Air start steam engine

A method for operating an engine responsive to selective supply of two different pressurized gaseous working fluids to at least one chamber of said engine wherein the pressurized gaseous working fluids can expand, causing said engine to produce power, comprising the steps of:

• providing a supply of a first pressurized working fluid which is gaseous at ambient temperature;
• providing a supply of a second working fluid that is liquid at ambient temperature, and which can be heated to form a supply of a second pressurized gaseous working fluid;
• providing a controller which, in response to an operator request that the engine produce power, performs the following steps:
• starting said engine by supplying said first pressurized gaseous working fluid to said at least one chamber of said engine, causing said engine to produce power;
• supplying said second working fluid to a boiler in liquid form;
• applying heat to said boiler to convert said liquid second working fluid to a second pressurized gaseous working fluid;
• and
• when said second pressurized gaseous working fluid is available, providing said second pressurized gaseous working fluid from said boiler to said at least one chamber of said engine wholly or partially in lieu of said first pressurized gaseous working fluid, causing said engine to produce power.

An automobile power system comprising:

• a first fluid storage tank storing a first working fluid which is gaseous at ambient temperature in a gaseous state under a pressure substantially greater than ambient pressure;
• a second fluid storage tank storing a second working fluid which is in a liquid state at ambient temperature;
• a heater coupled to at least said second fluid storage tank, and configured to heat said second working fluid to a temperature above a vaporization temperature of said second working fluid, forming a second gaseous working fluid;
• an engine configured to controllably receive said first gaseous working fluid from said first fluid storage tank and to controllably receive, said second gaseous working fluid from said heater, whereby said first and second gaseous working fluids expand in at least one chamber of said engine, causing said engine to produce power;
• a cooling system configured to condense said second working fluid from said gaseous state to said liquid state after exhaust from said engine;
• and
• a controller responsive to an operator request for controlling heating of said at least second working fluid in said heater, and flow of said first and second working fluids from the respective vessels to the heater and to said at least one chamber of the engine,
• whereby when an operator requests that said engine produce power at a tune when said second working fluid is not heated sufficiently to form a second gaseous working fluid capable of being expanded in said engine to produce power, said controller controls flow of said first gaseous working fluid from said first vessel to said at least one chamber of said engine, causing said engine to produce power, and also causes said heater to heat said second working fluid to be vaporized to form a second gaseous working fluid, and after said second gaseous working fluid has been formed by vaporizing said second working fluid, controls supply of said second gaseous working fluid to said at least one chamber of said engine, partially or wholly in lieu of the first gaseous working fluid, to cause said engine to produce power in response to the operator's request.

A power generation unit comprising:

• means for storing a first pressurized gaseous working fluid;
• means for storing a liquid fluid;
• means for heating said liquid fluid to a temperature above a vaporization temperature of said liquid fluid to form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid, said means for heating being controllably connected to at least said means for storing said liquid fluid;
• an external combustion engine, controllably connected to said means for storing a first pressurized gaseous working fluid and to said means for heating at least said liquid fluid to vaporize said liquid fluid to form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid, whereby supply of first pressurized gaseous working fluid and/or said second pressurized gaseous working fluid to at least one chamber of said engine causes said engine to produce power;
• a condenser for condensing said second pressurized gaseous working fluid back to said liquid fluid, and
• a controller responsive to an operator request for controlling heating of at least said liquid fluid in said means for heating, and flow of said first and second pressurized gaseous working fluids to the means for heating and to the engine,
• whereby when an operator requests that said engine produce power at a time when said liquid fluid is not heated sufficiently to form a second gaseous pressurized working fluid capable of being supplied to said at least one chamber of said engine to produce power, said controller controls flow of said first gaseous working fluid to said at least one chamber of said engine, causing said engine to produce power, and also causes said means for heating to heat said second working fluid to be vaporized to form a second pressurized gaseous working fluid, and after said second pressurized gaseous working fluid has been formed by vaporizing said second working fluid, controls supply of said second pressurized gaseous working fluid to said at least one chamber of said engine, partially or wholly in lieu of the first gaseous working fluid, to cause said engine to produce power in response to the operator's request.