Hello all,
A project was tried some time ago (30+ years now!) on a Pontiac Fiero, which
investigated the
effects of completely vaporizing the fuel before combustion.
A heat exchanger was put in the intake system, after fuel mixture, to create
enough heat to
completely vaporize the fuel. Because of pressure loss due to mixture
expansion a turbocharger was
used to achieve the same output power. My memory is of a 40% improvement in
BSFC or 40 % power
improvement depending on turbo pressure.
The work was done by Smokey Unik (sp) of "The Best Damn Garage In Town"
fame, and was reported in
either Hot Rod or Car & Driver magazine. I saw the vehicle at the GM
proving grounds while involved
in a college project in 1978 or '79.
Dan F
"40% improvement in BSFC"
I doubt that.
Paul Lamar
The coolant and the exhaust system went through the intake manifold. His
secrete was of course, that the car would not detonate. His personal 2 cylinder
engine was actually the front end of a Chevy V-8 which he owned hundreds of.
He had the Horizon and Fiero 4 cylinders and a Mercury Capris. A shabby
looking thing.
Engineers from around the world came to Jacksonville to drive his Vapor
cycle cars. Not one could get them to detonate. The coolant system held just two
liters. Barely enough to wet the block. The radiator was a heater core. This
man insulated the water jackets in the heads on very high HP V-8s, to prevent
heat loss from the combustion process. He pushed coolant into the core
support plugs on the sides of the block
and took it out the heads. Later, Cosworth did that as well.
Engineers would start off in top gear, and full throttle trying to get
detonation. Nobody would buy his idea, which would revolutionize the piston
engine, and he would not give it away.
Here is a German engineer describing the engine/car.
http://schou.dk/hvce/
Lynn E. Hanover
That was an adiabatic engine which recovers heat from the cooling and not
the energy in the fuel. There is work afoot to build a rotary version.
The problem with that is you need the heat in the northern climes.
http://www.rotaryeng.net/interesting.html
Paul Lamar
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