With the increasing magnitude and intensity of storms, heat waves, and wildfires, as well as the many other threats posed by climate change, There are many factors to consider when considering the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Scientists have proven that the human need to burn fossil fuels may lead to this issue and that it is time to eliminate this habit.
Since transportation is responsible for over one-fourth of the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emissions must be accompanied by eliminating vehicles powered by gasoline, diesel, and natural gas.
Steam-powered a lot of earlier automobiles that were sold in the 1900s. Could the same technology be used in another role?
The ‘Stanley Steamer
The steam-powered automobile became possible after diesel oil and gasoline substituted coal and wood to power engines.
The inventors Francis and Freelan Stanley Brothers, who invented the invention of Francis and Freelan Stanley, were automakers as they advanced photography technology. In 1898 and 1899, they sold more automobiles than any early automobile manufacturer; the steam-powered “Rocket Racer” also set a speed record in 1906.
In the beginning, cars driven by internal combustion engines- the ones that are most used in the present – were battling steam engines and winning the technological war. In 1912, the first year of its introduction, electric starters were created safer and more efficient by substituting dangerous hand cranks. When the 1920s arrived, and its manufacturing lines began producing Model Ts and the Model T with an electric starter, Ford sold hundreds of thousands of cars each year.
Contrary to this, early steam vehicles were hefty and costly. They took some time to create enough steam for moving. Doble Steam Motors, another automaker from the beginning, eventually resolved this issue along with many others; however, the cars remained costly, and by then, they were too late. The noisy, polluting, less expensive internal combustion engine had beaten them out. In 1924, the Stanley Motor Carriage Co. stopped operations in 1924.
Specifically, since the heat required to boil water and create steam comes from somewhere, steam-powered vehicles burn carbon-based fuels to warm the water.
A 1970s revival
Steam power made a revival during the 70s. However, it was not due to concerns about climate. In the 1970s, automobile pollution emissions had become a problem creating smog in cities.
Steam boilers be more efficient at burning fuel than an internal combustion engine. This leads to cleaner exhaust that’s mostly carbon dioxide and water.
At the time, it was viewed as an improvement.
A few cities fighting pollution from car exhausts included steam-powered vehicles in their vehicles. The resurgence in popularity was only temporary because of the emergence of new technology which could reduce the emissions caused by internal combustion engines.
The drawbacks of steam and the advantages of electricity
The most significant obstacle facing steam-powered vehicles is that it is not a source of energy. It is more of an energy source that powers the vehicle’s wheels.
Although driving using steam-powered cars could help clean the air in the driver’s local communities switching to steam-powered engines that still use diesel and gasoline would not cut CO2 emissions.
Another approach may remove the necessity to use fossil fuels for transport: substituting gasoline tankers with batteries that power the vehicle and swapping out internal combustion engines for electric motors to drive the wheels.
A decrease in carbon emissions will be higher when vehicles operate using electricity generated by solar panels, wind turbines, or other energy sources that do not emit carbon dioxide.
Many of the first automobiles ever built used electric power. The manufacturers stopped producing those models due to the necessity to charge their batteries following short journeys, making them less useful than vehicles powered by fossil fuels.
Battery technology is improved, and today, some automobiles powered by electricity can travel for up to 400 miles (640 kilometers) without requiring recharge. Instead of using steam for power to cut CO2 emissions, we suggest using renewable sources of electricity.
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