A tubular reactor which acts as a combustor and heat exchanger is disclosed. Such reactor supplants a system with a combustor having a heat exchanger arranged around the combustor. The combined system includes a diffuser having an inlet for a fuel-and-air mixture and a plurality of holes defined in its surface through which the fuel-and-air mixture exits the diffuser and a plurality of tubes. First linear portions along the length of each tube are mutually parallel with a centerline of the first portions of the tubes displaced from the diffuser by a predetermined distance. Centerlines of the linear portions of adjacent tubes are displaced from each other by a predetermined gap. The fuel and air combust in the proximity of the first portion of the tubes for effective heat transfer to gases traveling through the tubes. Such a tubular reactor can be employed within a thermal-compression heat pump.

A system for energy conversion, the system including a closed cycle engine containing a volume of working fluid, the engine comprising a first chamber defining an expansion chamber and a second chamber defining a compression chamber each separated by a piston attached to a connection member of a piston assembly, and wherein the engine comprises a heater body in thermal communication with the first chamber, and further wherein the engine comprises a cold side heat exchanger in thermal communication with the second chamber, and wherein a third chamber is defined within the piston, wherein the third chamber is in selective flow communication with the first chamber, the second chamber, or both.

An energy conversion apparatus may include an engine assembly, such as a monolithic engine assembly, that includes a first heater body and a first engine body. The first heater body may define a first portion of a first monolithic body or at least a portion of a first monolithic body-segment. The first engine body may define a second portion of the first monolithic body or at least a portion of a second monolithic body-segment operably coupled or operably couplable to the first heater body. The engine assembly may include a second heater body and/or a second engine body. The second heater body may define a portion of a second monolithic body or a third monolithic body-segment. The second engine body may define a portion of the second monolithic body or a fourth monolithic body-segment operably coupled or operably couplable to the second heater body and/or the first engine body.

An energy conversion apparatus may include an engine assembly, such as a monolithic engine assembly, that includes a first heater body and a first engine body. The first heater body may define a first portion of a first monolithic body or at least a portion of a first monolithic body-segment. The first engine body may define a second portion of the first monolithic body or at least a portion of a second monolithic body-segment operably coupled or operably couplable to the first heater body. The engine assembly may include a second heater body and/or a second engine body. The second heater body may define a portion of a second monolithic body or a third monolithic body-segment. The second engine body may define a portion of the second monolithic body or a fourth monolithic body-segment operably coupled or operably couplable to the second heater body and/or the first engine body.

A Stirling engine comprising: a crank case (1) with a crank shaft (2) arranged therein, a displacer cylinder (3) with a reciprocatingly arranged displacer piston (4) therein, said displacer piston (4) being connected to said crank shaft (2) via a connecting rod (5) extending through a first end of said displacer cylinder (3), and wherein the displacer cylinder (3) defines a hot chamber (6) and a cool chamber (7) separated by the displacer piston (4), a working cylinder (8) defining a working cylinder chamber (11) with a reciprocatingly arranged working piston (9) therein, said working piston (9) being connected to said crank shaft (2) via a connecting rod (10) extending through a first end of the working cylinder (8), a heater device (14), arranged at a second end of said displacer cylinder (3) opposite to said first end and configured to heat a working gas which is present in the hot chamber (6) of the displacer cylinder (3) and in fluid communication with the working cylinder chamber (11) through a working gas channel which comprises a first heat exchanger (16) extending from a cylinder head (19) of the displacer cylinder (3) into the heater device (14), a second heat exchanger (17) formed by a regenerator arranged outside the heater device (14), and a transition flow element (22) provided between said second heat exchanger (17) and the working cylinder (8), wherein the Stirling engine also comprises a cooling system for cooling of the displacer cylinder, the working cylinder and the tubular transition flow element. The Stirling engine comprises a first outer tube (30) arranged outside and enclosing the working cylinder (8), and the cooling system comprises a first channel (31) configured to receive a cooling fluid and defined by the outer periphery of the working cylinder (8) and the inner periphery of said first outer tube (30), and said channel (31) covers at least 50% of the outer peripheral surface of the working cylinder (8).

A Stirling engine comprising: a crank case (1) with a crank shaft (2) arranged therein, a displacer cylinder (3) with a reciprocatingly arranged displacer piston (4) therein, said displacer piston (4) being connected to said crank shaft (2) via a connecting rod (5) extending through a first end of said displacer cylinder (3), and wherein the displacer cylinder (3) defines a hot chamber (6) and a cool chamber (7) separated by the displacer piston (4), a working cylinder (8) defining a working cylinder chamber (11) with a reciprocatingly arranged working piston (9) therein, said working piston (9) being connected to said crank shaft (2) via a connecting rod (10) extending through a first end of the working cylinder (8), a heater device (14), arranged at a second end of said displacer cylinder (3) opposite to said first end and configured to heat a working gas which is present in the hot chamber (6) of the displacer cylinder (3) and in fluid communication with the working cylinder chamber (11) through a working gas channel which comprises a first heat exchanger (16) extending from a cylinder head (19) of the displacer cylinder (3) into the heater device (14), a second heat exchanger (17) formed by a regenerator arranged outside the heater device (14), and a transition flow element (22) provided between said second heat exchanger (17) and the working cylinder (8), wherein the Stirling engine also comprises a cooling system for cooling of the displacer cylinder, the working cylinder and the tubular transition flow element. The Stirling engine comprises a first outer tube (30) arranged outside and enclosing the working cylinder (8), and the cooling system comprises a first channel (31) configured to receive a cooling fluid and defined by the outer periphery of the working cylinder (8) and the inner periphery of said first outer tube (30), and said channel (31) covers at least 50% of the outer peripheral surface of the working cylinder (8).

A monolithic combustor body may provide multi-stage combustion. A combustor body may include a combustion chamber body and a plurality of heating walls that include a heat sink. The combustion chamber body may be disposed annularly about a longitudinal axis and defining a combustion chamber. The plurality of heating walls may include heat sink. The plurality of heating walls may occupy a radially or concentrically outward position relative to the combustion chamber and may define a corresponding plurality of combustion-gas pathways fluidly communicating with at least a proximal portion of the combustion chamber. During operation, the combustor body may exhibit multi-stage combustion that includes a first combustion zone occupying a distal or medial position of the combustion chamber relative to the longitudinal axis, and a second combustion zone occupying a proximal position relative to the first combustion zone and a radially or concentrically outward position of the combustion chamber and/or a radially or concentrically inward position of the plurality of combustion-gas pathways.

A monolithic combustor body may provide multi-stage combustion. A combustor body may include a combustion chamber body and a plurality of heating walls that include a heat sink. The combustion chamber body may be disposed annularly about a longitudinal axis and defining a combustion chamber. The plurality of heating walls may include heat sink. The plurality of heating walls may occupy a radially or concentrically outward position relative to the combustion chamber and may define a corresponding plurality of combustion-gas pathways fluidly communicating with at least a proximal portion of the combustion chamber. During operation, the combustor body may exhibit multi-stage combustion that includes a first combustion zone occupying a distal or medial position of the combustion chamber relative to the longitudinal axis, and a second combustion zone occupying a proximal position relative to the first combustion zone and a radially or concentrically outward position of the combustion chamber and/or a radially or concentrically inward position of the plurality of combustion-gas pathways.

A closed cycle regenerative heat engine has a housing defining a chamber. A displacer is housed in the chamber. A power piston is housed in the chamber. The displacer is resiliently deformable from a rest condition in response to displace the working fluid in the chamber. The displacer may be a multi-start volute spring. The displacer 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 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. The resiliently deformable displacer may comprise two components with an air space defined between the two components.

The invention relates to a Membrane Stirling Engine. The inventors propose a Membrane Stirling Engine, with working gas, with a hot part and with a cold part, where the working gas of the Stirling engine is found both in its hot part as well as its cold part in the membrane skins, which have two ends, whereby they are closed on one end hermetically and on the other end they are open, where they lead into the hot or cold space of a regenerator chamber with their open end tightly sealed.