Quote:
Originally Posted by blackjackel
why not just use the engines heat to generate water vapor to go in with the air intake.... same thing, and it would allow the combustion crack it  |
When combustion temps become high enough to seperate water into it's component hydrogen and oxygen it is called detonation. At the temps that shear water molecules it's too hot for H and O to recombine into water, so they seek out the next best thing: aluminum or steel in the combustion chamber. Not good.
For every pound worth of gasoline injected into an ICE there is approximately two pounds of water formed in the combustion reaction, which as wet steam is the primary motive force that pushes against the pistons. Kinda interesting that a gasoline engine is also an open cycle steam engine, eh?