Cyclone Power Technologies, Inc

Headquartered in Pompano Beach, Florida. Cyclone Power Technologies is the developer of the award-winning Cyclone Engine - an all fuel, eco-friendly thermal engine with the power and versatility to run everything from power generators fueled by biomass, waste fuels, solar thermal or engine exhaust, to cars, trucks and locomotives. Invented by company founder and Chairman Harry Schoell, the patented Cyclone Engine is ingeniously designed to achieve high thermal efficiencies through a compact heat-regenerative process, and to run on virtually any fuel while emitting fewer greenhouse gases and irritating pollutants. Currently in its late stages of development, the Cyclone Engine holds 40 international patents, was recognized by Popular Science Magazine as the Invention of the Year for 2008, and was presented with two Society of Automotive Engineers' AEI Tech Awards.

Cyclone Power Technologies is a research & development company focused on helping solve two of the great problems of our time: our dependence on fossil fuels, and the resulting unsustainable consequences to our environment.

The Cyclone Engine is a Rankine Cycle heat regenerative external combustion, otherwise known as a “Schoell Cycle” engine. In short, the Cyclone is a 21st century, high efficiency, compact and powerful steam engine.

The Cyclone Engine is capable of running on virtually any fuel (or combination of fuels) including today’s promising new bio fuels, while emitting far fewer pollutants than traditional gas or diesel powered internal combustion engines.

How It Works

HEAT PROCESS

1. Fuel is atomized and injected into the patented centrifugal combustion chamber (shown as lifted off the engine block for better viewing), where a spark ignites the fuel-air mixture into a flame that spins around the heat coils. Thermocouples (not pictured) control the duration of combustion to keep the heat in the combustion chamber at a constant temperature.          

2. Water contained in the coils becomes super-heated steam (up to 1200°F)  in as little as 5 seconds from start up which is (a) piped to the cylinders, (b) where it enters through a patent-pending valve system (not pictured).  Note, valve timing mechanisms regulate how much steam enters the cylinders – the longer the cut-off the greater the torque and acceleration.

MECHANICAL PROCESS
3. Steam enters the six radial-configured cylinders under pressures up to 3200 psi to push the pistons down in sequence.  Note, no motor oil is used – water is both the working fluid and engine lubricant. Also, because of the valve design, the engine starts without the need of a starter motor.

4. The rotating action of the pistons connected through a patent-pending spider bearing (not pictured) turns the crank shaft.  Note, because the greatest amount of torque occurs at the first rotation, the shaft can be directly connected to a drive train without a transmission.

COOLING PROCESS
5. Steam escapes the cylinders through exhaust ports and (a) enters the patent-pending condensing unit where it turns back into water, and (b) collects in a sealed pan at the bottom of the condenser. Note, this is a closed-loop system – the water does not need to be replaced or topped-off.

6. Blowers spin fresh air around the condenser to speed the cooling process.

REGENERATIVE PROCESS

7. (a) Air which has been pre-heated from the condensing unit, (b) continues up to a second heat exchanger located in the exhaust port of the combustion chamber, further pre-heating the air used for combustion while also cooling the exhaust fumes (to about 320°F). 

8.  A high pressure pump (not pictured) pipes water from the collecting pan to the heat coils(a) via heat exchangers surrounding each of the cylinders (only one pictured), and then (b) to the center of the coils to start the heat cycle again.