Control system for vapor engines

Claim 2

An improvement in a Vapor powered vehicle having a power expander coupled to its transmission drive, said vehicle being operated at variable speed and power output demands through corresponding vapor that is generated and applied to its expander, upon demand, in a Rankine cycle configuration by a vapor generator having a combustor and a boiler that is fired thereby to provide superheated vapor substantially at a rated pressure and temperature, said improvement comprising: means for regulating the air mass flow to said combustor at a rate that is directly related to the departure from rated pressure of the vapor being supplied to said expander; means for regulating the fuel feed into said combustor at a rate that is directly related to the air mass flow rate into said combustor; and means for feeding liquid into said boiler at a rate that is controlled by the departure from rated temperature of the vapor and by the fuel feed rate.

Claim 3

A vapor powered vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further including: a temperature transducer in contact with the generated output vapor; fuel flow measuring means for providing a fuel flow rate signal; summer means coupled to both said temperature transducer and said fuel flow measuring means; and means connecting the output of said summer means to said liquid feeding means for regulating the feed rate of said liquid feeding means.

Claim 4

A vapor powered vehicle as claimed in claim 2, in which said means for regulating the air mass flow to said combustor includes: an air blower with an air flow control device; a pressure transducer in contact with the generated vapor; and means connecting said pressure transducer to said air flow control device, thereby effecting delivery of the requisite air mass to said combustor, needed to maintain the rated vapor pressure condition.

Claim 5

A vapor poweered vehicle as claimed in claim 3, further including: an air mass flow measuring unit responsive to the air flow through said air blower into said combustor; and circuit means connected to said air mass flow measuring unit and said pressure transducer connecting means for regulating the delivery of air to said combustor.

Claim 6

A control system for a vapor powered vehicle having a power expander coupled to its transmission drive, said vehicle being operated at variable speed and power output demands through corresponding vapor that is generated and applied to said expander by a vapor generator having a combustor and a boiler that is fired thereby to provide superheated vapor substantially at a constant rated temperature and pressure, said control system comprising: means for measuring a departure from rated pressure of the vapor being supplied to said expander; means for measuring air mass flow into said combustor; means for measuring fuel flow into said combustor; means for generating an air mass flow control signal in response to the difference between the signals from said pressure measuring means and said air mass flow measuring means; and means for generating a fuel flow control signal in response to the difference between the signals from said air mass flow measuring means and said fuel flow measuring means.

Claim 7

A control system for a vapor powered vehicle having a power expander coupled to its transmission drive, said vehicle being operated at variable speed and power output demands through corresponding vapor that is generated and applied to said expander by a vapor generator having a combustor and a boiler that is fired thereby to provide superheated vapor substantially at a constant rated temperature and pressure, said control system comprising: means for measuring a departure from rated pressure of the vapor being supplied to said expander; means for measuring air mass flow into said combustor; means for measuring fuel flow into said combustor; means for generating an air mass flow control signal in response to the difference between the signals from said pressure measuring means and said air mass flow measuring means; and means for generating a fuel flow control signal in response to the difference between the signals from said air mass flow measuring means and said fuel flow measuring means.

Claim 8

The control system of claim 5, further comprising: means for measuring a departure from rated temperature of the vapor being supplied to said expander; means for summing the signal from said fuel flow measuring means with the signal from said temperature measuring means; means for pumping fluid to said boiler; means for measuring the rate of fluid flow into said boiler; and means for generating a fluid flow control signal in response to the difference between the signal from said summing means and the signal from said fluid flow measuring means.

Claim 9

The control system of claim 6, further comprising: means for measuring the temperature of the vapor in said boiler and supplying a signal representative thereof to said summing means.

Claim 10

The control syStem of claim 6 wherein said fluid flow rate measuring means comprises: means for measuring pump displacement; means for measuring pump speed; and means for forming a product with the signal from said displacement measuring means and the signal from said speed measuring means.