A heat machine having an external heat source and an external heat sink may be configured as a Stirling engine having a hot pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 15 and a cold pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 16 though advantageously two pairs of hot combinations 15 and two pairs of cold combinations 16 are provided, arranged mutually at right angles. Mechanisms 20 associated with the hot and cold displacers controls the movement thereof to be truly sinusoidal and are contained within casings 21. The pressure in the working fluid spaces remote from the mechanisms 20 and also the pressure in the casings 21 is monitored and compared, and then is controlled such that the casing pressure is slightly less than the minimum working fluid pressure in the working fluid spaces. The relative phase of the two mechanisms 20 associated respectively with the hot displacers and the cold displacers is adjustable (28,29,30,31; and FIG. 4).

A heat machine having an external heat source and an external heat sink may be configured as a Stirling engine having a hot pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 15 and a cold pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 16 though advantageously two pairs of hot combinations 15 and two pairs of cold combinations 16 are provided, arranged mutually at right angles. Mechanisms 20 associated with the hot and cold displacers controls the movement thereof to be truly sinusoidal and are contained within casings 21. The pressure in the working fluid spaces remote from the mechanisms 20 and also the pressure in the casings 21 is monitored and compared, and then is controlled such that the casing pressure is slightly less than the minimum working fluid pressure in the working fluid spaces. The relative phase of the two mechanisms 20 associated respectively with the hot displacers and the cold displacers is adjustable (28,29,30,31; and FIG. 4).

A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism including a rocking beam having a rocker pivot, at least one cylinder and at least one piston. The piston is housed within a respective cylinder and is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder. The drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly. Also, a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly is included. The machine also includes a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly. An airlock is included between the workspace and the crankcase and a seal is included for sealing the workspace from the airlock and crankcase. A burner and burner control system is also included for heating the machine and controlling ignition and combustion in the burner.

A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism including a rocking beam having a rocker pivot, at least one cylinder and at least one piston. The piston is housed within a respective cylinder and is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder. The drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly. Also, a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly is included. The machine also includes a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly. An airlock is included between the workspace and the crankcase and a seal is included for sealing the workspace from the airlock and crankcase. A burner and burner control system is also included for heating the machine and controlling ignition and combustion in the burner.

A thermodynamic machine, comprising: a rotor, configured to rotate about a rotor axis, a working fluid circulation path and a coolant fluid path formed within the rotor, the coolant fluid path fluidically isolated from the working fluid circulation path, the working fluid circulation path spanning radially from the rotor axis to close to the periphery of the rotor; a working fluid circulation drive configured to drive the circulation of a working fluid about the working fluid circulation path; at least one working fluid cooler heat exchanger formed as part of the working fluid circulation path and the coolant fluid path, in use coolant fluid passing through the working fluid cooler heat exchanger to transfer heat from the working fluid to the coolant fluid, and; a working fluid heater in the working fluid circulation path configured to heat a working fluid circulating around the working fluid circulation path.

A thermodynamic machine, comprising: a rotor, configured to rotate about a rotor axis, a working fluid circulation path and a coolant fluid path formed within the rotor, the coolant fluid path fluidically isolated from the working fluid circulation path, the working fluid circulation path spanning radially from the rotor axis to close to the periphery of the rotor; a working fluid circulation drive configured to drive the circulation of a working fluid about the working fluid circulation path; at least one working fluid cooler heat exchanger formed as part of the working fluid circulation path and the coolant fluid path, in use coolant fluid passing through the working fluid cooler heat exchanger to transfer heat from the working fluid to the coolant fluid, and; a working fluid heater in the working fluid circulation path configured to heat a working fluid circulating around the working fluid circulation path.

An apparatus is provided having a heat generation device such as a boiler. A hypersonic energy harvester is provided having a first input and a second input. The first input and the second input are fluidly coupled to the heat generation device. A variable speed pump is fluidly coupled to supply liquid from the heat generation device to the hypersonic energy harvester. A deaerator is fluidly coupled to receive condensate from the hypersonic energy harvester.

An apparatus is provided having a heat generation device such as a boiler. A hypersonic energy harvester is provided having a first input and a second input. The first input and the second input are fluidly coupled to the heat generation device. A variable speed pump is fluidly coupled to supply liquid from the heat generation device to the hypersonic energy harvester. A deaerator is fluidly coupled to receive condensate from the hypersonic energy harvester.

The invention relates to a method and a device for generating electrical energy in a combined system consisting of a power plant and an air handling system. The power plant comprises a first gas expansion unit connected to a generator. The air handling system comprises an air compression unit, a heat exchange system, and a fluid tank. In a first operating mode, feed air is compressed in the air compression unit and cooled in the heat exchange system. A storage fluid is generated from the compressed and cooled feed air and is stored as cryogenic fluid in fluid tank. In a second operating mode, cryogenic fluid is removed from fluid tank and is vaporized, or pseudo-vaporized, at superatmospheric pressure. The gaseous high pressure storage fluid generated is expanded in the gas expansion unit. Gaseous natural gas is introduced into the heat exchange system (21) to be liquefied.

The invention relates to a process producing useful energy from thermal energy. An overall population of mobile particles confined to a unidirectional flow closed circuit of conducting channels (1-2-3-3′-4-1) is subjected to a conservative or effectively conservative force field. The circuit is thermally insulated with the exception of two non juxtaposed areas a first area (2-3) allowing thermal exchange for heating (Qin) from a warmer environment outside the circuit, a second area (4-1) allowing thermal exchange (Qout) for cooling, as necessary, by a colder environment outside the circuit. The closed circuit is provided with a load (3′-4;) designed to convert the energy it receives from the mobile particles flow to a useful output energy. In two portions of the unidirectional circuit located before (3-3′) and after (1-2;) said load, flow velocity vector is parallel or has a component which is parallel to the conservative or effectively conservative force field one portion with a warm flow and the other portion with a cool flow of mobile particles and in that if the density of the chosen mobile particles decreases when the temperature increases, the direction of the conservative force field is the same as that of the cool flow velocity vector or of a cool flow velocity vector component in the said circuit portion and the inverse if the density of the chosen mobile particles increases when the temperature increases.