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US 5,611,201 AGranted
Stirling engine
AssigneeStirling Thermal Motors, Inc.
InventorWilliam H. Houtman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A Stirling engine having multiple mutually parallel cylinders which operate in a double acting cycle configuration. The engine includes a drivecase having a rotatable driveshaft coupled to the pistons which is mounted within the cylinder block. The cylinder block includes cylinder bores and mutually parallel cooler bores. A generally flat retainer plate is fastened to a mounting surface of the cylinder block to affix cylinder extensions and regenerator housings to the block mounting surface in alignment with the cylinder bores and cooler bores.
Claims15
A Stirling engine comprising:
- a drivecase,
- a cylinder block defining a plurality of mutually parallel cylinder bores and cooler bores, and said block defining a block mating surface perpendicular to said cylinder bores and said cooler bores with said cylinder bores and said cooler bores opening on said block mating surface, said drivecase and said cylinder block being affixed together,
- a driveshaft journalled for rotation within said drivecase,
- a plurality of pistons positioned within said cylinder bores and reciprocatable therein,
- mechanical coupling means for coupling said driveshaft and said pistons such that reciprocation of said pistons is converted to rotation of said driveshaft,
- tubular cylinder extensions cooperating with said cylinder bores to receive said pistons, said extensions defining an enclosed end and an opened end,
- a plurality of regenerator housings defining an enclosed end and an opened end,
- a plurality of regenerators mounted within said regenerator housings,
- a heater assembly having flow passages for a working fluid causing said working fluid to gain heat, said heater assembly connected to said cylinder extension enclosed ends and said regenerator housing enclosed ends, and
- a generally flat retainer plate having a plurality of cylinder extension bores corresponding to and aligned with said cylinder bores and having a plurality of regenerator housing bores corresponding to and aligned with said cooler bores, said retainer plate mounted to said cylinder block mating surface thereby clamping said cylinder extensions to said block mating surface in alignment with said cylinder bores and clamping said regenerator housings to said block mating surface in alignment with said cooler bores.
7 more elements
A method of assembling a Stirling engine comprising the steps of:
- providing a drivecase,
- providing a cylinder block defining a plurality of mutually parallel cylinder bores and cooler bores, and said block defining a block mating surface perpendicular to said cylinder bores and said cooler bores with said cylinder bores and said cooler bores opening on said block mating surface, said drivecase and said cylinder block being affixed together,
- providing a plurality of pistons positioned within said cylinder bores and reciprocatable therein,
- providing tubular cylinder extensions cooperating with said cylinder bores to receive said pistons, said extensions defining an enclosed end and an opened end,
- providing a plurality of regenerator housings defining an enclosed end and an opened end,
- providing a heater assembly having flow passages for a working fluid for causing said working fluid to gain heat,
- connecting said heater assembly to said cylinder extension enclosed ends and said regenerator housing enclosed ends,
- providing a generally flat retainer plate having a plurality of cylinder extension bores corresponding to and aligned with said cylinder bores and a plurality of regenerator housing bores corresponding to and aligned with said cooler bores, and
- mounting said retaining plate to said cylinder block mating surface thereby clamping said cylinder extensions to said block mating surface in alignment with said cylinder bores and clamping said regenerator housings to said block mating surface in alignment with said cooler bores.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.