Uniflow steam engine
AssigneeVillage Industrial Power, Inc.
InventorCarl Norman Bielenberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improvements to the steam engine for the purpose of small scale generation of electricity using biomass fuels and for co-generation of heat and electricity using biomass fuels in both developed and less developed countries are described. The engine is particularly well adapted to co-generation where the thermal load, as in building heating and many process applications, is extremely variable, because of its ability to operate efficiently under partial load. For the same reason, it would be suited to solar generated steam. Experiments have been conducted with steam as the working fluid. The design may in some or all respects be applied to other working fluids.
Claims11
A steam engine comprising:
- a cylinder, having two ends and a sidewall, having an exhaust port disposed in said sidewall;
- a reciprocating piston disposed in said cylinder, separating said cylinder into an upper cylinder region and a lower cylinder region, said reciprocating piston in communication with a piston rod;
- an upper steam chest, disposed at one end of said cylinder;
- a lower steam chest, disposed at a second end of said cylinder, wherein said piston rod extends through said lower steam chest;
- an upper valve plate comprising:
- an upper valve port passing through said upper valve plate and connecting said cylinder and said upper steam chest;
- and
- an upper inlet valve, disposed above said upper valve port and retained in place by an upper valve retainer, wherein said upper inlet valve comprises a stainless steel leaf spring, normally biased in an arched shape so as to allow passage of steam between said upper steam chest and said cylinder in an open position;
- and
- a lower valve plate comprising:
- a hole passing through said lower valve plate, wherein said piston rod passes through said hole;
- a first and second lower valve port passing through said lower valve plate and connecting said cylinder and said lower steam chest, wherein said first and second valve port are disposed on opposite sides of said hole;
- a first and second lower inlet valve, each disposed below said first and second lower valve port, respectively, and retained in place by a lower valve retainer, wherein said first and second lower inlet valve each comprises a stainless steel leaf spring, normally biased in an arched shape so as to allow passage of steam between said lower steam chest and said cylinder in an open position;
- a lower cam engaging a valve cam fork with two projections and a recess therebetween, wherein said recess is aligned with said hole and accommodates said piston rod and wherein each of said first and second lower inlet valve is disposed between a respective projection and said lower valve plate;
- and
- a pilot valve disposed on said lower valve plate, said pilot valve comprising:
- a plunger,
- a retainer, and
- a coil spring disposed between said retainer and said plunger exerting a bias force to cause said plunger to extend into said lower cylinder region, such that when said piston is in a lower position, said piston contacts said plunger, overcoming said bias force, thereby allowing steam to pass between said lower steam chest and said lower cylinder region, and
- wherein pressure created by a flow of steam from said upper steam chest into said upper cylinder region causes said upper inlet valve to deflect to a closed position, wherein said upper inlet valve seals against said upper inlet port, thereby preventing the flow of steam between said upper steam chest and said upper cylinder region and wherein pressure created by a flow of steam from said lower steam chest into said lower cylinder region causes said first and second lower inlet valve to deflect to a closed position, wherein said first and second lower inlet valve each seals against a respective lower inlet port, thereby preventing the flow of steam between said lower steam chest and said lower cylinder region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.