Heat regenerative cyclone engine
The heat regenerative cyclone engine is an energy recovery heat engine that converts thermal energy into mechanical energy. The engine is like a steam engine in that all of the engine's heat flows directly through the engine wall. This is traditionally known as an external combustion engine and like a steam engine it uses water as the working fluid. The fact that this device works on an external combustion engine allow it to use external thermal energy to run and generate electric power, thus waste heat of medium source from industrial processes could be used to drive the cycle and produce electric power.
Details
The Cyclone Engine is more efficient than a steam engine due largely due to reheat and heat regeneration that recycle heat that would otherwise be lost. The working fluid is maintained at 1,200 degrees F (650 C) and 3200 psig (218 atm, 22MPa) (supercritical temperature, critical pressure). The maker claims that operating at supercritical conditions improves efficiency and makes for a more compact engine.
The peak thermal efficiency is marginally higher than conventional gasoline engines. But unlike conventional gasoline engines, the efficiency varies little over its operating range. By CONTRAST, conventional gasoline engines typically see their greatest efficiency at relatively high outputs where the engines rarely operate in practice. The average fuel economy of the Cyclone engine in the automotive application is expected to be higher as compared to conventional automobiles (especially in city driving). Dynomometer testing on a stationary Cyclone engine indicated a net thermal efficiency of more than 30%. In this test the condenser was water cooled, and the furnace exhaust was fitted with a large heat recovery heat exchanger used to preheat the combustion air.
The main advantages are: its capacity of using a wide range of fuels - gasoline, diesel oil, ethanol, kerosene, straight vegetable oil (SVO), powdered coal, natural gas, propane, etc.; the ability to safely use pure biofuels with minimal processing; continuous and complete combustion of fuel, creating fewer emissions than internal combustion engines while requiring no emissions controls equipment whatever; very high power/weight at less than one-half the weight of conventional automotive systems for equal performance (100 hp automotive system weighs 330 pounds); high torque at start and torque profile ideal for automotive use eliminates the need for a transmission; engine starts from rest and also operates in reverse so a clutch is not required; the working fluid (water) is used to lubricate the engine, which avoids a long-standing problem of steam engines, the contamination of lubricating oil by water; the system is a simple design with fewer components and fewer moving parts as compared to a conventional automotive system. It could also use concentrated solar as the input heat source.
The Schoell cycle engine is a cross between a Rankine, Diesel and Carnot cycle engine. The Cyclone answers the problems of size, complexity, and high pressure gasses that have kept the Stirling engine from becoming practical.
Applications could range from [...] eaters to trains.
Current developments
At the 2008 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) show, Cyclone Power Technologies announced that a lawn-equipment manufacturer would be commencing production of a lawn mower powered by a cyclone engine, in 2009.
Currently in its late stages of development, the Cyclone Engine was recognized by Popular Science Magazine as the Invention of the Year for 2008, and was presented with the Society of Automotive Engineers' AEI Tech Award in 2006 and 2008. Additionally, Cyclone was recently named Environmental Business of the Year by the Broward County Environmental Protection Department.
In July 2009 it was announced that the engine was going to using as part of a project by the American government called EATR - Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot . The project is to create an autonomous robot that can power itself with any Biomass it can find.