High temperature engine and seal
OwnerDedger Jonesinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for better sealing a piston to its cylinder, to effectively eliminate efficiency loss due to leakage of the high-temperature, high pressure driving gas around the edges of the piston. An elastomeric seal is located so as to seal the piston and cylinder combination at a minimum sufficient distance from the combustion chamber to prevent heat damage to the seal material by conduction of heat through the piston or cylinder material.
Claims18
An apparatus for sealing a cylinder of the type having a closed end and an open end and an interior surface therebetween to a movable piston of the type having a face end and a rod end, said piston being movable over a specific length of said cylinder, comprising:
- an extension skirt located substantially on the perimeter of the rod end of said piston and extending away from the face end of said piston said skirt extension having an exterior surface in close proximity to the interior surface of said cylinder, an elastomeric pressure seal retained in the interior surface of said cylinder, contacting the exterior surface of said extension skirt at a point spaced apart from the face end of said piston at least a distance adequate to prevent heat at the surface of the piston face end from being excessively transferred by conduction to said pressure seal.
A method for sealing a cylinder of the type having a closed end and an open end, to a moveable piston of the type having a face end and a rod end and a skirt said piston being moveable over a specific distance within said cylinder, comprising the steps of:
- retaining an elastomeric pressure seal in the interior wall surface of said cylinder, said seal being in pressure retaining contact with said piston at a point on said piston skirt spaced apart from the face end of the piston at least a distance adequate to prevent heat at the surface of the piston face end from being excessively transferred by conduction to said seal.
A method of producing mechanical energy through cyclic changes of a gaseous working fluid, comprising in order the steps of:
- increasing the temperature and pressure of said working fluid by compression;
- further increasing the pressure of said working fluid by increasing its temperature at a constant volume condition;
- extracting energy in a near-isobaric expansion in a cylinder driving a piston;
- exhausting said working fluid from said cylinder, to the initial pressure of said working fluid.
The method according to 12 further comprising the steps of providing an apparatus for sealing a cylinder of the type having a closed end and an open end and an interior surface therebetween to a moveable piston of the type having a face end and a rod end, said piston being moveable over a specific length of said cylinder, comprising:
- an extension skirt located substantially on the perimeter of the rod end of said piston and extending away from the face end of said piston, said skirt extension having an exterior surface in close proximity to the interior surface of said cylinder an elastomeric pressure seal retained in the interior surface of said cylinder, contacting the exterior surface of said extension skirt at a point spaced apart from the face end of said piston at least a distance adequate to prevent heat at the surface of the piston face end from being excessively transferred by conduction to said pressure seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.