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Biomass Engine Burns a Variety of Fuels and May Some Day Power Your Car
Cyclone Here is a truly unique technology that is being developed by a Florida company Cyclone Power Technologies. The US military is reportedly interested in it as well. The Cyclone Engine is a Rankine Cycle heat regenerative external combustion engine, otherwise known as a “Schoell Cycle” engine. It creates mechanical energy by heating and cooling water in a closed-loop, piston-based engine system. Unlike the internal combustion engine the cyclone engine uses an external combustion chamber. This allows much as much wider range of fuel types to be used and the process is not sensitive to fuel quality. Tests have been conducted by the company using such things fuels derived from orange peels, palm oil, cottonseed oil, algae, used motor oil and fryer grease, as well as traditional fossil fuels. Cyclone claims it can run these fuels without any modification to the engine. They have also burned propane, butane, natural gasand even powdered coal ( not recommended for greencar readers). The company is developing this technology not just for stationary power generation but also to replace internal combustion engines in cars and trucks
The company currently has the following engines under development:
Here is how the engine process works. If you are interested in reviewing the applicable patents I have included links below. HEAT PROCESS 
Cyclone Power Technologies 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
Patent for a Heat Regenerative engine click here Patent for Steam Generator in a heat regnerative engine click here To Learn more/visit their site click here 
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