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...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-16
2001-05-08
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
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...
C060S522000, C060S523000, C060S524000, C060S526000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226990
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a heat engine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The heat engine is an alternate engine to the internal combustion engine. Various designs for heat engines have been developed in the past. Despite its potential for greater thermodynamic efficiency compared to internal combustion engines, heat engines have been used in only limited applications in the past due to several factors including the complexity of the designs, the weight of the engine per unit of horse power output as well as the difficulty in starting a heat engine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the instant invention, an improved design for a heat engine is disclosed. In one embodiment, the heat engine is made from lightweight sheet metal. By using a plurality of cylindrical containers, one nested inside the other for the displacer, the combustion and cooling chambers as well as to create an air flow path between the heating and cooling chambers, a rugged durable lightweight construction is achieved.
In another embodiment, the heat engine utilizes a power piston which is biased to a first position. By biasing the piston, several advantages are obtained. First, the heat engine may be self starting provided the power piston is biased so as to be initially positioned in the cooling chamber. A further advantage is that by using an electrical means (eg. a solenoid, an electromagnet or the like) to move the displacer, preferably in response to the position of the power piston, a complicated mechanical linkage between the power piston and the displacer is not required thus simplifying the design. Further, by using an electrical linkage, the phase angle between the displacer and the power piston may be adjusted.
The heat engine of the instant invention may be combined with a fuel source (eg. butane), a linear generator and an electrically operated light emitting means to create a flashlight or other portable light source. It will be appreciated that due to the simplicity of the design of the instant invention, the heat engine as well as the linear generator are each adapted to be scaled up or down so as to produce greater or lessor amounts of power. Accordingly, in another embodiment, the heat engine together with a linear generator and a fuel source may be used as a generator. It will further be appreciated that by connecting a linear generator to a source of electricity (eg. standard electrical outlet) the electricity from a power grid may be used to run the linear generator as a motor whereby the power piston effectively drives the displacer. In such a case, the heat engine may be used as a refrigerator or a cryogenic cooler. In such an embodiment, the heating and cooling chambers of the heat engine are effectively reversed and no combustion chamber is required.
In accordance with one aspect of the instant invention, there is provided an apparatus for providing cooling comprising:
(a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway;
(b) a heat sink thermally connected to the first chamber whereby the heat sink provides heat to the working fluid;
(c) a displacer movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a displacer cycle profile and the cycle profile describes the velocity of the displacer as it moves between the first and second positions and the dwell time of the displacer when it is in each of the first and second positions;
(d) a piston movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a piston cycle profile and the cycle profile describes the velocity of the piston as it moves between the first and second positions and the dwell time of the piston when it is in each of the first and second positions;
(e) at least one heat dissipation member thermally connected to the second chamber; and,
(f) at least one drive member drivingly connected to the displacer and the piston to produce a displacer cycle profile and a piston cycle profile which causes the working fluid to undergo differing rates of expansion and compression in the first chamber than in the second chamber whereby the movement of the working fluid transfers heat from the heat sink to the working fluid in the first chamber and then from the second chamber to the heat dissipation members.
In one embodiment, the at least one drive member is operated to cause the working fluid to undergo a slower rate of expansion in the first chamber then the rate of compression of the working fluid in the first chamber and to undergo a slower rate of compression in the second chamber then the rate of expansion of the working fluid in the second chamber.
In another embodiment, the at least one drive member comprises a first drive member drivingly connected to the displacer and a second drive member drivingly connected to the piston.
In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an electric motor drivingly connected to the piston.
In another embodiment, the electric motor comprises a linear motor and the piston comprises a portion of the linear motor.
In another embodiment, the movement of the piston produces a signal that is sent to the first drive member, whereby the signal causes the first drive member to move the displacer.
In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an adjustable signal generator for modulating the signal provided to the first drive member to adjust the cycle profile of the displacer.
In another embodiment, the at least one drive member is adjustable to vary at least one of the displacer cycle and the piston cycle profile.
In another embodiment, the at least one drive member is adjustable to vary the displacer cycle and the piston cycle profile.
In another embodiment, the displacer cycle profile and the piston cycle profile causes the working fluid to have residence time in the first chamber that is at least about 20% greater than its residence time in the second chamber.
In another embodiment, the at least one drive member is adjustable to vary the cycle profile of at least one of the displacer and the piston and the apparatus further comprises a manual adjustment member for adjusting the cycle profile of the at least one of the displacer and the piston.
In another embodiment, the at least one drive member is adjustable to vary the cycle profile of at least one of the displacer and the piston and the apparatus further comprises an adjustable signal generator for modulating a signal provided to the at least one drive member to adjust the cycle profile of the at least one of the displacer and the piston.
In another embodiment, each of the first and second drive members is adjustable to vary the cycle profile of the displacer and the piston and the apparatus further comprises a manual adjustment members for independently adjusting the cycle profile of each of the displacer and the piston.
In another embodiment, each of the first and second drive members is adjustable to vary the cycle profile of the displacer and the piston and the apparatus further comprises a first adjustable signal generator for modulating a signal provided to the first drive member to adjust the cycle profile of the displacer and a second adjustable signal generator for modulating the cycle profile of the piston. Preferably, the first drive member is an electric motor drivingly connected to the piston and the second adjustable signal generator comprises a control member for controlling the electric motor. Preferably, the electric motor comprises a linear motor and the piston comprises a portion of the linear motor.
In another embodiment, the adjustable signal generator comprises a signal modulator and the piston whereby the movement of the piston generates a signal that is sent to the signal modulator.
In another embodiment, the piston moves at a phase angle with respect to the displacer and the adjustab
Bereskin & Parr
Fantom Technologies Inc.
Mendes da Costa Philip C.
Nguyen Hoang
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