Method Of Converting Thermal Energy Into Mechanical Energy, And An Apparatus

An apparatus for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy using a non-gaseous working medium, the apparatus comprising a plurality of heat exchangers and an outgoing shaft, characterized in that

• the apparatus comprises a multitude of chamber units, a chamber unit comprising an inlet for introducing heat exchange medium and an outlet for discharging said heat exchange medium after having undergone heat exchange as well as a closed chamber having a heat exchanger wall for exchanging heat between working medium inside the closed chamber and the heat exchange medium introduced into the chamber unit via said inlet for introducing heat exchange medium;
• the closed chambers comprising a cylinder and a piston, the piston of a closed chamber being workably connected to the outgoing shaft via an organ capable of driving the outgoing shaft if the piston is moved from a first, relatively retracted position in the cylinder to a second, relatively protruding position for driving the outgoing shaft and allowing free movement of the outgoing shaft if said piston is moved from the second to the first position;
• the apparatus comprises a device for distributing a heat exchange medium for passing said heat exchange medium along the heat exchanger walls via said inlets and outlets of the chamber units, the device being capable of providing a first chamber unit with heat exchange medium of a first high temperature and providing a second chamber unit with heat exchange medium with a second low temperature, providing a third chamber unit with heat exchange medium of a third temperature between the first and the second temperature and providing a fourth chamber unit with heat exchange medium of a fourth temperature between the first and the second temperature.

A method of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy using a non-gaseous working medium, comprising:

• providing a conversion apparatus comprising:
• at least four chamber units, each of the four chamber units having an inlet for introducing heat exchange medium and an outlet for discharging heat exchange medium as well as a closed chamber having a heat exchanger wall for exchanging heat between working medium inside the closed chamber and the heat exchange medium, the closed chambers of the chamber units having a cylinder and a piston;
• and
• an outgoing shaft workably connected to the piston of each closed chamber, the outgoing shaft being workably driven by the piston when the piston extends, with free movement of the outgoing shaft being allowed when the piston retracts in the cylinder;
• and
• driving the outgoing shaft by using the four chamber units in four stages, with each chamber unit of the four chamber units in a different one of the four stages at any given time, and using hot heat exchange medium from a hot heat exchange medium source and cold heat exchange medium from a cold heat exchange medium source, the four stages comprising:
• a first stage of introducing cooled-down heat exchange medium into the chamber unit, the cooled-down heat exchange medium having been output from the second stage of a different chamber unit, the cooled-down heat exchange medium having a temperature between the temperature of the hot heat exchange medium source and the temperature of the cold heat exchange medium source;
• a second stage of heating working medium present in the chamber unit with heat exchange medium from the hot heat exchange medium source, the second stage outputting cooled-down heat exchange medium, the first and second stages collectively driving the outgoing shaft;
• a third stage of introducing warmed-up heat exchange medium into the chamber unit, the warmed-up heat exchange medium having been output from the fourth stage of a different chamber unit, the warmed-up heat exchange medium having a temperature between the temperature of the hot heat exchange medium source and the temperature of the cold heat exchange medium source;
• and
• a fourth stage of cooling working medium present in the chamber unit with heat exchange medium from the cold heat exchange medium source, the fourth stage outputting warmed-up heat exchange medium.