In 1966 a fellow in San Diego, W. H. Thompson, purportedly a retired automotive engineer and executive, along with Kenneth Wright, Roy Burslam, and Len Terry started development of an electric/steam propulsion system for automobiles. A luxury car was proposed and a drawing is shown in Vol. 8, #4 1966 “The Steam Automobile” magazine. A race car was also, and of course, proposed. The engine developed for this car has been located in Southern California where the present owner purchased it without provenance at an auction. The engine is of strange but reasonably good design. Its construction shows very good workmanship. At least it uses poppet valves which puts it miles ahead of most home made and home designed steam engines. The fact that it has a crankshaft and connecting rods puts it miles ahead of most steam engines, now that you mention it, but do not get me started.
The description is quite fascinating. “According to Thompson, the steam generator is able to produce about 2000 lbs. of steam per hour using “very little” fuel (kerosene). The combustion chamber is quite small and contains at its center an electrically powered device called a “reactor.” This unit operates at 3000 degrees F (consuming 1.5 kw of electric power) and is used both to preheat the feed water before admission to the steam-generating portion and to add superheat to the generated steam.”
The promotional material goes on to say that pure oxygen is burned which is produced by electrolysis and that condensation is much easier because an electric refrigeration unit that is “thermostatically controlled” helps cool the condenser. Mention is made of the benefits of the added vacuum because of this air conditioned condenser.
All of this electricity comes from a 6 kw alternator unit which is driving by a new two-cycle IC engine, likewise and of course designed by Thompson, that is very small, self-supercharged, and fuel-injected. The goal is to produce a Ferrari type of a vehicle.
What I like the most about this publicity blurb is that it is so creative that no one can accuse me of making up one word of it. These things present themselves to me for my personal amusement. Unfortunately they do not do a whole lot to further anyone’s faith in new steam development. Any information on where any of this equipment is or any more information on it will be appreciated. Now that I think about it, any information is probably in the possession of heirs to what was at one time a nice fortune before Mr. Thompson started developing Ferrari type vehicles and thus I should have been more circumspect in my analysis of his work.