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US 6,286,310 B1Granted
Heat engine
AssigneeFantom Technologies Inc.
InventorWayne Ernest Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat engine uses magnetic fields to hold at least one of the displacer and the piston in position and to move the at least one of the displacer and the piston.
Claims28
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway;
- (b) a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source or heat sink thermally connected to the first chamber;
- (c) at least one of a piston and a displacer movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a cycle profile;
- and,
- (d) at least one magnetic drive member comprising at least one magnet positioned on the at least one of the piston and the displacer and at least one drive magnet positioned and arranged to interact with the at least one magnet positioned on the at least one of the piston and the displacer and position the at least one of the piston and the displacer in the sealed region whereby the at least one of the piston and the displacer is held in position by repulsive magnetic fields as it travels between its first and second positions.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway;
- (b) a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source or heat sink thermally connected to the first chamber;
- (c) a displacer movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a displacer cycle profile;
- and,
- (d) at least one magnet positioned on the displacer, at least one biasing member to bias the displacer to one of the first and second positions and at least one drive magnet having a variable magnetic field output whereby the magnet having the variable magnetic field output and the biasing member cooperate to move the displacer between the first and second positions.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway;
- (b) a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source or heat sink thermally connected to the first chamber;
- (c) a piston movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a piston cycle and,
- (d) at least one magnet positioned on the piston, at least one biasing member to bias the piston to one of the first and second positions and at least one drive magnet having a variable magnetic field output whereby the magnet having the variable magnetic field output and the biasing member cooperate to move the piston between the first and second positions.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway;
- (b) a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source or heat sink thermally connected to the first chamber;
- (c) a piston movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a piston cycle profile;
- and,
- (d) at least one magnet positioned on the piston and at least one drive magnet positioned and arranged to interact with the magnet positioned on the piston and position the piston in the sealed region whereby the piston is held in position by repulsive magnetic fields as it travels between its first and second positions.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway;
- (b) a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source or heat sink thermally connected to the first chamber;
- (c) at least one of a piston and a displacer movably mounted in the sealed region between a first position and a second position to define a cycle profile;
- and,
- (d) a plurality of magnets, at least one of which is mounted on the at least one of the displacer and the piston and at least another of which is positioned and arranged to interact with the magnet affixed to the one of the displacer and the piston whereby the at least one of the displacer and the piston is held in position by magnetic fields as it travels between its first and second positions.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.