Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for providing energy to a defined space, such as a house or other building. In one implementation, thermal energy is received from a solar power source at a solar boiler, and steam is generated from the thermal energy using the solar boiler. One or pistons of a steam engine is driven with a pressure from the steam. The steam engine outputs a first waste heat. The first waste heat is received from the steam engine at a chiller. The chiller generates conditioned air from the first waste heat.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for providing energy to a defined space, such as a house or other building. In one implementation, thermal energy is received from a solar power source at a solar boiler, and steam is generated from the thermal energy using the solar boiler. One or pistons of a steam engine is driven with a pressure from the steam. The steam engine outputs a first waste heat. The first waste heat is received from the steam engine at a chiller. The chiller generates conditioned air from the first waste heat.

A Stirling-cycle apparatus is provided comprising a hermetically sealable housing; a first rotary displacement unit in fluid communication with a second rotary fluid displacement unit, each operably mounted in a separate, fluidly sealed portion within said housing and adapted to provide a cyclic change of at least one thermodynamic state parameter of a working fluid during use. Furthermore, each one of said first and second rotary displacement unit comprises a compressor mechanism, having a first compressor working chamber that is adapted to receive a first portion of said working fluid, and at least a second compressor working chamber that is adapted to receive a second portion of said working fluid, said first compressor working chamber comprises a first outlet port and said second compressor working chamber comprises a second outlet port. Each one of said first and second rotary displacement unit further comprises an expander mechanism, having a first expander working chamber that is adapted to receive said first portion of said working fluid, and at least a second expander working chamber that is adapted to receive said second portion of said working fluid, said first expander working chamber comprises a first inlet port and said second expander working chamber comprises a second inlet port; a drive coupling assembly, adapted to operably and operatively couple said first expander mechanism to said first compressor mechanism. The drive coupling assembly further comprises a rotating valve mechanism, adapted to provide a predetermined sequence of a cyclic fluid exchange between said first compressor working chamber and said first expander working chamber, and between said second compressor working chamber and said second expander working chamber, at predetermined intervals of the angle of rotation of said first and second rotatory displacement unit. The Stirling-cycle apparatus further comprises an actuator, operably coupled to said first and second rotary displacement unit, and adapted to synchronously link the rotational movement of said first rotary displacement unit with said second rotary displacement unit, such that said first predetermined cyclic change of at least one thermodynamic state parameter of said working fluid is offset in relation to said second predetermined cyclic change of at least one thermodynamic state parameter of said working fluid by a predetermined phase angle, during use.

A Stirling-cycle apparatus is provided comprising a hermetically sealable housing; a first rotary displacement unit in fluid communication with a second rotary fluid displacement unit, each operably mounted in a separate, fluidly sealed portion within said housing and adapted to provide a cyclic change of at least one thermodynamic state parameter of a working fluid during use. Furthermore, each one of said first and second rotary displacement unit comprises a compressor mechanism, having a first compressor working chamber that is adapted to receive a first portion of said working fluid, and at least a second compressor working chamber that is adapted to receive a second portion of said working fluid, said first compressor working chamber comprises a first outlet port and said second compressor working chamber comprises a second outlet port. Each one of said first and second rotary displacement unit further comprises an expander mechanism, having a first expander working chamber that is adapted to receive said first portion of said working fluid, and at least a second expander working chamber that is adapted to receive said second portion of said working fluid, said first expander working chamber comprises a first inlet port and said second expander working chamber comprises a second inlet port; a drive coupling assembly, adapted to operably and operatively couple said first expander mechanism to said first compressor mechanism. The drive coupling assembly further comprises a rotating valve mechanism, adapted to provide a predetermined sequence of a cyclic fluid exchange between said first compressor working chamber and said first expander working chamber, and between said second compressor working chamber and said second expander working chamber, at predetermined intervals of the angle of rotation of said first and second rotatory displacement unit. The Stirling-cycle apparatus further comprises an actuator, operably coupled to said first and second rotary displacement unit, and adapted to synchronously link the rotational movement of said first rotary displacement unit with said second rotary displacement unit, such that said first predetermined cyclic change of at least one thermodynamic state parameter of said working fluid is offset in relation to said second predetermined cyclic change of at least one thermodynamic state parameter of said working fluid by a predetermined phase angle, during use.

An internal combustion engine system includes a compressor arranged to compress air, at least one combustor, at least one of the at least one combustor being arranged to receive the compressed air, and an exhaust treatment device arranged to process exhaust gases produced by at least one of the at least one combustor, a heat exchanger arranged to receive the compressed air from the compressor before it reaches the at least one of the at least one combustor, and wherein the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device.

An internal combustion engine system includes a compressor arranged to compress air, at least one combustor, at least one of the at least one combustor being arranged to receive the compressed air, and an exhaust treatment device arranged to process exhaust gases produced by at least one of the at least one combustor, a heat exchanger arranged to receive the compressed air from the compressor before it reaches the at least one of the at least one combustor, and wherein the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat from the compressed air to the exhaust treatment device.

An internal combustion engine system includes at least one combustor, a compressor arranged to compress air, an air guide arranged to guide compressed air from the compressor to at least one of the at least one combustor, an expander arranged to expand exhaust gases from at least one of the at least one combustor and to extract energy from the expanded exhaust gases, and an exhaust guide arranged to guide exhaust gases from at least one of the at least one combustor to the expander, wherein the exhaust guide is at least partly integrated with the air guide.

An internal combustion engine system includes at least one combustor, a compressor arranged to compress air, an air guide arranged to guide compressed air from the compressor to at least one of the at least one combustor, an expander arranged to expand exhaust gases from at least one of the at least one combustor and to extract energy from the expanded exhaust gases, and an exhaust guide arranged to guide exhaust gases from at least one of the at least one combustor to the expander, wherein the exhaust guide is at least partly integrated with the air guide.

The aim of the invention is to improve the efficiency of an axial-piston motor comprising at least one working cylinder fed by a continuously operating combustion chamber comprising a pre-combustion chamber and a main combustion chamber. To this end, the axial-piston motor is provided with a pre-combustion chamber comprising a check valve.

The aim of the invention is to improve the efficiency of an axial-piston motor comprising at least one working cylinder fed by a continuously operating combustion chamber comprising a pre-combustion chamber and a main combustion chamber. To this end, the axial-piston motor is provided with a pre-combustion chamber comprising a check valve.