Who could direct me to a way to figure out mathematically how much volume you have to have in a boiler, how hot it has to get, to produce enough steam for a particular steam engine size? There must be some standard formulas for figuring this out. Are there any good steam engine types out there?
About 100 years ago there were steam engine powered automobiles called Stanley Steamers. So the gasoline/ kerosene- fired ? steam generator (boiler) could be small enough to fit inside an automobile. A 1917 boiler was 18 high and 23 diameter. Operating pressures of 600 psig were common for driving 30-40 mph, but could be higher for speed. One went as high as 1500 psig before it started leaking. None ever exploded. A Steamer went 205mph at Daytona. The vertical fire-tube boiler was rated at 20 hp for normal driving while the dual, double- acting ,single - expansion, piston engine could develop up to 125 hp for short durations. There were first non-condensing and then condensing models. Fuel efficiency and boiler water efficiency were both concerns.
