Engine

• US 20110169277A1
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Miller
• Original Assignee: Michael Miller
• Inventors: Miller, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,633,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/10 the vapours being cold, e.g. ammonia, carbon dioxide, ether
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 27/00 Plants for converting heat or fluid energy into mechanical energy, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]

Abstract

An engine is provided that utilizes an active heat exchanger such as a heat pump to transfer heat into and remove heat from a low boiling point liquid that is disposed in a pair of diametrically opposed containers. The addition of heat into the low-boiling point liquid causes the liquid to move vertically from a bottom container to a top container, transforming the transferred heat energy into potential energy. The top container is allowed to fall under the weight of the transferred liquid, transforming the potential energy to kinetic energy which is used to perform the desired work. The expanding low-boiling point liquid can also be used to advance a magnetic back and forth through a wire coiling to produce an electric current, converting the transferred heat energy into electrical energy. The use of an active heat exchanger such as a heat pump permits the use of one unit of electrical energy to transfer 3 to 5 units of heat energy.

Claims

1. An engine comprising:

two containers arranged in a vertical alignment having a top container and a bottom container;

a generally cylindrical connecting arm in communication with each container and comprising a central hollow bore, the connecting arm and central hollow bore comprising;

a first diameter at points of contact with the top and bottom containers; and

a second diameter disposed between the points of contact with the top and bottom containers, the second diameter larger than the first diameter, wherein the opposed pair of containers is in fluid communication through the central hollow bore of the connecting arm;

a volume of a low boiling point liquid disposed in the bottom container;

a wire coil wrapped around a portion of the connecting arm between the two containers having the second diameter;

a buoyant permanent magnet disposed in a portion of the central hollow bore of the connecting arm having the second diameter; and

an active heat exchanger in communication with the bottom container and capable of transferring heat to and removing heat from the bottom container.

2. The engine of claim 1, wherein the active heat exchanger comprises a heat pump.

3. The engine of claim 2, wherein the active heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchanger portion in communication with the liquid disposed in the bottom container, a second active heat exchanger portion disposed in the bottom container in a gas space above the liquid and a plurality of additional heat exchanger portions in communication with the controller portion and arranged to exchange heat with an ambient environment.

4. The engine of claim 1, wherein the low boiling point liquid comprises chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, liquid ammonia, propane, carbon dioxide or butane.

5. The engine of claim 1, wherein the buoyant permanent magnet comprises a hollow cylindrical magnet.

6. The engine of claim 5, wherein an entire outer surface of the hollow cylindrical magnet comprises a first pole.

7. The engine of claim 6, wherein an entire inner surface of the hollow cylindrical magnet comprises a second pole that is magnetically opposite the first pole.

8. The engine of claim 6, wherein the hollow cylindrical magnet comprises a plurality of individual thin flexible rectangular plate magnets arranged as a continuous outer layer of the hollow cylindrical magnet.

9. The engine of claim 8, wherein each individual plate magnet comprises an inner magnetic portion and an outer non-magnetic portion that extends around all four sides of the magnetic portion.

10. The engine of claim 9, wherein the inner magnetic portion comprises a polarity running from a first face of the rectangular plate magnet to a second face of the rectangular plate magnet.

11. The engine of claim 9, wherein the outer non-magnet portion comprises an insulating material or a dielectric material.

12. The engine of claim 5, wherein the hollow cylindrical magnet comprises a circular cross-section having a diameter greater than the first diameter of the connecting arm and central hollow bore.

13. The engine of claim 5, wherein the hollow cylindrical magnet comprises a non-circular cross-section.

14. The engine of claim 13, wherein the non-circular cross-section comprises a plurality of bulges that increase an exterior surface area of the hollow cylindrical magnet.

15. An engine comprising:

two containers arranged in a vertical alignment having a top container and a bottom container;

a generally cylindrical connecting arm in communication with each container and having a central hollow bore, wherein the connecting arm and the hollow central bore have a non-circular cross-section in a portion of the connecting arm disposed between the top and bottom containers and wherein the opposed pair of containers is in fluid communication through the hollow bore of the connecting arm;

a volume of a low boiling point liquid disposed in the bottom container;

a wire coil wrapped around the portion of the connecting arm between the two containers having the non-circular cross section;

a buoyant hollow cylindrical permanent magnet disposed in the portion of the central hollow bore of the connecting arm having the non-circular cross-section, the hollow cylindrical permanent magnet comprising a complementary non-circular cross section to the non-circular cross section of the central hollow bore; and

an active heat exchanger in communication with the bottom container and capable of transferring heat to and removing heat from the bottom container.

16. A combination heat transfer and electrical power generation system comprising:

a heat source from at least one of an agricultural or industrial application; and

an engine comprising;

two containers arranged in a vertical alignment having a top container and a bottom container;

a generally cylindrical connecting arm in communication with each container and comprising a central hollow bore, wherein the opposed pair of containers is in fluid communication through the central hollow bore of the connecting arm;

a volume of a low boiling point liquid disposed in the bottom container;

a wire coil wrapped around the connecting arm between the two containers;

a buoyant permanent magnet disposed in the central hollow bore of the connecting arm; and

an active heat exchanger comprising;

a first heat exchanger portion in communication with the liquid disposed in the bottom container;

a second active heat exchanger portion disposed in the bottom container in a gas space above the liquid, the first and second heat exchanger portions configured transfer heat to and to remove heat from the bottom container; and

a plurality of additional heat exchanger portions in communication with the heat source and configured to exchange heat with the heat source.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the heat source comprises a distillation unit at a desalination plant or a greenhouse.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising an electrical load in communication with the wire coil.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the electrical load comprises at least one battery, the system configured to trickle charge the battery.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of additional heat exchangers is configured as a condenser to recover water from the heat source.