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Old 07-01-2010, 11:48 AM   #31 (permalink)
jdgFirefly
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: canada
Posts: 48

the dented fly - '96 pontiac firefly
90 day: 52.21 mpg (US)
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I was serious about using an air conditioning system it is basically the same cycle, with most of the main components of the steam cycle. The parts are available in various sizes at your local salvage yard.

You don't need a turbine to make steam power. Its always been more difficult to manufacture a turbine than a piston motor of the same eff. So i think your more likely succeed with a seam piston rather than a built from scratch DIY turbine. Piston pumps and motors are easy to come by so you have a large selection of sizes and arrangements to chose from. Another option could be to modified air tools. There typically not piston but they are positive displacement (vane motor).

I think that having a positive displacement motor is important in this situation because it is less sensitive to varying loads and will work with a wide range of input pressures. Whereas a turbine needs to be designed for specific operating parameters (not DIY friendly).

What ever you decide I hope it works out for you. Heat recovery is really the last place for big gains in engine eff.

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