Patent ID: 8381522

Claim:
A steam powered engine system powering a drive shaft in a vehicle or equipment, said system comprising a main steam engine and a secondary combustion engine of lesser horsepower, said main steam engine comprising a cylinder having a side wall and a piston having a wall, said cylinder and said piston directly powering said drive shaft, said secondary combustion engine providing only hot exhaust gas to said main steam engine and being physically separated from said main steam engine such that said secondary combustion engine does not power said drive shaft; a water tank containing water; a heat exchanger wherein heat from said hot exhaust gas is transferred to said water; hot gas conduit means to deliver said hot exhaust gas to said heat exchanger and to said cylinder; water conduit means to deliver said water to said heat exchanger and to said cylinder; an injection nozzle to inject said heated water into said cylinder, whereby said heated water flash expands into steam to drive said piston; a scavenger port to allow passage of said hot exhaust gas into said cylinder; an exhaust port to allow passage of gas and liquid from said cylinder; and an exhaust valve controlling passage of gas and liquid through said exhaust port.