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US 2014/0060049 A1Published application
Heat Engine Shuttle Pump System and Method
OwnerRonald David Conryinventor
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Abstract
A heat engine including a novel method for transferring working fluid from the low pressure side of the cycle back to the high pressure side. The invention includes one or more transfer tanks connecting the condenser to the boiler. Each transfer tank is connected to the condenser by a fill line and connected to the boiler by a dump line. Gravity and/or small transfer pumps are used to transfer the working fluid horn the low pressure side, through the transfer tank or tanks, and then to the high pressure side.
Claims16
A method of transferring working fluid within a heat engine from a condenser to an evaporator, comprising:
- a. providing a condenser having an internal condenser pressure, said condenser containing working fluid in a liquid form;
- b. providing an evaporator having an internal evaporator pressure;
- c. providing a first transfer tank;
- d. providing a first fill line leading from said evaporator to said first transfer tank;
- e. providing a first dump line leading from said first transfer tank to said evaporator;
- f. providing a first flow control valve in said first fill line;
- g. providing a second flow control valve in said first dump line;
- h. providing a first vent line leading from said first transfer tank to said condenser;
- i. providing a second vent line leading from said first transfer tank to said evaporator;
- j. providing a first vent control valve in said first vent line;
- k. providing a second vent control valve in said second vent line;
- l. opening said first flow control valve, closing said second flow control valve, opening said first vent control valve, and closing said second vent control valve;
- m. whereby said liquid working fluid in said condenser flows through said first fill line into said first transfer tank and any gaseous working fluid contained within said first transfer tank is vented through said first vent line back to said condenser;
- n. closing said first flow control valve, opening said second flow control valve, closing said first vent control valve, and opening said second vent control valve;
- and
- o. whereby said internal evaporator pressure is applied to said first transfer tank through said second vent line and said liquid working fluid within said first transfer tank flows out through said first dump line and into said evaporator.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.