WO2006061615A1

WO2006061615A1 - An engine which operates on water

Info

Publication number: WO2006061615A1
Application number: PCT/GB2005/004707
Authority: WO
Inventors: Malcolm Phillips; Graham Thomas Dixon
Original assignee: Uws Ventures Limited
Priority date: 2004-12-08
Filing date: 2005-12-07
Publication date: 2006-06-15
Also published as: WO2006061615A9; GB0426933D0

Abstract

An engine (2) which operates on water, which engine (2) comprises a combustion chamber (4) for receiving the water, feed means (6) for feeding the water to the combustion chamber (4), atomising means (8), heater means (10) for heating the atomising means (8) to temperature at which the water explodes, and drive means (12) which is driven by the explosion of the water.

Description

AN ENGINE WHICH OPERATES ON WATER

This invention relates to an engine and, more especially, this invention relates to an engine which operates on water.

Many different types of engines are known, including 4-stroke internal combustion engines, 2-stroke internal combustion engines, and rotary combustion engines. The engines generally operate on a petroleum fuel, a diesel fuel, or a liquefied petroleum gas fuel. World supplies of these fuels are becoming exhausted. There is a need for an engine running on another type of fuel.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided an engine which operates on water, which engine comprises a combustion chamber for receiving the water, feed means for feeding the water to the combustion chamber, atomising means, heater means for heating the atomising means to temperature at which the water explodes, and drive means which is driven by the explosion of the water.

The engine of the present invention is advantageous in that it uses water as the fuel for the engine. Water is in plentiful supply in the world. In addition, the engine is such that it causes the water to dissociate into its component parts of hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms. These component parts of the water are far more environmentally friendly than the various component parts of petroleum, diesel and liquid petroleum gas fuels currently being used. Still further, when the atomising means reaches the required temperature, the explosion of the water produces a force which is at least comparable to that produced by the burning of the above mentioned known fuels.

The engine may be one in which the water is in liquid form, and in which the feed means is an injection feed means for injecting the water into the combustion chamber.

Alternatively, the engine may be one in which the water is in liquid form, and in which the feed means is a water drop feed means for feeding drops of the water into the combustion chamber.

Alternatively, the engine may be one in which the water is in ice particulate form, and in which the feed means is an ice particulate feed means for feeding the particles of ice into the combustion chamber. The particles of ice may be in the form of ice pellets. The particles of ice may be in any suitable size and shape.

Alternatively, the engine may be one in which the water is in gel form, and in which the feed means is a gel feed means for feeding drops of the gel into the combustion chamber.

In all embodiments of the invention, the water may be pure water or an aqueous solution. The aqueous solution may contain various other ingredients if desired. The engine may be one in which the combustion chamber has an atomising portion which is extra to a main combustion chamber portion of the combustion chamber.

The atomising means may be at least one atomising plug. Alternatively, the atomising means may be a positive and negative electrode device.

The heater means may be an electric current heater means. The electric current may be provided from a battery. Alternatively, the heater means may be a laser heater means. Alternatively, the heater means may be a direct heat heater means. Alternatively, the heater means may be a microwave heater means. Other types of heater means may be employed.

Preferably, the heater means is such that it able to heat the atomising means to a temperature in the range of 1700 - 3500⁰C.

The drive means may be a piston and cylinder drive means.

The piston and cylinder drive means may comprise at least one piston which is mounted for reciprocating action in at least one cylinder. The engine may then operate on a 4-stroke or a 2-stroke operating cycle.

The combustion chamber may be in a top part of the cylinder, or it may be external to the cylinder.

Advantageously, the piston has a tip portion which is for operating at a high temperature. The tip portion is preferably made of tungsten. The tip portion may be made of other materials if desired and a table giving appropriate materials and their melting points is given as follows: Material Material

Carbon Amorphous 3500 Carbon Diamond 3500

Carbon Graphite 3500 Iridium 2350

Iron Carbide 1837 Spinel 2135

Masurium 2300 Rhodium 1955

Ruthenium 2400 Amorphous silicon carbide 2600

Graphite silicon 2600 Silver 1950

Tantalium 2850 Thorium 1845

Titanium 1800 Tungsten 3370

Tungsten Carbide 2877 Vanadium 1710

Ziconium 1700

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the piston and cylinder drive means may comprise at least one rotary piston which is mounted for rotation in at least one cylinder. In this case, the engine may operate on a Wankel-type rotary cycle. With this type of engine, the combustion chamber may again be in the cylinder or external to the cylinder. The drive means may alternatively be a rotary gas turbine drive means.

Generally, the engine of the present invention may have any suitable and appropriate drive means. The engine is primarily intended for vehicles but the engine may be used for other uses in the same manner as known engines are used for other uses.

The engine may be one which has at least one exhaust valve, and no inlet valve.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a first engine; Figure 2 show a second engine;

Figure 3 shows a third engine; and

Figure 4 shows a fourth engine.

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown an engine 2 which operates on water. The engine 2 comprises a combustion chamber 4 for receiving the water, and feed means 6 for feeding the water to the combustion chamber 4. The engine 2 also comprises atomising means 8, and heater means 10 for heating the atomising means 8 to a temperature at which the water explodes. The engine 2 further comprises drive means 12 which is driven by the explosion of the water.

The engine 2 is such that the water is in liquid form. The feed means 6 is an injection feed means for injecting the water into the combustion chamber 4. The combustion chamber 4 has an atomising portion 14 which is extra to a main combustion chamber portion 16. The atomising portion 14 may be in the form of a high temperature atomising bowl.

The atomising means 8 is an atomising plug. The heater means 10 is heated by direct current from a battery 18.

The drive means 12 is a piston and cylinder drive means 12 comprising a piston 20 operating in a cylinder formed by the main combustion chamber portion 16. The piston 20 operates with a reciprocating motion and it is connected by a connecting rod 22 to a fly wheel 24.

The combustion chamber 4 has an exhaust valve 26 as shown. There are no inlet valves. The piston 20 has a tip portion 28 which is for operating at a high temperature. The tip portion 28 may be made of tungsten or any other suitable appropriate material. The tip portion 8 is curved as shown to be a complementary fit into the atomising portion 14. In the relatively confined area of the atomising portion 14, the water is able to be heated to the required temperature by the atomising means 8 and thereby caused to explode. The explosion spreads into the main combustion chamber portion 16 and drives the piston 20 downwardly from the position shown in Figure 1. After reaching bottom dead centre, the piston 20 rises again until the tip portion 28 is once again in the atomising portion 14 of the combustion chamber 4, whereupon another explosion of injected water will take place, thereby driving the piston 20 downwardly once more. The power take-off from the flywheel 24 may be by any of the arrangements employed in known engines. A crankshaft may be employed where the engine has more than one piston and cylinder arrangement.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown an engine 30 in which a piston 32 operates in a cylindrical combustion chamber (not shown). The piston 32 has a tip portion 34 which is made of tungsten or any other suitable and appropriate material. The tip portion 34 has an atomising chamber 36 which forms part of the overall combustion chamber in which the piston 32 operates. At top dead centre, the tip portion 32 is such that the atomising chamber 36 is positioned between a positive electrode 38 and a negative electrode 40. The positive and negative electrodes 38, 40 may be made of tungsten or any other suitable and appropriate material. The tip portion 34 and the positive and negative electrodes may be made of the same or different materials as appropriate.

Direct current from a battery 42 causes the positive and negative electrodes 38, 40 to heat the tip portion 34 to a temperature at which water 44 passing along an inlet passage 46 is caused to explode. The explosion forces the piston 32 downwardly as described above with reference to Figure 1.

In Figure 2, the water 44 may be in liquid form for being fed as water droplets, or it may be in ice particulate form for being fed as ice pellets, or it may be in gel form for being fed as drops of gel. During operation of the engine 30, the tip portion 34 may be heated to 1700°. The injection of 2cc of water may cause 3400cc of gas may be ejected through an exhaust valve (not shown).

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown an engine 48 which is somewhat similar to the engine 30 shown in Figure 2. Similar parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. The engine 42 can operate with the same type of water 44 as the engine 30 shown in Figure 2. However, in Figure 3, the heater means is a laser heating means 50 comprising two lasers 52, each firing a laser beam 54 down a laser tube 56. The lasers 50 may enable a temperature of 3500⁰C to be achieved in the atomising chamber 36.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown an engine 58 which is in the form of a gas turbine. The engine 58 comprises a combustion chamber 60 provided in an explosion-proof enclosure 62. Water in an appropriate form is injected into the combustion chamber 60 by feed means 64 including a tube 66. The tube 66 passes through atomising means comprising an atomising plug injector 68. The atomising plug injector 68 is positioned opposite an atomising plug receiver 70. The atomising plug receiver 70 is heated by heater means 72.

During operation of the engine 58, explosions from the water in the combustion chamber 60 passes to exhausts 74 and are used to rotate a gas turbine drive arrangement 76 as shown. The exhaust gases may be arranged to impinge on turbine blades (not shown) to drive the rotating body part of the gas turbine drive arrangement 76.

The engine of the present invention, including the engines illustrated in Figure 1 - 4, operates on the principle that water reaches a supercritical state when its temperature and pressure reach critical values, for example 374⁰C at 218 atmospheres. The engine is able to exploit the energy released from the explosion that occurs when the water is atomized at temperatures above this supercritical point. At a pressure of 1 atmosphere at 1700⁰C, about 0.6% of all water molecules may be dissociated. At about 2200⁰C at a pressure of 1 atmosphere, about 4% of all water molecules may be dissociated. Dissociation increases as the temperature rises and the pressure falls. The water dissociates into hydrogen and oxygen irons, and atomic hydrogen and oxygen species. Complete disassociation into H (atomic hydrogen) and O (atomic oxygen) occurs above about 325O⁰C. Generally, at temperatures above 1000⁰C, the engine of the present invention will operate from water explosions. The engine will operate from the detonation of water at temperatures up to 5000⁰C.

Where the water is injected as liquid drops, then the feed means may operate on an ink-jet feed principle or an air-brush jet principle. Generally, water is able to be injected through an atomising plug or via an internal jet.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the engine could be a rotary internal combustion engine rather than a reciprocating internal combustion engine or a gas turbine. The heater means may be a direct heat heater means instead of the illustrated electric current heater means and the laser heater means. The engine of the present invention may be used for all the uses for which known engines are used, including engines for vehicles and engines for static equipment.

Claims

1. An. engine which operates on water, which engine comprises a combustion chamber for receiving the water, feed means for feeding the water to the combustion chamber, atomising means, heater means for heating the atomising means to temperature at which the water explodes, and drive means which is driven by the explosion of the water.

2. An engine according to claim 1 in which the water is in liquid form, and in which the feed means is an injection feed means for injecting the water into the combustion chamber.

3. An engine according to claim 1 in which the water is in liquid form, and in which the feed means is a water drop feed means for feeding drops of the water into the combustion chamber.

4. An engine according to claim 1 in which the water is in ice particulate form, and in which the feed means is an ice particulate feed means for feeding the particles of ice into the combustion chamber.

5. An engine according to claim 4 in which the particles of ice are in the form of ice pellets.

6. An engine according to claim 1 in which the water is in gel form, and in which the feed means is a gel feed means for feeding drops of the gel into the combustion chamber.

7. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the water is pure water or an aqueous solution.

8. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the combustion chamber has an atomising portion which is extra to a main combustion chamber portion of the combustion chamber.

9. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the atomising means is at least one atomising plug.

10. An engine according to claim 8 in which the atomising means is a positive and negative electrode device.

11. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the heater means is an electric current heater means.

12. An engine according to any one of claims 1 - 10 in which the heater means is a laser heater means.

13. An engine according to any one of claims 1 - 10 in which the heater means is a direct heat heater means.

14. An engine according to any one of claims 1 - 10 in which the heater means is a microwave heater means.

15. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the heater means is able to heat the atomising means to a temperature in the range of 1700 - 3500⁰C.

16. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the drive means is a piston and cylinder drive means.

17. An engine according to claim 16 in which the piston and cylinder drive means comprises at least one piston which is mounted for reciprocating action in at least one cylinder.

18. An engine according to claim 17 in which the piston has a tip portion which is for operating at a high temperature.

19. An engine according to claim 18 in which the tip portion is made of tungsten.

20. An engine according to claim 16 in which the piston and cylinder drive means comprises at least one rotary piston which is mounted for rotation in at least one cylinder.

21. An engine according to any one of claims 1 - 15 in which the drive means is a rotary gas turbine drive means.

22. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims and which has at least one exhaust valve, and no inlet valve.