An external combustion engine including a burner element, a heater head, a piston cylinder containing a piston, a cooler and a crankcase. The crankcase includes a crankshaft, a piston rod connected to the piston, a drive mechanism for converting the linear motion of the piston rod to rotary motion of the crankshaft and a linear cross-head bearing that is connected rigidly to the piston rod at one end and to the drive mechanism at the other end. Also the external combustion engine includes a piston clearance seal and a piston rod seal unit that has floating rod seals. The piston includes a inner dome to reduce axial heat transfer via radiation and convection.

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.

An engine body may include a piston body comprising a piston chamber and a regenerator body comprising a regenerator conduit. An engine body may include a working-fluid heat exchanger body comprising a plurality of working-fluid pathways fluidly communicating between the piston chamber and the regenerator conduit. Additionally, or alternatively, an engine body may include a heater body comprising a plurality of heating fluid pathways and the plurality of working-fluid pathways. The heating fluid pathways may have a heat transfer relationship with the working fluid pathways. The working-fluid pathways may fluidly communicate between the piston chamber and the regenerator conduit. The engine body may include a monolithic body defined at least in part by the piston body, the regenerator body, and the working-fluid heat exchanger body, and/or defined at least in part by the piston body, the regenerator body, and the heater body.

A constant density heat exchanger and system for energy conversion is provided. The constant density heat exchanger includes a housing extending between a first end and a second end and defining a chamber having an inlet and an outlet. A first flow control device is positioned at the inlet of the chamber and movable between an open position in which a working fluid is permitted into the chamber and a closed position in which the working fluid is prevented from entering the chamber. A second flow control device is positioned at the outlet of the chamber and movable between an open position in which the working fluid is permitted to exit the chamber and a closed position in which the working fluid is prevented from exiting the chamber. A heat exchange fluid imparts thermal energy to the volume of working fluid as the first flow control device and the second flow control device hold the volume of working fluid at constant density within the chamber.

A small-scale thermoelectric power generator and combustion apparatus, components thereof, methods for making the same, and applications thereof. The thermoelectric power generator can include a burner including a matrix stabilized combustion chamber comprising a catalytically enhanced, porous flame containment portion. The combustion apparatus can include components connected in a loop configuration including a vaporization chamber; a mixing chamber connected to the vaporization chamber; a combustion chamber connected to the vaporization chamber; and a heat exchanger connected to the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber can include a porous combustion material which can include a unique catalytic material.

A monolithic heat exchanger body for inputting heat to a closed-cycle engine may include a plurality of heating walls and heat sink, such as a plurality of heat transfer regions. The plurality of heating walls may be configured and arranged in an array of spirals or spiral arcs relative to a longitudinal axis of an inlet plenum. Adjacent portions of the plurality of heating walls may respectively define a corresponding plurality of heating fluid pathways therebetween, for example, fluidly communicating with the inlet plenum. At least a portion of the heat sink may be disposed about at least a portion of the monolithic heat exchanger body. The heat sink may include a plurality of working-fluid bodies, for example, including a plurality of working-fluid pathways that have a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of heating fluid pathways. Respective ones of the plurality of heat transfer regions may have a heat transfer relationship with a corresponding semiannular portion of the plurality of heating fluid pathways. Respective ones of the plurality of heat transfer regions may include a plurality of working-fluid pathways fluidly communicating between a heat input region and a heat extraction region.

An engine body may include a piston body comprising a piston chamber and a regenerator body comprising a regenerator conduit. An engine body may include a working-fluid heat exchanger body comprising a plurality of working-fluid pathways fluidly communicating between the piston chamber and the regenerator conduit. Additionally, or alternatively, an engine body may include a heater body comprising a plurality of heating fluid pathways and the plurality of working-fluid pathways. The heating fluid pathways may have a heat transfer relationship with the working fluid pathways. The working-fluid pathways may fluidly communicate between the piston chamber and the regenerator conduit. The engine body may include a monolithic body defined at least in part by the piston body, the regenerator body, and the working-fluid heat exchanger body, and/or defined at least in part by the piston body, the regenerator body, and the heater body.

A monolithic engine assembly may include an engine body that includes a regenerator body. The engine body and the regenerator body may respectively define at least a portion of a monolithic body, or the engine body may define at least a portion of a first monolithic body-segment and the regenerator body may define at least a portion of a second monolithic body-segment operably coupled or operably couplable to the first monolithic body-segment. The regenerator body may include a regenerator conduit, and a plurality of fin arrays adjacently disposed within the regenerator conduit and respectively supported by the regenerator conduit in spaced relation to one another. The spaced relation of the plurality of fin arrays may define a gap longitudinally separating adjacent ones of the plurality of fin arrays.

A gas burner appliance for recycling wasted heat from a heating process and for distributing heat evenly to a vessel or product. A housing and a plate supported by the housing are provided for directly collecting wasted heat. A burner arm is also supported by the housing and disposed above the plate for receiving and combusting premixed fuel for uniformly distributing heat to the plate. An electric motor or a Stirling engine is supported by the housing and a gearless direct drive mechanism or chain and sprocket connect the motor to the burner arm. A thermal electric generator generates electricity directly from heat of the plate and can provide at least some of the generated electricity to the motor. A cutoff mechanism is operatively connected to the motor and to the thermal electric generator for detecting when no electricity is generated and for cutting off gas flow upon sensing that condition.

A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism which includes: 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. Also, the drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly having a proximal end and a distal end. The linear motion of the piston is converted to rotary motion of the rocking beam. 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.