Like this one for instance:
The builder hopes to race this baby at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to recapture the steam land record for America from the colonists.
All he needs is an engine.
Maybe he could borrow one from the Navy or Army or Marines - or China. The Navy is furthest advanced (yes, the U.S. Navy). The Navy might be planning to use such an engine in one of their nuclear-tipped missiles so they can be green as they go about their mission.
Beats coal favored by many kossacks and Detroit.
Take it from a crank, namely James T. Crank, below the fold.
Who is this Crank?
Try this:
James D. Crank , a retired engineer with Lockheed and one of the foremost experts on automotive steam engine systems. During his long year career with Lockheed, Mr. Crank worked in senior research positions on many important projects, including: engine development for the Ground Vehicles Department, primary battery systems for the Triton II missile, battery systems for the Hubbell Space Telescope, heat shields for the Mercury and Apollo space systems, and dynamic solar and nuclear space power systems for SDI. Mr. Crank was also a Research Engineer for the Stanford Research Institute where he worked on explosive cladding of materials for cylinder construction in Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, among other projects.
Mr. Crank also has over 50 years experience in restoration, repair and driving of various steam cars, including the total redesign of the complete Doble crankcase assembly and cylinders for the Series E Doble steam cars (with 10 sets constructed), and the design and construction of the current speed world record holding steam car. He served as a consultant on steam car restoration to Harrah Automobile Collection, Nethercutt Collection, Jay Leno Collection, Stephen Finn Collection, and the Besler General Motors Chevelle steam car, among others; and a consultant to the State of California on the steam bus development program.
Obviously this crank has a bias. No getting around it.
Not sure his comments on the electric car are fit for a family site.
But about that sewage power:
Abstract
This study estimated the kinetics of the mono- and co-combustion of sewage sludge pellets and combustible wastes such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). Sewage sludge was manufactured into pellets with a diameter of 8, 12, or 16 mm and a length of 30 mm...
South Korea has been producing a fine, dry, sterile powder for years from municipal sewage in a pilot operation that is then pelletized for fuel and fertilizer.
China may be doing or about to do the same but it is not so easy sometimes to pierce the Bamboo Curtain. It is a far cry from the "night soil" used for eons as fertilizer in China though the origin is the same.
There is usually concentration on conversion to liquid fuels but why?
Well because you see there is this internal combustion problem.
And isn't that where the problem starts?
External combustion steam power is far older than the internal combustion engine.
Mark Twain's report that the locomotives of the Trans-Egypt Railroad were powered by mummies purchased by the "ton or graveyard" is kind of - umm - like using refuse. Nobody knows whether Twain was reporting accurately or trying to be funny as he often did.
Besides cars, steam engines even powered aeroplanes.
But we aren't talking about reviving the Stanley Steamer, still an interesting automobile.
Modern improvements make external combustion far more efficient and compact than the internal combustion engine and is widely used in power generation but what do we care?
It's only one planet we are destroying. There are probably many other inhabitable planets in the universe.
Best, Terry