US3788064A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for driving heat motor
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-01-26
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Granted: 1974-01-29
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Expires: 1992-01-26
Abstract
Abstract A heat engine having a shaft output is connected to a vortex separating means, such as a bank of Ranque tubes, for deriving first and second gas flows respectively having higher and lower temperatures than input gas to the vortex separating means. The heat engine and a high temperature heat exchanger are in a first feedback loop responsive to the first gas flow. A second feedback loop, responsive to the second flow from the bank of vortex tubes, includes a low temperature heat exchanger responsive to scavenged or rejected heat of the system. The first feedback loop may include a second bank of vortex tubes which feeds hot and cold gases to a heat exchanger and vapor generator, respectively. The gases fed to the heat exchanger and vapor generator, after passing through them, are condensed. The condensed gas is fed to the vapor generator and heat exchanger to the heat engine. The heat engine may be, e.g., a simple gas turbine or a compound turbine.
Inventors
- 👤 R Hawkins
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:09
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01K; F01K25/00; F25; F25B; F25B9/00; F25B9/02; F25B9/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A system for driving a heat engine with high temperature, high pressure inlet gas, comprising a heat engine having an output shaft, said engine converting the gas supplied thereto to an effluent having lower temperature and pressure than the inlet gas, vortex tube means for separating gas supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, means for heating the first gas flow and supplying the heated first gas flow as the inlet gas to the engine, means for feeding the load effluent as the gas supplied to the inlet of the vortex means, heat exchanger means for increasing the temperature of the second gas flow, and means for supplying the gas emerging from the heat exchanger means as a gas supplied to the vortex means at substantially the same pressure as the pressure of the gas supplied to the vortex means by the feeding means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
158 words
A system for driving a heat engine with high temperature, high pressure inlet gas, comprising a heat engine having an output shaft, said engine converting the gas supplied thereto to an effluent having lower temperature and pressure than the inlet gas, vortex tube means for separating gas supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, means for heating the first gas flow and supplying the heated first gas flow as the inlet gas to the engine, means for feeding the load effluent as the gas supplied to the inlet of the vortex means, heat exchanger means for increasing the temperature of the second gas flow, and means for supplying the gas emerging from the heat exchanger means as a gas supplied to the vortex means at substantially the same pressure as the pressure of the gas supplied to the vortex means by the feeding means.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
135 words
A system for driving a heat engine with high temperature, high pressure inlet gas, comprising a heat engine having an output shaft, said engine converting the gas supplied thereto to an effluent having lower temperature and pressure than the inlet gas, vortex tube means for separating gas supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, first feedback means for feeding the first flow back to an inlet of the vortex means, the flow of said first feedback means including the inlet gas and effluent of said engine, said second feedback means feeding the second flow back to an inlet of the vortex means, said first and second feedback means including heat exchanger means for increasing the temperature of the gas fed thereto.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
135 words
A system for driving a heat engine with high temperature, high pressure inlet gas, comprising a heat engine having an output shaft, said engine converting the gas supplied thereto to an effluent having lower temperature and pressure than the inlet gas, vortex tube means for separating gas supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, first feedback means for feeding the first flow back to an inlet of the vortex means, the flow of said first feedback means including the inlet gas and effluent of said engine, said second feedback means feeding the second flow back to an inlet of the vortex means, said first and second feedback means including heat exchanger means for increasing the temperature of the gas fed thereto.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 2 wherein the heat exchanger means of the second feedback means heats the second flow in response to heat scavenged from other parts of the system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The system of claim 2 wherein the first feedback means includes means for condensing the first output flow of the vortex means into a liquid, another heat exchanger means for heating the fluid condensed by the condensing means, and means for supplying the fluid emerging from the another heat exchanger as inlet gas for the engine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 4 wherein the second feedback means includes a flow path through the means for condensing whereby the gas in the second feedback means is heated in the means for condensing by the latent heat of vaporization of the condensed fluid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 2 wherein the first and second feedback means include means for supplying gases having substantially the same pressure to the vortex means inlet.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
170 words
A system for driving a heat engine with high temperature, high pressure inlet gas, comprising a heat engine having an output shaft, said engine converting the gas supplied thereto to an effluent having a lower temperature and pressure than the inlet gas, first and second vortex tube means, each of said vortex means separating gas supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, first feedback means for feeding the first flow of the first vortex means back to an inlet of the first vortex means, the flow of said first feedback means including the inlet and effluent of said load, as well as inlet gas and first and second output flows of said second vortex means, second feedback means for feeding the second flow of the first vortex means back to an inlet of the first vortex means, said first and second feedback means including heat exchanger means for increasing the temperature of the gas fed thereto.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
170 words
A system for driving a heat engine with high temperature, high pressure inlet gas, comprising a heat engine having an output shaft, said engine converting the gas supplied thereto to an effluent having a lower temperature and pressure than the inlet gas, first and second vortex tube means, each of said vortex means separating gas supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, first feedback means for feeding the first flow of the first vortex means back to an inlet of the first vortex means, the flow of said first feedback means including the inlet and effluent of said load, as well as inlet gas and first and second output flows of said second vortex means, second feedback means for feeding the second flow of the first vortex means back to an inlet of the first vortex means, said first and second feedback means including heat exchanger means for increasing the temperature of the gas fed thereto.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
73 words
The system of claim 7, wherein the first feedback means includes: means for condensing the output flows derived from said second vortex means into a liquid, another heat exchanger means for heating the fluid condensed by the condensing means, said another heat exchanger means being heated by output flow from the second vortex means, and means for supplying the fluid emerging from the another heat exchanger as the inlet gas for tHe engine.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 8, wherein the another heat exchanger means includes, in seriatim, a vapor generator responsive to said liquid and a heat exchanger, and means for respectively heating the vapor generator and heat exchanger with said second and first flows derived from the second vortex means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of claim 9, wherein the first feedback means includes a compressor responsive to said flows from the second vortex means after they have passed through the heat exchanger and vapor generator, and means for feeding gas effluent from the compressor to the condensing means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 10, wherein the second feedback means includes a flow path through the means for condensing, whereby the gas in the second feedback means is heated in the means for condensing by the latent heat of vaporization of the condensed fluid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 11 wherein the heat exchanger means of the second feedback means heats the second flow of the first vortex means in response to heat scavenged from the remainder of the system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
99 words
The system of claim 9, wherein the heat engine is a compound machine having a high pressure section responsive to gas derived from the heat exchanger and a low pressure section responsive to effluent from the high pressure section, means for feeding the first flow derived from the second vortex means to the low pressure section rather than to the heat exchanger while the high pressure section is idling, and means for feeding the second flow derived from the second vortex means to the condensing means without passing through the vapor generator while the high pressure section is idling.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 8, wherein the second feedback means includes a flow path through the means for condensing, whereby the gas in the second feedback means is heated in the means for condensing by the latent heat of vaporization of the condensed fluid.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 14 wherein the heat exchanger means of the second feedback means heats the second flow of the first vortex means in response to heat scavenged from other parts of the system.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 7 wherein the heat exchanger means of the second feedback means heats the second flow of the first vortex means in response to heat scavenged from other parts of the system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 7 wherein the first and second feedback means include means for supplying gases having substantially the same pressure to the first vortex means inlet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
164 words
In combination, vortex tube means for separating a gaseous working fluid supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, first and second gaseous flow feedback paths for said first and second output gas flows, each of said feedback paths terminating at a common junction and including means for maintaining said output flows in the gaseous state throughout the time while the flows are in them, said first feedback path including in a seriatum a first heat exchanger and compressor, said first heat exchanger being connected to be responsive to the first output gas flow and supplying the first output gas flow to said compressor, said second feedback path including a second heat exchanger for increasing the temperature of the second putput gas flow, and means for supplying the gaseous output flows of the compressor and second heat exchanger as the gaseous working fluid supplied to the inlet of the vortex means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
164 words
In combination, vortex tube means for separating a gaseous working fluid supplied to an inlet thereof into a high temperature first output gas flow and a low temperature second output gas flow, first and second gaseous flow feedback paths for said first and second output gas flows, each of said feedback paths terminating at a common junction and including means for maintaining said output flows in the gaseous state throughout the time while the flows are in them, said first feedback path including in a seriatum a first heat exchanger and compressor, said first heat exchanger being connected to be responsive to the first output gas flow and supplying the first output gas flow to said compressor, said second feedback path including a second heat exchanger for increasing the temperature of the second putput gas flow, and means for supplying the gaseous output flows of the compressor and second heat exchanger as the gaseous working fluid supplied to the inlet of the vortex means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The combination of claim 18 wherein a load is included in said first feedback path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-28 | 1977-07-30 | 1978-01-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-28 | 1981-07-30 | 1982-01-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-28 | 1985-07-30 | 1986-01-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |