Split cycle engine and method
OwnerVerDon C. Brinkerhoffinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A split cycle engine apparatus and method, the apparatus including a combustion engine, a novel compressor apparatus driven by the combustion engine, a closed-cycle refrigeration system in cooperation with the compressor apparatus, and a pneumatic motor driven by compressed air from the compressor apparatus. Refrigerant in the compressor absorbs thermal energy from compressed air and assists in compressing the air. High pressure air from the compressor is stored in a storage tank and may be used to drive the pneumatic motor or other auxiliary equipment in addition to providing high pressure combustion air for the internal combustion engine.
Claims14
A split cycle engine system comprising:
- a combustion engine means;
- an air compressor means for compressing air and driven by the combustion engine means;
- a closed cycle, refrigerant cooling system means for cooling the air compressed by the compressor means;
- and
- a pneumatic motor means operable by the compressed air.
A split cycle engine system comprising:
- a combustion engine means;
- an air compressor means for compressing air, the air compressor means being driven by the combustion engine means and including at least one vertical cylinder and a piston reciprocatingly operable in the cylinder, the piston segregating the cylinder into a lower, compression chamber and an upper refrigerant chamber, the refrigerant chamber containing a body of refrigerant, the refrigerant absorbing heat energy from air compressed in the compression chamber, the heat energy absorbed by the refrigerant increasing the pressure in the refrigerant chamber and thereby assisting the combustion engine means in moving the piston downwardly to compress air in the compression chamber;
- a cooling means external of cylinder for removing heat energy from the refrigerant;
- and
- a pneumatic motor means operable by compressed air from the air compressor means.
A method for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy comprising:
- generating mechanical energy in a combustion engine and producing a first mechanical energy;
- operating an air compressor means with the first mechanical energy to compress air;
- assisting the first mechanical energy in compressing the air by removing heat energy from the air with a refrigerant, the refrigerant being volatilized by heat energy from the air and thereby increasing in pressure and assisting the first mechanical energy in compressing the air;
- and
- producing a second mechanical energy with a pneumatic motor means by directing the compressed air to the pneumatic motor means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.