Solar powered Stirling engine
AssigneeStirling Thermal Motors, Inc.
InventorRoelf J. Meijer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The effectiveness of the lubrication system of a Stirling engine is maintained in a solar dish module for all directions of aiming of the dish by the journal mounting of the engine on the dish module with the center of gravity of the journaled mass eccentric to the journal axis along a particular radial. The engine has a sump which is disposed at a low point of the engine. The center of gravity of the journaled mass lies along a radial from the journal axis which intersects the sump. An additional counterweight is added to achieve the desired eccentricity.
Claims9
In a solar dish module which comprises a dish which receives incident solar rays and reflects them to a focus at which is located the combination of a receiver and a heat engine organized and arranged so that the heat energy of the reflected solar rays collected at the receiver powers the engine, and wherein the receiver and heat engine are supported from the dish by a framework, the improvement which comprises journal means for journaling at least the engine on the framework to maintain certain predetermined spatial orientation for the engine in relation to the direction of gravity irrespective of spatial orientation of the dish.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.