Heat engines

Claim 2

A gas operated heat engine or heat pump having at least one pair of cylinders including a master cylinder having a master piston associated therewith and an auxiliary cylinder having an auxiliary piston associated therewith, and connecting lines arranged between the cylinders such that the gas circulates in a system having a gas heater and a gas cooler, characterized in that the master cylinder has a larger stroke volume than the associated auxiliary cylinder, and that during a working phase an upper auxiliary cylinder chamber in the auxiliary cylinder communicates via the gas heater with an upper master cylinder chamber in the master cylinder, and at the same time a lower master cylinder chamber in the master cylinder communicates via the gas cooler with a lower auxiliary cylinder chamber in the auxiliary cylinder, and that during a heat-exchange phase of the master cylinder, immediately after the working phase, the upper chamber in the master cylinder communicates via a first side of a heat exchanger with the lower chamber in the master cylinder, while at the same time the lower chamber in the master cylinder communicates via a second side of said heat exchanger with the upper auxiliary cylinder chamber in the auxiliary cylinder.

Claim 3

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the master piston and auxiliary piston of each pair of cylinders are so connected to each other that their movement phases lies roughly 180* displaced in relation to each other.

Claim 4

A heat engine according to claim 2, characterized in that the gas flow to and from respective chambers is controlled by valves which are positively controlled synchronously for the movement phases of the pistons.

Claim 5

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper chamber of the master cylinder includes two valves which are positively controlled synchronously with respective piston movements and that one valve is placed in connection with the gas heater and the other is placed in connection with the heat exchanger, the lower chamber of the master cylinder also including two valves which comprise single-path valves one of which is placed in connection with the heat exchanger and the other of which is placed in connection with the gas cooler, and that the upper chamber of the auxiliary cylinder includes two single-path valves of which one is placed in connection with the heat excHanger while the other valve is placed in connection with the gas heater, the lower chamber of the auxiliary cylinder including two single-path valves, one being in connection with the gas cooler and the other being in connection with the heat exchanger.

Claim 6

A heat engine according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper chamber of the master cylinder includes two valves which are positively controlled synchronously with respective piston movements and one of which is placed in connection with the gas heater and the other is placed in connection with the heat exchanger, the lower chamber of the master cylinder also including two valves placed in connection with the heat exchanger and the gas cooler respectively and comprising servo-controlled valves controlled in response to pressure differences in respective cylinder chambers and/or connected conduits, and that the upper chamber of the auxiliary cylinder includes two valves of which one is placed in connection with the heat exchanger while the other valve is placed in connection with the gas heater, one or both valves being servo-controlled valves controlled in response to pressure conditions in respective cylinder chambers and/or connected conduits, the lower chamber of the auxiliary cylinder including two valves of which one is connected with the gas cooler and the other of which is connected with the heat exchanger, which last mentioned valves comprise servo-controlled valves controlled in response of the pressure conditions in respective cylinder chambers and/or connected conduits.

Claim 7

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that free gas communication prevails between the gas heater and the upper chamber of the auxiliary cylinder.

Claim 8

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that gas moved from the upper chamber in the auxiliary cylinder to the upper chamber in the master cylinder during the working phase is continuously heated in the gas heater.

Claim 9

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that gas moved from the lower chamber in the master cylinder to the lower chamber in the auxiliary cylinder during the working phase is continuously cooled in the gas cooler.

Claim 10

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchange in the heat exchanger takes place under substantially constant volume of the gas moved during the heat exchange phase from the upper chamber to the lower chamber in the master cylinder and from the lower chamber to the upper chamber in the auxiliary cylinder.

Claim 11

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas from the upper chamber in the master cylinder, subsequent to passing to the heat exchanger and prior to entering the lower chamber in the master cylinder, passes through a gas cooling portion and/or in the same heat exchange phase the gas from the lower chamber in the auxiliary cylinder, subsequent to passing through the heat exchanger and prior to entering the upper chamber in the auxiliary cylinder, passes through a gas heating portion.

Claim 12

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas heater and/or the gas cooler and/or the heat exchanger may be common to two or more pairs of cylinders in an engine.

Claim 13

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the main cylinder includes two coaxially arranged cylinder portions which open towards each other and which have pistons in each cylinder portion, and that the auxiliary system includes two cylinder portions having a piston in each cylinder portion, the master cylinder pistons and the auxiliary cylinder pistons being mutually, and relatively to each other, mechanically connected so that a translatory piston movement having a phase displacement of roughly 180* between the master cylinder pistons and the auxiliary cylinder pistons is obtained.

Claim 14

A heat engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the pistons embodied in the engine have a relatively long extension in respective cylinders to provIde for heat insulation.

Claim 15

A heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper master cylinder chamber includes two single-path valves, one placed in the connection with the gas heater and the other in the connection with the heat exchanger, the lower master cylinder chamber also including two single-path valves, one placed in the connection with the heat exchanger and the other in the connection with the gas cooler, and that the upper auxiliary cylinder chamber includes two single-path valves one of which is placed in the connection with the heat exchanger and the other is placed in the connection with the gas heater, the lower axiliary cylinder ceamber including two valves which are positively controlled by the piston movements one of which valves is placed in the connection with the gas cooler and the other of which is placed in the connection with the heat exchanger.