Improvements to the steam engine for the purpose of small scale generation of electricity using biomass fuels and for co-generation of heat and electricity using biomass fuels in both developed and less developed countries are described. The engine is particularly well adapted to co-generation where the thermal load, as in building heating and many process applications, is extremely variable, because of its ability to operate efficiently under partial load. For the same reason, it would be suited to solar generated steam. Experiments have been conducted with steam as the working fluid. The design may in some or all respects be applied to other working fluids.

Improvements to the steam engine for the purpose of small scale generation of electricity using biomass fuels and for co-generation of heat and electricity using biomass fuels in both developed and less developed countries are described. The engine is particularly well adapted to co-generation where the thermal load, as in building heating and many process applications, is extremely variable, because of its ability to operate efficiently under partial load. For the same reason, it would be suited to solar generated steam. Experiments have been conducted with steam as the working fluid. The design may in some or all respects be applied to other working fluids.

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an intake device including: an annular flow path which is formed in a circular housing; an inlet part which is installed at one side of the housing and guides an inflow of a fluid into the flow path; a outlet part which is installed at the other side of the housing and guides a discharge of the fluid which flows into the inlet part and passes through the flow path; a piston which is disposed in the flow path, and rotates along the flow path so as to compress the fluid introduced through the inlet part; and an opening and closing unit which is installed in the flow path between the inlet part and the outlet part, includes a plurality of opening and closing members, and elastic members which are installed between the plurality of opening and closing members and the flow path so as to support the plurality of opening and closing members, respectively, and opens and closes the flow path by pressing the piston, in which when the pressing of the piston is released, the plurality of opening and closing members closes the flow path by pressing force of the fluid which presses outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of opening and closing members in a direction in which the flow path is closed, and by elastic force of the elastic member.

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an intake device including: an annular flow path which is formed in a circular housing; an inlet part which is installed at one side of the housing and guides an inflow of a fluid into the flow path; a outlet part which is installed at the other side of the housing and guides a discharge of the fluid which flows into the inlet part and passes through the flow path; a piston which is disposed in the flow path, and rotates along the flow path so as to compress the fluid introduced through the inlet part; and an opening and closing unit which is installed in the flow path between the inlet part and the outlet part, includes a plurality of opening and closing members, and elastic members which are installed between the plurality of opening and closing members and the flow path so as to support the plurality of opening and closing members, respectively, and opens and closes the flow path by pressing the piston, in which when the pressing of the piston is released, the plurality of opening and closing members closes the flow path by pressing force of the fluid which presses outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of opening and closing members in a direction in which the flow path is closed, and by elastic force of the elastic member.

The present disclosure relates to a steam engine comprising a cylinder (10), a reciprocating piston (12) which is movably guided in the cylinder (10) between an upper dead center and a lower dead center, a working chamber (18) in the cylinder (10), said working chamber being limited by the reciprocating piston (12), a steam chamber (76) for providing live steam, an intake valve (26) with a valve opening (28) which connects the steam chamber (76) and the working chamber (18), a valve seat (30) which surrounds the valve opening (28), a movable valve element (32) which interacts with the valve seat (30) in order to close and release the valve opening (28), and a valve controller (42) for moving the valve element (32), wherein the valve controller (42) has a control cylinder (44) and a control piston (46) which interacts with the valve element (32) and divides the control cylinder (44) into a pneumatic chamber (48) and a hydraulic chamber (50), wherein the hydraulic chamber (50) can be supplied with hydraulic fluid in order to lift the valve element (32) from the valve seat (30) and release the valve opening (28).

The present disclosure relates to a steam engine comprising a cylinder (10), a reciprocating piston (12) which is movably guided in the cylinder (10) between an upper dead center and a lower dead center, a working chamber (18) in the cylinder (10), said working chamber being limited by the reciprocating piston (12), a steam chamber (76) for providing live steam, an intake valve (26) with a valve opening (28) which connects the steam chamber (76) and the working chamber (18), a valve seat (30) which surrounds the valve opening (28), a movable valve element (32) which interacts with the valve seat (30) in order to close and release the valve opening (28), and a valve controller (42) for moving the valve element (32), wherein the valve controller (42) has a control cylinder (44) and a control piston (46) which interacts with the valve element (32) and divides the control cylinder (44) into a pneumatic chamber (48) and a hydraulic chamber (50), wherein the hydraulic chamber (50) can be supplied with hydraulic fluid in order to lift the valve element (32) from the valve seat (30) and release the valve opening (28).

The present disclosure relates to a steam engine comprising a cylinder (10), a reciprocating piston (12) which is movably guided in the cylinder (10) between an upper dead center and a lower dead center, a working chamber (18) in the cylinder (10), said working chamber being limited by the reciprocating piston (12), a steam chamber (76) for providing live steam, an intake valve (26) with a valve opening (28) which connects the steam chamber (76) and the working chamber (18), a valve seat (30) which surrounds the valve opening (28), a movable valve element (32) which interacts with the valve seat (30) in order to close and release the valve opening (28), and a valve controller (42) for moving the valve element (32), wherein the valve controller (42) has a control cylinder (44) and a control piston (46) which interacts with the valve element (32) and divides the control cylinder (44) into a pneumatic chamber (48) and a hydraulic chamber (50), wherein the hydraulic chamber (50) can be supplied with hydraulic fluid in order to lift the valve element (32) from the valve seat (30) and release the valve opening (28).

The present disclosure relates to a steam engine comprising a cylinder (10), a reciprocating piston (12) which is movably guided in the cylinder (10) between an upper dead center and a lower dead center, a working chamber (18) in the cylinder (10), said working chamber being limited by the reciprocating piston (12), a steam chamber (76) for providing live steam, an intake valve (26) with a valve opening (28) which connects the steam chamber (76) and the working chamber (18), a valve seat (30) which surrounds the valve opening (28), a movable valve element (32) which interacts with the valve seat (30) in order to close and release the valve opening (28), and a valve controller (42) for moving the valve element (32), wherein the valve controller (42) has a control cylinder (44) and a control piston (46) which interacts with the valve element (32) and divides the control cylinder (44) into a pneumatic chamber (48) and a hydraulic chamber (50), wherein the hydraulic chamber (50) can be supplied with hydraulic fluid in order to lift the valve element (32) from the valve seat (30) and release the valve opening (28).