Hot gas vehicular power system with regeneration
OwnerJohn L. Earleinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motor vehicle is operated with a hot gas power system which includes a compressor which compresses air in normal driving when being driven by the motor and upon slowing or running down hill when being driven by vehicle momentum, a storage tank which holds the compressed air and a heat exchanger which cools the compressed air and supplies the removed heat to heat air as it is released from a storage tank to the motor. An additional heater is used where required. When required, fuel is added to the compressed air and the mixture is ignited and combusted before entering the motor.
Claims13
Hot gas engine apparatus comprising a compressor, a storage tank connected to the compressor for storing compressed gas from the compressor, a motor connected to the storage tank for receiving compressed gas from the compressor and operating the motor and heater means connected between the storage tank and the motor for heating compressed gas before the gas flows to the motor, wherein the heater means comprises a first heat exchanger between the compressor and the storage tank for receiving heat from compressed gas before it enters the storage tank and second heat exchanger connected between the storage tank and motor for releasing heat to gas as it passes from the storage tank to the motor and heat communication means connected to the first and second heat exchanger for communicating heat from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.
The method of operating a motor vehicle comprising compressing gas, storing compressed gas in a tank, releasing compressed gas from the tank to a motor and driving a motor with the compressed gas and driving a vehicle with driving means operated by a motor, and further comprising conducting heat from between the compressor and storage tank to between the storage tank and motor whereby compressed gas is cooled by the heat conducting prior to being stored and is heated by the heat conducting prior to being supplied to the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.