Container for high pressure

Details Container for high pressure Container for high pressure

1999-05-26

2000-11-07

Nguyen, Hoang

Power plants

Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of...

Unit of mass is a gas which is heated or cooled in one of a...

60524, F01B 2910

Patent

active

061419621

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an improvement on a high pressure container, particularly for use as a transmission and generator housing for a Stirling motor as used in motor vehicles.


BACKGROUND

Various mechanical devices are designed to work under high pressure in a container. Normally, the safety requirements to reduce hazards are high, and consequently such containers have been made with thick walls. A reason for this may be the difficulty in estimating the load on such containers, with a combination of axial and tangential forces. Prior art containers which incorporate mechanical structures have therefore been heavy and expensive.
It is proposed to manufacture Stirling motors with a transmission housing incorporating one or more electrical generators which can also accommodate a gas volume and serve as a pressure accumulator for creating a counter pressure against the piston of the Stirling motor. Thus, the introduction of a shaft through the wall of the housing is not necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,633 (Otters) discloses the use of a shell structure of metal sheets which are reinforced by windings of glass or carbon fibres. This structure is labour intensive at the manufacturing stage and does not remove the uncertainty of sizing, providing a container with a larger weight than acceptable, e.g. for use in a car. Stirling motors powering vehicles primarily are used in a hybrid connection with batteries and so heavy weight will be a particular disadvantage.
It has not been possible to replace steel with cast aluminium to reduce the weight, due to the unallowable concentration of stress at the transition between the cylinder of the Sterling motor and the transmission and generator casing.


OBJECT

The main object of the invention is to reduce the weight of containers in which mechanical equipment should operate under high and changing pressure relative to the environment. It is a further object to increase the safety of such structures by having better access to and better control over the tensions, and thus the margins for sizing.
It is a particular object to provide a container which in relation to weight and safety is particularly suited for use in cars, particularly domestic autombiles. It is a particular object to provide a transmission and generator housing for Stirling motors to be used in cars, which can be manufactured of a non-steel material and preferably of materials with a low density main substance.
It also is an object to provide a transmission and generator housing which allows an increase of the net volume, including gas volume, and/or of the gas pressure, without any increase in weight.
It is a requirement, that the transmission and generator housing should stand an inner pressure of at least approximately 8 MPa and that this pressure can be maintained without leakage in an extended period of use, regardless of being operated or not.
It is a requirement, that a material breakage not shall involve an explosion of the housing, but a controlled decompression ("leak-before-break").
These objects include the purpose of providing a transmission and generator housing for a Stirling motor, which can be manufactured with acceptable material and handling costs and wherein the tolerances at joining and/or maintenance are not critical.
The invention is stated generally in claim 1, while claims 2-8 specifies particular advantageous embodiments.
This container can be manufactured of anisotropic materials which have their strength properties adapted to the particular direction of load. Such a transmission and generator housing can be manufactured with a light composite material as the main component. This may be polyester with carbon fibre reinforcement. For journalling the crank shaft, with force transmission to the cylinder housing and journalling the generator, aluminium elements, which are also lighter than steel, can be used.
More details and effects of the invention will appear from the example below.


EXAMPLE

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a schematical side v

REFERENCES:
patent: 4036018 (1977-07-01), Beale
patent: 4596160 (1986-06-01), Andersen et al.
patent: 4613299 (1986-09-01), Backheim
patent: 4638633 (1987-01-01), Otters
patent: 4751819 (1988-06-01), Eder
patent: 5074114 (1991-12-01), Meijer et al.
patent: 5355679 (1994-10-01), Pierce
patent: 5743091 (1998-04-01), Penswick et al.

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