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A hydrogen fuel zero or low emissions external combustion engine and a method to convert an internal combustion engine thereto. The invention includes devices, modifications, alterations, kits and methods for converting an internal combustion (IC) engine or engine design to the external combustion e

A hydrogen fuel zero or low emissions external combustion engine and a method to convert an internal combustion engine thereto. The invention includes devices, modifications, alterations, kits and methods for converting an internal combustion (IC) engine or engine design to the external combustion engine while using many of the components of the internal combustion engine. The external combustion engine includes a hydrogen tank to supply hydrogen fuel, a hydrogen flash vaporizer (HFV) to combust the hydrogen fuel and vaporize an atomized liquid introduced into the hydrogen flash vaporizer into an expanding fluid vapor (EFV), and an engine to receive the expanding fluid vapor and convert an expansion force thereof into mechanical force with a superior level of efficiency derived from a unique heat scavenging and cylinder shrouding design.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of converting a conventional internal combustion engine to a hydrogen fuel external combustion engine, comprising: installing a high density fluid reservoir to store a high density fluid;installing a hydrogen fuel tank to store a hydrogen fuel;installing a hydrogen flash vaporizer to com

1. A method of converting a conventional internal combustion engine to a hydrogen fuel external combustion engine, comprising: installing a high density fluid reservoir to store a high density fluid;installing a hydrogen fuel tank to store a hydrogen fuel;installing a hydrogen flash vaporizer to combust the hydrogen fuel received from the hydrogen fuel tank and vaporize the high density fluid received from the high density fluid reservoir into an expanding fluid vapor;modifying the conventional internal combustion engine to receive the expanding fluid vapor and to convert an expansion force of the expanding fluid vapor into mechanical motion: andmodifying coolant passages defined in the conventional internal combustion engine to receive at least a portion of heat produced by the hydrogen combustion in the hydrogen flash vaporizer to shroud the conventional internal combustion engine and heat the expanding fluid vapor therein. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: directing the heat of the hydrogen combustion from the cooling passages to the hydrogen tank to heat a hydride store therein to release the hydrogen fuel. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: modifying at least one of the coolant passages and other passages formed in the conventional internal combustion engine to receive the heat produced by the hydrogen combustion to shroud the conventional internal combustion engine. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the engine comprises at least one piston within a cylinder, and the method further comprises: engraving the cylinder with at least one groove connected to the coolant passages; andfitting a shrouding sleeve in the cylinder to define other passages in the cylinder to shroud the piston with the heat of the hydrogen combustion. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the high density fluid comprises a binary mixture of water and ammonia. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen fuel tank comprises a hydride tank, and the method further comprises: directing heat produced by the hydrogen combustion to the hydrogen tank to release the hydrogen fuel. 7. An external combustion engine system, comprising: a tank to store a source of fuel;a vaporizer to combust the fuel and vaporize an atomized liquid introduced into the vaporizer to an expanding fluid vapor;an internal combustion engine to receive the expanding fluid vapor and convert an expansion force thereof into mechanical force; anda vaporizer exhaust system to direct at least a portion of the heat produced by the combustion of the fuel into passages defined in the internal combustion engine to shroud the internal combustion engine and heat the expanding fluid vapor therein,wherein the atomized liquid, being a mixture of water and ammonia, comprises at least 50% water. 8. An external combustion engine, comprising: a hydrogen tank to store a source of hydrogen fuel;a hydrogen flash vaporizer to combust the hydrogen fuel and vaporize an atomized liquid introduced into the hydrogen flash vaporizer to an expanding fluid vapor;an engine to receive the expanding fluid vapor and convert an expansion force thereof into mechanical force; anda hydrogen flash vaporizer exhaust system to direct at least a portion of heat produced by the combustion of the hydrogen fuel to the engine to heat the expanding fluid vapor in the engine,wherein the engine is a conventional internal combustion engine and the hydrogen flash vaporizer exhaust system directs the heat of the hydrogen fuel combustion to at least one of original coolant passages defined in the conventional internal combustion engine and other passages within a conventional internal combustion engine block to shroud the conventional internal combustion engine with the heat of the hydrogen fuel combustion. 9. The external combustion engine of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of actuated vapor devices to regulate the introduction of the expanding fluid vapor into the conventional internal combustion engine. 10. The external combustion engine of claim 8, further comprising an information processing and control system. 11. The external combustion engine of claim 10, wherein the information processing and control system regulates the flow of hydrogen to the hydrogen flash vaporizer, and the flow of expanding fluid vapor to the conventional internal combustion engine. 12. The external combustion engine of claim 8, wherein the conventional internal combustion engine comprises at least one piston within a cylinder, the cylinder incorporating at least one groove connected to the original coolant passages, and wherein the cylinder is fitted with a shrouding sleeve to define other passages for the heat of the hydrogen fuel combustion to shroud the piston. 13. The external combustion engine of claim 8, wherein the hydrogen tank comprises a hydride tank and wherein at least a portion of the heat of the hydrogen fuel combustion is directed from the conventional internal combustion engine to the hydride tank to release the hydrogen fuel. 14. The external combustion engine of claim 13, wherein the hydrogen tank comprises a hydride tank and wherein at least a portion of the heat of the hydrogen fuel combustion is directed from the coolant passages defined in the conventional internal combustion engine to the hydride tank to release the hydrogen fuel. 15. The external combustion engine of claim 7, wherein the hydrogen flash vaporizer comprises: a hydrogen flash vaporizer body defining a heating chamber, a combustion chamber, and an exhaust;a plurality of heating tubes disposed within the heating chamber to connect the combustion chamber to the exhaust; anda hydrogen burner, disposed in the combustion chamber to combust the hydrogen fuel and heat an inside surface of the heating tubes,wherein an air intake is provided in the combustion chamber to combine the hydrogen fuel with air during combustion thereof, and wherein the heated air travels through the heating tubes to the exhaust. 16. The external combustion engine of claim 7, wherein the atomized liquid comprises a high density fluid. 17. The external combustion engine of claim 16, wherein the high density fluid comprises a binary mixture of two fluids selected to have cooperative molecular weights so as to widen the temperature range at which the binary fluid converts to a vapor. 18. The external combustion engine of claim 16, wherein the high density fluid comprises a binary mixture of water and ammonia. 19. The external combustion engine of claim 17, wherein the high density fluid comprises 5-50% ammonia and 50-95% water. 20. The external combustion engine of claim 16, wherein the high density fluid comprises 15-50% ammonia and 50-85% water. 21. An external combustion engine, comprising: a high density fluid reservoir to store a high density fluid;a hydrogen fuel tank to store hydrogen fuel;a hydrogen flash vaporizer to combust the hydrogen fuel received from the hydrogen fuel tank and vaporize the high density fluid received from the high density fluid reservoir into an expanding fluid vapor;a piston engine to receive the expanding fluid vapor and convert an expansion force thereof into mechanical force; andan exhaust to direct heat produced by the hydrogen combustion in the hydrogen flash vaporizer to the piston engine to heat the expanding fluid vapor in the engine,wherein the piston engine is a conventional internal combustion piston engine, and wherein the heat of the hydrogen combustion is directed to at least one of original coolant passages and other passages defined in the conventional internal combustion piston engine to shroud at least one of pistons and cylinders defined in the conventional internal combustion piston engine with the heat of the hydrogen combustion. 22. The external combustion engine of claim 21, wherein the hydrogen tank comprises a hydride tank, and wherein heat is directed from the piston engine to the hydride tank to release the hydrogen fuel.