Closed cycle vapor engine

Claim 2

A closed cycle heat engine of the type adapted to utilize a vaporizable working fluid, said engine comprising an expander having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and mechanical output means, said expander being capable of receiving through said inlet vaporized working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure, expanding said vaporized working fluid to a lower temperature and pressure with a resultant output of work to said output means and exhausting said working fluid through said fluid outlet, an evaporator connected with said expander fluid inlet and arranged to receive working fluid in a liquid state, to vaporize said working fluid upon the application of heat thereto and to deliver said fluid at elevated temperature to said expander fluid inlet, a condenser connected with said expander fluid outlet and arranged to receive therefrom working fluid in an at least partially vaporized state and to condense said working fluid to a liquid state by the removal of heat therefrom and a condensate pump connected with said condenser and said evaporator and arranged to receive liquid working fluid from said condensor and to deliver it to said evaporator at an elevated pressure, wherein one of said evaporator and condenser elements includes liquid carrying wick means arranged to form surfaces for the evaporation or condensation of liquid within said one element and to transport liquid between said surfaces and said condensate pump and a vapor carrying passage adjacent said wick means, said passage communicating with the appropriate one of said expander fluid inlet and outlet, whereby said one of the evaporator and condensor elements is adapted to operate on the heat pipe principle utilizing as a heat transfer fluid, the working fluid of said engine.

Claim 3

The engine of claim 1 wherein the other of said evaporator and condensor elements also includes liquid carrying wick means arranged to form surfaces for the evaporation or condensation of liquid within said other element and to transport liquid between said surfaces of said other element and said condensate pump and a vapor carrying passage adjacent said Wick means, said passage communicating with the other one of said expander fluid inlet and outlet, whereby said other one of the evaporator and condensor elements is also adapted to operate on the heat pipe principle, utilizing as a heat transfer fluid the working fluid of said engine.

Claim 4

The engine of claim 2 and further comprising throttle means in the passage between said evaporator and the expander fluid inlet, said throttle means being operable to control the flow of vaporized working fluid into the expander to control the output of said engine.

Claim 5

The engine of claim 3 and further comprising preheater means arranged between said condensate pump and said evaporator and adapted to increase the temperature of the condensate passing therebetween before delivery into the evaporator.

Claim 6

The engine of claim 4 and further including external combustion means arranged to supply heat to said evaporator for evaporating the working fluid, said external combustion means having exhaust gas passage means in heat exchange relation with said preheater, whereby waste heat from said external combustion means is supplied to said preheater for heating the liquid condensate before its return to the evaporator.

Claim 7

A closed cycle heat engine of the type adapted to utilize a vaporizable working fluid, said engine comprising an expander having at least one cylinder with a piston reciprocably disposed therein, said piston being connected with mechanical output means, said piston and cylinder cooperating to define a variable volume working chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said expander being capable of receiving through said inlet vaporized working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure, expanding said vaporized working fluid to a lower temperature and pressure with a resultant output of work to said output means and exhausting said working fluid through said fluid outlet, an evaporator connected with said expander fluid inlet and arranged to receive working fluid in a liquid state, to vaporize said working fluid upon the application of heat thereto and to deliver said fluid at elevated temperature to said expander fluid inlet, a condenser connected with said expander fluid outlet and arranged to receive therefrom working fluid in an at least partially vaporized state and to condense said working fluid to a liquid state by the removal of heat therefrom and a condensate pump connected with said condenser and said evaporator and arranged to receive liquid working fluid from said condensor and to deliver it to said evaporator at an elevated pressure, wherein one of said evaporator and condenser elements includes liquid carrying wick means arranged to form surfaces for the evaporation or condensation of liquid within said one element and to transport said liquid between said surfaces and said condensate pump, and a vapor carrying passage adjacent said wick means, said passage communicating with the appropriate one of said expander fluid inlet and outlet, whereby said one of the evaporator and condenser elements is adapted to operate on the heat pipe principle, utilizing as a heating fluid, the working fluid of said engine.

Claim 8

A closed cycle heat engine of the type adapted to utilize a vaporizable working fluid, said engine comprising an expander having at least one cylinder with a piston reciprocably disposed therein, said piston being connected with mechanical output means, said piston and cylinder cooperating to define a variable volume working chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said expander being capable of receiving through said inlet vaporized working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure, expanding said vaporized working fluid to a lower temperature and pressure with a resultant output of work to said output means and exhausting said working fluid through said fluid outlet, an evaporator connected with said expander fluid inlet and arranged to receive working fluid in a liquid state, to vaporize said working fluid upon the application of heat thereto and to deliver said fluid at elevated temperature to said expander fluid inlet, a condenser connected with said expander fluid outlet and arranged to receive therefrom working fluid in an at least partially vaporized state and to condense said working fluid to a liquid state by the removal of heat therefrom and a condensate pump connected with said condenser and said evaporator and arranged to receive liquid working fluid from said condensor and to deliver it to said evaporator at an elevated pressure, wherein one of said evaporator and condenser elements includes liquid carrying wick means arranged to form surfaces for the evaporation or condensation of liquid within said one element and to transport said liquid between said surfaces and said condensate pump, and a vapor carrying passage adjacent said wick means, said passage communicating with the appropriate one of said expander fluid inlet and outlet, whereby said one of the evaporator and condenser elements is adapted to operate on the heat pipe principle, utilizing as a heating fluid, the working fluid of said engine.

Claim 9

A closed cycle heat engine of the type adapted to utilize a vaporizable working fluid, said engine comprising an expander having at least one cylinder with a piston reciprocably disposed therein, said piston being connected with mechanical output means, said piston and cylinder cooperating to define a variable volume working chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said expander being capable of receiving through said inlet vaporized working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure, expanding said vaporized working fluid to a lower temperature and pressure with a resultant output of work to said output means and exhausting said working fluid through said fluid outlet, an evaporator connected with said expander fluid inlet and arranged to receive working fluid in a liquid state, to vaporize said workinG fluid upon the application of heat thereto and to deliver said fluid at elevated temperature to said expander fluid inlet, a condenser connected with said expander fluid outlet and arranged to receive therefrom working fluid in an at least partially vaporized state and to condense said working fluid to a liquid state by the removal of heat therefrom and a condensate pump connected with said condenser and said evaporator and arranged to receive liquid working fluid from said condensor and to deliver it to said evaporator at an elevated pressure, wherein said evaporator and condenser elements include liquid carrying wick means arranged to form surfaces for the evaporation or condensation of liquid within said elements and to transport said liquid between said surfaces and said condensate pump and vapor carrying passages adjacent said wick means, said passages communicating with said expander fluid inlet and outlet, whereby said evaporator and condensor elements are adapted to operate on the heat pipe principle, utilizing as a heat transfer fluid, the working fluid of said engine.

Claim 10

A closed cycle heat engine of the type adapted to utilize a vaporizable working fluid, said engine comprising an expander having at least one cylinder with a piston reciprocably disposed therein, said piston being connected with mechanical output means, said piston and cylinder cooperating to define a variable volume working chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said expander being capable of receiving through said inlet vaporized working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure, expanding said vaporized working fluid to a lower temperature and pressure with a resultant output of work to said output means and exhausting said working fluid through said fluid outlet, an evaporator connected with said expander fluid inlet and arranged to receive working fluid in a liquid state, to vaporize said workinG fluid upon the application of heat thereto and to deliver said fluid at elevated temperature to said expander fluid inlet, a condenser connected with said expander fluid outlet and arranged to receive therefrom working fluid in an at least partially vaporized state and to condense said working fluid to a liquid state by the removal of heat therefrom and a condensate pump connected with said condenser and said evaporator and arranged to receive liquid working fluid from said condensor and to deliver it to said evaporator at an elevated pressure, wherein said evaporator and condenser elements include liquid carrying wick means arranged to form surfaces for the evaporation or condensation of liquid within said elements and to transport said liquid between said surfaces and said condensate pump and vapor carrying passages adjacent said wick means, said passages communicating with said expander fluid inlet and outlet, whereby said evaporator and condensor elements are adapted to operate on the heat pipe principle, utilizing as a heat transfer fluid, the working fluid of said engine.

Claim 11

An engine according to claim 7 and further including a protective cover over said wick means adjacent at least one of said expander fluid inlet and outlet means so as to prevent the excessive disturbance of liquid in said wick means due to surges of vaporized working fluid through said one of said inlet and outlet means.

Claim 12

The engine of claim 7 and further comprising intake and exhaust valves disposed respectively in said expander fluid inlet and fluid outlet and operable in a predetermined manner to control the flow of working fluid into and out of said working chamber.

Claim 13

The engine of claim 9 wherein the opening of said intake valve is adjustable so as to vary the amount of vaporized working fluid admitted to the working chamber and thereby vary engine power.

Claim 14

The engine of claim 9 and further comprising a throttle valve movably disposed between said intake valve and said evaporator and adjustable to variably restrict the flow of working fluid from said evaporator to said working chamber so as to vary engine power.

Claim 15

The engine of claim 9 and further comprising external combustion means arranged to deliver heat to said evaporator for vaporizing said working fluid.

Claim 16

The engine of claim 12 and further comprising preheater means disposed between said condensate pump and said evaporator, such that return condensate is passed through said preheater, said preheater also being connected with said external combustion means to receive the waste exhaust gases therefrom and pass them in heat exchange relationship with said return condensate so as to preheat said condensate before its return to said evaporator.