A heat engine including a compressor; an expander; a reactor in which first and second reactants in a working fluid can react with each other, the reactor arranged between the compressor and the expander; and a condenser for condensing a gas in the working fluid, the condenser arranged between the expander and the compressor. There is also provided a method of operating a heat engine.

A heat engine including a compressor; an expander; a reactor in which first and second reactants in a working fluid can react with each other, the reactor arranged between the compressor and the expander; and a condenser for condensing a gas in the working fluid, the condenser arranged between the expander and the compressor. There is also provided a method of operating a heat engine.

An improved heat engine employing a dual-component working fluid and configured to generate internal heat from one component of the working fluid that heats the other component through the physical contact between them such that together with the addition of external heat, the engine advantageously yields enhanced work extraction efficiency through separate, parallel expansion of each of the working fluids.

An improved heat engine that includes an organic refrigerant exhibiting a boiling point below 35 C.; a heat source having a temperature of less than 82 C.; a heat sink; a sealed, closed-loop path for the organic refrigerant, the sealed, closed-loop path having both a high-pressure zone that absorbs heat from the heat source, and a low-pressure zone that transfers heat to the heat sink; a positive-displacement decompressor providing a pressure gradient through which the organic refrigerant in the gaseous phase flows continuously from the high-pressure zone to the low-pressure zone, the positive-displacement decompressor extracting mechanical energy due to the pressure gradient; and a positive-displacement hydraulic pump, which provides continuous flow of the organic refrigerant in the liquid phase from the low-pressure zone to the high-pressure zone, the hydraulic pump and the positive-displacement decompressor maintaining a pressure differential between the two zones of between about 20 to 42 bar.

An improved heat engine that includes an organic refrigerant exhibiting a boiling point below 35 C.; a heat source having a temperature of less than 82 C.; a heat sink; a sealed, closed-loop path for the organic refrigerant, the sealed, closed-loop path having both a high-pressure zone that absorbs heat from the heat source, and a low-pressure zone that transfers heat to the heat sink; a positive-displacement decompressor providing a pressure gradient through which the organic refrigerant in the gaseous phase flows continuously from the high-pressure zone to the low-pressure zone, the positive-displacement decompressor extracting mechanical energy due to the pressure gradient; and a positive-displacement hydraulic pump, which provides continuous flow of the organic refrigerant in the liquid phase from the low-pressure zone to the high-pressure zone, the hydraulic pump and the positive-displacement decompressor maintaining a pressure differential between the two zones of between about 20 to 42 bar.

A waste heat recovery system, based on a Brayton cycle, comprises a heater configured to circulate carbon dioxide vapor in heat exchange relationship with a hot fluid to heat the carbon dioxide vapor. An expander is coupled to the heater and configured to expand the carbon dioxide vapor. A compressor is configured to compress the carbon dioxide vapor fed through a cooler and a heat exchanger is adapted to circulate the carbon dioxide vapor from the expander to the cooler in heat exchange relationship with the carbon dioxide vapor from the compressor to the heater, wherein the expander and the compressor are mechanically coupled volumetric machines.

A waste heat recovery system, based on a Brayton cycle, comprises a heater configured to circulate carbon dioxide vapor in heat exchange relationship with a hot fluid to heat the carbon dioxide vapor. An expander is coupled to the heater and configured to expand the carbon dioxide vapor. A compressor is configured to compress the carbon dioxide vapor fed through a cooler and a heat exchanger is adapted to circulate the carbon dioxide vapor from the expander to the cooler in heat exchange relationship with the carbon dioxide vapor from the compressor to the heater, wherein the expander and the compressor are mechanically coupled volumetric machines.

A method for converting heat to mechanical work includes providing incoming heat transfer liquid (HTL) at a first temperature to a plurality of mixing chambers, providing incoming compressed gas at a second temperature to the plurality of mixing chamber, enabling the gas and the HTL to mix, producing a gas-and-HTL mix, enabling the HTL in the gas-and-HTL mix to heat the gas and isothermal expansion of the gas in the gas-and-HTL mix, limiting volume of the gas-and-HTL mix, thereby increasing pressure of the gas and causing acceleration of a flow of the gas-and-HTL mix, causing the gas-and-HTL mix to eject through a plurality of nozzles, thereby converting the heat of the HTL to kinetic energy to cause movement of the plurality of nozzles; and using the kinetic energy to produce mechanical work.

The invention relates to a heat engine (29), including a drive unit (1) provided with: a casing (2) delimiting therein an annular chamber (12), two triads of pistons (7a-7b-7c; 9a-9b-9c) rotatably housed in the casing of the annular cylinder (or toroidal cylinder), a three-shaft movement system (18) configured to transmit motion from and/or to the two triads of pistons; wherein the heat engine is configured so as to carry out a Rankine or Rankine-Hirn thermodynamic cycle, capable of producing electrical energy and heat; the same invention further relates to a pneumatic motor (61) including the aforesaid drive unit (1), configured so as to transform the compressed air at high pressure, contained in a tank, into mechanical energy.

The invention relates to a heat engine (29), including a drive unit (1) provided with: a casing (2) delimiting therein an annular chamber (12), two triads of pistons (7a-7b-7c; 9a-9b-9c) rotatably housed in the casing of the annular cylinder (or toroidal cylinder), a three-shaft movement system (18) configured to transmit motion from and/or to the two triads of pistons; wherein the heat engine is configured so as to carry out a Rankine or Rankine-Hirn thermodynamic cycle, capable of producing electrical energy and heat; the same invention further relates to a pneumatic motor (61) including the aforesaid drive unit (1), configured so as to transform the compressed air at high pressure, contained in a tank, into mechanical energy.