Cascaded two-fluid rotary closed Rankine cycle engine

A cascaded, two-fluid, rotary, closed Rankine cycle engine comprising, in combination:

• a cylindrical housing rotatable about its axis,
• a coaxial annular boiler associated with said housing and rotatable therewith, said housing and boiler adapted to be rotated at a first predetermined speed to maintain in the boiler an annular body of a first boiler liquid having a liquid/vapor interface spaced a predetermined distance radially from said axis,
• means to rotationally drive the housing and boiler at said first predetermined speed,
• means to heat the first boiler liquid in the boiler and generate pressure vapor therein,
• a first expander mounted coaxially within the housing for extracting work from the pressure vapor generated in the boiler and including a coaxial driving member rotatably driven thereby at a second predetermined speed;
• a first annular regenerator chamber radially inward of the boiler defined by portions of the housing,
• means for discharging exhaust vapor from the first expander and delivering the same to the first regenerator chamber,
• a first annular regenerator in said first chamber rotatable with the housing comprising at least one annular series of a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced axially extending heat-exchange tubes each having thereon a plurality of axially spaced annular fins, the exhaust vapors discharged to said first chamber passing between the fins,
• an annular condenser-boiler radially inward of said regenerator associated with said housing and rotatable therewith, said condenser-boiler comprising a plurality of axially extending heat-exchange tubes each having thereon a plurality of axially spaced annular fins for passing the exhaust vapor from the first regenerator therebetween to heat a second liquid passing through the tubes to generate a pressure vapor therein having a liquid/vapor interface a predetermined distance radially from the boiler axis, said second liquid having a lower boiling point than the first boiler liquid,
• means for conducting exhaust vapor after passage through the regenerator to said condenser-boiler and for returning liquid condensate therefrom to the regenerator for passage through the tubes thereof in heat exchange relation with exhaust vapor passed between the fins thereon,
• means for returning the liquid condensate to the boiler after passage through the regenerator tubes,
• a second expander, mounted for coaxial rotation within the housing with said first expander, for extracting work from the pressure vapor generated in the heat-exchange tubes of the condenser-boiler,
• a second annular regenerator chamber radially inward of the condenser-boiler defined by portions of the housing,
• means for discharging exhaust vapor from the second expander and delivering the same to the second regenerator chamber,
• a second annular regenerator in said second chamber rotatable with the housing comprising at least one annular series of a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced axially extending heat-exchange tubes each having thereon a plurality of axially spaced annular fins, the exhaust vapors discharged to said second chamber passing between the
• a second condenser mounted coaxially adjacent said housing and rotatable therewith comprising a plurality of axially spaced fins having heat exchange tubes extending longitudinally therethrough,
• means for conducting exhaust vapor after passage through the second regenerator to the tubes of said second condenser and for returning liquid condensate of the second liquid therefrom to the second regenerator for passage through the tubes thereof in heat-exchange relation with the exhaust vapor from the second regenerator chamber passed between the fins thereon, and
• means for returning the second liquid condensate to the tubes of the condenser-boiler after passage through the second regenerator tubes.