what is an external combustion engine?

Question

how does it work, diagrams, examples, anything

Answer 1

*An external combustion engine (EC engine) is a heat engine where an internal working fluid is heated, often from an external source, through the engine wall or a heat exchanger. The fluid then performs work during expansion and by acting on the mechanism of the engine provides useable motion and useable work. The fluid is then cooled (closed cycle) or dumped and cool fluid pulled in (open cycle). Burning fuel with an oxidizer, or any other heat source can supply the external heat, hence "external combustion". The internal fluid is quite often an inert gas. The fluid can be any liquid or more commonly, any gas, as well as mixtures. In the case of the steam engine, the fluid changes phases between liquid and gas.

*Examples: A steam turbine is a good example of an external-combustion engine. Heat from a burning fuel/oxidizer mix, or from a nuclear reactor changes water in a device called a boiler to steam. Pipes carry the steam into the turbine, which has a series of bladed wheels attached to a shaft. The high-temperature steam expands as it rushes through the turbine and so pushes on the blades and causes them to turn the shaft. Steam leaving the turbine has a much lower temperature. The spinning shaft can drive an electric generator, move a ship's propeller, or do other useful work.

*Stirling engine is also external combustion engine.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engines
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_combustion_engine
*http://www.stirling-tech.com/stirlingengine.htm
For images , please click:
www.thefreedictionary.com/steam%20engine
www.colrich.pwp.blueyond.../hotairengine.htm
http://www.stirling-tech.com/images/st5.jpg

Answer 2

A steam turbine is an example of an external combustion engine in that, the combustion takes place in the boiler that produces the steam for its operation.

Answer 3

The external combustion engine is a heat engine where the fuel never gets inside the expanding/contracting region. Instead, heat migrates through a wall into that region.

Here's a rough analogy:

Start with a car's gasoline engine. Keep all the valves closed. Instead of burning fuel inside the cylinder, you light a fire underneath the cylinder. The heat travels through the metal until it warms the air, causing it to expand. Then you have a cooling apparatus cool the metal, allowing the air inside the cylinder to contract. This alternating expansion/contracting drives the engine.

Answer 4

A steam engine is an example of an external combustion engine. The fuel is burned outside the engine. (External combustion) and the energy from this is used to heat water which does the internal work of the engine.

This is as opposed to an internal combustion engine such as what you would find in your car where the fuel is burned inside the engine.

Answer 5

hi, in this type of engine the combustion of gasoline happens outdoors the cylinder. those style of engines are used to locomotives, ships etc. In locomotive steam is produced by using the combustion of gasoline and this steam is used to pass a piston in a cylinder. a million)Reciprocating form a)Reciprocating steam engine i. hassle-free ii. Compound iii.Uniflow 2)Rotary form a) Steam turbines i. Radial pass ii.Axial pass

Answer 6

Steam Engine is external cumbustion engine, because coal is burnt out side the cylinder of engine i.e. in a hearth and steam is genrated..this steam is sent to engine cylinder for power generation by reciprocatory motion of the piston .

Answer 7

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArAFbjlgg21beekmx_ePApAjzKIX?qid=1006010601206

an external combustion engine burns its fuel outside the engine - for example a steam engine heats water to move the pistons, whereas an internal combustion engine uses the burning fuel to operate

Answer 8

It is one in which the fire that create the energy for ti to do work is not in the cylinder but outside it. An example is a steam engine. An external fire boils water and the resulting steam is piped into a cylinder to expand and give up its energy to do work.

Answer 9

external-combustion engine is a heat engine in which ignition occurs outside the chamber (cylinder or turbine) in which heat is converted to mechanical energy

Answer 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_combustion_engine