>>1029043>No, we're talking about an engine design that hasn't changed since the 1800sThat's the point. Steam engines are simple but shit compared to modern ICE's. Pound for pound an ICE will put out more power. Or phased differently, a steam engine must be significantly larger than an ICE to put out the same power.
>Look up "tiny steam engine" or something, they can be made at any size, for obvious reasons.Just to put in perspective, here is a boiler meant for marine use.
https://squareup.com/store/tiny-power/item/dia-vertical-fire-tube-boilerThat costs $9000 because is a massive chuck of metal and it requires fabrication. That boiler is only big enough to run a 3-5hp steam engine. Even if you spend the $9000, you still need to buy a steam engine, propeller, drive shaft, water pump, filters, and who knows what else. Sure you can make the boiler any size, but in order to power a boat, it requires a huge ass boiler compared to an ICE.
Meanwhile you can get a brand new 4hp Honda marine engine for <$1500. The whole thing weighs 60 lbs and includes fuel tank, ignition, propeller, warranty, etc.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|215570|1794283|1794305&id=3594996> boiler explosions were extremely rare.Modern water treatment was practically invented because of boiler failure due to poor water quality. If you want high pressure steam then you need high quality feedwater.
If the steam engine were so great, we'd be using them for our cars and boats already. The reason steam engines rapidly fell out of favor after the invention of the ICE is a testament to the superiority of the ICE for mobile systems.
