# US 2019/0376418 A1 · Heat Engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0376418 A1 - Document ID: US20190376418A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/481,238 - Filed: 2018-01-26 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-27 - Assignees: University of Newcastle Upon Tyne - Applicants: University of Newcastle upon Tyne - Inventors: Anthony Paul Roskilly; Andrew John Smallbone - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190376418A1 ## CPC - F01K 7/36: the engines being of positive-displacement type - F01K 23/065: {the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine} - F01K 25/06: using mixtures of different fluids (plants using mixtures of steam and gas F01K21/04) - F01K 25/08: using special vapours - 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) ## Abstract A heat engine including a compressor; an expander; a reactor in which first and second reactants in a working fluid can react with each other, the reactor arranged between the compressor and the expander; and a condenser for condensing a gas in the working fluid, the condenser arranged between the expander and the compressor. There is also provided a method of operating a heat engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat engine comprising: a compressor; an expander; a first conduit fluidly coupling an outlet of the compressor to an inlet of the expander; a second conduit fluidly coupling an outlet of the expander to an inlet of the compressor; a reactor in which first and second reactants in a working fluid can react with each other, the reactor arranged in the first conduit between the compressor and the expander; and a condenser for condensing a gas in the working fluid, the condenser arranged in the second conduit between the expander and the compressor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1, wherein the compressor comprises a compression chamber and a first positive displacement member reciprocable within the compression chamber; and wherein the expander comprises an expansion chamber and a second positive displacement member reciprocable within the expansion chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The heat engine according to claim 2, wherein one of: the first and second positive displacement members are mechanically coupled to reciprocate in unison in a free-piston configuration; and the first and second positive displacement members are connected via a crankshaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1, wherein the compressor is a turbomachine and the expander is a turbomachine. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The heat engine according to claim 4, wherein the compressor and the expander are connected via a shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1 further comprising a first supply line configured for supplying a first reactant into one or both of the first and second conduit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1, wherein the reactor comprises a second supply line for supplying the second reactant into the working fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1, wherein the condenser comprises a drainage line for draining a condensate from the condenser. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1, wherein the condenser comprises a cooling circuit for cooling working fluid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1 further comprising the working fluid; wherein the working fluid comprises a diluent, the concentration of the diluent in the working fluid being at least 5% by volume. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The heat engine according to claim 10, wherein the diluent has a ratio of specific heats which is at least 1.4. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The heat engine according to claim 10, wherein the diluent is selected from the group consisting of Ar, He, Ne, Kr, and Xe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1 further comprising the working fluid; wherein the working fluid comprises N2, the concentration of N2 in the working fluid being less than 70% by volume. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The heat engine according to claim 1 further comprising: a first valve for controlling the flow of working fluid into the compression chamber; a second valve for controlling the flow of working fluid out of the compression chamber; a third valve for controlling the flow of working fluid from the compression chamber into the expansion chamber; and a fourth valve for controlling the flow of working fluid out of the expansion chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The heat engine according to claim 14, wherein the compressor comprises a compression chamber and a first positive displacement member reciprocable within the compression chamber; wherein the expander comprises an expansion chamber and a second positive displacement member reciprocable within the expansion chamber; and wherein the heat engine further comprises: a sensor adapted to output a signal corresponding to one or both of a position and velocity of the first and second positive displacement elements; and a controller for continuously controlling one or more of the third and fourth valves and the rate of supply of the second reactant to the reactor in accordance with the signal output by the sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The heat engine according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to control the first, second, third and fourth valves. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The heat engine according to claim 2, wherein the second displacement member divides the expansion chamber into two expansion subchambers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The heat engine according to claim 14, wherein the compressor comprises a compression chamber and a first positive displacement member reciprocable within the compression chamber; wherein the expander comprises an expansion chamber and a second positive displacement member reciprocable within the expansion chamber; wherein the second displacement member divides the expansion chamber into two expansion subchambers; and wherein the third valve is adapted to control the flow of working fluid alternately to each expansion subchamber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The heat engine according to claim 2, wherein the first displacement member divides the compression chamber into two compression subchambers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The heat engine according to claim 14, wherein the compressor comprises a compression chamber and a first positive displacement member reciprocable within the compression chamber; wherein the expander comprises an expansion chamber and a second positive displacement member reciprocable within the expansion chamber; wherein the first displacement member divides the compression chamber into two compression subchambers; and wherein the first valve is adapted to control the flow of working fluid alternately to each compression subchamber. ### Claim 21 (depends on 2) The heat engine according to claim 2 further comprising an energy conversion device comprising at least one reciprocable element coupled for reciprocation with the first and second displacement members. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The heat engine according to claim 21, wherein the energy conversion device is positioned between the compression chamber and the expansion chamber. ### Claim 23 A heat engine comprising: a reactor; a condenser for condensing a gas in a working fluid of the heat engine; a first conduit fluidly coupling an outlet of the reactor to an inlet of the condenser; and a second conduit fluidly coupling an outlet of the condenser to an inlet of the reactor. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The heat engine according to claim 23 further comprising: the working fluid; a first supply line configured for supplying a first reactant into one or both of the first and second conduits; and a second supply line for supplying a second reactant into the working fluid; wherein the reactor is the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine; and wherein the second supply line is configured to supply the second reactant into one of: the second conduit; and into the reactor. ### Claim at position 25 -27. (canceled) ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The heat engine according to claim 24, wherein the condenser comprises a drainage line for draining the condensate from the condenser. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The heat engine according to claim 24, wherein the condenser comprises a cooling circuit for cooling the working fluid. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The heat engine according to claim 24, wherein the working fluid comprises a diluent, the concentration of the diluent in the working fluid being at least 5% by volume. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The heat engine according to claim 30, wherein the diluent has a ratio of specific heats which is at least 1.4. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The heat engine according to claim 31, wherein the diluent is selected from the group consisting of Ar, He, Ne, Kr, and Xe. ### Claim 33 (canceled) ### Claim 34 (depends on 2) A method of operating the heat engine according to claim 2 comprising: providing the working fluid to the heat engine of claim 2, wherein the working fluid comprises a diluent, and the concentration of the diluent in the working fluid is at least 5% by volume. ### Claim at position 33 -39. (canceled) ### Claim 40 (depends on 34) The method according to claim 34, wherein the working fluid comprises the first and second reactants; and wherein the first reactant is O2. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method according to claim 40, wherein the second reactant is H2. ### Claim 42 (depends on 34) The method according to claim 34 further comprising condensing a combustion product in the condenser, the combustion product comprising H2O. ### Claim 43 A heat engine comprising: a compression chamber; a first positive displacement member reciprocable within the compression chamber; an expansion chamber; a second positive displacement member reciprocable within the expansion chamber; a reactor in which first and second reactants in a working fluid can react with each other, the reactor arranged between the compression chamber and the expansion chamber; and a condenser for condensing a gas in the working fluid, the condenser arranged between the expansion chamber and the compression chamber.