Device for converting heat energy into mechanical energy

A converter of kinetic energy from a jet formed by a heat transfer fluid and a gas at high temperature, comprising:

• at least one injector of the jet from at least one source of heat transfer fluid and of high-temperature gas,
• an impulse wheel mounted rotating secured to a shaft extending along an axis substantially perpendicularly to the injector, said wheel comprising a plurality of asymmetric blades, the jet being injected onto said blades so as to drive the shaft in rotation and to transform the axial kinetic energy of the jet into rotational kinetic energy of the shaft,
• a tank surrounding said impulse wheel, said tank extending substantially along the axis of the impulse wheel,
• at least one deflector extending underneath the blades, said deflector presenting a shape arranged to recover the mixture of heat transfer fluid and of high-temperature gas on outlet of the impulse wheel and to redirect said mixture in a substantially tangential direction to the wall of the tank, said wall of the tank being arranged so as to impart a cyclone effect on said mixture so as to separate the heat transfer fluid from the high-temperature gas, the tank comprising elements for recovering the heat transfer fluid and the high-temperature gas.

An installation for storing heat energy comprising:

• a heat transfer fluid tank configured to be a source of heat transfer fluid,
• a solar concentrator coupled to the heat transfer fluid tank and configured to heat the heat transfer fluid,
• an immersion heater arranged in the heat transfer fluid tank, and
• an alternator being configured to supply the immersion heater when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid tank equals the temperature of the heat transfer fluid on outlet from concentrator, so as to increase the temperature of the heat transfer fluid tank above the temperature of concentrator.