New Scientist ran an article 22 Oct. describing what might be the answer to the depletion of the oil fields.
Powdered iron is presently used as a rocket fuel. In a rocket the fuel is burned all in one shot, to get the thing airborne with the least possible delay. In a car, of course, it isn?t that way, controlled burning is needed.
Researchers have found that if the iron is powdered to nanoparticles it reacts with oxygen so readily that it needs not much heat to get it going. Speed of combustion can be controlled by agglomerating the particles into larger sizes. There are no emissions, no carbon no Nox.
The reaction takes place in a chamber just before the inlet valve of the engine. The expanding gases push down the piston in the same way as the burning of petrol or diesel. Valve timing will be different of course. The cylinder remains clean - doesn?t get carboned up.
Exchange your used up tank at a refuelling station, and the spent fuel can be regenerated by heating it in the presence of hydrogen. It can then be reused. The article suggests that scrap cars can be the fuel for the next generation.
As far as having a hydrogen fuelled engine, think what would be safer in a rear end shunt, a pressure vessel full of hydrogen or a tank full of iron ?filings?.
Sounds good.
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Possibly those magnet things you strap on your fuel line will actually have some effect on these engines.
With a bit of clever chemical engineering I'm sure the iron could be made to adhere to the cylinder wall; the end of bore wear as we know it.
And finally, iron fuel marketed by "Shell" would take on a whole new meaning.
Yes, I have already got my coat, goodnight ...
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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I may be missing something, but doesn't the iron need PURE oxygen to burn? If so how are you going to carry the oxygen around?
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My old Dolomite Sprint was full of powdered iron, perhaps that is why it went like a rocket!
Seriously, I agree surely it must need pure oxygen?
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"Exchange your used up tank at a refuelling station, and the spent fuel can be regenerated by heating it in the presence of hydrogen"
My physices isn't up to date but isn't there some pollution or greenhouse gas spin off from the production of hydrogen?
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The article suggests that the powder be fluidised by comressed air, which provides the oxygen. If enough powder is conveyed by the 'squirt' the oxydation might generate enough heat to self combust.
There is also suggestion of a Stirling engine driven car. Those are reputed to be very efficient.
Hydrogen does need an input of energy to produce, but there are non polluting energy sources in development. We've had the luxury of cheap energy (coal, oil) for a long time. The party is nearly over.
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Cheap too: ours is Tanduay 7 years old Rhum (sic) at 49 pence a litre your money. 90% pure ethanol with vanilla added to smooth it out. When you're not using your car you can drink it.
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This is not a new idea. The Army did some trails with rocket propelled vehicles way back in 1961 as can be seen from the following picture.
tinyurl.com/98eld
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Hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis. A good way of using up spare capacity in unpredictable wind power sites.
Stirling engined cars will only be possible if start-up times are reduced. People want to drive away NOW, not very slowly in 30 seconds time!
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Mike Farrow
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Parking, stopping at traffic lights and queuing should be interesting - for the car behind.
Bring back asbestos overcoats..
madf
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Herr Diesel's original engine was designed to run on powdered coal.
Any fine powder will combust, sometimes spontaneously, in air. Flour explosions were a major hazzard in wooden windmills, which is why setting up the millstones was such a skilled job.They had to nearly, but not quite, touch. If they did, the sparks frequently ignited the flour.
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You're kidding. Explosive flour? I'll never look at my ham sandwiches in the same way again.
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They reckon that this is how the great fire of london started.
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Flour and sugar powders can cause immense damage when they combust. So can lots of other foods.
If you had a Stirling engine in a hybrid vehicle then the electric motor/generator would accelerate the car very rapidly before the engine cut in.
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