A project to build a wood-fuelled, steam-powered, recumbent trike may seem an eccentric and even backward step to many people, given that steam powered transport became a redundant technology half a century ago. Similarly, the use of wood as a fuel is often seen as ‘backward’. But we think that there is ‘untapped potential’ here, and our project aims to simultaneously explore the technical feasibility of a new steam engine design whilst also investigating the relationship between engine technology and choice of fuel.

If it were possible to create practical and efficient wood fuelled engines, would this encourage more trees to be grown for fuel? Could a shift in the direction of engine development coupled with consumer demand become a driving force for reforestation?

We’re deeply interested in this issue, and intend to explore the subject further. The pages in this section of the website give a summary of what we’ve discovered thus far, exactly why we want to fit an engine to a trike.

WHY STEAM?  |  WHY WOOD?  |  WHY THE RANKINE CYCLE?  |  WHY A TRIKE?  |  WHY CROWDFUND?