LIQUID NITROGEN POWERED PRIME MOVER USING MODIFIED FOUR STROKE ENGINE A

Abstract

The major concern of using conventional gasoline and diesel fuel powered I.C.engine is air pollution especially in urban areas. Even with state-of the art technology, it is not possible to eliminate toxic emission of carbon monoxides, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen and suspended particulate matter. The university of North Texas and the University of Washington independently demonstrated LN2 as a non-polluting vehicular fuel. A heat engine that operates between atmospheric temperature as a heat source and cryogenic temperature as a heat sink is called cryogenic heat engine. A liquid nitrogen powered engine is a best alternative zero emission engine concept compared to battery operated one. The purpose of this project is to develop and demonstrate liquid nitrogen powered engine based on open Rankine thermodynamic cycle using modified air-cooled, single cylinder, four-stroke cycle engine as an expansion engine. The LN2 evaporative system using monochlorodifluoromethane refrigerant heat exchanger and a high-pressure LN2 storage vessel have been designed for this purpose. The engine has been operated with LN2 and measurement of idle speed for different injection pressure at various mass flow rates is carried out. This concept has been focused for some lightweight prime mover applications.