Green Cycle Heat Pump Engine

Abstract

A single piston (1), rotary displacer (2), heat cycle/transfer engine, using a fixed volume of working fluid, in a single L shape tubular chambered (10), three zone (7)(8)(9), sealed housing (3). The rotary displacer (2) consists of a displacer cam (4) and a crank shaft (5) supported by a variable number of rotary bearings (6), the number and type of which depends on the size and rotational speed of the completed unit. The sealed housing (3), consisting of three zones, where one faces a heat source side (7), one acts an insulating barrier (8) and one acts as a heat sink (9). Movement of the rotary displacer (2) transports the contained working fluid to the exposed surfaces of the heat source side (7) and the heat sink (9) sequentially, while the incorporated crank shaft (5) drives the single piston (1), via a connecting rod (11), which allows for the manipulation of the corresponding expansion and contraction of the working fluid. The engine can use the transfer of heat, the Carnot Heat Cycle, to generate rotational (or linear) power or act as a heat pump/refrigeration unit. When used to produce rotational power, the initial rotational energy may be provided by a loop of Nitinol (12) or similar shape memory alloy to avoid a stall caused by the working fluid being exposed to the heat source side and heat sink side equally. The Nitinol loop (12) may ride on a second shape memory alloy ring (14), which allows it to disengage at higher temperatures and rotational speeds, effectively acting as a clutching mechanism. The invention is scalable to include nano-devices and micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), through large scale heat recovery systems.

Claims

1. A heat cycle/transfer engine, comprising: a housing, consisting of a heat source side and a heat sink side, which may have an insulating layer between the two sides; a sealed, tubular, approximately L shaped chamber, within the housing; a working fluid, contained within the sealed chamber; a rotary crank shaft-displacer cam combination, which moves the working fluid from the heat source side to the heat sink side and vice versa, in a repeated cycle; a set of bearings, of a size dependent on the overall size of the housing, which support the rotary crank shaft-displacer cam combination; a piston, situated perpendicular to the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, that causes or reacts to the expansion and contraction of the working fluid; a connecting rod, that attaches the piston to the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, allowing the synchronous movement of the piston and the crank shaft-displacer cam combination; the synchronous movement allowing the expansion and contraction of the working fluid to coincide with exposure of the working fluid to the corresponding heat source side and heat sink side, respectively, thereby utilizing the Carnot Heat Cycle to drive the piston, thereby driving the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, and providing rotary motion generation.

2. A heat pump, comprising; a housing, consisting of a heat source side and a heat sink side, which may have an insulating layer between the two sides; a sealed, tubular, approximately L shaped chamber, within the housing; a working fluid, contained within the sealed chamber; a rotary crank shaft-displacer cam combination, which moves the working fluid from the heat source side to the heat sink side and vice versa, in a repeated cycle; a set of bearings, of a size dependent on the overall size of the housing, which support the rotary crank shaft-displacer cam combination; a piston, situated perpendicular to the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, that causes or reacts to the expansion and contraction of the working fluid; a connecting rod, that attaches the piston to the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, allowing the synchronous movement of the piston and the crank shaft-displacer cam combination; the synchronous movement allowing the expansion and contraction of the working fluid to coincide with exposure of the working fluid to the corresponding heat source side and heat sink side, respectively, thereby utilizing the Carnot Heat Cycle to transfer heat from the heat source side to the heat sink side as a heat pump.

3. A rotary displacer cam, where the cam moves a fluid within a chamber.

4. A shape memory alloy rotary clutch, where a temperature change may release a clutching ring from the rotary body.

5. A heat cycle/transfer engine, of claim 1, where the piston may be substituted by a tympanic drum.

6. A heat cycle/transfer engine, of claim 1, where the initial startup motion may be provided by a secondary rotary source consisting of a looped coil of Nitinol, or similar shape-memory alloy, which encompasses the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, exposing it to the heat source side, at one extreme, and which also encompasses a rotary pin positioned in the heat sink side, at the other extreme, exposing it to the heat sink.

7. A heat pump, of claim 2, where the piston may be substituted by a tympanic drum.

8. A heat pump, of claim 2, where the transfer of heat does not depend on any initial temperature differential between the heat source side and the heat sink.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded drawing of the invention in its entirety.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded drawing of the invention, showing the position of the shape-memory alloy and its relation to the whole, for any embodiment utilizing the initial rotary motion provided by the shape-memory alloy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT (S)

[0021] The number of pistons will depend on the application. However, the design may use a single piston (1) to manipulate the available volume within the chamber (10). The piston (1) is attached to a connecting rod (11) connected to a crank shaft (5)-cam shaft (4) combination (described here as rotary displacer) (2). The piston's (1) shape may vary due to size and application and may be a tympanic drum. The piston (1) resides in a channel perpendicular to the chamber containing the crank shaft (5)-cam shaft (4) rotary displacer (2). The piston (1) may extend when driven by an expansion of the working fluid during use as a rotary power generator or may extend due to mechanical propulsion to create a low pressure in the working fluid when used as a heat pump. The piston (1) may retract when allowed by a low pressure when used as a rotary generator or may retract due to mechanical propulsion to create a high pressure in the working fluid when used as a heat pump. The cam (4) of the rotary displacer (2) is shaped in such a way as to nearly conform to the shape of its tubular containment chamber (10) with the exception of one shallow area along its length. This allows the cam (4) to capture and contain the working fluid within the shallow area only, while driving it away from the remaining surface area of the tubular chamber (10). This allows the circular rotation of the cam (4) to transport the working fluid to the different zones (7) (9). Following the Carnot cycle, the working fluid is exposed to the heat source side (7) when the piston (1) is immediately past its fully retracted position and while continuing through its fully extended position. The working fluid is then exposed to the heat sink (9) when the piston (1) is immediately past its fully extended position through its fully contracted position. This movement continues the exposure of the working fluid to the different zones (7) (9) in consecutive cycles. This action allows the engine to use the external heat source to provide expansion of the working fluid, transferring this added heat to the heat sink (9) via circular rotation of the main shaft (2) and its exposure thereto. This action also allows the mechanical manipulation of the rotation via a power source driving the main shaft (2) where the piston's (1) increasing and decreasing of the internal pressure allows for the use of the thermodynamic relationship to move heat from one zone (7) to the other (9) via a heat pump cycle. When used to produce rotational power, the initial rotational energy may be provided by the expansion/contraction of a closed loop of Nitinol (12) spiraled wire, or similar shape-memory alloy, to avoid a stall caused by the working fluid being exposed to the heat source side and heat sink side equally. The loop of Nitinol (12) spiraled wire, or similar shape-memory alloy, may encompass the crank shaft-displacer cam combination, exposing the memory allow to the heat source side, at one extreme, and encompass a rotary pin (13) positioned in the heat sink side, at the other extreme, exposing the shape-memory alloy to the heat sink. The Nitinol loop (12) will ride on a second shape-memory alloy ring (14), which allows it to disengage at higher temperatures and rotational speeds.

PATENT CITATIONS

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