Steam Engine is not yet obsolete.

Dear Friends, Steam engine has not become obsolete yet. It is being used by so many firms yet. Its basic advantages are i) Small capital Investment. ii) Any fuel can be used to produce steam. iii) Less maintenance required. iv) Less skill level is required for operating it, and so many. It can deliver torque at zero speed and produce power with reasonable efficiency over a large range of speeds. Hence, unlike an internal combustion engine, it can drive a vehicle directly without the need for a clutch or gearbox, and unlike a turbine, it is not restricted to a narrow range of optimum speeds. It can also be reversed without a gearbox. It is insensitive to fuel, and can be used to generate power from fuels that are unsuitable for internal combustion or gas turbine engines (eg biomass, coal, waste). In some industries these fuels are virtually free (eg wood wastes in pulp mills, straw in agriculture). Because combustion occurs in steady state in a boiler furnace, it can be controlled so as to produce much lower pollutant emissions than are practicable in an internal combustion engine. The State of California, the US leader in air pollution legislation, recently declared Diesel soot to be a toxic substance, a move which will revive interest in non-IC prime movers. It is less demanding of high tolerances and care in manufacturing and maintenance than other engines, and can be lower in capital cost. Hence it remains of interest in parts of the world where maintenance labour is unskilled. Refer a few URLs below for more details : http://www.usstexasbb35.com History of steam Engine http://www.steamenginesociety.org http://www.steamengine.com.au/ Thanks & Regards, Ashok S. Kamate Mob. 8125198535. Prototype Steam Engine developed by us: Generates electricity and glows an LED. Watch video uploaded.