Lately, I saw briefly (on TV), very briefly, a steam engine.
I searched the net, and here I find surprising info:
Meet the people who have modern day steam engines. It is cheap, efficient and compact and can change the political world / sociological landscape. These men have an Enginion http://www.amovis.de/en/leaders.htm fully functional, efficient modern day steam engine. They together with the VW car co. built several working prototypes, but then decided that the world shouldn't have EZEE03 and the revolutionary steam engine? They kept it for themselves. Look at the facts and modern history of the power of the steam engine and in the car. Also consider the consequences on society the only ones who will lose with this modern steam engine unleashed on the world are the wealthy, the government and the electric power companies. The poor and middle classes would be the real winners. Either these folks at VW and Enginion said something, or they're incredibly short sighted for thinking that the world isn't ready to buy a modern steam car. Maybe it's just greed. See here ... Motor http://www.amovis.de/en/simulation.htm Consequesces ... Looking at the consequences it is no wonder that even the German government, with all social programs and state funded schools would oppose the release of this new steam car powered by EZEE03 What does it mean for a modern steam electric car to be sold to the general public? This means that the taxes collected by the gas tax and used to maintain the government and infrastructure will not be picked up. This alone causes far far-reaching effects. Governments will have to find other sources of taxation, roads will be neglected and municipal pensions will have to be abolished. But the poor have the power to build, power and money to innovate and invent. This is the money that goes today to government businesses and gasoline will be invested and move on to other areas.
From 1996 an R & D subsidiary of the Volkswagen AG group was called Enginion developing a system called ZEE (Zero Emissions Engine). It produces vapor almost instantly, without a flame, and took 30 seconds to reach full power from a cold start. Their third prototype, EZEE03, was a three-cylinder unit intended for insertion into a Škoda Fabia automobile. The EZEE03 has been described as having a "two-stroke" (i.e. single-acting) engine with 1.000 cc (61 cu in) displacement, producing up to 220 hp (164 kW) (500 N · m or 369 ft Lbf). The exhaust gases were said to be well below the SULEV standard. It had an "oilless" ceramic engine cylinder liners using steam instead of oil as a lubricant. However, Enginion (link) found that the market was not ready for steam cars, so they instead opted to develop the “Steamcell” power generator / heating system based on similar technology.
http://www.amovis.de/en/simulation.htm