Method for Generating Superheated Steam

Abstract

A method which develops a supercritical combustion chamber environment and combines fumigation and water conversion to superheated steam to effect greater fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust gas pollutants from a compression ignition engine. The invention utilizes the fumigant method by combining two gases (DME and heptane) which autoignite prior to the injection of the liquid water. This pre-combustion of the fumigant gases combined with the engine's compression of the combustion chamber gases is managed to attain a supercritical combustion chamber environment into which the liquid water is injected. This targeted supercritical combustion chamber environment causes the water to become a superheated steam, resulting in significantly greater efficiency and negligible exhaust gas pollutants resulting from the steam engine.

What is claimed as invention is: 
     
         1 . A method for creating superheated steam comprising:
 providing a compression ignition engine having a combustion chamber and a piston slidably moveable within a portion of said combustion chamber;   providing a fumigant fuel charge to the combustion chamber to autoignite and create a supercritical environment in the combustion chamber prior to the injection of a water;   injecting the principle working fluid, water, into the combustion chamber, wherein the water is converted to superheated steam after injection into the supercritical environment in the combustion chamber; and   
       said superheated steam expands to force said piston outward. 
     
     
         2 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1 , wherein the fumigant fuel charge comprises a mixture of dimethyl ether and heptane. 
     
     
         3 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1  wherein the fumigant fuel charge comprises 1-20% dimethyl ether and 80-99% heptane. 
     
     
         4 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1  wherein the step of providing a fumigant fuel charge comprises injecting a fumigant fuel into an air intake port on the engine. 
     
     
         5 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 4  wherein the fumigant fuel charge is injected as a liquid. 
     
     
         6 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 4  wherein the fumigant fuel charge is injected as a gas. 
     
     
         7 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1  wherein the liquid water is injected into the combustion chamber after top dead center (“TDC”). 
     
     
         8 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1  wherein the liquid water is injected into the combustion chamber at 5° to 10° ATDC. 
     
     
         9 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1  wherein the supercritical environment has a constant volume space pressure of at least 800 psi prior to the injection of the water. 
     
     
         10 . The method for superheated steam of  claim 1  wherein the supercritical environment has a temperature of 1,200° F. to 1,400° F. 
     
     
         11 . A method for superheated steam creation in a compression ignition engine, the method comprising:
 combining two gases which autoignite prior to the injection of water, wherein the two gases are dimethyl ether and heptane;   managing the pre-combustion of the fumigant gases combined with the engine's compression of the combustion chamber gases to attain a supercritical combustion chamber environment into which the water is injected and converted to steam.   
     
     
         12 . A method for supercritical combustion comprising:
 providing a compression ignition engine having a combustion chamber;   providing a fumigant fuel charge to the combustion chamber conditioned to autoignite to create a supercritical environment in the combustion chamber prior to the injection of a fuel, wherein said fuel is not the fumigant fuel; and   injecting water into the combustion chamber after the chamber has been conditioned to a supercritical environment, wherein the water is raised from a liquid to a superheated steam.   
     
     
         13 . The method for supercritical combustion of  claim 12 , wherein the fumigant fuel charge comprises a mixture of dimethyl ether and heptane and wherein the fumigant fuel charge comprises 1-20% dimethyl ether and 80-99% heptane. 
     
     
         14 . The method for supercritical combustion of  claim 12 , wherein the step of providing a fumigant fuel charge comprises injecting a non-diesel fumigant fuel into an air intake port on the engine. 
     
     
         15 . The method for supercritical combustion of  claim 12 , wherein the supercritical environment has a constant volume space of at least 800 psi prior to the injection of the fuel and wherein the supercritical environment has a temperature of 1,200 F to 1,400 F.