Solar engine

Claim 1

A solar engine comprising a thin-walled pressure vessel capable of containing and heating air by means of solar energy, and a diaphragm air motor connected to said vessel and adapted to be driven by a mass of heated air from said vessel, said air motor including a housing defining a chamber having a movable diaphragm therein dividing said chamber into spaced chamber portions, one of said portions comprising air pump means adapted for pumping a substantially equal mass of cool air into said vessel as compared to the first mentioned mass of heated air, said air motor having excess power output means capable of doing work, and including check valve means on the output side of said pump means and the intake side of said vessel, for preventing reverse flow of air from said intake side in a direction toward said pump means, said diaphragm being secured adjacent its periphery to said housing, and including a generally central head portion to which a rod is secured, said rod extending exteriorly of said housing, and adapted for coupling to means for doing work, the central sections of the interior surface of said housing that are disposed in confronting relation to said head portion being of a configuration to generally snugly receive said head portion in generally engaged relation in the respective maximum stroke positions of said rod and attached head portion, the interior surface sections of said housing laterally of said central sections being generally convex, and engaging the portions of said diaphragm outwardly from said head portion in generally surface-to-surface relation in said respective maximum stroke positions of said rod and attached head portion, for increasing the efficiency of said engine.