On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:47:35 -0700, RW Salnick
wrote:



Take a look at the Crower 6-cycle engine -

Although I didn't look closely, it almost reminds me of a variation of
"water injectors." A non-closed steam circuit doesn't make sense to
me, and once the steam circuit is closed, we're back to the latter
Stanley Steamers, although they could be much improved with turbines.
Anyway, the IC and steam don't seem to mix become of the volume steam
requires.
Since you kept me interested, I found "bmw steam assist"
which is more along the lines I was thinking in recovering waste heat.
The trick is designing a practical heat recovery device that is
adequately efficient in heat transfer, energy conversion, and power
train while still being small in size. And the cost, of course.
I don't think it would actually use water, but something more exotic.
Again I didn't read deeply, but they seem on the right track.
Except - to get the most out this I think it needs to be hybridized to
the extent that when excess heat isn't being used to apply motive
power, that energy should be shunted to a battery for storage.
So it would be a step beyond current gas/battery hybrids, but still
need that honking battery. Another alternative way of storing energy
I recall reading about is the massive flywheel - I think vacuum sealed
- which stores braking energy and feed it back when needed.
Sounded nice until you think of the weight and vacuum required,
or the high-speed flywheel shattering and spraying shrapnel.
Another thought is that the great increase in IC fuel efficiency
has been achieved mostly by better burning of fuel with injectors,
electronic ignition, etc. There might be more bounty in squeezing
the most out of the fuel and working on getting the explosion
itself to transfer more of its direct energy into work.
Though it's heat transfer instead of work, modern home NG furnaces
are up to about 90% efficiency and use PVC exhaust vents.
Wankel was the last radical IC redesign I'm aware of, but there
may be a genius out there that comes up with another that completely
changes our thinking about this.
It won't be me - writing this has wrung me out.

--Vic