Steam Engine for MPG?

[KY Metro]

Heres the attachments I recieved with that email:

Mark II Specifications.pdf

Mark II PV Diagram.pdf

Mark II Efficiency Calculations.pdf

[miket]

Can this thing do engine braking?

[Dr. Jerryrigger]

Originally Posted by miket

Can this thing do engine braking?

It should be able to a little, but with out the option of downshifting it's very different.

[miket]

There could be some way to restrict the steam flow to do braking. Heck this steam engine might be able to reverse direction.

[Bicycle Bob]

That boiler area is under 60 sq. ft, which usually means 5 or 6 HP.

[KY Metro]

@miket, most steam engines are able to run forwards and reverse. Therefore, they have the full force of the engine available as engine braking. Of more interest is the coasting drag the engine would have on the engine. No neutral on these - no gearing at all.

@Bicycle Bob, Cyclone's engines run at supercritical steam pressure, meaning enough heat and pressure that the steam is as dense as water. Temps this high allow a much higher output from a compact boiler. It also allows much higher rates of energy transfer for condensing the steam since the temps are so high, allowing a compact condenser.

[miket]

Well if you close the intake and then the exhaust valves on the steam pistons they could become air springs like they do on certain V8 gas engines. for coasting.

[KY Metro]

The operating principle is known as 'countersteam braking'

Countersteam brake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sometimes counterpressure braking is used, which is based on air pressure instead of steam.

Counter-pressure brake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jason.thompson]

Cyclone land speed racer

Cleaning oil in the gulf

I've been trying to get my hands on a Cyclone WHE.

I'd like to connect it to the front of my diesel's crankshaft by a clutch so it can start the vehicle (no batteries needed at all since the Cyclone runs off an APU or engine waste heat), give the diesel engine torque so the diesel can operate where it wants, and run a hydraulic pump for powering a second hydraulic pump sandwiched where the clutch is like this from Lightning Hybrids. I'll insulate the engine so the only way heat can get out is through going through the diesel or the steam engine this will also help for warming up the diesel since it'll never get the chance to cool down. When sitting in traffic I can shut the diesel off and just creep along with the hydraulic from the accumulator or fire up the steam for A/C, hydraulic, and electrical power.

Instead of engine braking I'd store the energy in the hydraulic accumulator and then use it later.

Speaking of steam I just installed a Snow Performance water methanol injection system on my old IDI which increased MPG 2-3.

I'm at 20 mpg now and getting closer to the goal of Perpetual Motion.

Check this out Tesla's Self Acting Engine and implosion engines.

200 MPG Car

Niama-Reisser

[KY Metro]

I have continued to email the Cyclone folks, and I have gotten several tidbits, although some are relative to the Mark V engine:


~The Mark V has 850ft-lbs of torque at near 0 RPMs

Incredible as that sounds, remember that these engines are designed not to need a transmission. A 114 HP Volvo engine producing 136 ft-lbs will multiply that torque 13 times at the wheel in first gear, for a max of 1,809 ft-lbs (not that you need it), proceeding to the overdrive ratio 2.61, for 355 ft-lbs at the wheel. So the Mark V likely needs a final drive ratio of 1.5:1 or so.

I can't wait to hear the torque numbers on the Mark II.


~Mark V burner has a firing rate of 7 gallons per hour

This is an incredible amount of fuel, but remember that's top capacity. Meaning with a mediocre fuel economy of 20MPG, this burner can keep you supplied with steam up to 140 MPH with 100% duty cycle. When you add the reserve capacity of the boiler, there's room for even faster speeds, in short bursts. Also means that normally, duty cycle would be 25 – 50%.

Not so useful to us perhaps, but food for thought.


~The expected cost is “similar to a gasoline engine of the same horsepower”.

What does that mean? Who can say.
A gasoline 20hp engine costs anywhere from $1000 to $1500+ off the shelf.


~They have temporarily ceased work on the Mark II in favor of better funded projects.

Well, I just wish them some success, and hope they get their business firmly established.



Waiting is so hard..... <sigh>