Math Question

[RABBITT_Andrew at mv8.orbeng.com.au]

>The point was, is, and always will be to try to combine the sheer  
>power of a steam engine with the simplicity of an IC engine.

You can't get something for nothing.  If you have 'sheer power' then 
you're also burning a lot of fuel too.  Bear in mind that most 
stationary steam plants are working at about 35% thermal efficiency 
(unless they're combined cycle plants), which a good IC engine can 
approach too!  Therefore just adding water to fuel in an IC engine is 
not going to give you vast increases of power.  What it might allow is 
to extend the characteristic limits of an engine by a small amount. 
(ie the knock limit)

>Do you think that catapilar and others are trying to invent a cheaper 
>fuel? Not f___ng likely.  What they want is a more powerful engine 
>without increasing the size and complexity of the current production 
>engines. 

As far as I have read, catapillar are working on the naptha/water 
emulsion fuel in diesel engines as a way of overcoming it's archilles 
heel, which is high NOx emissions caused by high combustion pressures.

Andrew Rabbitt

(remember the thermodynamics...)