Accumulator engine

A pneumatic/hydraulic accumulator heat engine for providing rotating shaft power/work from any source of available heat comprising:

• fluidic drive means for providing rotating shaft power;
• first and second liquid tanks, connected in parallel with said fluidic drive means, for alternately (1) discharging liquid to drive said fluidic drive means and (2) receiving liquid;
• a pump driven by said fluidic drive means, said first and second liquid tanks being connected in parallel to said pump;
• valve switch means for directing discharge of said pump to said first liquid tank while directing discharge of liquid from said second liquid tank through said fluidic drive means and for switching to direct discharge of said first liquid tank through said fluidic drive means while directing discharge of said pump to said second liquid tank;
• a first gas vessel containing a gas in fluid communication with liquid in said first liquid tank, whereby discharge of liquid from said pump into said first liquid tank compresses the gas contained in said first gas vessel;
• a second gas vessel containing a gas in fluid communication with liquid in said second liquid tank, whereby discharge of liquid from said pump into said second liquid tank compresses the gas contained in said second gas vessel;
• first and second heating means for heating, respectively, the gas in said first and second gas vessels;
• first and second cooling means for cooling, respectively, the gas in said first and second gas vessels;
• and
• control means for operating said first heating means to heat the gas in said first gas vessel, to expand the gas contained therein to displace liquid from said first liquid tank, while operating said second cooling means to cool the gas in second gas vessel during compression of the gas contained therein by liquid pumped into said second liquid tank and for switching operation of said first and second cooling means and said first and second heating means to cool the gas in said first gas vessel while heating the gas in said second gas vessel.