Solid-liquid phase change driven heat engine via hydraulic oil power generation

Abstract

A new kind of solid-liquid-solid cyclic phase change heat engine is presented with optional but highly recommended multiple cylinders aka multiple stages cascading powertrain. Unlike the traditional Rankine engine or Stirling engine, hereby the gaseous phase is prohibited, and the conventional turbine is abandoned too. Under the drive of heat flux, low expansion volume of the working Phase Change Material (PCM) replaces the high expansion volume of hot gas, and in compensation, high expansion pressure replaces the low expansion pressure of hot gas. Via the isolated transformation from PCM pressure to hydraulic oil pressure, plus fluidic AC-DC rectification, a standard hydraulic motor replaces the gas or steam turbine. Multi-cylinder cascading heat engine can linearly increase up efficiency close to the ideal Carnot efficiency. With this invention, heat-rechargeable melting salt thermal storage can efficiently power vehicles with competitive lightweight of thermo pack at middle temperature, challenging those fuel cell or lithium battery powered vehicles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.