hour, many thought that this Would be the to match that pressure. Pump 38 also acts as a block to keep automobile of the future. Then the internal combustion boiler pressures from feeding back into Water tank 30. Flash engine Was developed Which could be started in a fraction of boiler 40 is the ?rst poWer source to be activated, and it is the time it took to ?re up a steam car. Thus the steam car Was this poWer that moves the car on short trips. In this phase, abandoned and the internal combustion engine became the combustion boiler 46 is inactive. backbone of the automobile industry. [0014] The combination of heating coils 44 and micro [0005] Steam Was ultimately made the poWer supply of Wave gun 42 can bring the Water in ?ash boiler 40 to steam choice in the locomotive industry Where the starting time in seconds. This can be assisted by a device on the driver’s Was mainly irrelevant. Abner Doble developed the E Series key chain (not shoWn) that can emit a radio signal that Will Doble Steamer, and he claimed his car Would start in 23 turn on the tWo heating sources before the driver enters the seconds and could achieve 40 miles per hour 13 seconds car. Heating coils 44 Will use more electricity than micro later. The Paxton Company continued to Work on team Wave gun 42. When operating pressures are reached, heating locomotion into the 1950’s but probably never produced a coils 44 are turned oif to conserve poWer, and steam Will car for sale. then be made solely by microwave gun 42. [0015] Steam at 650 psi drives a or a steam BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS piston engine, both designated as 48. Since Water usage must [0006] FIG. 1 is a plan schematic vieW of the fundamental be kept Within reasonable grounds, a condenser 50 has been structure and components of the present invention; and designed to surround engine 48. As steam moves past the ?ns of engine 48, the pressure on the other side of the ?ns [0007] FIG. 2 is plan schematic vieW of another embodi loWers the e?iciency of engine 48. Condenser 50 completely ment of the present invention. encapsulates engine 48 to help to increase e?iciency. Reduc ing spent steam to Water Will create a partial vacuum on the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE spent steam side of engine 48 and the resulting loWer PREFERRED EMBODIMENT pressure Will alloW the steam on the opposite side of the [0008] FIG. 1 of the draWings shoWs the basic chassis of engine ?ns to be more effective. By preventing steam from an automobile incorporating the present inventive features escaping from condenser 50, Water conservation is including an igniter 10, a combustion chamber 12, a diesel enhanced. fuel tank 14, a Water reservoir 16, a ?ash boiler 18, a steam [0016] As engine 48 drives the automobile, a battery engine 20, and a combustion boiler 28. charger 52 is activated and batteries 34 are kept fully [0009] The electrical portion of the invention includes a charged. This requires boiler 46 to also be used. bank of batteries 22, a microWave unit 24, a battery recharg [0017] For a longer trip or to keep batteries 34 charged, ing plug 26, and a microWave 28. combustion boiler 46 is activated by sWitching on Water [0010] The temperature probe in the boiler controls the pump 50 With sWitch 54 that serves boiler 46 and by microWave so that When the car is not in use for a short sWitching on the igniter 58 that Will ?re the ?ames that heat period, a temperature is kept near the boiling point so the car this boiler. While boiler 46 is coming up to full pressure, can make an almost immediate start. A radio signal (hand ?ash boiler 40 continues to operate but is turned oif once it held unit) can turn the microWave and thus shorten the time is no longer needed. The dual pump system is a safety to bring the car to poWer after the driver is behind the Wheel. precaution. If one pump goes out, or some other part of the Use of the microWave unit to provide heat for the boiler system fails, the remaining system is capable of moving the reduces the number of batteries normally required for an car. since the microWave does not require a great [0018] The ?oat valve 60 in Water tank 30 activates a deal of electrical poWer for the start. gauge that indicates loW Water. Float valve 60 in diesel tank 32 does the same thing to indicate loW fuel. A ?oat valve 62 [0011] The car has a secondary fuel source. The boiler is used for longer trips and is ?red by diesel fuel. The move in condenser chamber 50 activates a pump 64 that takes ment of the car and braking action recharges the batteries 22 Water from condenser 50 to Water tank 30. thus permitting the car to operate on short trips around toWn [0019] Other techniques may be used to make microWave in the microWave mode Which is a noiseless and pollution gun 42 more e?icient. A steam turbine engine or a steam US 2006/0137922 A1 Jun. 29, 2006

piston engine (either designated as 48) may be used as an 2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: e?‘ective motor poWer source. means for activating the ?ash boiler before the driver enters the vehicle to initiate the generation of steam at a predeter [0020] When the automobile is using only ?ash boiler 40 mined time before the vehicle is entered and started. and is poWered only by electricity, it is in the most e?‘ective environmental mode. When engine 48 is using diesel fuel, it 3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: can also have a signi?cant favorable environmental impact temperature sensing elements indicating the temperature in by using bio-diesel fuel. This also has the great advantage of the ?ash boiler and programmed to keep the microWave unit not being dependent on foreign hydrocarbon fuel. in an active state and maintaining Water temperature near boiling to reduce the time for restarting the vehicle after it [0021] The steam car is a quiet vehicle and, as described, has been temporarily parked. is simple enough to be easily repaired and is relatively 4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2 further comprising: inexpensive to manufacture. Since its operating pressures temperature sensing elements indicating the temperature in are at 650 psi or less and the ?uid upon Which these the ?ash boiler and programmed to keep the microWave unit pressures are exerted is only Water, the vehicle has safety in an active state and maintaining Water temperature near features Well beyond the poWered vehicles Which boiling to reduce the time for restarting the vehicle after it involve compressing hydrogen to pressures up to 10,000 psi. has been temporarily parked. The infrastructure required to support this mode of trans 5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 Wherein the Water portation is already in place. Bio-diesel fuel is interchange converted from the spent steam is returned to the Water able With hydrocarbon diesel, and the latter is already supply. marketed on a broad basis. The hydrogen infrastructure is far 6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2 Wherein the Water more complex. converted from the spent steam is returned to the Water [0022] From the proceeding description, it can be seen that supply. a steam driven automobile has been provided that Will meet 7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3 Wherein the Water all of the advantages of prior art devices and offer additional converted from the spent steam is returned to the Water advantages not heretofore available. With respect to the supply. foregoing invention, the optimum dimensional relationship 8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3 Wherein the Water to the parts of the invention including variations in siZe, converted from the spent steam is returned to the Water materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, supply. use and assembly are deemed readily apparent to those 9. A steam driven road vehicle comprising: a frame; Wheel skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships illustrated means supporting the frame on the ground including a drive in the draWings and described in the speci?cation are axle; a ?rebox, steam boiler and condenser supported on the intended to be encompassed herein. frame; steam poWered drive means on the vehicle operated by steam from the boiler; a Water supply system supplying [0023] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of Water to the boiler; drive connection means connected the principles of the invention. Numerous modi?cations and betWeen the poWer drive means and the drive axle; a fuel bin changes Will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is not on the frame arranged to hold a supply of fuel for feeding to desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and the ?rebox; ?rst and second means connected betWeen the operation shoWn and described. All suitable modi?cations fuel bin and ?rebox for selectively conveying fuel from the and equipments that fall Within the scope of the appended fuel bin to the ?rebox, the ?rst means comprising a poWer claims are deemed Within the present inventive concept. driven conveyor and the second means comprising a gravity What is claimed is: fed chute; an electrical system in the vehicle including 1. A poWered by electricity or combustion plug-in means arranged for detachable connection to a either singularly or in combination, the vehicle comprising: conventional 240 volt circuit; an electrical preheating ele a ?ash boiler; a quantity of Water; battery means; a micro ment on the boiler connected in an With said electrical Wave unit; heating coils, the microWave unit and the heating system for producing preheat in the boiler; heat control coils being poWered by the battery means to heat Water in the means in the electrical system controlling the temperature of ?ash boiler until a predetermined boiler pressure is output of the preheating element; and time control means in achieved, a required level of steam is developed and the the electrical system arranged to energiZe the preheating heating coils are deactivated; and a condenser system con element at a preset time prior to driving the vehicle. verting spent steam into Water and thereby loWering the quantity of Water needed to be carried by the vehicle.