A pneumatic regenerative system for a railway vehicle equipped with a plurality of axles includes a plurality of pneumatic drive mechanisms coupled to each of the plurality of axles. Each pneumatic drive mechanism includes an accumulator and a pneumatic device. The pneumatic device may in some examples be a reversible air motor device. The accumulator is operable to receive and store pressurized air. The reversible air motor device is coupled to the accumulator and one of the plurality of axles of the vehicle. The reversible air motor device is operable in a first configuration and a second configuration. During a braking operation of the railway vehicle, the reversible air motor device in the first configuration is driven by rotation of the one of the plurality of axles to generate and store pressurized air in the accumulator. During an acceleration operation, of the railway vehicle the reversible air motor device receives pressurized air from the accumulator to drive rotation of the one of the plurality of axles.

A pneumatic regenerative system for a railway vehicle equipped with a plurality of axles includes a plurality of pneumatic drive mechanisms coupled to each of the plurality of axles. Each pneumatic drive mechanism includes an accumulator and a pneumatic device. The pneumatic device may in some examples be a reversible air motor device. The accumulator is operable to receive and store pressurized air. The reversible air motor device is coupled to the accumulator and one of the plurality of axles of the vehicle. The reversible air motor device is operable in a first configuration and a second configuration. During a braking operation of the railway vehicle, the reversible air motor device in the first configuration is driven by rotation of the one of the plurality of axles to generate and store pressurized air in the accumulator. During an acceleration operation, of the railway vehicle the reversible air motor device receives pressurized air from the accumulator to drive rotation of the one of the plurality of axles.

Methods of powering a heat engine with a remote lasers are disclosed, where the ambient air surrounding the engine is used as the working fluid. All methods include inputting the ambient air into the engine, absorbing laser optical radiation, turning it into heat, supplying the heat to the air, harvesting mechanical work from expanding air and releasing the air back into surrounding atmosphere.

Methods of powering a heat engine with a remote lasers are disclosed, where the ambient air surrounding the engine is used as the working fluid. All methods include inputting the ambient air into the engine, absorbing laser optical radiation, turning it into heat, supplying the heat to the air, harvesting mechanical work from expanding air and releasing the air back into surrounding atmosphere.

The present invention provides a system and method for economically using compressed air as automobile power source, comprising: a compressed air power device, which includes automobile air storage tubes (1) to store a sufficient amount of high-pressure compressed air and a cylinder-combined engine consisting of the first and second cylinders (9)(10), and which can make full use of the compressed air to produce driving power; a mechanism to produce, store and provide high-pressure compressed air, which includes a boiler-type high-pressure compressed air producing and storing device, abbreviated as boiler-type HCAPS device (4), to be able to use electricity during periods of low energy demand (off-peak) such as at night simultaneously recovering the by-produced heat for central heating, and pressurizing and inflating into the automobile air storage tubes (1) during daytimes; brake energy recovery and regeneration devices, which include a spring reserving-releasing device and/or a compressed air reserving-releasing device to save the compressed air in the automobile air storage tubes (1) for saving the driving power; an inner gear ring assembly, which includes an inner gear ring (2) gearing meshing with inner acting gears (45), with the first and second accelerating gears (72)(92), with a flywheel front inner meshing gear (48) and reset gears (46), for transmitting torque and mixing/outputting power; some clutch transmission devices and a controller, which controls orderly coordinated operation of devices and mechanisms.

The present invention provides a system and method for economically using compressed air as automobile power source, comprising: a compressed air power device, which includes automobile air storage tubes (1) to store a sufficient amount of high-pressure compressed air and a cylinder-combined engine consisting of the first and second cylinders (9)(10), and which can make full use of the compressed air to produce driving power; a mechanism to produce, store and provide high-pressure compressed air, which includes a boiler-type high-pressure compressed air producing and storing device, abbreviated as boiler-type HCAPS device (4), to be able to use electricity during periods of low energy demand (off-peak) such as at night simultaneously recovering the by-produced heat for central heating, and pressurizing and inflating into the automobile air storage tubes (1) during daytimes; brake energy recovery and regeneration devices, which include a spring reserving-releasing device and/or a compressed air reserving-releasing device to save the compressed air in the automobile air storage tubes (1) for saving the driving power; an inner gear ring assembly, which includes an inner gear ring (2) gearing meshing with inner acting gears (45), with the first and second accelerating gears (72)(92), with a flywheel front inner meshing gear (48) and reset gears (46), for transmitting torque and mixing/outputting power; some clutch transmission devices and a controller, which controls orderly coordinated operation of devices and mechanisms.

A drive assembly includes a drive motor at least in part contained in a housing and having a rotor rotating an output shaft. A selector mechanism, at least in part contained in the housing, is movable into one of a plurality of orientations corresponding to one of a plurality of drive motor settings. An actuator, at least in part contained in the housing, is arranged to move the selector mechanism into one of the plurality of orientations. The actuator has first and second pistons each disposed in a piston chamber of the housing for movement by hydraulic pressure. The second piston is arranged in contact with the first piston and configured to aggregate and transfer forces from hydraulic movement of the first piston and the second piston to move the selector mechanism.

A drive assembly includes a drive motor at least in part contained in a housing and having a rotor rotating an output shaft. A selector mechanism, at least in part contained in the housing, is movable into one of a plurality of orientations corresponding to one of a plurality of drive motor settings. An actuator, at least in part contained in the housing, is arranged to move the selector mechanism into one of the plurality of orientations. The actuator has first and second pistons each disposed in a piston chamber of the housing for movement by hydraulic pressure. The second piston is arranged in contact with the first piston and configured to aggregate and transfer forces from hydraulic movement of the first piston and the second piston to move the selector mechanism.

A new kind of solid-liquid-solid cyclic phase change heat engine is presented with optional but highly recommended multiple cylinders aka multiple stages cascading powertrain. Unlike the traditional Rankine engine or Stirling engine, hereby the gaseous phase is prohibited, and the conventional turbine is abandoned too. Under the drive of heat flux, low expansion volume of the working Phase Change Material (PCM) replaces the high expansion volume of hot gas, and in compensation, high expansion pressure replaces the low expansion pressure of hot gas. Via the isolated transformation from PCM pressure to hydraulic oil pressure, plus fluidic AC-DC rectification, a standard hydraulic motor replaces the gas or steam turbine. Multi-cylinder cascading heat engine can linearly increase up efficiency close to the ideal Carnot efficiency. With this invention, heat-rechargeable melting salt thermal storage can efficiently power vehicles with competitive lightweight of thermo pack at middle temperature, challenging those fuel cell or lithium battery powered vehicles.

A new kind of solid-liquid-solid cyclic phase change heat engine is presented with optional but highly recommended multiple cylinders aka multiple stages cascading powertrain. Unlike the traditional Rankine engine or Stirling engine, hereby the gaseous phase is prohibited, and the conventional turbine is abandoned too. Under the drive of heat flux, low expansion volume of the working Phase Change Material (PCM) replaces the high expansion volume of hot gas, and in compensation, high expansion pressure replaces the low expansion pressure of hot gas. Via the isolated transformation from PCM pressure to hydraulic oil pressure, plus fluidic AC-DC rectification, a standard hydraulic motor replaces the gas or steam turbine. Multi-cylinder cascading heat engine can linearly increase up efficiency close to the ideal Carnot efficiency. With this invention, heat-rechargeable melting salt thermal storage can efficiently power vehicles with competitive lightweight of thermo pack at middle temperature, challenging those fuel cell or lithium battery powered vehicles.