A linear piston engine includes a housing having a combustion chamber located between opposing first and second piston chambers. A first piston assembly is located within the first piston chamber, and a second piston assembly is located within the second piston chamber. Each piston assembly includes a piston for reciprocating within the piston chamber. The piston is located adjacent to the combustion chamber. Each piston assembly also includes a crankshaft coupled to the piston for guiding the piston through a power stroke and a return stroke, and a linear output member coupled to the piston for providing a linear output motion based on reciprocating motion of the piston.

An air motor assembly includes an exhaust block with an exhaust port that conveys exhaust air into an exhaust manifold. The exhaust port includes an expansion chamber that creates a pressure drop in the exhaust gas, thereby decreasing the temperature of the exhaust gas. The expansion chamber is defined between a first wall that is tangential to the air motor cylinder and a second wall that is transverse to an axis of the exhaust port. Poppet valves control actuation of a shuttle. The poppet valves are disposed on the exterior of the air motor assembly and are thermally insulated from the air motor assembly.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for harvesting salt, and other valued material, and generating distilled water from at least one of a produced water and salt water. The system can include a direct steam generator (DSG) configured to generate saturated steam and combustion exhaust constituents. The system can include a separation system operating after the DSG, configured to separate salt from the saturated steam and combustion exhaust constituents in at least one of brine form and solid form. The system can include an energy recovery system that includes an expansion turbine configured to recover energy from the steam and exhaust constituents.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for harvesting salt, and other valued material, and generating distilled water from at least one of a produced water and salt water. The system can include a direct steam generator (DSG) configured to generate saturated steam and combustion exhaust constituents. The system can include a separation system operating after the DSG, configured to separate salt from the saturated steam and combustion exhaust constituents in at least one of brine form and solid form. The system can include an energy recovery system that includes an expansion turbine configured to recover energy from the steam and exhaust constituents.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for harvesting salt, and other valued material, and generating distilled water from at least one of a produced water and salt water. The system can include a direct steam generator (DSG) configured to generate saturated steam and combustion exhaust constituents. The system can include a separation system operating after the DSG, configured to separate salt from the saturated steam and combustion exhaust constituents in at least one of brine form and solid form. The system can include an energy recovery system that includes an expansion turbine configured to recover energy from the steam and exhaust constituents.

A piston (8) is provided in a motor main body (4). A first motor chamber (9) is provided above the piston (8) and a second motor chamber (10) is provided below the piston (8). A pilot valve element (18) is provided so as to protrude from the piston (8). When a supply/discharge valve (13) is moved to its upper limit position or its lower limit position by the movement of the pilot valve element (18) in an up-down direction, a first valve member (25) of the supply/discharge valve (13) switches between supplying and discharging pressure fluid to and from the first motor chamber (9) and a second valve member (26) of the supply/discharge valve (13) switches between supplying and discharging pressure fluid to and from the second motor chamber (10).

A new kind of solid-liquid-solid cyclic phase change heat engine is presented with optional but highly recommended multiple cylinders aka multiple stages cascading powertrain. Unlike the traditional Rankine engine or Stirling engine, hereby the gaseous phase is prohibited, and the conventional turbine is abandoned too. Under the drive of heat flux, low expansion volume of the working Phase Change Material (PCM) replaces the high expansion volume of hot gas, and in compensation, high expansion pressure replaces the low expansion pressure of hot gas. Via the isolated transformation from PCM pressure to hydraulic oil pressure, plus fluidic AC-DC rectification, a standard hydraulic motor replaces the gas or steam turbine. Multi-cylinder cascading heat engine can linearly increase up efficiency close to the ideal Carnot efficiency. With this invention, heat-rechargeable melting salt thermal storage can efficiently power vehicles with competitive lightweight of thermo pack at middle temperature, challenging those fuel cell or lithium battery powered vehicles.

A new kind of solid-liquid-solid cyclic phase change heat engine is presented with optional but highly recommended multiple cylinders aka multiple stages cascading powertrain. Unlike the traditional Rankine engine or Stirling engine, hereby the gaseous phase is prohibited, and the conventional turbine is abandoned too. Under the drive of heat flux, low expansion volume of the working Phase Change Material (PCM) replaces the high expansion volume of hot gas, and in compensation, high expansion pressure replaces the low expansion pressure of hot gas. Via the isolated transformation from PCM pressure to hydraulic oil pressure, plus fluidic AC-DC rectification, a standard hydraulic motor replaces the gas or steam turbine. Multi-cylinder cascading heat engine can linearly increase up efficiency close to the ideal Carnot efficiency. With this invention, heat-rechargeable melting salt thermal storage can efficiently power vehicles with competitive lightweight of thermo pack at middle temperature, challenging those fuel cell or lithium battery powered vehicles.

An air motor assembly includes an exhaust block with an exhaust port that conveys exhaust air into an exhaust manifold. The exhaust port includes an expansion chamber that creates a pressure drop in the exhaust gas, thereby decreasing the temperature of the exhaust gas. The expansion chamber is defined between a first wall that is tangential to the air motor cylinder and a second wall that is transverse to an axis of the exhaust port. Poppet valves control actuation of a shuttle. The poppet valves are disposed on the exterior of the air motor assembly and are thermally insulated from the air motor assembly.

A device and method for treating a wound of a patient with negative pressure is provided. The device comprises a heat-assisted pump system. The pump system can be powered in part by heat derived from the patient. The pump system may be configured to be highly planar, light weight, and portable. The pump system may comprise a Stirling engine or a thermal acoustic engine.