why cant someone invent a car that runs on water or steam?

Question

auto steam engine

Answer 1

You need to do work to move mass. To do work, one must spend energy. Traditionally, this energy is provided by the combustion of gasoline or diesel fuel in cars. The fuel is burned, heat is released, and the new products are expelled through the exhaust pipe. The potential energy stored in the new products is lower than the potential energy initially in the fuel. The difference in energy moves the car, and makes your engine hot.

Now, the answer to your question, water isn't used as a fuel because in it's natural state, it has little potential energy. It cannot be burned to release heat in the same way gasoline can. It is possible to store water in a high pressure tank and use the stored energy to propel a car, but the machinery used to do this is expensive, heavy and dangerous. The same goes for steam, but because steam is normally hotter than water, it is easier to extract energy from it. This is especially useful if there is a natural source of steam. In most cases, however, the steam needs to be heated on demand, as in a steam engine, to produce power, and the same amount of energy is needed to propel a car regardless of it's power source. To heat the steam, another fuel, or energy source, is needed and there is no benefit to using steam to move the vehicle.

In summary, you can use water or steam to move a car, but it isn't practical. In fact, far from it.

Answer 2

In the beginning, the birth of automobiles, there were many steam powered cars. They fell out of favor due to the danger of boiler explosions. Steam cars were faster than internal combustion engine automobiles of the period. One of the greatest advantages of steam engines is, depending on boiler design, is the ability to burn just about anything that will burn to generate heat. If someone could come up with a super safe, fuel efficien boiler design, I'm sure that a steam powered automobile could be more efficient and lower emissions than any of the cars today.

Answer 3

http://www.goodideacreative.com/h2_sys2.html
Here's a site that should be of interest to you and many others. The electrical energy needed to separate oxygen and hydrogen from water could be created by having a super or double alternator. You would just need enough energy to get your electrolysis reaction going each time you started up. There are also gadgets now available that are a hydrogen supplement to gasoline, which makes it burn more completely and cleaner. For somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 (+/- $200) you can start burning hydrogen along with your gas, gain 10-20% on mileage and have half or less harmful emissions.

Answer 4

well if you can get water to burn i and the rest of the world would like to now how you did it !!! yes you can build a steam engine,start out by cutting lots of firewood and then buy some coal.you could dig your own coal out of the ground,let me know if you find a lot of coal we will market it !great idea but it has been done years ago as steam tractors etc.walking is not bad for you try it,or just stay home and find a way to make a living there.do your studies and you will become very very smart !!! BUY AMERICAN !!!

Answer 5

It has been done. In fact, there is a car that will go 200 miles on compressed air at up to 60MPH.

There are technologies out there. We, need to insist that the manufacturers use those technologies.

Answer 6

We do have hydrogen powered cars...it's called fuel cell technology. We simply dont have refueling stations to make it worthwhile....And by the way, the first cars ever made were steam powered......and did about 15mph...

Answer 7

It takes energy to convert water to steam,,,,it also takes energy to extract hydrogen from water.
As a matter of fact,,,,when automobiles where first invented,,,most off them ran on steam,,,or,,,battery power.
but you still need energy of some form to transfer into another type,,,no matter what you use.

Answer 8

Car can run on water. It's called hydrogen car.

Answer 9

they have (A LONG TIME AGO)

ever hear of the steam engine.

IT TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY ( FUEL ) TO HEAT WATER ENOUGH TO BOIL IT

Answer 10

oil company control to much and president bush is a oil man he has to eat to u know