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...
Patent
1982-03-24
1984-07-10
Ostrager, Allen M.
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...
60530, 60682, F03G 706, F02G 104
Patent
active
044584881
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to heat engines in which volumetric variations of fluids due to heating and cooling are utilized, and particularly to a heat engine in which an incompressible fluid is used.
BACKGROUND ART
A heat engine in which; by causing a warm field and a cold field to act alternately on an incompressible substance which undergoes volumetric variation due to temperature variation, alternating volumetric variation is caused to occur in the incompressible substance; this volumetric variation is changed into a linear displacement of an output displacement member; and rotational motion is taken out (derived) from this by way of a motion-conversion mechanism is publicly known as the present applicant has previously proposed (reference being made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,239 of Sept. 16, 1980.
In this known heat engine, a liquid or a solid, for example a paraffinic substance, is used as the above mentioned incompressible substance, and, in order to derive the volumetric variation of this incompressible substance as a mechanical displacement, and output displacement member is provided in direct contact with the incompressible substance, or another displacement transmitting medium is interposed between the incompressible substance and the output displacement member. The provision of the output displacement member in direct contact with the incompressible substance is desirable because that the volumetric variation of the incompressible substance can be changed directly into displacement of the output displacement member. However, in this case, in order to cause a warm field and a cold field to act alternately on the incompressible substance, a piston which undergoes displacement while dividing the warm field and the cold field is necessary, and a complicated mechanism is required for driving this piston. On the other hand, in the above mentioned latter case wherein another displacement transmitting medium is interposed between the incompressible substance and the output displacement member, a sealing member for separating the incompressible substance itself from the above mentioned medium is necessary, and, moreover, it is necessary to cause the incompressible substance to move alternately between the warm field and the cold field while sealing it with the sealing member, for which a complicated mechanism similarly becomes necessary.
This invention has an object of making the heat engine of the above described type, which is mechanically complicated and is relatively wasteful, more compact both mechanically ans spatially for making it into an engine which is suitable for practical use.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to this invention, the above stated object is attained by, a heat engine comprising: a cylinder; a piston provided in a freely slidable manner within this cylinder; a casing forming a space so encompassing the outer side of the cylinder as to cause the cylinder space on one side of the piston and the cylinder space on the other side of the same to be communication via the outer side of the cylinder; a fluid filling the interior of the cylinder and said spaces and undergoing volumetric variation with temperature variation; a piston rod fixed to the piston and extending outward through said casing; an output displacement member extending through the casing in a freely slidable manner along the piston rod and having, at one end thereof in the interior of the casing, a pressure-receiving surface for receiving a force directed outward from the casing due to thermal expansion of the fluid within the casing; means for cooling the casing part near one end of the cylinder; means for heating the casing part near the other end of the cylinder; and a crank mechanism for coupling, outside of the casing, the end parts of said piston rod and output displacement member with a phase difference to an output shaft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section, showing one example of a heat engine of this invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view, partially
REFERENCES:
patent: 1032236 (1912-07-01), Patten
patent: 2397734 (1946-04-01), Goebel et al.
patent: 2465139 (1949-03-01), Van Weenen et al.
patent: 2596051 (1952-05-01), Stigter
patent: 3232045 (1966-02-01), Fokker
patent: 3692099 (1972-09-01), Nesbitt et al.
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