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US 10,774,645 B1Granted
High efficiency steam engine
AssigneeThermal Power Recovery LLC
InventorJames V. Harmon, Sr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high efficiency uniflow steam engine having automatic poppet valves yieldably based by fluid such as steam held under pressure within a cavity in the engine and a cutoff control for closing a steam inlet valve at any time selected stops the flow of steam into the cylinder. Proximate the end of the exhaust stroke, around 0.12 inch before TDC the cylinder is sealed to thereby compress residual steam as the piston clearance approaches zero; typically, 0.020 inch which raises cylinder pressure enough to open an inlet valve without making physical contact to push the inlet valve open with the piston thereby eliminating a tappet type of noise, shock and wear.
Claims24
A steam engine comprising;
- at least one cylinder having a steam expansion chamber and a piston that is sealingly and slidably mounted in the cylinder at one end of the steam expansion chamber and is operatively connected to a crankshaft;
- a steam inlet valve that in a closed position seals a port in the engine which communicates between a pressurized steam supply passage and the steam expansion chamber;
- a steam exhaust valve communicating with the steam expansion chamber for enabling steam to be exhausted from the expansion chamber following each power stroke of the piston;
- wherein at least one of said steam inlet valve and said steam exhaust valve has a valve stem operatively associated with a cavity of the engine;
- and
- wherein a thrust surface is operatively associated with the valve stem and is located in the cavity of the engine for actuating at least one of said steam inlet valve and said steam exhaust valve in response to the pressure of a fluid supplied to the cavity of the engine such that the fluid exerts a force on the valve stem for imparting movement thereto in a first direction along an axis extending between an open and a closed position.
3 more elements
A steam engine comprising:
- at least one cylinder having a steam expansion chamber and a piston that is sealingly and slidably mounted in the cylinder at one end of the steam expansion chamber and is operatively connected to a crankshaft;
- a poppet inlet valve that seals a port in the engine communicating between a steam supply passage and the steam expansion chamber, the inlet valve having a valve head and a valve stem slidably mounted in a valve guide and being yieldably biased to move the inlet valve toward a closed position;
- a timer operatively associated with the inlet valve to control the closing time of the inlet valve for regulating the cutoff of steam into the expansion chamber;
- a poppet exhaust valve with a valve stem that is operatively associated with a thrust surface located within a cavity in the engine for containing a pressurized fluid during operation to provide a yieldable bias on the exhaust valve stem by applying pressure against the thrust surface to move the exhaust valve in a first direction;
- an electromagnet operatively associated with to the stem of the exhaust valve to move the exhaust valve in a direction opposing the first direction;
- and
- an electrical controller connected to actuate the electromagnet intermittently in timed relationship with rotation of the crankshaft whereby the exhaust valve reciprocates between an open and a closed position.
4 more elements
A steam engine comprising;
- at least one cylinder having a steam expansion chamber and a piston that is sealingly and slidably mounted in the cylinder at one end of the steam expansion chamber and is operatively connected to a crankshaft;
- a poppet inlet valve that seals a port in the engine communicating between a steam supply passage and the steam expansion chamber, the poppet inlet valve having a valve head and a valve stem slidably mounted in a valve guide and being yieldably biased to move the valve head toward a closed position;
- a timer operatively connected to the inlet valve to control the closing time of the inlet valve for regulating the cutoff of steam into the expansion chamber;
- a poppet exhaust valve having a valve stem that is yieldably biased to move toward an open position, the poppet exhaust valve is operatively associated with a thrust surface within the engine for applying the yieldable bias toward the open position;
- and
- a valve actuator constructed and arranged to close the poppet exhaust valve by compressed steam that is applied onto a surface of the poppet exhaust valve proximate top dead center until the exhaust valve is closed at a point in the piston cycle such that the piston thereafter compresses a remaining terminal fraction of the steam in the expansion chamber to sufficient pressure to at least partially open the steam inlet valve.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.