However, the fundamental thermodynamic inefficiency of the steam cycle cannot be ignored. When one applies modern techniques to diesel engines, they still are better than steam. If you have a fuel that can be burned in an internal combusion engine, you're better off to do so.
Investigation and development of external combustion engines should continue, of course. However, I suspect that the diesel-electric hybrid system will be the winner for onboard power generation, and electric power from coal-fired power plants will be the winner for those situations where oil is unavailable. Just my prediction...
Perhaps it is time to reassess fundamental thermodynamics - how do you explain the results Waller and Pritchard got? John of Paris
Perhaps it is time to reassess fundamental thermodynamics
It's not a problem. It's what engineers do.
The whole romance of engineering, to me, is the gap between the theory, current systems, and attempting to narrow the chasm.
Re NOX emissions, there is a lot of development work going on in this area. Pre-production road locomotives with significantly reduced emissions are already out there, and hybrid road engines are under development. Here's a recent GE "Evolution" engine that meets the latest EPA standards.
Oooh - the pot calling the (steam) kettle black! That's the trick the diesel promotors played on steam so often in the Forties and Fifties when the boot was on the other foot, except that they often compared really old-fashioned steam with the very latest latest diesels.
Where Waller is concerned your criticism is invalid as, rather than directly compare with a slightly older diesel he made a point of asking for the latest specifications the diesel manufacturers could offer. However I have always thought that the trials and comparison should have been pursued after 1992 taking into account the effects of wear and tear in service. Personally, I would like to see an independent body set up - a sort of international "Porta Institute" to look into that sort of question. We can dream!
The GE diesel looks interesting, I'll follow that up. John of Paris
