US3774397A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heat engine
Assignee: Fuelcell Energy Inc
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Filing: 1971-08-04
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Granted: 1973-11-27
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Expires: 1991-08-04
Abstract
Abstract A substantially pollution-free heat engine employing steam as the working fluid and operable on a cycle approaching a Rankine cycle. The engine includes a lightweight, small-size, highly efficient, boiler expander and condenser system which utilizes advanced material technology in order to achieve maximum system operating temperatures of approximately 1,200*F. and operating pressures up to 3,500 psi. The engine is especially suitable for use in motor vehicles and is capable of fast start-ups so as to produce 65 percent of maximum power within 45 seconds or less. Moreover, the engine provides an idle mode of operation for driving vehicle accessories and the like and in addition is responsive to produce rapid power changes needed for acceleration and heavy pulls on steep grades.
Inventors
- 👤 R Engdahl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 04:38
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01K; F01K15/00; F01K15/02; F01K13/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S277/00; Y10S277/926; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/1189
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
315 words
A heat engine comprising boiler means for increasing the heat energy of a working fluid; positive displacement expander means for using said heat energy of said fluid for useful work, said expander comprising a housing having a cylindrical bore and a pair of parallel opposite end walls, a rotor having ends facing said walls and mounted for rotation in said bore, a liner of wear resistant material mounted in said bore and having a varying wall thickness defining an eccentric fluid chamber around said rotor, said rotor including a wheel with a plurality of radial slots therein, a radial vane assembly in each of said slots projecting outwardly thereof and defining said eccentric chamber into a plurality of separate variable volume fluid expansion chambers around the periphery of said wheel within said liner, said vane assembly including a first vane biased radially outwardly in said slot toward an inside wear surface of said liner and a pair of end vanes biased outwardly of said slot toward said end walls of said housing, a pair of annular seals between said end walls of said housing and adjacent ends of said rotor, at least one of said seals comprising an annular pressure ring bearing against an adjacent end of said rotor and a seal balancing ring between said pressure ring and an end wall of said housing, said seal balancing ring comprising a pair of inner and outer radially spaced concentric seal rings joined together by a plurality of spaced apart radial divider spokes defining a plurality of pressure balancing chambers, a plurality of ports in said pressure ring for supplying pressurized fluid from expansion chambers around said rotor wheel to adjacent pressure balancing chambers behind said pressure ring, and fluid control means between said boiler means and said eccentric chamber in said housing for regulating the filling of said expansion chambers with said high energy fluid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
315 words
A heat engine comprising boiler means for increasing the heat energy of a working fluid; positive displacement expander means for using said heat energy of said fluid for useful work, said expander comprising a housing having a cylindrical bore and a pair of parallel opposite end walls, a rotor having ends facing said walls and mounted for rotation in said bore, a liner of wear resistant material mounted in said bore and having a varying wall thickness defining an eccentric fluid chamber around said rotor, said rotor including a wheel with a plurality of radial slots therein, a radial vane assembly in each of said slots projecting outwardly thereof and defining said eccentric chamber into a plurality of separate variable volume fluid expansion chambers around the periphery of said wheel within said liner, said vane assembly including a first vane biased radially outwardly in said slot toward an inside wear surface of said liner and a pair of end vanes biased outwardly of said slot toward said end walls of said housing, a pair of annular seals between said end walls of said housing and adjacent ends of said rotor, at least one of said seals comprising an annular pressure ring bearing against an adjacent end of said rotor and a seal balancing ring between said pressure ring and an end wall of said housing, said seal balancing ring comprising a pair of inner and outer radially spaced concentric seal rings joined together by a plurality of spaced apart radial divider spokes defining a plurality of pressure balancing chambers, a plurality of ports in said pressure ring for supplying pressurized fluid from expansion chambers around said rotor wheel to adjacent pressure balancing chambers behind said pressure ring, and fluid control means between said boiler means and said eccentric chamber in said housing for regulating the filling of said expansion chambers with said high energy fluid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The heat engine of claim 1 wherein said fluid control means comprises a plurality of fluid passages extending between an outlet end of said boiler means and at least one expansion chamber around said rotor, and means for opening and closing said passages to increase or decrease the number of passages filling a particular expansion chamber as it moves into and out of communication with said passages.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
The heat engine of claim 2 wherein said passages are arranged in staggered relation in parallel rows and communicate with said eccentric chamber through open ends disposed in a substantial arcuate shaped filling area on said inside wear surface of said liner, said control means including means movable to open and close opposite ends of said passages to increase and decrease the effective cross-sectional area of fluid flow between said boiler means and said eccentric chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The heat engine of claim 1 wherein said inside wear surface of said liner is coated with silicon carbide material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The heat engine of claim 1 wherein said vanes have outer edges for sliding contact with said wear surface of said liner comprising silicon carbide material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The heat engine of claim 1 wherein said housing includes at least one annular bearing surface for said rotor, and lubrication means for supplying said working fluid in liquid form for lubrication of said bearing surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The heat engine of claim 6 wherein said lubrication means includes pump means receiving fluid upstream of said boiler means for supplying liquid to said bearing surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The heat engine of claim 6 including bearing means comprising one bearing surface of silicon carbide and a cooperating bearing surface of graphite for supporting said rotor for rotation in said housing, said lubrication means supplying said working fluid between said surfaces through said graphite.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The heat engine of claim 6 wherein said pump means comprises a feedwater pump for supplying wOrking fluid to said boiler means and a bearing pump driven independently of said feedwater pump.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
218 words
A heat engine utilizing steam as a working fluid comprising feedwater pump means for increasing the pressure of said fluid; boiler means for supplying heat energy to said fluid received from said pump means; positive displacement, fluid expander means for receiving fluid from said boiler means and producing useful work therefrom, said expander means including a rotor having a plurality of spaced apart radially extending vanes defining a plurality of separate variable volume expansion chambers around said rotor, a housing having a cylindrical bore coaxially aligned and encircling said rotor, a liner in said bore having a hardened inside wear surface for contact with outer edges of said vanes and having a variable wall thickness for changing the volume of each chamber as it moves around said bore; condenser means for receiving expanded fluid from said expander means and condensing the same to liquid for supplying to said feedwater pump means, starting feedwater pump means driven separately of said expander, and bypass conduit means communicating between said condenser means and said boiler means through said starting feedwater pump means for delivering fluid under pressure from said starting feedwater pump to said boiler means during initial startup of said heat engine, and control means for controlling the volume flow of fluid from said boiler means to said expander means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
218 words
A heat engine utilizing steam as a working fluid comprising feedwater pump means for increasing the pressure of said fluid; boiler means for supplying heat energy to said fluid received from said pump means; positive displacement, fluid expander means for receiving fluid from said boiler means and producing useful work therefrom, said expander means including a rotor having a plurality of spaced apart radially extending vanes defining a plurality of separate variable volume expansion chambers around said rotor, a housing having a cylindrical bore coaxially aligned and encircling said rotor, a liner in said bore having a hardened inside wear surface for contact with outer edges of said vanes and having a variable wall thickness for changing the volume of each chamber as it moves around said bore; condenser means for receiving expanded fluid from said expander means and condensing the same to liquid for supplying to said feedwater pump means, starting feedwater pump means driven separately of said expander, and bypass conduit means communicating between said condenser means and said boiler means through said starting feedwater pump means for delivering fluid under pressure from said starting feedwater pump to said boiler means during initial startup of said heat engine, and control means for controlling the volume flow of fluid from said boiler means to said expander means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The heat engine of claim 10 wherein said control means includes passage means for filling said expansion chambers with working fluid in an area defined around a portion of said inside wear surface of said liner swept by said vanes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
70 words
The heat engine of claim 11 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a plurality of spaced apart filling passages having outlets located in said area of said inside wear surface and means for opening and closing said passages to expand and contract the ratio of the area swept by each vane during filling through open passages and the total area swept by each vane during each revolution of said rotor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
The heat engine of claim 10 including fuel burner means for supplying heated gases for passage through said boiler means to heat said working fluid, said control means including fuel control means for controlling the rate of fuel supplied to said burner means in relation to the volume of working fluid flowing into said expander means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The heat engine of claim 10 wherein said fuel control means includes means sensitive to the temperature of said boiler means for controlling fuel flow to said burner means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The heat engine of claim 10 including means for injecting anti-freeze fluid into said working fluid in response to ambient temperature conditions.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The heat engine of claim 15 wherein said anti-freeze comprises ammonia and including synthesis means interconnected between said condenser means and said anti-freeze injection means for removing gaseous fluids from the liquid in said condenser means and synthesizing ammonia therefrom for use in said antifreeze injection means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The heat engine of claim 16 wherein said synthesis means includes catalytic reactor means and means for supplying heated exhaust gases from said boiler means to said reactor means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-26 | 1977-05-28 | 1977-11-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-26 | 1981-05-28 | 1981-11-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-26 | 1985-05-28 | 1985-11-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |