Method for converting thermal energy into mechanical work

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for converting thermal energy into mechanical work with the following steps: supply of a hot heat transfer medium to a first working chamber of a first heat exchanger (1a); isochoric heating of a first quantity of a working medium in a second working chamber of the first heat exchanger by the heat transfer medium; repeated performance of the following sub-steps: allowing the transfer flow of at least a partial quantity of the first quantity of the working medium from the second working chamber (3a; 3b) of the first heat exchanger or the preceding heat exchanger to a second working chamber (3b; 3c) of a further subsequent heat exchanger (1b; 1c); isochoric heating of the transferred partial quantity of the first quantity of a working medium in the second working chamber (3b; 3c) of the further subsequent heat exchanger (1b; 1c) by a heat transfer medium present in a first working chamber (2b; 2c) of the further subsequent heat exchanger (1b; 1c); connecting the second working chamber (3c) of the further last heat exchanger (1c) with a pneumo-hydraulic converter (17) and ejection of a hydraulic medium from the converter (17) by the pressure of the working medium. High efficiency with a high flexibility can thus be achieved. The present invention further relates to an apparatus for performing the method.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.