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User:E.C.McHenry/Cyclone Mark V Engine

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The Cyclone Engine is a Rankine Cycle heat regenerative external combustion engine. It was developed by Cyclone Power Technologies under the leadership of inventor Harry Schoell. The Cyclone Engine is unique among external combustion engines in that it has an extremely high power-to-weight ration, it can run on almost any liquid or gaseous fuels, and it requires no lubricating oil.

Development

The Cyclone Engine was invented by Harry Schoell after he became unsatisfied with internal combustion engines. He formed the company Cyclone Power Technologies in 2004 in order to officially develop and market the engine. In 2008, Popular Science Magazine named the cyclone engine Invention of The Year.

Functional Description

The Cyclone Engine is built of three major components, the Steam Generator, Piston Block, and Condenser. The working fluid, deionized water, travels continuously through these three components. Beginning in the steam generator, moving into the pistons, then to the condenser, and finally pumped back into the steam generator.

Steam Generator

Steam Generator is comprised of three basic components: a coil of water tubes, surrounded by a series of burner assemblies, and covered with an insulated shroud. Each burner assembly is comprised of an air blower, which blows pre-heated air into the combustion chamber, a fuel atomizer, and an igniter. The blower and atomizer are arranged so that the flame front is tangential to the water-tube coils. This arrangement allows the heavier particles in the fuel to circle the outside of the chamber until they are completely burned up, allowing for much cleaner, complete combustion of fuel, and resulting in cleaner emissions.

The small size of the water tubes allows for much higher pressures than those of larger boilers, because of this, the water is not allowed to boil. Instead, it is allowed to reach supercritical temperature of

Piston Assembly

The piston assembly is comprised of an even number of pistons arranged radially around a single crankshaft. The pistons are attached to the crankshaft via a special "spider" bearing. This bearing consists of several small journal bearings attached to a disk which has a larger crankshaft journal bearing in the center. Each piston has one head admission valve. this valve is actuated by a variable cam on the crankshaft, and allows for the entrance of supercritical water into the cylinder. As the supercritical water enters the cylinder, it flashes into steam and pushes the piston inward, thus rotating the crankshaft.

As the piston is pushedinward, it uncovers exhaust ports in the cylinder wall. The supercritical water has now given up enough energy through expansion that it is in a vapor state. This exhaust vapor passes out of the exhaust ports in the cylinder wall and across regenerative heating coils, which are wrapped around the cylinder. The heat from the exhaust vapor is used to preheat the water in these tubes before it enters the steam generator. The vapor then passes into the condenser

Condenser

The condenser is comprised of a stack of interleaved circular plates, with an open core containing an impeller and a condensate sump underneath it. The exhaust vapor enters the top of the condenser from the piston block and is forced by the impeller onto the sides of the condenser and into the leaves of the circular plates. On the outside of the plates, a blower circulates air around the interleaved plates. This effectively condenses the exhaust vapor, which falls into the condensate sump at the bottom of the engine. A high pressure pump then pumps the condensate out of the sump, through the regenerative heating coils around the cylinder, and back into the steam generator.

Schoell Cycle

The Schoell Cycle is the term applied to the unique process of regenerative heating which the Cyclone Engine uses. In this system, both the air and water are used to preserve heat in the engine.

The Air is taken in by blowers at the base of the engine, is used to condense the exhaust vapor, cools the combustion exhaust gasses in the Steam Generator shroud, and is then used as primary air for combustion in the steam generator.

The Water begins in the condenser sump, is pumped through a high pressure pump, picks up heat from the cylinder exhaust vapor in the regenerative heating coils around the cylinders, and then enters the steam generator.

Water Lubrication

Potentially the most important aspect of the Cyclone Engine is the use of water as a lubricant. By using deionized water as both the working fluid and the lubricant, and by lubricating specific points in the engine, the use of motor oil is unnecessary. Deionized water can be used as a lubricant because it has no charged ions or particles which may corrode the engine, and because it has a much high slippery quality than untreated or ion-containing water. By using water as a lubricant instead of oils, the steam in the engine is capable of reaching temperatures in excess of 1200°F.

Applications

The Cyclone engine has the potential to be used in many applications from small appliances and lawnmowers to large marine propulsion plants and power plants. One major intention of the Cyclone Engine is for use in automobiles. As of April, 2011, the engine is being developed for use in several specific applications:

  • Unmanned undersea vehichles for the U.S. Navy
  • Solar thermal engines for parabolic dishes
  • mobile materials handling equipment and lifts
  • Biomass-to-power systems for an autonomous robotic vehichle, EATR
  • Auxiliary power units for U.S. Army TACOM
  • Small-scale waste heat engine generators

In addition to these applications, the Cyclone Mark V engine will be used in the U.S. Land Steam Record car by Team Steam U.S.A.

References

[1]


Bibliography

  1. ^ Link text, additional text.
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