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US 4,195,481 AGranted
Power plant
OwnerAlvin L. Gregoryinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A prime source of mechanical power comprising an expansion chamber, an inlet into which expansible fluid is injected, and an outlet through which said fluid is exhausted after expansion in said chamber. Expansion of the fluid is achieved by application of a heat source directly to the expansion chamber, which expansion acts through a piston to create useful mechanical motion. The engine is preferably of a reciprocating type, while the heat source can be solar, gaseous, petroleum, nuclear, or electrical.
Claims10
A prime source of mechanical power comprising, in combination:
- (a) means defining an expansion chamber, said expansion chamber having opposed ends and a working fluid and a power transmitting fluid which interact therein for mutual displacement therein, with the power transmitting fluid being situated at each of the opposed ends, separated by the working fluid;
- (b) a piston mounted for reciprocal movement within the expansion chamber by the mutual displacement of the working fluid and the power transmitting fluid, and the direct engagement of the piston with the working fluid, the reciprocal movement of the piston serving as the mechanical power output;
- (c) heat transfer means connected at each of the opposed ends of the expansion chamber for transferring heat primarily to the power transmitting fluid to effect vaporization thereof;
- (d) a heat collector and conduit means connected to the heat collector and to the heat transfer means for conducting the heat from the heat collector to the heat transfer means;
- (e) an injector valve and exhaust valve located at each of the opposed ends of the expansion chamber for controlling the direction of expansion of the power transmitting vapor in the expansion chamber, thereby effecting the reciprocal movement of the piston;
- and
- (f) means connected to the piston and each injector and exhaust valve for controlling the sequential actuation of each injector and exhaust valve.
4 more elements
A prime source of mechanical power comprising, in combination:
- (a) means defining an expansion chamber, said expansion chamber having a working fluid and a power transmitting fluid which interact for mutual displacement therein;
- (b) piston means mounted for reciprocal movement within the expansion chamber by the mutual displacement of the working fluid and the power transmitting fluid;
- (c) heat source means connected to opposed ends of the expansion chamber defining means for applying heat primarily to the power transmitting fluid to effect vaporization thereof;
- (d) means for controlling the direction of expansion of the power transmitting vapor, thereby effecting the reciprocal movement of the piston means, said last named means including an injector valve and an exhaust valve located at the two opposed ends of the expansion chamber defining means;
- (e) a condenser;
- and
- (f) conduit means connecting the condenser to the exhaust and injector valves, with each exhaust valve serving to control the flow of the power transmitting vapor from the expansion chamber to the condenser, and with each injector valve serving to control the flow of the power transmitting fluid from the condenser to the expansion chamber.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.