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US 5,095,700 AGranted
Stirling engine
OwnerStephen R. Bolgerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reversible thermal engine is provided which operates on the principles of the Stirling and Ericsson cycles. The engine comprises two variable volume compartments connected by passageway with a regenerator therein. Heat exchangers provide heating and cooling to the working gas during the cycle. Control means are provided to vary the volume of the gas transferring between compartments such that the volume variations of the gas are in the form of overlapping quadrilateral waveforms.
Claims7
An engine which comprises:
- at least two variable volume compartments joined by a porous medium regenerator;
- heat exchangers in heat exchange relationship with the variable volume compartments;
- a fixed quantity of gas in said compartments;
- a piston in each of the compartments;
- means to control the pistons to vary the volumes of the gas transferring between the compartments in the form of overlapping quadrilateral waveforms to compress the gas in both compartments through the same cycle pressure ratio during a cycle compression step, to shift the gas between compartments and to expand the gas in both compartments through the same cycle pressure ratio during a cycle expansion step.
2 more elements
A method for exchanging heat which includes:
- (a) compressing gas isothermally in first and second compartments through a predetermined cycle pressure ratio in a cycle compression step;
- (b) shifting isobarically the gas from the first compartment to the second compartment through a regenerator;
- (c) expanding the gas isothermally in both compartments in the same cycle pressure ratio during a cycle expansion step;
- and
- (d) shifting the gas isobarically from the second compartment to the first compartment through the regenerator;
- and
- (e) effecting steps (a) through (d) such that the volume variations of the gas are in the form of overlapping quadrilateral waveforms.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.