Heat cycle machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat cycle machine which operates according to the Stirling cycle and can be used as a multi-valent stand-alone power supply for households (electricity and heat), that is to say using various energy sources (sunlight, combustion of present materials). The heat cycle machine comprises at least one hot oil connection (4, 5) that can be connected to any desired heat source, at least one cold water connection (6, 7) and two chambers (2) that contain a working gas. The chambers (2) are connected to one another via at least one working gas line (18, 20) in which is integrated a working rotor (13) that can be driven by the working gas which is alternately heated in one of the chambers (2) and cooled in the other chamber (2).

Claims

1. Heat cycle machine in which heat can be converted into electrical energy by means of a working rotor (13) that can be driven by a working gas, the heat cycle machine comprising a chamber arrangement comprising two cylinder-shaped chambers (2) of essentially identical capacity, wherein each of said chambers (2) is enclosed by a double-walled chamber housing, said double-walled chamber housing comprising an inner and an outer enclosure wall, and said chamber housing consisting of two partial housings (24.1, 24.2) being thermally insulated against each other, wherein each of said partial housings (24.1, 24.2) exhibits a cavity (23) formed between the inner and the outer enclosure walls of the respective partial housing (24.1, 24.2), and wherein each of said partial housings (24.1, 24.2) comprises a heat fluid inlet and a heat fluid outlet at its respective outer enclosure wall, the heat fluid inlet allowing for introducing a heat fluid into the cavity (23) formed between the inner and the outer enclosure wall of the respective partial housing (24.1, 24.2), and the heat fluid outlet allowing for draining the heat fluid from the cavity (23); for each chamber (2) at least one working gas supply line (18) and at least one working gas discharge line (20), said at least one working gas supply line (18) and at least one working gas discharge line (20) connecting the respective chamber (2) to a rotor housing (15), said rotor housing (15) enclosing the working rotor (13), characterized in that a displacement piston (1) permeable to a working gas is movably arranged inside each of the chambers (2), wherein a diameter of said displacement piston (1) is smaller than an inner diameter of the respective chamber (2); the two cylinder-shaped chambers (2) are connected to each other by a hydraulic line (21) closable by means of a shut-off valve (25), wherein the hydraulic line (21) is connected to each chamber (2) at one of the end faces of the respective chamber (2) and; each of the displacement pistons (1) is rigidly connected to a thrust piston (22) movably arranged in the hydraulic line, wherein the thrust pistons (22) tightly fit the inner wall of the hydraulic line (21); the working gas discharge line (20) is a hollow cylinder running between the two chambers (2) along the rotation axis of the working rotor (13), the working rotor (13) being seated rotably on the hollow cylinder; and a hermetically sealed working gas space is formed by the chambers (2), the thrust pistons (22), the at least one working gas supply line (18), the at least one working gas discharge line (20) and the rotor housing (15).

2. Heat cycle machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement piston (1) is movably mounted within the respective chamber (2) by means of three rails (3.1), which are arranged at the inner wall of the first partial housing (24.1), and by three rails (3.1), which are arranged at the inner wall of the second partial housing (24.2).

3. Heat cycle machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the working rotor (13) comprises two pairs of circular plates arranged parallel to each other, wherein flow channels (10) are formed between the plates of each pair of plates, the flow channels (10) extending spirally from the outer edge to the center of the plates.

4. Heat cycle machine according to claim 3, characterized in that a stator (14) shaped as a circular plate is arranged between the two pairs of circular plates of the working rotor (13), wherein permanent magnets (11) are arranged on each pair of circular plates of the working rotor (13) and wherein induction coils (12) are arranged within the stator (14).

5. Heat cycle machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the working rotor (13) is seated on the working gas discharge line (20) by means of at least two rolling bearings (19), wherein the wall of the working gas discharge line (20) exhibits openings (16) in regions located between the two plates of each pair of circular plates of the working rotor (13), the openings (16) extending spirally from the outer wall to the inner wall.

6. Heat cycle machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of working gas supply lines (18), which are running from each of the chambers (2) to the rotor housing (15), is equal to the number of flow channels (10) extending spirally from the outer edge of each pair of plates of the working rotor (13) to the center.

7. Heat cycle machine according to claim 1, characterized in that each chamber (2) comprises 24 connectors to connect the working gas supply lines (18) to the rotor housing (15), wherein said connectors are arranged evenly spaced along a circle on the front wall of the chamber (2).

8. Heat cycle machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the inside of each chamber (2) facing the working gas space has a roughened surface.

9. Heat cycle machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner enclosure walls of the chambers (2) exhibit bulges through which the heat fluid can flow, said bulges (26) emanating from the front faces and reaching into the respective chamber (2), wherein the displacement piston (1) exhibits recesses at the respective positions, the recesses having a size and shape corresponding to a size and shape of the bulges (26).

10. Heat cycle machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement pistons (1) essentially consist of an open-pored metal or ceramic foam, the pore size of which steadily decreases from the edge to the center.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein identical or similar features are provided with the same reference symbols.

(2) FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal-sectional view of a heat cycle machine constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure and depicting a block-type thermal power station;

(3) FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of a working rotor constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

(4) FIG. 2b is a longitudinal view of a working rotor constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

(5) FIG. 3a is a longitudinal view of a working gas discharge line constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

(6) FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view of a working gas discharge line constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) The heat cycle machine according to FIG. 1 comprises the two cylinder-shaped chambers 2, the end walls of which are curved in order to increase strength (at high internal pressures). In addition, the end walls of the chambers 2 exhibit the rod-shaped bulges 26 protruding into the interior of the chamber 2. In each of the chambers 2, the gas-permeable displacement piston 1 consisting of regenerator material is arranged being supported by means of the bearing 3. The bearing 3 comprises the wheels 3.2 and the rails 3.1. The housing of each chamber 2 is designed to be double-walled, so that the cavity 23 is formed, wherein two partial housings 24.1 and 24.2 each having its own cavity 23 are formed by the insulation and sealing layer 8. The first partial housing 24.1 exhibits the hot oil supply line 4 and the hot oil return line 5, so that hot oil can be passed through the cavity 23 of the first partial housing 24.1. The second partial housing 24.2 exhibits the cold water supply line 7 and the cold water return line 6, so that cold water can be passed through the wall, i.e. the cavity 23 formed inside the wall, of the second partial housing 24.2. The water may be used for space heating.

(8) The working rotor 13 arranged within the rotor housing 15 comprises the flow channels 10 and the permanent magnets 11. The stator 14 comprises the induction coils 12. The working rotor 13 is rotatable mounted on the working gas discharge line 20 by means of the rolling bearings 19. At the position at which the working gas exits from the flow channels 10 of the working rotor 13, the openings (i.e. cut-outs) 16 are introduced into the working gas discharge line 20. The working gas discharge line 20 can in each case be closed or opened with the shut-off valve 9 placed between the chamber 2 and the working rotor 13.

(9) Twenty-four working gas feed lines 18 are guided from each of the chambers 2 to the rotor housing 15, wherein in each case the working gas inflow from the respective chamber 2 to the working rotor 13 can be opened and interrupted by the other chamber 2 by means of a shuttle valve 17.

(10) The two displacement pistons 1 are connected via the hydraulic line 21, in which the two thrust pistons 22, each of which is rigidly connected to a displacement piston 1, can be moved back and forth. Thus, the displacement pistons 1 are coupled to one another in their movement sequence. In order to increase the dwell time of the displacement pistons 1 at their respective end positions, the hydraulic line 21 can be quasi blocked by the shut-off valve 25.

(11) FIG. 2 shows the working rotor 13 in its rotor housing 15 according to FIG. 1 in cross-sectional view (FIG. 2a) in detail and in longitudinal section (FIG. 2b). In particular, the flow channels 10 which run spirally from the outside to the center (i.e, the axis of rotation) can be seen in the longitudinal-sectional view.

(12) In FIG. 3a, the longitudinal section of the working gas discharge line 20 is enlarged, and FIG. 3b shows a cross section through the working gas discharge line 20 in the region of the openings 16. The openings 16 are introduced spirally from the outside in the direction of the center of the working gas discharge line 20, so that they are quasi designed as an extension of the spiral flow channels 10 of the working rotor 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(13) 1 displacement piston 2 chamber 3 bearing for displacement piston 3.1 rail 3.2 wheel 4 hot oil supply 5 hot oil return 6 cold water return/heating supply line 7 cold water supply/heating return line 8 insulating and sealing layer 9 shut-off valve of the working gas discharge line 10 flow channel 11 permanent magnet 12 induction coil 13 working rotor 14 stator 15 rotor housing 16 opening (laminar profile) 17 shuttle valve 18 working gas supply line 19 rolling bearing 20 working gas discharge line 21 hydraulic line 22 thrust piston 23 cavity 24.1 (first) partial housing 24.2 (second) partial housing 25 shut-off valve 26 bulge