A regenerative displacer for use in a stirling engine includes two opposite covers with respective through openings, a body engaging the covers to define an accommodation space therein, a regenerator disposed in the accommodation space, and a rod inserted through the regenerator and one of the covers into a cooling portion of the stirling engine. The regenerator has a plurality of channels. Each channel has two open ends and a heat collecting net engaging each open end. Working gas passing through the regenerative displacer can be concentrated at the open ends and can absorb and release heat quickly because of the heat collecting nets, thereby increasing the efficiency of heat exchange and a temperature difference of the working gas in a thermodynamic cycle. Accordingly, pressure is increased to facilitate a quick reciprocation of a power piston of the stirling engine, and this increases output power and saves energy.

The present invention relates to a low temperature, low frequency Stirling engine. Its special geometry allows for large heat exchanger surfaces and great regenerators in order to reach good Carnoization efficiency factors. Displacer and power piston may be connected with circular polymer based membrane sealings to the cylinder walls. The cold space of the Stirling Engine may cylindrically Surround the outer periphery of the working cylinder, making thermal isolation obsolete. The engine is for instance suited to operate as base power prime mover using thermal solar collectors and may be coupled with hot oil or pressurized water heat storages. In the reverse mode, the Engine works as effective Heat-Pump/Cooling Engine.

The present invention relates to a low temperature, low frequency Stirling engine. Its special geometry allows for large heat exchanger surfaces and great regenerators in order to reach good Carnoization efficiency factors. Displacer and power piston may be connected with circular polymer based membrane sealings to the cylinder walls. The cold space of the Stirling Engine may cylindrically Surround the outer periphery of the working cylinder, making thermal isolation obsolete. The engine is for instance suited to operate as base power prime mover using thermal solar collectors and may be coupled with hot oil or pressurized water heat storages. In the reverse mode, the Engine works as effective Heat-Pump/Cooling Engine.

A closed cycle regenerative heat engine has a housing (12) defining a chamber (14). A displacer (18) is housed in the chamber. A shaft (24) is connected with the displacer and extends from the chamber. A power piston (30) is housed in the chamber. The displacer (18) is secured to the housing (12) and is resiliently deformable from a rest condition in response to movement of the shaft (24) to displace the working fluid in the chamber. The displacer may be a multi-start volute spring. The displacer (18) may be provided with a heat storage reservoir to store heat received from a working fluid as the working fluid is displaced from a heating location in the chamber (14) to a cooling location in the chamber and reject heat to the working fluid when the working fluid is displaced from the cooling location to the heating location.

An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for energy conversion. The system includes a closed cycle engine containing a volume of working fluid. The engine includes an expansion chamber and a compression chamber each separated by a piston attached to a connection member of a piston assembly. The engine further includes a plurality of heater conduits extended from the expansion chamber. The engine includes a plurality of chiller conduits extended from the compression chamber. The expansion chamber and heater conduits are fluidly connected to the compression chamber and chiller conduits via a walled conduit.

An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for energy conversion. The system includes a closed cycle engine containing a volume of working fluid. The engine includes an expansion chamber and a compression chamber each separated by a piston attached to a connection member of a piston assembly. The engine further includes a plurality of heater conduits extended from the expansion chamber. The engine includes a plurality of chiller conduits extended from the compression chamber. The expansion chamber and heater conduits are fluidly connected to the compression chamber and chiller conduits via a walled conduit.

Systems and methods for converting energy are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a closed cycle engine defining a cold side. The system also includes a bottoming-cycle loop. A pump is operable to move a working fluid along the bottoming-cycle loop. A cold side heat exchanger is positioned along the bottoming-cycle loop in a heat exchange relationship with the cold side of the closed cycle engine. A constant density heat exchanger is positioned along the bottoming-cycle loop downstream of the cold side heat exchanger and upstream of an expansion device. The constant density heat exchanger is operable to hold a volume of the working fluid flowing therethrough at constant density while increasing, via a heat source, the temperature and pressure of the working fluid. The expansion device receives the working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure and extracts thermal energy from the working fluid to produce work.

Systems and methods for converting energy are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a closed cycle engine defining a cold side. The system also includes a bottoming-cycle loop. A pump is operable to move a working fluid along the bottoming-cycle loop. A cold side heat exchanger is positioned along the bottoming-cycle loop in a heat exchange relationship with the cold side of the closed cycle engine. A constant density heat exchanger is positioned along the bottoming-cycle loop downstream of the cold side heat exchanger and upstream of an expansion device. The constant density heat exchanger is operable to hold a volume of the working fluid flowing therethrough at constant density while increasing, via a heat source, the temperature and pressure of the working fluid. The expansion device receives the working fluid at elevated temperature and pressure and extracts thermal energy from the working fluid to produce work.

A device for compressing a gaseous fluid includes a first chamber thermally coupled with a hot source, a second chamber thermally coupled with a cold source, a movable piston moved by a rod, and a regenerating exchanger establishing fluid communication between the first and second chambers. The rod is arranged in a cylindrical socket and guided in axial translation by a linear guiding system such as to guide the piston without contact relative to the sleeve. A sealing ring attached to the cylindrical socket surrounds the rod with a very low radial clearance, in order to limit the passage of the gaseous fluid along the mobile rod. Also disclosed is an integral cold casing having machined boreholes, a thermal screen in the hot casing, and a self-driving system with a resilient return means.

A device for compressing a gaseous fluid includes a first chamber thermally coupled with a hot source, a second chamber thermally coupled with a cold source, a movable piston moved by a rod, and a regenerating exchanger establishing fluid communication between the first and second chambers. The rod is arranged in a cylindrical socket and guided in axial translation by a linear guiding system such as to guide the piston without contact relative to the sleeve. A sealing ring attached to the cylindrical socket surrounds the rod with a very low radial clearance, in order to limit the passage of the gaseous fluid along the mobile rod. Also disclosed is an integral cold casing having machined boreholes, a thermal screen in the hot casing, and a self-driving system with a resilient return means.