Exterior cooling for a heat engine

• US 6,332,319 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• 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:
  US09/523,141
• Time in Patent Office: 655 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: F05C 2225/08 Thermoplastics
• 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 for a heat engine comprising:

(a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having first and second ends which are in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway, the first end is at a different temperature than the second end when the heat engine is in use; and

,

(b) the heat engine body having a longitudinally extending outer wall having an outer surface and a heat exchanger is mounted on at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer wall, the heat exchanger comprising at least one cooling fin having a wall portion defined by first and second opposed sides and having openings therethrough, whereby a cooling fluid may flow through the wall portion via the openings from the first opposed side to the second opposed side.

2. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling fin is configured and arranged to permit cooling fluid to flow through at least some of the openings from the first opposed side to the second opposed side and to direct cooling fluid from the second opposed side, through at least some of the openings to the first opposed side.

3. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling fin has main directing members, the main directing members are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid which has passed through the cooling fin from the first opposed side to the second opposed side to then pass from the second opposed side to the first opposed side.

4. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling fin is configured and arranged to cause at least a portion of the cooling fluid to swirl around the outer surface of the outer wall as the cooling fluid travels through the at least one cooling fin.

5. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling fin comprises a plurality of cooling fins which extend generally outwardly from the outer wall and are longitudinally spaced apart along at least a portion of the outer surface.

6. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling fin comprises a helical cooling fin which extends generally outwardly from the outer wall.

7. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least some of the cooling fins are constructed from metal and are prepared by stamping.

8. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least some of the cooling fins have a deformable collar for lockingly engaging the outer surface of the outer wall.

9. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 8 wherein the fins are mechanically affixed to the outer wall by a pressure which is exerted between the fins and the outer wall which is sufficient to ensure that the rate of heat transfer between the outer wall and the fins is maintained over the normal operating temperature of the outer wall.

10. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second end of the inner sealed region is cooler than the first end and the heat exchanger is mounted on the outer wall at a position outwardly of the second end of the sealed region.

11. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 2 wherein the at least one cooling fin has at least one main directing member which has openings which are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid to pass at least twice through the main directing member as the cooling fluid flows through the cooling fin.

12. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 2 wherein the at least one cooling fin has at least one main directing member, the main directing member having a first side, a second side and openings which are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid to flow unidirectionally from the first side of a main directing member to the second side of the main directing member as the fluid flows through the cooling fin.

13. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling fin has at least one main directing member which has openings which are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid to pass at least twice through the main directing member as the cooling fluid flows through the cooling fin.

14. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling fin has at least one main directing member, the main directing member having a first side, a second side and openings which are configured and arranged to cause the cooling fluid to flow unidirectionally from one side of a main directing member to the other side of the main directing member as the fluid flows through the cooling fin.

15. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling fin has an inner hub adjacent the outer wall and an annular body portion extending outwardly from the inner hub, and openings and main directing members are provided in the annular body portion.

16. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling fin has an inner hub adjacent the outer wall and a plurality of blades extending outwardly from the inner hub, the blades defining the openings through which the cooling fluid flows.

17. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling fin comprises a helical member mounted on the outer wall.

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

(a) an outer longitudinally extending wall having an outer surface and first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends;

(b) a sealed region positioned internally within the outer wall within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends which are in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway, the first end of the sealed region is at a different temperature than the second end of the sealed region when the heat engine is in use; and

,

(c) an exterior heat exchanger comprising at least one fin provided along on at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer wall for cooling the outer surface, the cooling fin having a wall portion having first and second opposed sides and at least one opening whereby cooling fluid flows from the first opposed side to the second opposed side via the at least one opening as the cooling fluid flows longitudinally along the outer wall, the outer wall adjacent the heat exchanger in thermal communication with a source of heat inside the heat engine.

19. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the openings have associated main louvres which are configured and arranged to permit cooling fluid to pass from the first opposed side to the second opposed side and to direct cooling fluid from the second opposed side to the first opposed side.

20. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein at least some of the cooling fin members further comprise a first series of main louvres and a second series of main louvres, the first series of main louvres are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid which has passed through the cooling fin member from the first opposed side to the second opposed side to then pass from the second opposed side to the first opposed side when the cooling fluid is flowing in a first direction and the second series of main louvres are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid which has passed through the cooling fin member from the second opposed side to the first opposed side to then pass from the first opposed side to the second opposed side when the cooling fluid is flowing in the opposite direction.

21. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein at least some of the cooling fin members are configured and arranged to cause at least a portion of the cooling fluid to flow around the outer surface of the outer wall.

22. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the cooling fin members are constructed from metal and are prepared by stamping.

23. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the cooling fin members have a deformable collar for lockingly engaging the outer surface of the outer wall.

24. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the cooling fin members are affixed to the outer wall by press fitting.

25. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the second end of the inner sealed region is cooler than the first end and the cooling fin members are mounted on the outer wall at a position adjacent the second end of the sealed region.

26. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 19 wherein at least one of the main louvres has at least one opening having associated sublouvres, the sublouvres are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid to pass at least twice through the main louvre in which the sublouvres are provided as the cooling fluid flows through the cooling fin member.

27. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 19 wherein at least some of the main louvres have a first side, a second side and at least one opening having associated sublouvres, the sublouvres are configured and arranged to cause the cooling fluid to flow unidirectionally from one side of a main louvre in which the sublouvres are provided to the other side as the fluid flows through the cooling fin member.

28. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 21 wherein the at least one cooling fin member has at least one main louvre, at least one of the main louvres has a first side, a second side and at least one opening having associated sublouvres, the sublouvres are configured and arranged to cause the cooling fluid to flow unidirectionally from one side of a main louvre in which the sublouvres are provided to the other side as the fluid flows through the cooling fin member.

29. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 21 wherein the at least one cooling fin member has at least one main louvre and at least one of the main louvres has at least one opening having associated sublouvres, the sublouvres are configured and arranged to cause a portion of the cooling fluid to pass at least twice through the main louvre in which the sublouvres are provided as the cooling fluid flows through the cooling fin member.

30. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the cooling fin members have an inner hub adjacent the outer wall and an annular body portion extending outwardly from the inner hub, and the openings are provided in the annular body portion.

31. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the cooling fin members have an inner hub adjacent the outer wall and a plurality of blades extending outwardly from the inner hub, the blades defining the openings in the cooling fin members.

32. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the cooling fin members comprise a continuous helical member mounted on the outer wall.

33. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein at least some of the openings have associated main louvres and at least one of the main louvres has at least one opening having associated sublouvres.

34. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the heat engine further comprises an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and an interior heat exchanger is positioned between the inner and outer walls to convey heat to the portion of the outer surface of the outer wall and at least one of the inner and outer walls is thin walled.

35. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 18 wherein the heat engine body further comprises an interior heat exchanger positioned on an interior surface of the outer wall to convey heat to the portion of the outer surface of the outer wall.

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

(a) a container defining a sealed region within which a working fluid is circulated when the heat engine is in use, the sealed region having first and second ends which are in fluid flow communication via a working fluid passageway, the first end is at a different temperature than the second end when the heat engine is in use; and

,

(b) the heat engine body having an outer wall having a surface and at least one cooling fin which is mounted on the outer wall by press fitting.

37. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 36 wherein the at least one cooling fin is constructed from metal and are prepared by stamping.

38. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 36 wherein the at least one cooling fin has a deformable collar for lockingly engaging the outer surface of the outer wall.

39. The heat engine body as claimed in claim 36 wherein the outer wall is thin walled and has an outer surface and the at least one cooling fin extends around the outer wall to dimensionally stabilize the outer wall.

40. In a heat engine, the improvement comprising a heat transfer fin having first openings through which a fluid flows and main louvres provided on the fin and associated with at least some of the first openings.

41. The heat engine as claimed in claim 40 wherein the main louvres have second openings provided therein whereby fluid flows through the main louvres.

42. The heat engine as claimed in claim 40 wherein the heat transfer fin is constructed from metal and is prepared by stamping.

43. The heat engine as claimed in claim 40 wherein the heat transfer fin has a deformable collar for lockingly engaging the wall.

44. The heat engine as claimed in claim 40 wherein the heat transfer fin is mounted on the wall by press fitting.

45. The heat engine as claimed in claim 40 wherein the sublouvres are configured and arranged to cause fluid to pass at least twice through the main louvre in which the sublouvres are provided as the fluid flows through the heat transfer fin.

46. The heat engine as claimed in claim 40 wherein at least one of the main louvres has at least one second opening provided therein, the second opening having associated sublouvres.