Heat engine

Details Heat engine Heat engine

2000-03-10

2001-11-06

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, C060S524000, C060S526000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06311491

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 a heat engine comprising an outer container comprising an outer longitudinally extending wall and first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the outer wall surrounding an outer cavity; an inner container spaced from the outer container and comprising an inner longitudinally extending wall constructed from sheet metal and surrounding an inner cavity having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the inner longitudinally extending wall having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the first end of the cavity is at a different temperature than the second end of the cavity when the heat engine is in use, the first and second ends of the inner cavity being in fluid flow communication via a passageway, the first and second ends of the inner cavity and the passageway defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use; a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart positioning members extending between the inner and outer containers; a displacer movably mounted in the inner cavity; and, a piston movably mounted in the inner cavity.
In one embodiment, the outer longitudinally extending wall is constructed from sheet metal.
In another embodiment, at least one positioning member is positioned adjacent each of the first and second ends of the inner wall.
In another embodiment, the inner and outer containers are physically connected together at the first end of the inner wall by an intermediate portion that extends outwardly from the inner container to the outer container whereby the intermediate portion comprises a positioning member.
In another embodiment, the inner longitudinally extending wall has an integrally formed end portion at the second end of the inner cavity to seal the second end of the inner wall.
In another embodiment, the inner and outer containers are constructed from preformed cylindrical tubes each of which has a diameter and, at a position distal to the first end of the wall, the diameter of a portion of one of the inner and outer containers is varied so that the diameter of the inner and outer containers is essentially the same and the wall of the inner container lockingly engages the wall of the outer container whereby the portion with the varied diameter comprises a positioning member.
In another embodiment, the inner and outer containers are individually formed cylindrical tubes and at least some of the positioning members comprise an annular member extending outwardly from wall of the inner container to the wall of the outer container.
In another embodiment, the heat engine further comprises a regenerator positioned between the inner and outer containers.
In another embodiment, the regenerator comprises a thin walled member extending around a portion of the inner container and having inner and outer longitudinally extending surfaces and openings therein for fluid flow through the regenerator between the inner and outer surfaces.
In another embodiment, the heat engine further comprises a regenerator positioned between the inner and outer containers and the regenerator functions as positioning members.
In another embodiment, the heat engine further comprises a heat exchanger positioned between the inner and outer containers at the first end of the inner wall and the heat exchanger functions as a positioning member.
In another embodiment, the heat engine further comprises an end portion positioned at the second end of the inner wall for sealing the second end of the inner cavity but for the passageway and a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source and a heat sink positioned at the first end of the inner wall for sealing the first end of the inner cavity but for the passageway.
In another embodiment, the heat transfer member comprises a combustion chamber.
In accordance with another aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a heat engine comprising inner and outer spaced apart longitudinally extending walls, each of the inner and outer walls being of a thin walled construction, the inner wall surrounding a cavity, each of the inner and outer wall having longitudinally spaced apart first and second ends, the first end is at a different temperature than the second end when the heat engine is in use, the first and second ends in fluid flow communication via a passageway, the first and second ends and the passageway defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the apparatus is in use; a displacer movably mounted in the cavity between the first and second ends for movement between a first position and a second position; a piston movably mounted in the second end for movement between a first position and a second position; and, support members for maintaining the dimensional integrity of each of the ends of the inner wall.
In one embodiment, the inner and outer spaced apart longitudinally extending walls are prepared from a material selected from the group consisting of prefabricated tubing, stamped metal and drawn metal.
In another embodiment, the thickness of the inner wall is from 0.001 inches to 0.250 inch.
In another embodiment, the inner and outer longitudinally extending walls each co

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