# US 2014/0150419 A1 · Low differential temperature rotary engines

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- Number: US 2014/0150419 A1
- Document ID: US20140150419A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/117,779
- Filed: 2012-05-14
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-14
- Assignees: Dyverga Energy Corporation
- Inventors: Harold Emerson Godwin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150419A1

## CPC

- F01K 11/04: the boilers or condensers being rotated in use
- F03G 3/091: {using unbalanced wheels}
- Y02E 10/46: Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
- F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D)
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An engine is configured to generate power by extracting energy from a low temperature or pressure differential. A plurality of movable masses (e.g., fluid contained in and movable between vessels) is coupled to and arranged about a shaft. When subject to a pressure differential, mass moves to a higher vessel thereby increasing its potential energy and producing a gravitational moment that encourages rotation of the plurality of masses in the first direction. The pressure differential can be created by an increase in pressure that can be generated by exposing a substance (e.g., a volatile material) to heat.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An engine comprising:
a plurality of vessels coupled to and arranged about a shaft;
a plurality of conduits connecting the plurality of vessels together to convey mass between the vessels;
each of the plurality of vessels being in communication with at least one other of the plurality of vessels via at least one of the conduits, a pressure difference between a lower vessel of the plurality of vessels and a higher vessel of the plurality of vessels causing mass to move from the lower vessel into the higher vessel to produce a gravitational moment that encourages rotation of the plurality of vessels and connected conduits in a first direction; and
a valve configured to control the pressure difference.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, wherein the pressure difference is at least in part due to expansion of volatile material at the lower vessel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The engine of claim 2, wherein the pressure difference is at least in part due to condensing of volatile material at the higher vessel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The engine of claim 2, further comprising a coil connected to the lower vessel, volatile material within the coil expanding under influence of heated fluid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The engine of claim 4, wherein the coil is made of thermally conductive material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The engine of claim 4, wherein the heated fluid is controllably provided to the coil by the valve.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The engine of claim 6, further comprising an enclosure enclosing the coil, the valve controlling flow of heated fluid into the enclosure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The engine of claim 7, wherein the enclosure is made of thermally insulative material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The engine of claim 6, further comprising a second valve configured to control the pressure difference, wherein cooled fluid is controllably provided to the coil by the second valve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, wherein the pressure difference is at least in part due to expansion of volatile material at the lower vessel and condensing of volatile material at the higher vessel, each of the lower vessel and higher vessel having a coil, the valve controlling expansion of volatile material within the coil of the lower vessel under influence of heated fluid, and a second valve at the higher vessel controlling condensing of volatile material at the higher vessel under influence of cooled fluid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The engine of claim 4, wherein the valve is positioned on the coil to control the expansion of volatile material within the coil.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The engine of claim 11, further comprising a second valve positioned on the coil to control the expansion of volatile material within the coil.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, wherein the pressure difference is at least in part due to expansion of volatile material at the lower vessel and condensing of volatile material at the higher vessel, each of the lower vessel and higher vessel having a coil, the valve positioned on the coil of the lower vessel to control expansion of volatile material within the coil of the lower vessel under influence of heated fluid, and a second valve positioned on the coil of the higher vessel to control condensing of volatile material at the higher vessel under influence of cooled fluid.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, wherein the valve is positioned at the lower vessel to control delivery of fluid of a high pressure to the lower vessel.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The engine of claim 14, further comprising a second valve positioned at the higher vessel to control delivery of fluid of a pressure lower than the high pressure to the higher vessel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, further comprising a separator at each vessel, each separator positioned to separate mass from a source of pressure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, wherein each separator comprises a membrane.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, wherein each separator comprises a piston.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, wherein each separator comprises a bellows.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, comprising a plurality of the valves configured to control the pressure difference between communicating vessels.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The engine of claim 20, further comprising a rotary manifold connecting the valves to a high-temperature source and a low-temperature source.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The engine of claim 20, further comprising a rotary manifold connecting the valves to a high-pressure source and a low-pressure source.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The engine of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of coils, each coil connected to one of the vessels, volatile material within each coil expanding in response to heated fluid controllably provided to the coil by at least one of the valves to generate pressure.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The engine of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of enclosures, each enclosure enclosing at least one of the coils, at least one of the valves controlling flow of heated fluid into each enclosure.

### Claim 25

A vessel for use in a rotating engine having a plurality of vessels, the vessel comprising:
a separator dividing the vessel into a first chamber configured to communicate with an attached vessel via a conduit and a second chamber configured to undergo positive pressure and partial vacuum to cause the separator to move mass into and out of the first chamber via the conduit; and
a valve positioned to control the positive pressure or partial vacuum in the second chamber.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The vessel of claim 25, further comprising a coil communicating with the second chamber.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The vessel of claim 26, wherein the valve is positioned on the coil to control expansion or condensing of volatile material in the coil.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The vessel of claim 26, further comprising an enclosure enclosing the coil.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The vessel of claim 28, wherein the valve is positioned to control flow of heated or cooled fluid into or out of the enclosure.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The vessel of claim 28, wherein the enclosure is made of thermally insulative material.

### Claim 31 (depends on 25)

The vessel of claim 25, comprising a plurality of the valves.

### Claim 32 (depends on 25)

The vessel of claim 25, wherein the separator comprises a membrane.

### Claim 33 (depends on 25)

The vessel of claim 25, wherein the separator comprises a piston.

### Claim 34 (depends on 25)

The vessel of claim 25, wherein the separator comprises a bellows.

### Claim 35 (depends on 25)

The vessel of claim 25, wherein the vessel is extendable relative to a center of rotation of the vessel.

### Claim 36

A method for controlling rotation of an engine having a plurality of vessels arranged about an axis of rotation, the method comprising:
using valves to control pressure differences between pairs of vessels, wherein a lower positioned vessel receives pressure that is higher than pressure received at a higher positioned vessel; and
mass moving from lower positioned vessels to higher positioned vessels in response to the pressure differences, the mass producing a gravitational moment that encourages rotation of the engine.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein the valves are positioned at the vessels.

### Claim 38 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, further comprising connecting the valves to a high-pressure source using a rotary manifold.

### Claim 39 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, further comprising connecting the valves to a low-pressure source using a rotary manifold.

### Claim 40 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, further comprising using the valves to cause heated or cooled fluid to thermally influence volatile material to expand or contract at the vessels to control pressures inside the vessels.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, further comprising containing volatile material in coils at the vessels.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The method of claim 41, further comprising enclosing the coils and the heated or cooled fluid inside an enclosure.

### Claim 43 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)

A method of using the engine of any one of claims 1 to 24 to drive a vehicle, comprising:
using a rotational assembly of the engine as a wheel of the vehicle; and
using the shaft of the engine as an axle of the vehicle.