A PROJECT COMBINING IC AND FLASH STEAM ENGINES
CONSIDERATIONS Ignition timing will need to be adapted to flash steam combustion and associated characteristics (RPM & increased torque). Other changes such as replacement of spark plugs with a different heat-range plugs or pulse plugs [www.pulstarplug.com] may be beneficial. The ignition system may need to be upgraded and there may be undesirable electric field effects. Since the object is to recover thermal energy back into the power production process, additional methods may be employed. It is expected that this method of engine cooling via water/fuel lines will prove insufficient and the system will need to insert a flash steam only injection cycle. Such a cycle would further decrease fuel consumption, and would be even more beneficial with electronically controlled valves which would allow a switch to a 2-stroke flash steam cycle. This would require that more supercritical water be injected [a greater pulse width, amount of time injector stays open] to approximate the power stroke of the substituted flash fuel/water strokes. Injectors need not be a dual fluid type, but each might be fed by an electronic metering/choke valve [such as a double ball valve] allowing the supercritical fluids to mix in the injector, where a turn all-the-way left, say, cuts off fuel and fully opens the water channel, center supplies equal amounts, and all-the-way right cuts off water and fully opens the fuel channel. [High-density supercritical fluids such as water and gasoline behave like liquids, are miscible, have lubricating qualities, and are somewhat compressible.] The optimum flash temperature and pressure will be different for different fuels. This device incorporated as part of the injectors may be patentable. Supercritical injectors will necessarily be subject to harsh conditions of heat and pressure, so current designs may need to be altered and may necessitate fabrication with non-rusting and ceramic components for durability.
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