A burner for solid particle fuels such as shavings or pellets. The invention includes an auger to deliver fuel particles up an inclined tube into a cup having an oxygen emitting orifice for combustion. The auger is axially extendable and retractable to first advance material up the tube without rotation, and then retract with rotation so as to screw itself into the next charge of material to be advanced. Combustion heat may be used to drive a Stirling engine to comprise a combined heat and power (CHP) system.

Flue gases may also be condensed onto chilled objects as beneficial ceramic-like coatings, or these objects may be made of frangible or soluble material so that the condensate may be collected separately as a valuable ceramic-like material.

A system for conversion of energy in a residual gas generated in an industrial process. The system includes a combustion chamber having a fuel inlet configured to receive a flow of residual gas for combustion in the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber further includes an air inlet. The system also includes a Stirling engine configured to convert heat from the combustion chamber into mechanical energy, the Stirling engine having a heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger extends into the combustion chamber. The system further includes a residual gas duct arranged for transporting the residual gas at atmospheric or near atmospheric pressure and an air duct arranged for transporting air at atmospheric or near atmospheric pressure. The system further includes a gas diffusion chamber including a residual gas inlet through which the residual gas enters the gas diffusion chamber from the residual gas duct, and a residual gas outlet in fluid communication with the fuel inlet of the combustion chamber, wherein the residual gas is transported in a diffusion direction from the residual gas inlet to the residual gas outlet. The gas diffusion chamber has such a shape that the flow of residual gas at the fuel inlet is substantially laminar and has a symmetric velocity profile.

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

A multifuel closed-loop thermal cycle piston engine, system and method. An externally-fired continuous combustion piston-driven engine configured to employ water injection post combustion to maintain a temperature of exhaust gas at a set point to form a closed-loop thermal cycle. A multifuel closed-loop thermal cycle piston engine includes a drive stage, a compression stage separate from the drive stage, the compression stage including a pressure-operated exhaust valve of a compression cylinder, an externally-fired continuous combustion chamber configured to conduct continuous combustion of a nonselective fuel, the combustion chamber comprising a water injection stage succeeding the fuel burner chamber, the water injection stage configured to inject water into the combustion chamber post-combustion, and wherein a quantity of water injected post-combustion is configured to maintain engine exhaust at or below a temperature set point.

A constant density heat exchanger and method of operating are 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 plate is positioned at the first end of the housing and rotatable about an axis of rotation such that the first plate selectively allows a working fluid to flow into the inlet of the chamber. A second plate is positioned at the second end of the housing and rotatable about the axis of rotation such that the second plate selectively allows the working fluid to flow out of the outlet of the chamber. The first plate and the second plate are rotatable about the axis of rotation so as to hold a volume of the working fluid at constant density as a heat source imparts thermal energy thereto.

A burner-heat exchanger assembly (100) includes a burner (1) with a tubular diffuser wall (9), a combustion chamber (13) formed inside the diffuser wall (9), a heat exchanger (14) arranged in the combustion chamber (13) and having one or more heat exchange surfaces (31) exposed in the combustion chamber (13). A minimal diffuser-exchanger distance (C) between the diffuser wall (9) and the corresponding heat exchange surface (31) in the combustion chamber (13) ranges from 20 mm to 40 mm.

A radiation thermal absorber based on characteristic absorption spectrum, a Stirling engine and an operation method thereof. The radiation thermal absorber allows working gas in the Stirling engine to absorb radiation heat quickly, and help the Stirling engine adopt assistant heating to ensure steady operation when solar power is not enough. The radiation thermal absorber includes a heater base, a radiation energy conversion device, heating tubes, a combustion chamber and valves of the heating tubes. The radiation energy conversion device converts the solar energy into radiation energy near a characteristic absorption peak of the working gas, and the working gas absorbs the radiation directly in depth.

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.

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 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.