Fluidized bed combustion with heat engine

A system, comprising:

• a combustion chamber having a bottom;
• a bed of non-combustible particles in the bottom of the chamber;
• and
• multiple heat engines disposed along the bottom of the combustion chamber, a top part of each heat engine surrounded by non-combustible particles in the bed of non-combustible particles.

A system, comprising:

• a combustion chamber having a bottom;
• a bed of non-combustible particles in the bottom of the chamber;
• multiple air passages penetrating the bottom of the combustion chamber;
• and
• multiple heat engines disposed along the bottom of the combustion chamber, an upper part of each heat engine surrounded by non-combustible particles in the bed of non-combustible particles and a lower part of each heat engine in fluid communication with an air passage.

A heat engine, comprising

• an enclosed cylinder;
• a fixed charge of gas in the cylinder;
• a piston in the cylinder, the piston operative for reciprocating motion at the urging of the gas as the gas alternately expands and contracts;
• and
• a sleeve spaced apart from and surrounding part of the cylinder, the sleeve defining a passage along part of the cylinder and the sleeve having a first opening toward a bottom of the cylinder and a second opening toward a top of the cylinder.

An electric power generator, comprising:

• a combustion chamber;
• a bed of non-combustible particles in the combustion chamber;
• multiple heat engines disposed along the combustion chamber such that at least a part of each heat engine is exposed to non-combustible particles in the bed of non-combustible particles;
• and
• a linear electric generator integral to each heat engine.