Reducing the starting torque of double-acting Stirling engines
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorRichard C. Belaire
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed working fluid system for a regenerative type Stirling engine is disclosed. The system has pistons therein arranged to be of the double-acting type. A compensating system is employed to eliminate the force differential that works upon the upper and lower surfaces of each double-acting piston during cold engine start and restarting conditions. The compensating system employs a parallel path to the normal intercommunication between hot and cold chambers; a variable area valve is disposed in the parallel path. Communication through the variable area valve is controlled by a shuttle valve and one-way flow is assured by at least one check valve.
Claims4
A closed working fluid circuit for a regenerative type Stirling engine, the closed working fluid system having a plurality of chambers subdivided by double-acting pistons operating therein, the subdivided chambers being connected in a series whereby the hot chamber is in communication with the cold chamber of the next most adjacent cylinder, said intercommunication between adjacent cylinders containing a regenerator and a cooling mechanism, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means defining a fluid path in parallel with said intercommunication,
- (b) fluid pressure amplifying means interposed in said path in parallel whereby the mean pressure in said intercommunication may be increased in magnitude when transmitted to the low temperature variable volume chamber, and
- (c) control means for selectively placing said path in parallel fluid communication with said intercommunication and for selectively isolating said path in parallel therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.