초록 ▼

A coke burning engine is described wherein hot coke fuel chunks are first compressed with air and reacted therewith to form a carbon monoxide rich gas, during a compression cycle time period. Next these primary reacted gases are mixed into and burned with secondary air during a blowdown cycle time p

A coke burning engine is described wherein hot coke fuel chunks are first compressed with air and reacted therewith to form a carbon monoxide rich gas, during a compression cycle time period. Next these primary reacted gases are mixed into and burned with secondary air during a blowdown cycle time period. These fully reacted gases are expanded though an expander engine whose power output drives the air compressor, and yields a net useful engine power output.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A coke burning engine for generating power from the burning of carbonaceous fuel with compressed air, and comprising: a source of carbonaceous fuel chunks, a portion of which are porous;a receiver of ashes;at least one two step coke burning means for reacting carbonaceous fuel chunks with compres

1. A coke burning engine for generating power from the burning of carbonaceous fuel with compressed air, and comprising: a source of carbonaceous fuel chunks, a portion of which are porous;a receiver of ashes;at least one two step coke burning means for reacting carbonaceous fuel chunks with compressed air, each said two step coke burning means comprising:a coke reactor comprising a pressure vessel shell enclosing a coke reactor chamber, refuel means for periodically transferring carbonaceous fuel chunks from said source of carbonaceous fuel chunks, into said coke reactor chamber, ash removal means for periodically transferring ashes from said coke reactor chamber into said receiver of ashes,a coke reactor air intake pipe,a primary reacted gas discharge pipe;a secondary air chamber comprising a pressure vessel shell enclosing a secondary air chamber,a secondary air chamber air intake pipe,a secondary air chamber air delivery pipe;a final reactor comprising a pressure vessel shell enclosing a final reaction chamber, an igniter means for igniting fuel air mixtures, to react into fully reacted gases within said final reactor, a fuel air mixture inlet pipe with a fuel air mixture blowdown cycle valve, a final reactor air inlet pipe, a final fully reacted gas outlet pipe with an expander inlet blowdown cycle valve;a common air intake manifold connected to said coke reactor air intake pipe, said secondary air chamber air intake pipe, and said final reactor air intake pipe; wherein said air delivery pipe of said secondary air chamber is connected to said primary reacted gas discharge pipe of said coke reactor via a secondary air blowdown cycle valve to form a fuel air mixture delivery pipe; and, wherein said fuel air mixture delivery pipe is connected to said fuel air mixture inlet pipe of said final reactor via said fuel air mixture blowdown cycle valve; an air compression means for compressing air, from the atmosphere, into each said two step coke burning means, during a compression cycle time period for each two step coke burning means said air compression means comprising:at least one piston and cylinder air compressor means for compressing air, and each said piston and cylinder air compressor comprising at least one air compressor stage, and each air compressor stage comprising a piston sealably reciprocal within one closed end of a cylinder, said closed end of said cylinder comprising an air compressor air intake pipe and a suction check valve, and an air compressor air delivery pipe and a delivery check valve;each said piston and cylinder compressor means comprising, one first low pressure stage, and one last high pressure stage, these two stages being the same stage for (a) the piston and cylinder compressor means which comprises but a single stage, the air intake pipe of said first low pressure stage is connected to a source of air such as the atmosphere;drive means for reciprocating all said pistons within said cylinders via cranks on an air compressor crankshaft rotated by said drive means, wherein each said piston carries out a compression stroke when moving toward said one closed end of said cylinder, and each said piston carries out a suction stroke when moving away from said one closed end of said cylinder, a fixed clearance volume exists between said piston and said closed end of said cylinder volume at the end of each compression stroke in order to avoid mechanical interference;wherein (a) the coke burning engine comprises a number of two step coke burning means at least equal to the number of piston and cylinder air compressor means within said air compression means; a number of compression cycle valves equal to the product of the number of two step coke burning means multiplied by the number of piston and cylinder air compressor means;each said compression cycle valve connects one common air intake manifold, of one two step coke burning means, to the air delivery pipe of the last high pressure stage of said one piston and cylinder air compressor means, when opened during each compression cycle time period of said connected two step coke burning unit;a cycle timer and control means for opening and closing said compression cycle valves, and said blowdown cycle valves, so that: said common air intake manifold of each two step coke burning means is connected to the air delivery pipe of the last high pressure stage of each piston and cylinder air compressor means, only one last stage at a time, only during said compression stroke of each last stage, in time order of increasing last stage pressure, each said sequence of compression cycle connections constituting a compression cycle time period, for each two step coke burning means; all said blowdown cycle valves of each two step coke burning means are concurrently opened only during a blowdown cycle time period, for each two step coke burning means; for each two step coke burning means, each compression cycle time period is followed by a blowdown cycle time period, and each blowdown cycle time period is followed by a compression cycle time period; said cycle timer and control means are driven by said crankshaft of said air compression means, and is timed relative to said cranks on said crankshaft; an expander engine for producing a useful work output, by the expansion of the fully reacted gas, from each final reactor of each two step coke burning means, during each blowdown cycle time interval, with pressure decreasing, while fully reacted gas flows through said expander engine, from maximum pressure at start of each blowdown cycle time interval, down to atmospheric pressure at expander engine exhaust, when the fully reacted gas flows out of the engine and into the atmosphere;wherein a primary air is compressed into the coke reactor of each two step coke burning means to react therein by a primary reaction with carbonaceous fuel chunks, and form a primary reacted gas during each compression cycle time interval;and further wherein said primary reacted gas is mixed with secondary air from said secondary air chamber and is ignited and reacts therewith, by a secondary reaction, in said final reactor chamber to form fully reacted gas during each blowdown cycle time interval; and,further wherein said fully reacted gas flows out of said final reactor, and through said expander engine, and into the atmosphere, while generating a useful work output from said expander engine during each blowdown cycle time interval. 2. The coke burning engine as described in claim 1, and further comprising cooling means for reducing the temperature of the fully reacted gas, leaving each said final reactor during each blowdown cycle; wherein said cooling means comprise a source of cooling fluid; cooling fluid delivery means for transferring cooling fluid from said source, and mixing said transferred cooling fluid into said fully reacted gases as these gases flow out of said final reactor into said expander engine, during each blowdown cycle time interval, of each two step coke burning means; and, wherein said cooling fluid is selected from the group of cooling fluids consisting of, liquid water, compressed air, steam. 3. The coke burning engine, as described in claim 2, wherein said igniter means for igniting fuel air mixtures, in said final reactor chamber, comprises a compression ignition igniter means, said compression ignition igniter means comprising: a source of high cetane number liquid igniter fuel;an igniter fuel common rail;an igniter fuel high pressure pump for transferring liquid igniter fuel from said source of igniter fuel into said igniter fuel common rail at high pressure;a number of igniter fuel spray nozzles, equal to said number of two step coke burning means, and each said two step coke burning means being equipped with one said igniter fuel spray nozzle, installed in said final reactor chamber, of said coke burning unit so that igniter fuel, delivered at high pressure to said igniter fuel spray nozzle will be sprayed into fuel air mixture passing into said final reactor chamber;each said igniter fuel spray nozzle being connected to said igniter fuel common rail via an igniter fuel blowdown cycle valve opened and closed by said cycle timer and control means, so that said igniter means blowdown cycle valve, is opened during all blowdown cycle time intervals, and is closed during all compression cycle time intervals;wherein high cetane igniter fuel is sprayed into a large number of separate igniter fuel droplets, which compression ignite when within the fuel air mixture entering the final reactor chamber at high temperature and pressure; and, furtherwherein the fuel air mixture entering said final reactor is thusly ignited at many separate regions throughout the mixture, and is rapidly burned to fully reacted gas. 4. The coke burning engine as described in claim 3, and further comprising starter fuel driver and preheater means for driving said air compression means, and for preheating the air being compressed by said air compression means, during engine starting, said starter fuel driver and preheater means comprising: a source of liquid starter fuel at high pressure;a number of starter fuel spray nozzles, equal to said number of two step coke burning units, and each said two step coke burning unit being equipped with one said starter fuel spray nozzle installed in said final reactor chamber of said coke burning unit, so that starter fuel, delivered at high pressure to said starter fuel spray nozzle, will be sprayed into gases passing into said final reactor chamber;each said starter fuel spray nozzle being connected to said starter fuel source via a starter fuel blowdown cycle valve with drive means for opening said valve, during each blowdown cycle time interval, when said engine is to be started, and for closing said starter fuel blowdown cycle valve when said coke burning engine is running;wherein said igniter means for igniting fuel air mixtures within said final reactor chamber additionally comprises electric spark igniter means for generating an electric spark across the starter fuel spray from said starter fuel spray nozzle, said electric spark igniter means comprising spark igniter switch means for turning on said electric spark igniter means, when said coke burning engine is to be started, and for turning off said electric spark igniter means when said coke burning engine is running;wherein, during each blowdown cycle time interval, starter fuel is sprayed into that compressed air, previously compressed by the air compression means into the coke reactor and the secondary air chamber, and flowing into the final reactor during each blowdown cycle time period, and this starter fuel spray in compressed air is ignited by said electric spark igniter means and burned to combustion products which releases the energy of this reaction into a final burned gases; and, furtherwherein said final burned gases expand through said expander engine, and at least a portion of the resulting expander useful work output is used to drive said air compression means during the starting of said coke burning engine; and, further comprising starting heat exchanger means for transferring heat, from said fully burned gases leaving said expander engine, into said intake air entering each said first low pressure stage of each piston and cylinder air compressor means of said air compression means, only during engine starting, wherein the air being compressed into said coke reactor is preheated prior to compression, during engine starting, and in turn preheats said carbonaceous fuel chunks within said coke reactor up to their rapid reaction temperature, after which the coke burning engine is started and can run itself;wherein the flow of said fully burned gases leaving said expander engine is diverted away from said starting heat exchanger means after the engine is started;wherein said liquid starter fuel is selected from the group of liquid fuels consisting of, a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, said igniter fuel. 5. The coke burning engine as described in claim 4, wherein said expander engine is a turbine expander engine comprising: a number of turbine inlet nozzles equal to the number of two step coke burning units, and each said turbine inlet nozzle being connected to but one two step coke burning unit via a turbine inlet blowdown cycle valve, and each said turbine inlet nozzle comprising a minimum area nozzle throat;a set of radial rotating turbine blades, on one or more turbine discs connected to a turbine power output shaft, said turbine power output shaft being connected to a turbine driven power absorbing means;wherein each turbine inlet nozzle is aligned relative to said radial rotating turbine blades, so that gases expanded to a high velocity while flowing through said turbine inlet nozzle, during each blowdown cycle time interval, are directed to flow across a surface of said radial rotating turbine blades and create a force upon said radial rotating blades and produce a work thereon;a turbine exhaust pipe to discharge gases, leaving said radial rotating turbine blades, into the atmosphere. 6. The coke burning engine, as described in claim 5, and further comprising: coke burning engine power output control means for controlling the revolutions per minute of the crankshaft of said air compression means, by controlling the power input to said drive means for rotating said air compressor crankshaft; and further comprising: turbine inlet nozzle throat area control means for controlling a throat area of (each said) a turbine inlet nozzle, of said turbine expander engine; said turbine inlet nozzle control means being responsive to a sensor of air compression means crankshaft revolutions per minutes, and being operative to increase the throat area of each said turbine inlet nozzle when air compression means crankshaft revolutions per minute are increased, and to decrease the throat area of each said turbine inlet nozzle when air compression crankshaft revolutions per minute are decreased. 7. The coke burning engine as described in claim 5, wherein said crankshaft of said air compression means is driven by gears from said turbine expander engine power output shaft, and further comprising engine torque control means for adjusting a primary air quantity, which is compressed into each coke reactor during each compression cycle time interval, so that engine power output torque can be controlled, said engine torque control means comprising: air compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means for adjusting the volumetric efficiency of each piston and cylinder air compressor of said air compression means; and,turbine inlet nozzle throat area adjustment means for adjusting the throat area of each turbine inlet nozzle, so that the ratio of turbine inlet nozzle throat area to air compressor means volumetric efficiency can be kept essentially constant;each said compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means comprising, a piston sealably moveable within a cylinder, with an adjustable volume enclosed between the piston and cylinder being connected only to a fixed clearance volume of one stage of a piston and cylinder air compressor, and each stage of the piston and cylinder air compressors being thusly equipped with one compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means;wherein the primary air quantity compressed into each coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, can be adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression means, and a coke quantity reacted as well as the energy of reaction of this reduced air quantity are thusly adjusted, and in turn adjust the torque on the engine power output shaft;said turbine inlet nozzle throat area adjustment means being responsive to a sensor of peak pressure in said two step coke burning unit, at the end of each compression cycle time interval, and being operative to increase the turbine inlet nozzle throat area whenever said peak pressure rises above a set maximum value, and to decrease the turbine inlet nozzle throat area whenever said peak pressure drops below a set minimum value;wherein, as the primary air quantity compressed into each primary reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, is adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression efficiency of the air compression means, a corresponding adjustment of the connected turbine inlet nozzle throat area can be made, so that the consequently adjusted quantity of fully reacted and cooled gases can be blowndown starting from an essentially constant maximum pressure at the end of each compression cycle time interval. 8. The coke burning engine as described in claim 4 wherein said expander engine comprises at least one piston expander engine, each piston expander engine comprising: an expander piston sealably reciprocal within an expander cylinder, and connected by a connecting rod to a crank on a common engine power output crankshaft; said expander cylinder comprising a closed end, opposite the crankshaft, and said closed end comprising a gas inlet port connected to said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve, and an exhaust gas port containing an expander exhaust valve, for discharging gas to the atmosphere;wherein said expander piston carries out an exhaust stroke, when moving toward said closed end of said expander cylinder, and carries out an expansion stroke when moving away from said closed end of said expander cylinder;wherein the number of said piston expander engines equals the number of two step coke burning means, and each piston expander engine is connected to but one two step coke burning means via the expander inlet blowdown cycle valve thereof, and each two step coke burning means is thusly connected to but one piston expander engine;wherein said common engine power output crankshaft is also the drive means for driving said air compressor crankshaft at a fixed multiple of an RPM of said common engine power output crankshaft;and further wherein the cranks, on said common engine power output crankshaft, are angularly positioned, relative to the cranks on said air compressor crankshaft, so that, for each piston expander engine, the expander piston is starting an expansion stroke whenever the connected two step coke burning unit is starting the blowdown cycle time interval, and is starting an exhaust stroke whenever the connected two step coke burning means is starting a compression cycle time interval;and further comprising a blowdown cycle timer and control means for opening and closing said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve, and said expander exhaust valve, so that said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve is opened at the start of each expander piston expansion stroke, and is closed no later than the end of that same expander piston expansion stroke, and further so that said expander exhaust valve is opened no later than the end of each expander piston expansion stroke, and is closed no later than the end of the next following expander piston exhaust stroke and prior to said end of said expander piston exhaust stroke;wherein, during each blowdown time interval, fully reacted and cooled gases flow out of each two step coke burning unit, into the piston and cylinder expander engine, and the pressure of these gases acts upon the moving expander piston, during each piston expander stroke, to create a work quantity, and a portion of this work quantity is used to drive the air compression means, the remainder of the work quantity being a useful work output for driving a pump, or an electric generator, or a vehicle; and, further wherein, during each expander piston exhaust stroke, the fully reacted and cooled and expanded gases are discharged to the atmosphere via the expander exhaust valve; and, preferably wherein said expander exhaust valve is closed sufficiently prior to the end of each expander piston exhaust stroke, that the gases thus remaining inside the expander cylinder are recompressed to essentially maximum compression cycle pressure, when said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve is next opened, at the start of the next following expander piston expansion stroke. 9. The coke burning engine as described in claim 8, further comprising engine torque control means for adjusting the primary air quantity, compressed into each said coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, so that an engine torque can be controlled, said engine torque control means comprising: air compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means for adjusting a volumetric efficiency of each piston and cylinder air compressor of said air compression means;and blowdown angular duration adjustment means for adjusting an engine crankshaft angular duration of each blowdown cycle of each two step coke burning means; each said compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means comprising:a piston sealably moveable within a cylinder, with the adjustable volume enclosed between the piston and cylinder being connected only to the fixed clearance volume of one stage of a piston and cylinder air compressor, and each stage of all piston and cylinder air compressors being thusly equipped with one compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means;wherein the primary air quantity compressed into each coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, can be adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression means, and the coke quantity reacted as well as the energy of reaction of this reduced air quantity are thusly adjusted, and in turn adjust the torque on the engine power output shaft;each said blowdown angular duration adjustment means comprising a dual cam opener and closer of said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve, said dual cam opener and closer comprising:a valve opener cam, driven by said common engine crankshaft, and timed to open said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve whenever said engine piston reaches top dead center at the end of each exhaust stroke;a valve closer cam, also driven by said common engine crankshaft via an adjustable timing drive, to close said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve an adjustable crank angle interval following each opening of said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve by said valve opener cam;wherein, as the primary air quantity compressed into each primary reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, is adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression means, a corresponding adjustment of the angular duration of the following blowdown cycle can be made, so that the consequently adjusted quantity of fully reacted and cooled gases can be blowndown starting from an essentially constant maximum pressure at the end of each compression cycle time interval. 10. The coke burning engine as described in claim 2, wherein said igniter means for igniting fuel air mixtures within said final reactor chambers comprises spark igniter means with energizer means for energizing said spark igniter during each blowdown cycle time interval; and further comprising startup primary air heater means for preheating the primary air while being compressed into each coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, in order to preheat carbonaceous fuel chunks in each coke reactor up to their rapid reaction temperature during engine starting, said startup primary air preheater means being operative only during engine starting until the engine can run itself, and further comprising a source of energy for driving said air compressor during engine starting;wherein said startup primary air heater means is one selected from the group: electric heaters with electric energy source and on off energy switch; starting fuel in primary air burners and igniters for burning starting fuel in primary air and on off fuel valve and igniter switch. 11. The coke burning engine as described in claim 10, wherein said expander engine is a turbine expander engine comprising: a number of turbine inlet nozzles equal to the number of two step coke burning units, and each said turbine inlet nozzle being connected to but one two step coke burning means via a turbine inlet blowdown cycle valve, and each said turbine inlet nozzle comprising a minimum area nozzle throat;a set of radial rotating turbine blades, on one or more turbine discs connected to a turbine power output shaft, said turbine power output shaft being connected to a turbine driven power absorbing means;wherein each turbine inlet nozzle is aligned relative to said radial rotating turbine blades, so that gases expanded to a high velocity while flowing through said turbine inlet nozzle, during each blowdown cycle time interval, are directed to flow across the surface of said radial rotating turbine blades and create a force upon said radial rotating blades and produce a work thereon;a turbine exhaust pipe to discharge gases, leaving said radial rotating turbine blades, into the atmosphere. 12. The coke burning engine, as described in claim 11, and further comprising: coke burning engine power output control means for controlling the revolutions per minute of the crankshaft of said air compression means, by controlling the power input to said drive means for rotating said air compressor crankshaft; and further comprising: turbine inlet nozzle throat area control means for controlling the throat area of each said turbine inlet nozzle, of said turbine expander engine; said turbine inlet nozzle control means being responsive to a sensor of air compression means crankshaft revolutions per minutes, and being operative to increase the throat area of each said turbine inlet nozzle when air compression means crankshaft revolutions per minute are increased, and to decrease the throat area of each said turbine inlet nozzle when air compression crankshaft revolutions per minute are decreased. 13. The coke burning engine as described in claim 11, wherein said crankshaft of said air compression means is driven by gears from said turbine expander engine power output shaft, and further comprising engine torque control means for adjusting the primary air quantity, compressed into each coke reactor during each compression cycle time interval, so that engine power output torque can be controlled, said engine torque control means comprising: air compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means for adjusting the volumetric efficiency of each piston and cylinder air compressor of said air compression means;and, turbine inlet nozzle throat area adjustment means for adjusting the throat area of each turbine inlet nozzle, so that the ratio of turbine inlet nozzle throat area to air compressor means volumetric efficiency can be kept essentially constant;each said compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means comprising a piston sealably moveable within a cylinder, with the adjustable volume enclosed between the piston and cylinder being connected only to the fixed clearance volume of one stage of the piston and cylinder air compressor, and each stage of all piston and cylinder air compressors being thusly equipped with one compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means;wherein the primary air quantity compressed into each coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, can be adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression means, and the coke quantity reacted as well as the energy of reaction of this reduced air quantity are thusly adjusted, and in turn adjust the torque on the engine power output shaft;said turbine inlet nozzle throat area adjustment means being responsive to a sensor of peak pressure in said two step coke burning means, at the end of each compression cycle time interval, and being operative to increase the turbine inlet nozzle throat area whenever said peak pressure rises above a set maximum value, and to decrease the turbine inlet nozzle throat area whenever said peak pressure drops below the set minimum value;wherein, as the primary air quantity compressed into each primary reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, is adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression efficiency of the air compression means, a corresponding adjustment of the connected turbine inlet nozzle throat area can be made, so that the consequently adjusted quantity of fully reacted and cooled gases can be blowndown starting from an essentially constant maximum pressure at the end of each compression cycle time interval. 14. The coke burning engine as described in claim 10 wherein said expander engine comprises at least one piston expander engine, each piston expander engine comprising: an expander piston sealably reciprocal within an expander cylinder, and connected by a connecting rod to a crank on a common engine power output crankshaft;said expander cylinder comprising a closed end, opposite the crankshaft, and said closed end comprising a gas inlet port connected to said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve, and an exhaust gas port containing an expander exhaust valve, for discharging gas to the atmosphere;wherein said expander piston carries out an exhaust stroke, when moving toward said closed end of said expander cylinder, and carries out an expansion stroke when moving away from said closed end of said expander cylinder;wherein the number of said piston expander engines equals the number of two step coke burning means, and each piston expander engine is connected to but one two step coke burning means via the expander inlet blowdown cycle valve thereof, and each two step coke burning means is thusly connected to but one piston expander engine;wherein said common engine power output crankshaft is also the drive means for driving said air compressor crankshaft at a fixed multiple of the RRPM of said common engine power output crankshaft;and further wherein the cranks, on said common engine power output crankshaft, are angularly positioned, relative to the cranks on said air compressor crankshaft, so that, for each piston expander engine, the expander piston is starting an expansion stroke whenever the connected two step coke burning means is starting a blowdown cycle time interval, and is starting an exhaust stroke whenever the connected two step coke burning means is starting a compression cycle time interval;and further comprising a blowdown cycle timer and control means for opening and closing said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve, and said expander exhaust valve, so that said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve is opened at the start of each expander piston expansion stroke, and is closed no later than the end of that same expander piston expansion stroke, and further so that said expander exhaust valve is opened no later than the end of each expander piston expansion stroke, and is closed no later than the end of the next following expander piston exhaust stroke and preferably somewhat prior to said end of said expander piston exhaust stroke;wherein, during each blowdown time interval, fully reacted and cooled gases flow out of each two step coke burning means, into the piston and cylinder expander engine, and the pressure of these gases acts upon the moving expander piston, during each piston expander stroke, to create a work quantity, and a portion of this work quantity is used to drive the air compression means, the remainder of the work quantity being a useful work output for driving a pump, or an electric generator, or a vehicle;and further wherein, during each expander piston exhaust stroke, the fully reacted and cooled and expanded gases are discharged to the atmosphere via the expander exhaust valve;and preferably wherein said expander exhaust valve is closed sufficiently prior to the end of each expander piston exhaust stroke, that the gases thus remaining inside the expander cylinder are recompressed to essentially maximum compression cycle pressure, when said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve is next opened, at the start of the next following expander piston expansion stroke. 15. The coke burning engine as described in claim 14, and further comprising engine torque control means for adjusting the primary air quantity, compressed into each coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, so that engine torque can be controlled, said engine torque control means comprising: air compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means for adjusting the volumetric efficiency of each piston and cylinder air compressor of said air compression means;and blowdown angular duration adjustment means for adjusting the engine crankshaft angular duration of each blowdown cycle of each two step coke burning means;each said compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means comprising, a piston sealably moveable within a cylinder, with the adjustable volume enclosed between the piston and cylinder being connected only to the fixed clearance volume of one stage of a piston and cylinder air compressor, and each stage of all piston and cylinder air compressors being thusly equipped with one compressor volumetric efficiency adjustment means;wherein the primary air quantity compressed into each coke reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, can be adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression means, and the coke quantity reacted as well as the energy of reaction of this reduced air quantity are thusly adjusted, and in turn adjust the torque on the engine power output shaft;each said blowdown angular duration adjustment means comprising a dual cam opener and closer of said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve, said dual cam opener and closer comprising:a valve opener cam, driven by said common engine crankshaft, and timed to open said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve whenever said engine piston reaches top dead center at the end of each exhaust stroke;a valve closer cam, also driven by said common engine crankshaft via an adjustable timing drive, to close said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve an adjustable crank angle interval following each opening of said expander inlet blowdown cycle valve by said valve opener cam;wherein, as the primary air quantity compressed into each primary reactor, during each compression cycle time interval, is adjusted by adjusting the volumetric efficiency of the air compression means, a corresponding adjustment of the angular duration of the following blowdown cycle can be made, so that the consequently adjusted quantity of fully reacted and cooled gases can be blowdown starting from an essentially constant maximum pressure at the end of each compression cycle time interval.