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Print articleBruce Cower's invention, called the 'Steam-o-Lene', is one of the winners of the 2007 PopSci Invention Awards.
The invention takes advantage of the excess heat produced by petrol ignition. When the petrol ignites, it heats the chamber to 1,500?F. Water is then pumped in and instantly evaporates, expanding 1,600 times, pushing the piston out for an extra stroke. The steam is taken away and used again for its next cycle.
Not only is the engine more fuel efficient but it also runs cooler. A normal engine loses about three quarters of its energy as heat. Adding water takes advantage of this waste and cools the engine at the same time.
The Steam-o-Lene, as Cower calls it, is not in production yet, it is still going through the patent process, but he will be seeking a manufacturer to take up the invention.
John Coletti, the retired head of Ford's SVT high-performance group, said of Crower, ?He is an innovator who tries new ideas based on his experience and gut instincts, most people won't try something new for fear of failure, but he is driven by a need to succeed.?
