Suggested Improvements For The New LycaMobile Mk2

Hi Dean/Steve,
I understand that you are reviewing improvements to the new Mk2 Lycamobile - the boiler being one of them. Whilst at the moment I do not have any personal experience of the Lycamobile boiler (as I do not have one yet), I would suggest that the inclusion of a 12 volt burner would be more efficient and very beneficial. No purge, more reliability, instant lighting and also an inverter would not be necessary, which would obviously lead to longer battery life. However, have you considered the inclusion of some sort of condenser to extend the range of 1 gallon of water? At the very least, why not design some sort of system where the exhaust is diverted back  into the fresh water tanks in order to cool and condense the exhaust steam? This would ultimately provide a quick and easy solution to extending the range on a tank(s) of water.  I believe some British Rail steam locomotives (tank engines) had just the same sort of system installed for the very same reason. Such a system could be designed very easily and  simply without adding very much to the overall cost!!

Regards
Greg (Goliewogs)

Goliewogs wrote:
I would suggest that the inclusion of a 12 volt burner would be more efficient and very beneficial. No purge, more reliability, instant lighting and also an inverter would not be necessary, which would obviously lead to longer battery life.

Even better: why not do away with the electrics altogether? The original Locomobile/Stanley burner system works fine. Present day owners have tweaked them to a point where it's pretty reliable. Why not stick with that?

Goliewogs wrote:
However, have you considered the inclusion of some sort of condenser to extend the range of 1 gallon of water? At the very least, why not design some sort of system where the exhaust is diverted back  into the fresh water tanks in order to cool and condense the exhaust steam? This would ultimately provide a quick and easy solution to extending the range on a tank(s) of water.  I believe some British Rail steam locomotives (tank engines) had just the same sort of system installed for the very same reason. Such a system could be designed very easily and  simply without adding very much to the overall cost!!

Whilst Serpollets and Whites had condensers in the very early 1900's, Locomobiles never had them and Stanleys didn't have them until 1915, for two very good reasons: simplicity and cost. Their implementation of it wasn't too clever, either, but that's another matter. I do like simplicity (another reason why I don't like the Likamobile's burner system) and a condenser will add complexity, weight and cost.

I hasten to add that some original Locomobiles were delivered in the UK with condensers, but they did not return the water to the tank. Instead it was just drained onto the road. The only purpose for the condenser was not to frighten the horses with great plumes of water vapour.

Make it a four seater and give it mudguards, that's my 4 pennyworth!