Closed Cycle Regenerative Heat Engines

A closed cycle regenerative heat engine comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber;
• a resiliently deformable displacer housed in said chamber;
• and
• a movable member housed in said chamber,
• wherein said resiliently deformable displacer is movable in said chamber to displace a working fluid between respective heating and cooling locations in said chamber at which heat is input to said working fluid and said working fluid is cooled,
• said resiliently deformable displacer defines at least one internal through-passage such that, in use, when said displacer moves to displace said working fluid between said heating and cooling locations, said working fluid passes through said resiliently deformable displacer,
• a heat storage reservoir mounted on said resiliently deformable displacer to, in use, store heat received from said working fluid when said working fluid is displaced from said heating location to said cooling location via said at least one internal through-passage and reject said stored heat to said working fluid when said working fluid is displaced from said cooling location to said heating location via said at least one internal through-passage, and
• said movable member is in sealing engagement with said housing and movable in response to pressure changes of said working fluid caused by said heating and cooling of said working fluid to provide a mechanical power output.

A closed cycle regenerative heat engine comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber;
• a displacer housed in said chamber;
• and
• a movable member housed in said chamber,
• wherein said displacer is movable in said chamber to displace a working fluid between respective heating and cooling locations in said chamber at which heat is input to said working fluid and said working fluid is cooled,
• said displacer comprises a first body member, a second body member and a thermally insulating member intermediate said first and second body members and configured such that when said displacer moves to displace said working fluid into said cooling location, said first body member moves into said heating location and when said displacer moves to displace said working fluid into said heating location, said second body member moves into said cooling location,
• said displacer further comprises a heat storage reservoir mounted on said thermally insulating member to, in use, store heat received from said working fluid when said working fluid is displaced from said heating location to said cooling location and reject said stored heat to said working fluid when said working fluid is displaced from said cooling location to said heating location, and
• said movable member is in sealing engagement with said housing and movable in response to pressure changes of said working fluid caused by said heating and cooling of said working fluid to provide a mechanical power output.