How hot and how large does a boiler have to be for a steam engine.

Question

Who could direct me to a way to figure out mathematically how much volume you have to have in a boiler, how hot it has to get, to produce enough steam for a particular steam engine size? There must be some standard formulas for figuring this out. Are there any good steam engine types out there?

Answer 1

About 100 years ago there were steam engine powered automobiles called Stanley Steamers. So the gasoline/ kerosene- fired ? steam generator (boiler) could be small enough to fit inside an automobile.   A 1917 boiler was 18 " high and 23 " diameter. Operating pressures of 600 psig were common for driving 30-40 mph, but could be higher for speed. One went as high as 1500 psig before it started leaking. None ever exploded. A Steamer went 205mph at Daytona.  The vertical fire-tube boiler was rated at 20 hp for normal driving while the dual, double- acting ,single - expansion, piston engine could develop up to 125 hp for short durations. There were first non-condensing and then condensing models. Fuel efficiency and boiler water efficiency were both concerns.