Staged combustion with piston engine and turbine engine supercharger

Abstract

A combustion engine method and system provides increased fuel efficiency and reduces polluting exhaust emissions by burning fuel in a two-stage combustion system. Fuel is combusted in a piston engine in a first stage producing piston engine exhaust gases. Fuel contained in the piston engine exhaust gases is combusted in a second stage turbine engine. Turbine engine exhaust gases are used to supercharge the piston engine.

1. A combustion engine apparatus, comprising:
 fuel, said fuel made up of a first portion and a second portion,   a first stage piston engine for combusting said first portion of said fuel in a first stage, said first stage piston engine producing piston engine exhaust gases with said piston engine exhaust gases containing said second portion of said fuel;   a second stage turbine engine for combusting said second portion of said fuel contained in said piston engine exhaust gases in a second stage at stoichiometric conditions, said second stage turbine engine producing turbine engine exhaust gases;   a supercharger for supercharging said piston engine using said turbine engine exhaust gases, and   means for directing said turbine exhaust gases from said second stage turbine engine into said supercharger.   
     
     
       2. The combustion engine apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first stage piston engine is a compression ignition engine, a homogenous charged compression ignition engine, a variable compression engine, a nitrogen enriched air combustion engine, a rotating engine, a linear engine, and/or a reciprocating engine. 
     
     
       3. The combustion engine apparatus of  claim 1  including a compressor for providing compressed air to said second stage turbine engine for combusting said fuel contained in said piston engine exhaust gases. 
     
     
       4. The combustion engine apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said fuel is oil, methane, natural gas, ammonia, alcohols and/or ethers. 
     
     
       5. The combustion engine An apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said fuel is any combustible matter, comprising:
 a combustion engine system including fuel, said fuel made up of a first portion and a second portion; 
 air that is compressed; 
 a first stage piston engine for combusting said first portion of said fuel in a first stage, said first stage piston engine using said air and said fuel thereby producing piston engine exhaust gases with said piston engine exhaust gases containing said second portion of said fuel; 
 a second stage turbine engine having a turbine combustion chamber; 
 said combustion engine system directing said piston engine exhaust gases from said first stage piston engine into said second stage turbine engine and using said second portion of said fuel that goes into said second stage turbine engine for combustion of said piston engine exhaust gases at stoichiometric conditions in said turbine combustion chamber thereby producing turbine engine exhaust gases, 
 wherein said combustion engine system provides
 control that maintains said second stage turbine engine at stoichiometric conditions, 
 said control that maintains said second stage turbine engine at stoichiometric conditions producing turbine engine exhaust gases; 
 said combustion engine system directing said turbine engine exhaust gases to a supercharger to compress said air; and 
 said supercharger supercharging said piston engine using said turbine engine exhaust gases, said combustion engine system maintaining said second stage turbine engine at reduced combustion temperatures where NOx formation rate is low. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The combustion engine apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said fuel is made up of any combustible matter and wherein said any combustible matter comprises fossil fuels including oil, natural gas, and/or coal. 
     
     
       7. The combustion engine apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said fuel is made up of any combustible matter and wherein said any combustible matter comprises inorganic fuels including ammonia, hydrazine, and/or calcium. 
     
     
       8. The combustion engine apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said any combustible matter comprises organic fuels including alcohols, ethers, and/or wood.