Thermal cycle engine with augmented thermal energy input area
AssigneePratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
InventorJoseph P Carroll
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing electrical energy from a thermal dynamic cycle. The apparatus can include a heat exchange apparatus portion that allows for a large surface area for thermal energy collection while maintaining an efficiency of the thermal dynamic cycle engine. For example, a Stirling engine can include a large heater head portion that can be contained within the pressure vessel of the thermal dynamic engine yet maintain the selected size of the various pistons of the thermal dynamic cycle engine.
Claims23
A heater head for a Stirling cycle system, comprising:
- a heat exchanger defined by a heat exchanger wall which defines an interior volume, said heat exchanger wall having a passage defined therein, said wall defines a wall thickness defined between an inner wall and an outer wall, said passage defining an inner passage portion adjacent said inner wall and an outer passage portion adjacent said outer wall, said inner passage portion non parallel to said outer passage portion;
- and
- a stationary baffle which separates said interior volume from a working volume, said stationary baffle having a port therethrough said stationary baffle generally concave toward said interior volume.
A heater head for a Stirling cycle system, comprising:
- a heat exchanger upper portion;
- a heat exchanger lower portion, said heat exchanger lower portion having an inlet defined through an inner diameter of said heat exchanger lower portion and an outlet defined through a bottom surface of said heat exchanger lower portion, said inner diameter of said heat exchanger lower portion generally transverse to said bottom surface;
- a heat exchanger middle portion between said heat exchanger upper portion and said heat exchanger lower portion, said heat exchanger middle portion having a heat exchanger wall which defines an interior volume, said heat exchanger wall having a passage defined thereby, said passage having an inner passage portion adjacent an inner wall of said heat exchanger wall and an outer passage portion adjacent an outer wall of said heat exchanger wall, said inner passage portion non parallel to said outer passage portion, said inner passage portion in communication with said inlet and said outer passage portion in communication with said outlet, said inner passage portion in communication with said outer passage portion at a turning passage defined by said heat exchanger upper portion;
- and
- a stationary baffle which separates said interior volume from a working volume, said stationary baffle generally concave toward said interior volume.
A thermal dynamic cycle engine system, comprising:
- a pressure vessel having an exterior wall;
- a heat exchanger contained within said exterior wall, said heat exchanger defined by a heat exchanger wall which defines an interior volume, said heat exchanger wall having a heat exchanger passage defined therein, said heat exchanger passage having an inlet and an outlet;
- a stationary baffle which separates said interior volume from a working volume, said inlet in communication with said working volume, said stationary baffle generally concave toward said interior volume;
- a displacer piston movable adjacent said intermediate wall relative said stationary baffle;
- and
- a cool head adjacent said heat exchanger, said cool head defining a regenerator passage defined by an intermediate wall and said exterior wall, said outlet from said heat exchanger passage in communication with said heat exchanger passage, said regenerator passage having a cooling end conduit adjacent said displacer piston opposite said stationary baffle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.