Power plants – Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of... – Mass is a solid
Patent
1976-03-24
1978-05-09
Ostrager, Allen M.
Power plants
Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of...
Mass is a solid
F03G 706
Patent
active
040879712
ABSTRACT:
There are disclosed devices and methods for converting heat energy into mechanical energy utilizing elements formed of materials which exhibit so-called shape memory effect (SME) characteristics, which elements are subjected to stress, strain and temperature conditions in a cyclic manner, the stress and strain conditions in the element being related by a closed loop locus plotted on the stress/strain/temperature spectrum. The elements may also be formed of bi-metallic expansion alloys or of other materials having a high thermal expansion coefficient. In one particular application of the invention as a heat engine there is provided a first member composed of elements made of a material exhibiting SME characteristics or of elements made of a bi-metallic material or of other materials having a high thermal expansion coefficient, and a second member which comprises means for deforming the first member, the arrangement being such that when the first member is subjected to a thermal cycling effect to establish a temperature difference between different parts of the first member the strains set up in the first member thereby are translated into a physical motion of the first member. The device is so arranged that the configurations of the component parts of the first member change in dependence on the temperature thereof and these changes in configuration generate forces effective to cause a relative movement of the first member with the respective second member. The thermal cycling effect may be obtained by arranging that over one part of the cycle each part of the first member has heat energy supplied thereto as, for example, by solar-, gas- or electric-heating or by exposing it to a hot fluid and over another part of the cycle each part of the first member is cooled as, for example, by exposing it to a cold fluid. Devices according to this invention have many diverse applications including as a prime mover powered, for example, by solar energy for irrigation and water pumping applications in arid and undeveloped areas of the world.
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patent: 3703367 (1972-11-01), Cocks
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patent: 3832243 (1974-08-01), Donkersloot
patent: 3913326 (1975-10-01), Banks
patent: 3937019 (1976-02-01), Renner
patent: 4019925 (1977-04-01), Nenno
Delta Materials Research Limited
Ostrager Allen M.
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