Heat engine
First Claim
Patent Images
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.
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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.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A heat engine body comprising:
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(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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 42, 43, 44)
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4. A heat engine body for a heat engine comprising:
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(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. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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14. A heat engine body comprising:
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(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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A heat engine body comprising:
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(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. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification