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US 4,290,264 AGranted
Stirling cycle apparatus
AssigneeBritish Aerospace Public Limited Company
InventorDerrick J. Haines
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Stirling cycle apparatus including a compressor or expander for cyclically compressing or expanding a working gas, a displacer for cyclically displacing the working gas, a rotatable shaft, and a drive mechanism for coupling the compressor or expander and the displacer to the shaft, the drive mechanism being such that the relative timing of their operating cycles can be altered. Additionally a low vibration compressor or expander is provided.
Claims15
Stirling cycle apparatus, including:
- working means for cyclically compressing or expanding a working fluid, displacing means for cyclically displacing the working fluid, rotatable shaft means, and drive means operatively associating the working means and the displacing means with the shaft means;
- the working means including a plurality of piston/cylinder units symmetrically disposed with the axis of reciprocation of the pistons tangential to an imaginary circle lying in a plane normal to the rotational axis of the shaft means and centred upon said rotational axis.
Stirling cycle apparatus, including:
- working means for cyclically compressing or expanding a working fluid, displacing means for cyclically displacing the working fluid, rotatable shaft means, and drive means operatively associating the working means and the displacing means with the shaft means, means associated with said drive means for altering the relative timing of the mechanical operating cycles of the compression means and the displacing means;
- said displacing means including a recriprocating piston;
- said drive means further including a cam and follower arrangement to effect reciprocation of the reciprocating piston;
- the cam and follower arrangement comprising an annular cam track member rotating with the shaft means and a roller follower constrained to follow said track.
1 more element
Stirling cycle apparatus, including:
- working means for cyclically compressing or expanding a working fluid, displacing means for cyclically displacing the working fluid, rotatable shaft means, and drive means operatively associating the working means and the displacing means with the shaft means, means associated with said drive means for altering the relative timing of the mechanical operating cycles of the compression means and the displacing means;
- the working means including a plurality of piston/cylinder units symmetrically disposed with the axes of reciprocation of the pistons tangential to an imaginary circle lying in a plane normal to the rotational axis of the shaft means and centered upon said rotational axis;
- the drive means including a rotatable member coaxially mounted with the shaft means, a mechanism arranged to effect reciprocatory rotational movement of the rotatable member, and connecting means connecting the pistons to the rotatable member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.