- #1
Monday
- 4
- 0
Hi all,
I have a random query that I suspect you guys will able to help me with on reciprocating engines (ala like steam engines rather than petrol motors).
In the classic steam engines, obviously boiling water in a Pressure vessel and fed through a reciprocating engine is able to produce useful mechanical output, which relies on the expansive properties of steam and obviously pressure differential between the pressure vessel and the atmosphere.
I have also seen on YouTube there are reciprocating engines that run on a vacuum being applied at the exhaust output, rather than apply greater-than-atmosphere pressure at the inlet. In this scenario, obviously pressure differential exists so that the mechanical output is able to be produced.
My question is this:-
In a vacuum reciprocating engine (assuming the vacuum is sufficiently effective tending towards zero atmospheres), is the inlet side of the engine better off to be exposed to standard atmosphere, or if you had a vessel with water in it (which at standard Earth temperatures in a vacuum would become gaseous) having a feed of gaseous water - that is to say, does gaseous water also produce useful expansive properties in a reciprocating engine in a vacuum environment at atmospheric temperatures in the same way that a standard steam engine works as we currently know. Also, would using gaseous water be more effective / efficient than a standard feed of atmosphere in such a reciprocating engine?
Hope this makes sense - any thoughts would be gratefully received!
Thanks,
M
I have a random query that I suspect you guys will able to help me with on reciprocating engines (ala like steam engines rather than petrol motors).
In the classic steam engines, obviously boiling water in a Pressure vessel and fed through a reciprocating engine is able to produce useful mechanical output, which relies on the expansive properties of steam and obviously pressure differential between the pressure vessel and the atmosphere.
I have also seen on YouTube there are reciprocating engines that run on a vacuum being applied at the exhaust output, rather than apply greater-than-atmosphere pressure at the inlet. In this scenario, obviously pressure differential exists so that the mechanical output is able to be produced.
My question is this:-
In a vacuum reciprocating engine (assuming the vacuum is sufficiently effective tending towards zero atmospheres), is the inlet side of the engine better off to be exposed to standard atmosphere, or if you had a vessel with water in it (which at standard Earth temperatures in a vacuum would become gaseous) having a feed of gaseous water - that is to say, does gaseous water also produce useful expansive properties in a reciprocating engine in a vacuum environment at atmospheric temperatures in the same way that a standard steam engine works as we currently know. Also, would using gaseous water be more effective / efficient than a standard feed of atmosphere in such a reciprocating engine?
Hope this makes sense - any thoughts would be gratefully received!
Thanks,
M