Heat engine

• US 6,311,491 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dongguan Zonglin Electronic Products Factory
• Original Assignee: Fantom Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US09/523,142
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 605/17, 605/18, 605/20, 605/22, 605/23, 605/24, 605/26, 605/08, 605/15
• US Class Current: 60/520
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/0435 the engine being of the free piston type
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/0445 Engine plants with combined cycles, e.g. Vuilleumier
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/055 Heaters or coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/057 Regenerators
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2243/02 having pistons and displacers in the same cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2255/20 Heater fins
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2225/08 Thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/14 characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/103 consisting of more than two coaxial conduits or modules of more than two coaxial conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/105 the means being corrugated elements extending around the tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/24 and extending transversely F28F1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1884 structurally associated with free piston engines

Abstract

A heat engine is constructed from sheet metal and the like. The heat engine has an outer container and inner container which contains a displacer and a power piston. A plurality of positioning members are provided to dimensionally stabilize the inner and outer containers. By providing positioning members that extend between the inner and the outer containers, a sandwiched construction is obtained which allows the inner and outer containers to reinforce each other thus permitting the use of thin walled containers and improving the thermal efficiency of the heat engine and decreasing the weight of the heat engine.

Claims

1. A heat engine body comprising:

(a) an outer container comprising an outer longitudinally extending wall and first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the outer wall surrounding an outer cavity;

(b) an inner container spaced from the outer container and comprising an inner longitudinally extending wall constructed from sheet metal and surrounding an inner cavity having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the inner longitudinally extending wall having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the first end of the cavity is at a different temperature than the second end of the cavity when the heat engine is in use, the first and second ends of the inner cavity being in fluid flow communication via a passageway, the first and second ends of the inner cavity and the passageway defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use; and

,

(c) a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart positioning members extending between the inner and outer containers.

2. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer longitudinally extending wall is constructed from sheet metal.

3. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one positioning member is positioned adjacent each of the first and second ends of the inner wall.

7. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 3 wherein the inner and outer containers are individually formed cylindrical tubes and at least some of the positioning members comprise an annular member extending outwardly from wall of the inner container to the wall of the outer container.

8. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a regenerator positioned between the inner and outer containers.

9. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 8 wherein the regenerator comprises a thin walled member extending around a portion of the inner container and having inner and outer longitudinally extending surfaces and openings therein for fluid flow through the regenerator between the inner and outer surfaces.

10. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a regenerator positioned between the inner and outer containers and the regenerator functions as positioning members.

11. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a heat exchanger positioned between the inner and outer containers at the first end of the inner wall and the heat exchanger functions as a positioning member.

12. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an end portion positioned at the second end of the inner wall for sealing the second end of the inner cavity but for the passageway and a heat transfer member selected from the group consisting of a heat source and a heat sink positioned at the first end of the inner wall for sealing the first end of the inner cavity but for the passageway.

13. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 12 wherein the heat transfer member comprises a combustion chamber.

42. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the positioning members are mechanically mounted to at least one of the inner and outer containers by a pressure which is exerted between the positioning members and the at least one of the inner and outer containers, which is sufficient to hold the positioning members in place.

43. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 42 wherein the positioning members are mechanically mounted to both the inner and outer containers.

44. The heat engine, body as claimed in claim 42 wherein the mechanical mounting of the positioning members is a press fit.

4. A heat engine body for a heat engine comprising:

(a) an outer container comprising an outer longitudinally extending wall and first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the outer wall surrounding an outer cavity;

(b) an inner container spaced from the outer container and comprising an inner longitudinally extending wall constructed from sheet metal and surrounding an inner cavity having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, at least one of the inner and outer walls is constructed from sheet metal the inner longitudinally extending wall having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, the first end of the cavity is at a different temperature than the second end of the cavity when the heat engine is in use, the first and second ends of the inner cavity being in fluid flow communication via a passageway, the first and second ends of the inner cavity and the passageway defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use; and

,

(c) a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart positioning members extending between the inner and outer containers, at least one positioning member being positioned adjacent the second end of the inner wall, the inner and outer containers physically connected together at the first end of the inner wall by a positioning member that extends outwardly from the inner container to the outer container.

5. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 4 wherein the inner longitudinally extending wall has an integrally formed end portion at the second end of the inner cavity to seal the second end of the inner wall.

6. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 5 wherein the inner and outer containers are constructed from preformed cylindrical tubes each of which has a diameter and, at a position distal to the first end of the wall, the diameter of a portion of one of the inner and outer containers is varied so that the diameter of the inner and outer containers is essentially the same and the wall of the inner container lockingly engages the wall of the outer container whereby the portion with the varied diameter comprises a positioning member.

14. A heat engine body comprising:

(a) inner and outer spaced apart longitudinally extending walls, each of the inner and outer walls being of a thin walled construction, the inner wall surrounding a cavity, each of the inner and outer wall having longitudinally spaced apart first and second ends, the first end is at a different temperature than the second end when the heat engine is in use, the first and second ends in fluid flow communication via a passageway, the first and second ends and the passageway defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the apparatus is in use; and

,

(b) support members for maintaining the dimensional integrity of each of the ends of the inner wall.

15. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 wherein the inner and outer spaced apart longitudinally extending walls are prepared from a material selected from the group consisting of prefabricated tubing, stamped metal and drawn metal.

16. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 wherein the thickness of the inner wall is from 0.001 inches to 0.250 inch.

17. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 wherein the inner and outer longitudinally extending walls each comprise a longitudinally extending cylinder.

18. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 wherein the inner longitudinally extending wall has an integrally formed end portion.

19. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the inner longitudinally extending wall and the integrally formed end portion are prepared by stamping sheet metal to form an opened top container.

20. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a regenerator positioned in the passageway.

21. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 20 wherein the passageway is positioned between the inner and outer spaced apart longitudinally extending walls extends.

22. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 wherein the displacer comprises exterior walls constructed from sheet metal, the exterior walls surrounding an internal cavity.

23. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 22 wherein the displacer has first and second opposed ends and a longitudinally extending wall extending there between and the first opposed end has an integrally formed end portion whereby the integrally formed end portion seals one of the ends of the displacer.

24. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 22 wherein the longitudinally extending wall and the integrally formed end portion of the displacer are prepared by stamping sheet metal to form an opened top container.

25. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 24 wherein the second opposed end comprises a longitudinally extending wall and an integrally formed end portion, the second opposed end mechanically engagable with the longitudinally extending wall of the displacer to seal the internal cavity of the displacer.

26. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 14 wherein the power piston comprises exterior walls constructed from sheet metal, the exterior walls surrounding an internal cavity.

27. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 26 wherein the power piston has first and second opposed ends and a longitudinally extending wall extending there between and the first opposed end has an integrally formed end portion whereby the integrally formed end portion seals one of the ends of the power piston.

28. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 27 wherein the longitudinally extending wall and the integrally formed end portion of the power piston are prepared by stamping sheet metal to form an opened top container.

29. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 27 wherein the second opposed end comprises a longitudinally extending wall and an integrally formed end portion, the second opposed end mechanically engagable with the longitudinally extending wall of the power piston to seal the internal cavity of the power piston.

30. A heat engine body comprising:

(a) an outer container means;

(b) a thin walled inner container means positioned inside the outer container means, the inner container means having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends;

(c) fluid conduit means for connecting the first and second ends in fluid flow communication; and

,

(d) positioning means for dimensionally stabilizing the inner and outer container means.

31. The heat angina body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the outer container means is thin walled.

32. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the positioning means extends between the inner and outer container means.

33. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the inner and outer container means are longitudinally extending and the positioning means comprises clamping means positioned at longitudinally spaced apart portions of the heat engine and extending there between.

34. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein inner and outer container means each have a longitudinally extending wall constructed from sheet metal.

35. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 further comprising regenerator means positioned between the inner and outer container means.

36. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 34 wherein the regenerator means comprises a positioning means.

37. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the displacer means has a longitudinally extending wall constructed from sheet metal and having first and second ends and end portions at each of the first and second ends for dimensionally stabilizing the first and second ends of the displacer.

38. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the displacer means comprises a first portion comprising a longitudinally extending wall having first and second ends and first and second end portions, the wall and the first end portion are integrally prepared by stamping to form an opened top container and the second end portion is mechanically affixed to the second end of the wall.

39. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the power piston means has a longitudinally extending wall constructed from sheet metal and having first and second ends and end portions at each of the first and second ends for dimensionally stabilizing the first and second ends of the power piston.

40. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the power piston means comprises a first portion comprising a longitudinally extending wall having first and second ends and first and second end portions, the wall and the first end portion are integrally prepared by stamping to form an opened top container and the second end portion is mechanically affixed to the second end of the wall.

41. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 30 wherein the positioning means extends between the inner and outer container means and contacts the inner and outer container means with sufficient pressure to ensure that contact is maintained between the positioning means and the inner and outer container means over the normal operating temperature of the heat engine means.