HydroICE is solar powered combustion engine

The word 'solar' has this magical effect of making us think of the large panels facing the Sun to capture the rays. However, Matt Bellue (Aerospace CNC Machinist/Programmer) and Ben Cooper  (engineer, science guy) from Missouri, USA want to change that. The duo have been thankful to the Sun providing us the light & energy free of cost and have developed HydroICE (Hydro Internal Clean Engine) to help you save money while protecting the environment. The duo say that they wanted to change the way we approach 'solar power'.



The HydroICE project is quite interesting. Essentially, the duo wanted to convert a standard gasoline engine to use solar power to generate electricity. Instead of injecting the fossil fuel inside the cylinder, the inventors inject solar-heated oil along with water droplets. When water droplets come in contact with the hot oil, the termal energy of the oil gets transferred to the water droplet making them flash into steam. As water turns from liquid into gas, the volume grows 3000 times and this expansion drives the piston. The system is then assembled with a generator which can produce electricity.



The system also includes an oil/steam separator which have been around for quite some time. The system runs in a closed loop so that oil and water can be used over and over again. The prototype, pictured above is a 31cc, 2-stroke engine that runs using this technology. We've a video of the HydroICE project, check it out and share your comments with us below.



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