Char burning free piston gas generator

A free piston gas generator comprising:

• a free piston mechanism comprising a power cylinder with a number of power pistons operative within each such power cylinder equal to two minus the number of cylinder heads on said power cylinder, said number of cylinder heads not exceeding one, each such power piston and each such cylinder head comprising a compressing surface with said compressing surfaces facing toward each other, said free piston mechanism further comprising a synchronizer linkage;
• a combustion chamber secured inside the power cylinder of said free piston mechanism and comprising;
• means for containing char fuel and ashes so that said char fuel and ashes are mechanically separated from the power cylinder and power piston;
• said means for containing further comprising a refuel end through which refueling takes place, said means for containing further comprising gas flow passages which connect from that interior space of said containing means within which the char fuel and ashes are contained to that interior space of said power cylinder contained by said power cylinder and said compressing surfaces;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said combustion chambers for each free piston mechanism;
• a refuel mechanism comprising;
• means for sealing that refuel end of said means for containing char fuel and ashes, through which refueling takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for refueling fresh char fuel at intervals into said means for containing char fuel and ashes, said means for refueling comprising:
• a refuel block and a refuel block drive;
• said refuel block comprising;
• means for adding fresh char fuel into said means for containing char fuel and ashes;
• said refuel block drive comprising;
• means for driving said refuel block through a refuel cycle at the end of each refuel interval;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said refuel mechanisms for each free piston mechanism;
• a reload mechanism comprising;
• means for reloading a quantity of fresh char fuel into said means for refueling after each such refueling;
• each free piston gas generator being served by at least one reload mechanism.

A free piston gas generator comprising:

• a free piston mechanism comprising a power cylinder with a number of power pistons operative within each such power cylinder equal to two minus the number of cylinder heads on said power cylinder, said number of cylinder heads not exceeding one, each such power piston and each such cylinder head comprising a compressing surface with said compressing surfaces facing toward each other, said free piston mechanism further comprising a synchronizer linkage;
• a combustion chamber secured inside the power cylinder of said free piston mechanism and comprising;
• means for containing char fuel and ashes so that said char fuel and ashes are mechanically separated from the power cylinder and power piston;
• said means for containing further comprising a refuel end through which refueling takes place and an ash removal end through which ash removal takes place, said means for containing further comprising gas flow passages which connect from that interior space of said containing means within which the char fuel and ashes are contained to that interior space of said power cylinder contained by said power cylinder and said compressing surfaces;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said combustion chambers for each free piston mechanism;
• a refuel mechanism comprising;
• means for sealing that refuel end of said means for containing char fuel and ashes, through which refueling takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for refueling fresh char fuel at intervals into said means for containing char fuel and ashes, said means for refueling comprising;
• a refuel block and a refuel block drive;
• said refuel block comprising;
• means for adding fresh char fuel into said means for containing char fuel and ashes so that said containing means is filled at each refueling;
• said refuel block drive comprising means for driving said refuel block through a refuel cycle at the end of each refuel interval, said refuel interval being a fixed integral number of free piston mechanism cycles;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said refuel mechanisms for each free piston mechanism;
• a reload mechanism comprising;
• means for reloading a quantity of fresh char fuel into said means for refueling so that said refuel means is filled at each reloading after each such refueling;
• each free piston gas generator being served by at least one reload mechanism;
• an ash removal mechanism comprising;
• means for sealing that ash removal end of said combustion chamber, through which ash removal takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for removing a quantity of ashes from said combustion chamber at intervals;
• means for dumping said removed quantity of ashes outside the gas generator;
• said ash removal interval being adjustable;
• means for adjusting said ash removal interval comprising;
• means for sensing the char fuel volume within the combustion chamber, and controlling the ash removal interval so that the char volume within said combustion chamber is small enough to assure essentially maximum possible reaction of char fuel while within said combustion chamber, and is large enough to assure essentially maximum possible reaction of available oxygen with char fuel within said combustion chamber;
• means for starting said free piston gas generator comprising;
• means for driving of the free piston mechanism through a series of starting cycles, said driving through said starting cycles being accomplished by admitting high pressure gas into the power cylinder whenever the power pistons are near to their top dead center positions, until the gas generator can run itself and is started;
• means for heating a portion of the char fuel within said combustion chamber to that temperature at which char will react rapidly with oxygen in adjacent compressed air, during said series of starting cycles;
• means for controlling the density of the air supplied to said free piston gas generator, in order to control the quantity of gas generated, by controllably compressing said air supplied;
• means for stopping said free piston gas generator.

A free piston gas generator comprising:

• a free piston mechanism comprising a power cylinder with a number of power pistons operative within each such power cylinder equal to two minus the number of cylinder heads on said power cylinder, said number of cylinder heads not exceeding one, each such power piston and each such cylinder head comprising a compressing surface with said compressing surfaces facing toward each other, said free piston mechanism further comprising bounce cylinders with bounce pistons operative therein, said free piston mechanism further comprising a synchronizer linkage;
• a combustion chamber secured inside the power cylinder of said free piston mechanism and comprising;
• means for containing char fuel and ashes so that said char fuel and ashes are mechanically separated from the power cylinder and power piston;
• said means for containing further comprising a refuel end through which refueling takes place and an ash removal end through which ash removal takes place;
• said means for containing further comprising gas flow passages which connect from that interior space of said containing means within which the char fuel and ashes are contained to that interior space of said power cylinder contained by said power cylinder and said compressing surfaces;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said combustion chambers for each free piston mechanism;
• a refuel mechanism comprising:
• means for sealing that refuel end of said means for containing char fuel and ashes, through which refueling takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for refueling fresh char fuel at intervals into said means for containing char fuel and ashes;
• said means for refueling comprising;
• a refuel block and a refuel block drive;
• said refuel block comprising;
• means for adding fresh char fuel into said means for containing char fuel and ashes so that said containing means for char fuel and ashes is filled at each refueling;
• said refuel block drive comprising;
• means for driving said refuel block through a refuel cycle at the end of each refuel interval;
• said refuel interval being a fixed integral number of free piston mechanism cycles;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said refuel mechanisms for each free piston mechanism;
• a reload mechanism comprising:
• means for reloading a quantity of fresh char fuel into said means for refueling so that said refuel means is filled at each reloading after each such refueling;
• each free piston gas generator being served by at least one reload mechanism;
• an ash removal mechanism comprising:
• means for sealing that ash removal end of said combustion chamber, through which ash removal takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for removing a quantity of ashes from said combustion chamber in the molten state;
• means for dumping said removed quantity of ashes outside the gas generator;
• means for starting said free piston gas generator comprising:
• means for driving of the free piston mechanism through a series of starting cycles, said driving through said starting cycles being accomplished by admitting high pressure gas into the power cylinder whenever the power pistons are near to their top dead center positions until the gas generator can run itself and is started;
• means for heating a portion of the char fuel within said combustion chamber to that temperature at which char will react rapidly with oxygen in adjacent compressed air, during said series of starting cycles;
• means for controlling the density of the air supplied to said free piston gas generator, in order to control the quantity of gas generated, by controllably compressing said air supplied;
• means for stopping said free piston gas generator comprising:
• means for releasing gases out of the bounce cylinders of said free piston gas generator;
• means for unsealing the gas leakage sealing means at the ash removal end of said combustion chamber when the free piston gas generator is about to be stopped so that ashes can be blown down out of said combustion chamber before the free piston gas generator has stopped.

A free piston gas generator comprising:

• a free piston mechanism comprising a power cylinder with a number of power pistons operative within each such power cylinder equal to two minus the number of cylinder heads on said power cylinder, said number of cylinder heads not exceeding one, each such power piston and each such cylinder head comprising a compressing surface with said compressing surfaces facing toward each other, said free piston mechanism further comprising bounce cylinders with bounce pistons operative therein, said free piston mechanism further comprising a synchronizer linkage;
• a combustion chamber secured inside the power cylinder of said free piston mechanism and comprising;
• means for containing char fuel and ashes so that said char fuel and ashes are mechanically separated from the power cylinder and power piston;
• said means for containing further comprising a refuel end through which refueling takes place and an ash removal end through which ash removal takes place;
• said means for containing further comprising gas flow passages which connect from that interior space of said containing means within which the char fuel and ashes are contained to that interior space of said power cylinder contained by said power cylinder and said compressing surfaces;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said combustion chambers for each free piston mechanism;
• a refuel mechanism comprising:
• means for sealing that refuel end of said means for containing char fuel and ashes, through which refueling takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for refueling fresh char fuel at intervals into said means for containing char fuel and ashes, said means for refueling comprising:
• a refuel block and a refuel block drive;
• said refuel block comprising:
• means for adding fresh char fuel into said means for containing char fuel and ashes, said means for adding fresh char fuel displacing a fixed volume at each refueling;
• said refuel block drive comprising:
• means for driving said refuel block through a refuel cycle at the end of each refuel interval;
• each free piston gas generator being equipped with at least one of said refuel mechanisms for each free piston mechanisms;
• means for placing a quantity of oil fuel on material about to be placed into said combustion chamber by said refuel mechanism, prior to the early portions of that compression process next following said placement of said material into said combustion chamber;
• means for controlling said quantity of oil fuel in proportion to air density at intake to the power pistons;
• a reload mechanism comprising:
• means for reloading a quantity of fresh char fuel into said means for refueling after each such refueling;
• each free piston gas generator being served by at least one reload mechanism;
• an ash removal mechanism comprising:
• means for sealing that ash removal end of said combustion chamber, through which ash removal takes place, against gas leakage during compression and expansion processes;
• means for removing a quantity of ashes from said combustion chamber at intervals;
• means for recycling unburned portions of said material from said ash removal mechanism back into said means for reloading said refuel mechanism, so that said unburned portions are again placed into said combustion chamber by said refuel mechanism;
• wherein said refuel mechanism displaces a fixed volume at each refueling;
• wherein said means for removing a quantity of ashes from said combustion chamber does so at intervals and displaces a fixed volume at each ash removal;
• said fixed displacement volume of ash removal being essentially equal to said fixed displacement volume of refueling;
• wherein said interval of refueling is equal to said interval of ash removal and both intervals are a fixed integral number of engine revolutions;
• means for starting said free piston gas generator comprising:
• means for driving said free piston mechanism through a series of starting cycles, said driving through said starting cycles being accomplished by admitting high pressure gas into the power cylinder whenever the power pistons are near to their top dead center positions, until the gas generator can run itself and is started;
• means for driving said refuel mechanism to carry out a number of startup refuel cycles during said series of starting cycles, said number of startup refuel cycles being no more than the number of starting cycles and no less than the number of refuel cycles occurring during the same number of free piston mechanism cycles when the gas generator is started and running itself;
• means for controlling the density of the air supplied to said free piston gas generator in order to control the quantity of gas generated by controllably compressing said air supplied;
• means for stopping said free piston gas generator comprising means for releasing gases out of the bounce cylinders of said free piston gas generator.

A free piston gas generator as described in claim 36, and further comprising:

• at least two combustion chambers located within at least one moveable chamber block for each power cylinder, with said combustion chambers being mounted into said moveable chamber blocks so that each combustion chamber is positioned inside the power cylinder at at least one position within the range of motion of said moveable chamber blocks, and so that each combustion chamber is positioned outside the power cylinder at at least one other position within the range of motion of said moveable chamber blocks;
• means for sealing against gas leakage between the power cylinder and said moveable chamber block during compression and expansion processes;
• means for adding fresh fuel into each combustion chamber when it is positioned outside the power cylinder and is stopped, said means for adding being said refuel mechanism;
• means for removing a quantity of ashes from each combustion chamber when it is positioned outside the power cylinder and is stopped, said means for removing being said ash removal mechanism;
• means for dumping said removed quantity of ashes outside the free piston gasifier;
• means for reloading a quantity of fresh char fuel into said refuel mechanism after each combustion chamber is refueled, said means for reload being said reload mechanism;
• drive means for moving said moveable chamber block so that whenever said moveable chamber block motion is stopped, at least one combustion chamber is positioned inside the power cylinder, and at least one combustion chamber is positioned outside the power cylinder, said moveable chamber block motion occurring at intervals of an integral number of free piston mechanism cycles;
• each free piston gasifier being equipped with at least one refuel mechanism;
• each free piston gasifier being equipped with at least one ash removal mechanism;
• each combustion chamber being refueled by at least one refuel mechanism;
• each combustion chamber having its ashes removed by at least one ash removal mechanism;
• each refuel mechanism being served by at least one reload mechanism.