JP2005509774A - Hydropower engine - Google Patents

Abstract

An engine that is powered only by superheated water / steam, where superheated water / steam is used to generate power through thermal expansion. This water / steam is then condensed and then recycled in the closed circuit device to achieve zero consumption and zero discharge.

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine, and more particularly to a method for supplying an energy source to the engine using water.

  In the past, many efforts have been made to utilize the benefits of water vapor as an energy source for fuel engines.

  A steam engine is a thermodynamic machine for converting heat from steam into work and has long been recognized as a relatively efficient power source. Such a steam engine cycle is often known as the Rankine cycle, the main benefit of which is the use of steam in the expansion process of the steam engine. The unpopularity of steam engines is well known and will not be described in detail here.

  Steam is used in internal combustion engines to assist combustion, two examples of which are described in US Pat. Nos. 5,539,914 and 5,261,238.

  U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,914 discloses an engine driven by steam, where the steam is made outside the engine's combustion chamber and injected into the expansion chamber via a high pressure valve.

  U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,238 discloses injecting water into an engine cylinder immediately after combustion of the fuel / air mixture. This jet of water evaporates the water, thereby increasing the force created by the engine's power stroke.

  The object of the present invention is to provide an engine that uses water / steam as the only means of generating power and provides a useful alternative to the user.

  Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example.

  According to the broadest aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for supplying an energy source to an internal expansion engine, where superheated water / steam is used as the only means of generating power via thermal expansion.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an engine that is supplied with an energy source only by superheated water / steam, where the superheated water / steam is used to generate power via thermal expansion. Then condensed and then recirculated in the closed circuit device to achieve zero consumption and zero discharge.

  In particular, water is superheated at the moment of demand in small quantities sufficient to meet the engine's direct demand and is not supplied via a water vapor reservoir.

  The present invention employs an electromechanically induced thermal expansion method in which an environment where a small amount of water is conditioned by heat and pressure to the extent that minimal thermal energy needs to be consumed to complete the expansion process. make. The expansion process residue is condensed after the expansion process and cooled just enough to return it to the liquid state. Thus, Applicant has created a steam powered engine that has all the benefits of the steam expansion process but none of the unpopularity.

  The present invention differs from steam assisted internal combustion engines in that water / steam is the only means of generating power. It is not a logic that promotes the steam assistance process. The logic (ordinance) of the steam assistance process is to burn only water, which is achieved through hydrogenolysis technology, and combustion is a common issue.

  The present invention requires water that is metered in time, delivered at very high pressure, and preheated beyond normal evaporation temperatures. Potentially, no evaporation (and therefore expansion) occurs in the delivery system due to the controlled residual pressure at which the engine according to the invention operates.

  This delivery system metering device forces water into the engine cylinder via a pre-set injector at start-up when the metering pump creates a pressure rise above the closing pressure. Since the pressure in the engine cylinder is significantly less than the pressure in the delivery system, the pre-conditioned water will quickly expand and create work in the cylinder. A further heating step takes place in each engine cylinder via the heating element, ensuring the completion of the expansion step. The manner in which such metering can be performed can be controlled via a piston pump metering system or a constant pressure electromechanical gate.

  Further aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example only.

  The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a schematic layout of an internal expansion engine incorporating the present invention.

  In the accompanying drawings, an example of an internal expansion engine, indicated generally by the arrow 1, is shown. The engine 1 has a drive shaft adapted to drive a regular metering pump 3 or a driven shaft 2. The periodic metering pump 3 incorporates a check valve 4 at its outlet. The output from the periodic metering pump 3 is supplied to the injector 5. The output tube 6 from the check valve 4 to the injector 5 is heated by a heating system (not shown in detail) such as a heating coil or element 7. The injector 5 supplies the superheated water from the periodic metering pump 3 to the expansion chamber 8. The expansion chamber 8 has a heater 9. The heater 9 can be a glow plug or the like adapted to operate with respect to the output from the periodic metering pump 3, so that the heater 9 operates only periodically and simultaneously in a synchronized manner with the injector 5. An electrical control system 13 is incorporated and adapted to construct an electromechanical gate system as described below.

  The expansion of water in the expansion chamber 8 reciprocates a piston (not shown). The expansion chamber 8 is emptied by the upward stroke of the piston, and water is supplied to the condenser 10. The condensed water from the condenser 10 is supplied to the liquid reservoir 11, and its output acts as an input fluid to the periodic metering pump via the pipe 12.

  The flow of water as fluid through the periodic metering pump 3, the check valve 4, the injector 5, the expansion chamber 8, the condenser 10 and the liquid reservoir 11 constitutes a closed circuit.

  In use, the closed-circuit nature of the water flow and the use of pulsating superheated water / steam, in which only a small volume is always heated, creates an efficient power source through thermal expansion in the expansion chamber, which is driven by the movement of the piston. Creates energy that is converted into the rotation of the shaft, which can be used in a wide variety of applications. In particular, the electronic control system 13 opens and closes the injector 5 that is electronically operated at a predetermined time. System 13 automatically adjusts timing and water injection volume to meet demand.

  Thus, the present invention provides an internal expansion engine that is efficient and operates with optimum power.

  In the above description, a particular mechanical perfection is described as an example, but it is expected that their mechanical equivalents can be replaced as if they were individually described herein.

  While specific examples of the invention have been described, it is anticipated that improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an internal expansion engine.

Claims (12)

  An engine that is powered only by superheated water / steam, where the superheated water / steam is used to produce power via thermal expansion and then condensed and then has zero consumption and zero emissions An engine that is recirculated in a closed circuit device to achieve.   2. An engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the water is superheated at the moment of demand in a small quantity sufficient to satisfy the engine's direct demand and is not supplied via a water reservoir.   Employing electromechanically induced thermal expansion to create an environment where a small amount of water is conditioned by heat and pressure to the extent that minimal thermal energy needs to be consumed to complete the expansion process. The engine according to claim 2, characterized in that   Engine according to claim 3, characterized in that the expansion process residue is condensed after the expansion process and cooled just enough to return it to the liquid state.   5. The engine according to claim 1, wherein the engine is an internal combustion engine in which water / steam is the only means of generating power.   Engine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water is metered in a time pulsating manner, delivered at very high pressure and preheated beyond the normal evaporation temperature.   7. Engine according to claim 6, characterized in that the residual pressure of water / steam is controlled so that no potential evaporation (and thus expansion) takes place in the delivery system.   The delivery system metering device forcibly feeds water into the engine cylinder via an injector preset to open when the metering pump creates a pressure rise above the closing pressure at start-up. The organization according to 7.   9. Engine according to claim 8, characterized in that the pressure in the engine cylinder is considerably less than the pressure in the delivery system, so that the preconditioned water expands rapidly and creates work in the cylinder.   10. An engine according to claim 9, characterized in that a further heating step takes place in each engine cylinder via a heating element to ensure the completion of the expansion step.   11. Engine according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that metering is controlled via a piston pump metering system or a constant pressure electromechanical gate mechanism.   An engine as set forth in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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