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Best Steam in Town
By TrulyHealthy, Section Ask SciScoop Posted on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 07:34:12 AM PST
Is there something better than water out there?

Steam engines use the heat of fossil-fuel like coal to boil water and create steam, the pressure of the expanding steam is use to turn engines like in locomotives.
The question is, is there a better liquid out there today, either natural or man-made, that when compared to water steam, using the same heat can produce more pressure, or when using less heat can produce the same pressure.
Bottom line, is there a liquid that significantly uses less chemical energy (heat) to produce same kinetic energy compared to water.

Best Steam in Town | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)

not my area of knowledge, however; (none / 0) (#1)
by Teknowizard on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:06:32 PM PST

I am not knowledgable in this area, however one of the things I have been keeping up on over the years is the use of the stirling engine combined with solar. Here is a link to one company producing it.

Give Me Steam (none / 0) (#2)
by sciencebase on Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 02:44:31 AM PST

Not as far as I know. Water has an anomalously high specific heat capacity and an almost unique set of properties (such as being solid, liquid and gas within very accessible temperatures. Its underlying hydrogen bonding network being the root cause. There may be supercritical fluids of other materials that have potential for what you describe, but might require higher temperatures and pressures which would then not give you the return on the energy investment achievable with water. db

For more of David's work check out his personal Science News site.

Best Steam in Town | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)

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