The return of steam....Cool

[theveed]

http://crower.com/

"The future of automotive technology may lie in the past. Bruce Crower, 77, an auto-racing designer with a thriving business in San Diego, has invented a hybrid steam engine in which water is sprayed into a traditional gasoline-powered cylinder, turning waste heat into usable energy. How much energy? Enough to travel 40% farther on a gallon of gas."

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technol...cbccdrcrd.html




http://www.time.com/time/specials/20...677973,00.html

[falken]

I hope the car manufacturers pick up on this. It'll lessen the demand on oil and is environment friendly.

[niky]

No way, the Crower of Crower cams?

Interesting... and a bit more direct than BMW's steam-turbine (which uses exhaust heat far downstream of the engine).

I wonder if you'd have to reinforce the engine, sort of like with diesels? It might raise the cost of the engine to that of diesel, but the fuel economy pay-off may be worth it.

[theveed]

Niky: Yup, if it wasn't for the Crower association, I would've ignored the news as well hehe

[stelvio]

any mention about corrosion in the long term?

[niky]

Water goes through the combustion chamber all the time... corrosion isn't that big an issue.