Patent ID: 7313916

Claim:
An apparatus for producing power from a source of liquid fuel, comprising: (a) at least one capillary flow passage, said at least one capillary flow passage having an inlet end and an outlet end and having substantially uniform electrical resistance along its length, said inlet end in fluid communication with the source of liquid fuel; (b) an electrical heat source arranged along said at least one capillary flow passage, said electrical heat source operable to heat the liquid fuel in said at least one capillary flow passage uniformly along the length of said capillary flow passage while said liquid fuel is within said capillary flow passage to a level sufficient to change said liquid fuel from a liquid state to a vapor state and deliver a stream of vaporized fuel from said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage; (c) a combustion chamber for combusting the stream of vaporized fuel and air, said combustion chamber in communication with said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage; and (d) a conversion device operable to convert heat released by combustion in said combustion chamber into mechanical and/or electrical power of up to 5000 watts, said conversion device comprising a device selected from the group consisting of a Stirling engine, a Stirling engine with electrical alternator and a Stirling engine with electrical generator.