Steam Diesel Engine

Using a pressure swing absorption device, separate oxygen from the atmosphere. Using an injector, mix a mist of water droplets with the oxygen. Then, mix hydrogen (most of which will come from the fuel tank) with the oxygen and water, achieving a slightly fuel-rich mixture.

The purpose of the water water that is added to the oxygen is to prevent spontaneous combustion of the oxyhydrogen mixture before it enters the engine.

Feed the mix into a four stroke diesel engine; specifically an engine whose fuel injection system has been modified to inject water. During the intake stroke, a precisely controlled amount of water is sprayed into the oxyhydrogen. The purpose of the water added at this point is to control ignition timing.

The compression stroke raises the temperature of the oxygen / hydrogen / water mix such that autoignition occurs. After autoignition, more water is injected -- this decreases the gas's temperature, increases it's pressure and results in more engine power.

The steam / hydrogen mix then goes to the condenser. The steam turns to water, while the hydrogen remains a gas. The water and hydrogen go through a gas/liquid separator.

The water is removed from the separator by a pump; some of the water will be recycled, the rest will be sprayed on the outside of the condenser.

The hydrogen is removed from the condenser by a vacuum pump, and fed back into the intake.

Engine power can be modulated in either of two ways:

A) By making the oxyhydrogen more hydrogen rich, so that less of the hydrogen burns. This of course produces less heat and less power. The hydrogen isn't wasted of course; it is recovered from the condenser.

B) By using a variable amount of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). This recirculated gas is mostly steam, with a bit of hydrogen; it dilutes the intake charge, and, like option A, reduces the amount of hydrogen that is combusted.