Abstract
A method of operating a mechanical heat engine according to an internally reversible thermodynamic cycle may comprise four piston-cylinders, with extending connecting rods of identical stroke lengths such that three of the piston-cylinder systems have an identical bore and the fourth cylinder has a smaller bore. According to such a method, the smaller-bore piston-cylinder is connected via the piston rod to an adjacent piston-cylinder with the rods fully extended one full stroke length; and the remaining piston-cylinders are connected via the piston rod, with the rods extended less than a full stroke length.
Claims
1. The method of claim 10, wherein the mechanical heat engine comprising: four piston-cylinders, with extending connecting rods, of identical stroke lengths; wherein three of the piston-cylinders each have an identical bore, and a fourth cylinder of the four piston-cylinders having a smaller bore; the piston-cylinder having the smaller-bore is connected via a piston rod to an adjacent piston-cylinder of the four piston-cylinders with the rods fully extended one full stroke length; and the piston-cylinders other than the piston-cylinder having the smaller bore and the adjacent piston-cylinder are connected via a second piston rod, with the second piston rods extended less than a full stroke length.
2. The method of claim 10, wherein a larger-bore cylinder of the four piston-cylinders is connected via pipes and fittings from a non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder to a large pressure vessel; and check valves are installed within the connection via pipes and fittings, such that a direction of a flow can be controlled.
3. The method of claim 10, wherein a larger-bore cylinder of the four piston-cylinders; is connected via pipes and fittings from a piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder to a piston-rod side of the smaller-bore cylinder, controllable with a valve.
4. The method of claim 10, wherein the smaller-bore cylinder; is connected via pipes and fittings from a non-piston-rod side of the smaller-bore cylinder to a non-piston-rod side of a mechanically-detached larger-bore cylinder, controllable with a valve.
5. The method of claim 10, wherein a larger-bore cylinder of the four-piston-cylinders is connected via pipes and fittings from a piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder to a non-piston-rod side of a rod-connected larger-bore cylinder of the four-piston-cylinders, controllable with a valve.
6. The method of claim 10, wherein the smaller-bore cylinder of the four-piston cylinders is maintained at a hotter temperature by piping and hot-water channels surrounding outer walls of the smaller-bore cylinder.
7. The method of claim 10, wherein the rod connecting the smaller-bore cylinder and the adjacent cylinder is connected to an electric generator; or the piston in either the smaller-bore cylinder or a rod-connected larger-bore cylinder has a double piston rod that is connected to the electric generator.
8. The method of claim 10, wherein the mechanical heat engine at a beginning of the reversible cycle utilizes an ideal-gas-working-fluid at the ambient temperature contained: within a large pressure vessel; within a piston-rod side of a larger-bore cylinder; and within a non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder.
9. The method of claim 10, where the mechanical heat engine at a beginning of the reversible cycle contains non-ideal-working-fluid carbon dioxide within a non-piston-rod side of the smaller-bore cylinder.
10. A method of operating a mechanical heat engine according to an internally reversible thermodynamic cycle, where the mechanical heat engine is actuated through the internally reversible thermodynamic cycle by the following steps: allowing an ideal-gas working fluid to flow in one direction from a compressed gas cylinder into a non-piston-rod side of a larger-bore cylinder of the four piston-cylinders via a direction controlled piping connection, forcing CO.sub.2 from the smaller-bore cylinder into the larger-bore cylinder; closing a valve between the smaller-bore cylinder and the larger-bore cylinder, closing direction-controlled valves between the compressed gas cylinder into the non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder, and opening a valve between ambient temperature cylinders to allow a higher-pressure ideal-gas in the non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder to flow and mix with the ideal-gas contained with a piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder; opening the valve between the smaller-bore cylinder and the larger-bore cylinder, allowing ambient-temperature CO.sub.2 to return to the smaller-bore cylinder; opening a return valve of the direction-controlled piping connection between the compressed gas cylinder and the non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder, allowing the CO.sub.2 to fully fill up the smaller-bore cylinder, and closing a valve between the non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder and the piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder, as well as closing the return valve of the direction-controlled piping connection between the compressed gas cylinder and the non-piston-rod side of the larger-bore cylinder.
Description
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment, a closed-loop, internally reversible, heat engine-heat pump apparatus may be designed to generate motive power from a heat reservoir and a temperature differential to the ambient. By using a real fluid in the heat engine (e.g., carbon dioxide), the thermodynamic efficiency may be boosted beyond that of the ideal-gas Carnot efficiency, yielding a greater net energy output. According to this exemplary embodiment, a system may be entirely actuated by pneumatic gas and controlled by one or more ball/check valves, which may reduce and/or eliminate the need to use precision motors or brakes to fix the piston position at different stages of the cycle.
[0031] In an exemplary embodiment illustratively provided for in FIGS. 1-4, the engine may contain four piston-cylinders 1-4 that may be actuated by pneumatic ideal gas, which comes from a large high-pressure compressed gas cylinder 5. According to this exemplary embodiment, each piston-cylinder 1-4 may be a hydraulic actuator, comprising fitting/rod 6 to connect the piston P4 of cylinder 4 to the piston P1 of cylinder 1. Additionally or alternatively, an exemplary fitting/rod 7 may interconnect piston P2 of cylinder 2 to piston P3 of cylinder 3. As illustratively provided, an exemplary cylinder 1 may have a smaller bore than either of cylinders 2-4. In a preferred embodiment, cylinders 2-4 may be identically sized. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, P1 may be smaller than P2-3. In a preferred embodiment P2, P3, and P4 pistons are substantially identical in size.
[0032] According to this exemplary embodiment, cylinder 1 and cylinder 4 may be disposed vis--vis one another a distance D14 such that each of pistons P1 and P4 contained therein may accomplish a full stroke of those cylinders. According to this exemplary embodiment, cylinder 2 and cylinder 3 may be disposed vis--vis one another a distance D23 whereby their respective pistons P2 and P3 may only achieve half a stroke length in displacement within either cylinder . It may be contemplated that the efficiencies to be achieved herein may not require such specific strokes for the cylinders 1-4, and it may be that for a given fitting/rod 6 and 7 of approximately equal length, distance D14 may only need to be greater than distance D23 to achieve the benefits herein described. In a preferred embodiment, distance D14 may be twice the distance D23.
[0033] Referring again to FIGS. 1-4, each cylinder 1-4 may be pneumatically interconnected to one another and/or the compressed gas cylinder 5 via a pipe/valve network represented by lines 8-11. A preferred embodiment of such pipe/valve networks 8-11 may be further understood with reference to FIGS. 5-8. Additionally, an exemplary network 8 interconnecting cylinder 4 to cylinder 5 may also contain a directional control check valve 81 known to those skilled in the art. In an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary check valve 81 may control flow in each direction through the network 8. As illustrated in the FIGS. 1-4, an exemplary network 8 may be established between the cylinder 5 and cylinder 4 at a location within an exemplary cylinder 4 that is downstream of the compression stroke direction of P4. Further, an exemplary network 9 may be established between cylinder 4 at a location within exemplary cylinder 4 that is behind piston P4 and at a location in cylinder 1 that is behind piston P1. Further, an exemplary network 10 may be established between cylinder 1 and cylinder 2 at a location within exemplary cylinder 1 that is forward of piston P1, and preferably forward of the maximum compression stroke of said piston P1, and at a location within exemplary cylinder 2 that is downstream of the compression stroke direction of P2 of cylinder 2. Further, an exemplary network 11 may be established between cylinder 2 and cylinder 3 at a location behind piston P2 of cylinder 2 and downstream of the compression stroke direction of P3 of cylinder 3.
[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, cylinder 1 may be maintained at a hotter temperature throughout the cycle while all of the other cylinders 2-4 may be maintained at approximately ambient room-temperature. As illustrated, four separate and unique working fluids may be passed through the networks 8-11 of the system disclosed herein. For example, working fluid 12, 13, and 14a-b may be such that they behave as ideal gases at ambient temperature in the ambient-temperature cylinders 2-5. As another example, working fluid 15 may be a real fluid, such as carbon dioxide, that may have a critical temperature comparable to the hot temperature maintained for cylinder 1.
[0035] In an exemplary method of operation according to FIG. 1, exemplary ideal-gas working fluids 12, 13, and 14 may all be in the ambient temperature cylinders 2-5 while the real fluid 15 may be contained within the non-piston P1 rod 6 side of the cylinder 1. Ideal-gas-working-fluid 12 may be entirely in the large compressed gas cylinder 5. Alternatively, an ideal-gas-working-fluid 13 may be entirely in the piston P4-rod 6 side of cylinder 4. In another embodiment, ideal-gas-working-fluid 14a may entirely fill the piston P2-rod 7 side of cylinder 2 and ideal-gas-working-fluid 14b may entirely fill the non-piston P3-rod 7 side of cylinder 3.
[0036] In an exemplary method of operation according to FIG. 2, ideal-gas-working-fluid 12 may be allowed by the valve to flow from the compressed gas cylinder 5 into cylinder 4 via the direction controlled piping connection 8. This may have the effect of forcing ideal-gas-working-fluid 13 from the larger cylinder 4 into the smaller-bore cylinder 1 via the piping network 9. In this exemplary step of the method, exemplary movement of the piston P4 in cylinder 4 will actuate the piston P1 in cylinder 1 via the fittings/rods 6. Accordingly, the compression of ideal-gas-working-fluid 13 from the larger cylinder 4 to the smaller cylinder 1 may compress this fluid, raising the temperature to exceed the hot temperature at which the smaller cylinder 1 may be maintained. In addition, the movement of the piston P1 in the smaller cylinder 1 may force the real-working-fluid 15 from the smaller cylinder to the larger cylinder 2 via the piping network 10. In a preferred embodiment where the real working fluid 15 is CO.sub.2, the expansion of the CO.sub.2, as well as the work out to actuate the larger piston in cylinder 2 may have effect of dropping the CO.sub.2 temperature to that of the ambient temperature. Finally, the movement of the piston P2 in cylinder 2 may both compress the ideal-gas-working-fluid 14a-b, as well as actuate the movement of the piston P3 in the equal-sized cylinder 3, which may be connected via the actuator rods/fittings 7. The movement of the connected pistons P2-3 in cylinder 2 and cylinder 3 may compress the ideal-gas-working-fluid 14a-b. In an exemplary embodiment, ideal gas working fluid 14a may be contained in the equally sized cylinder 2 and ideal gas working fluid 14b may be contained in cylinder 3 connected pneumatically by the valve-controlled piping network 11. The pressure of the portion of ideal-gas-working-fluid 14b contained in the non-piston P3-rod 7 side of cylinder 3 may have a higher pressure than the pressure of the portion of ideal-gas-working-fluid 14a contained in the piston P2-rod 7 side of cylinder 2, due to the shorter effective volume as depicted at an exemplary first stage via FIG. 1, which may result in a greater relative compression for an equal piston actuation length.
[0037] In an exemplary method of operation according to FIG. 3, a valve may control the pneumatic piping network 11 between cylinder 2 and cylinder 3, may be opened to allow flow of the ideal-gas-working-fluid 14b contained in cylinder 3 to flow into cylinder 2 as ideal gas working fluid 14a so that the total pressure equalizes. This may have the effect of compressing the real CO.sub.2 working fluid 15 to the extent it may remain in the larger cylinder 2 because the piping network 10 connecting it to the smaller cylinder 1 may have a valve that may be closed. Thus, in accordance with this exemplary method step, real-working-fluid 15, such as CO.sub.2, may remain at the ambient temperature but at a greater pressure. In a preferred embodiment, there may be no direction controllers on either connections between cylinders 4 and cylinder 1, cylinders 1 and cylinders 2, or cylinders 2 and cylinders 3.
[0038] In an exemplary method of operation according to FIG. 4, the valve controlling the pneumatic piping network 10 between cylinder 1 and cylinder 2 may be opened, allowing the CO.sub.2 working fluid to flow into the smaller cylinder 1 and thereby be compressed to operationally achieve a substantially isentropic temperature rise to match the temperature at which cylinder 1 may be maintained during this process.
[0039] In an exemplary embodiment by which the method depict in FIG. 4 returns to the method step illustratively provided for in FIG. 1, the valve controlling the pneumatic piping 8 between cylinder 4 and the compressed gas cylinder 5 may be opened to allow flow back to the pressure vessel, which may allow the ideal-gas-working-fluid 12 to flow back from cylinder 4 into the compressed gas cylinder 5. Consequently, ideal-gas-working-fluid 13 may flow via the piping network 9 from cylinder 1 back to cylinder 4, which may cause the fluid to expand and cool, and absorb energy from the ambient temperature walls of cylinder 4. Additionally, the real-working-fluid 15 may expand substantially isothermally in cylinder 1, resulting in an absorption of energy from the temperature source surrounding cylinder 1, which may be a heat exchanger, resistance heater, or other heat sources known to those skilled in the art. At this point, only the real-working-fluid 15 may remain in cylinder 1, all of ideal-gas-working-fluid 12 may have returned to the pressure vessel 5, all of the ideal-gas-working-fluid 13 remains in cylinder 4 at ambient temperature, and all of ideal-gas-working-fluid 14a-b remains within the larger bore cylinder 2 and cylinder 3 at an equal pressure. In an exemplary embodiment whereby the method configuration of FIG. 4 transitions to the configuration of FIG. 1, all of the valves of the exemplary networks 8-11 may be closed, and the cycle can repeat itself.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment, an exemplary heat engine may induce the following thermodynamic cycle to a real-working-fluid 15:
[0041] Stage 1-2 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 1-2): simultaneous compression and expansion from a hot gas in cylinder 1 to a colder, higher-pressure gas in cylinder 2, traveling via the pneumatic connection network 10 resulting in heat energy out to the ambient surrounding cylinder 2.
[0042] Stage 2-3 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 2-3): isothermal compression to a higher pressure in cylinder 2, resulting in heat energy out to the ambient surrounding cylinder 2.
[0043] Stage 3-4 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 3-4): isentropic compression back to the original hot temperature while moving back from cylinder 2 to cylinder 1, traveling via the pneumatic connection network 10.
[0044] Stage 4-1 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 1 and 4): isothermal expansion at the original hot temperature with cylinder 1 resulting in heat energy being absorbed at the hot temperature source surrounding the smaller cylinder 1.
[0045] In a preferred embodiment, an exemplary heat engine may induce the following thermodynamic cycle to an ideal-gas-working-fluid 13:
[0046] Stage 1-2 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 1-2): compression from an ambient temperature gas in cylinder 4 to a hotter, higher-pressure ideal gas in cylinder 1, traveling via the pneumatic network 9, resulting in heat energy out to the hot temperature source surrounding cylinder 1.
[0047] Stage 2-3 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 2-3): no change.
[0048] Stage 3-4 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 3-4): isothermal compression at the hot temperature within cylinder 1 and thereby result in heat energy out to the hot temperature source surrounding cylinder 1.
[0049] Stage 4-1 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 1 and 4): a combination of isentropic and isothermal expansion from the hot temperature in cylinder 1, until it may be fully returned to the larger cylinder 4 and at the ambient temperature, resulting in heat absorption from the ambient surrounding cylinder 4.
[0050] In a preferred embodiment, an exemplary heat engine may substantially maintain ideal-gas-working-fluid 12 and ideal-gas-working-fluid 14 at the ambient temperature, and all compression and expansion are effectively isothermal, given the far greater specific heat capacity of the metallic cylinder walls.
[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the following parts may be used to construct an exemplary heat engine in accordance with the disclosures provided above so that only routine engineering skill may be required to achieve the disclosed advances depicted and discussed.
[0052] Cylinder 1: a piston-cylinder hydraulic actuator, 2.5 diameter, 12 stroke, available from Norgren-Bimba of University park, Illinois (part number H-MS7-150x12-100-KK1-P15=N500-VVVV-C=2).
[0053] Cylinders 2-4: a piston-cylinder hydraulic actuator, 4 diameter, 12 stroke, available from Norgren-Bimba of University park, Illinois (part number HH-MS7-250x12-100-KK1-P15=N500-VVVV-C=2).
[0054] Working Fluids 12-14 may be air or nitrogen.
Working Fluid 15 May be Carbon Dioxide (CO.SUB.2.)
[0055] Network 8 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 6 and 8): Connection Cross (F-F-F-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4443K654) (from McMaster-Carr of Robbinsville, New Jersey); Pressure Gauge (McMaster-Carr Part No. 3852K875-3852K9); Union Connector (to cylinder 4) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Burst disk Reducer, - M-M (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K871); Adapter (Dynapex Part No. gbu2p_04zf_u06x24f from Dynapex, LLC of Sparks, Nevada).square-solid.Burst disk (Amazon B00B7AQ3HQ); Tec (F-M-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K195); Elbow (M-M), Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K451); Union Connector, Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Hose, Length 12, Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 5793K13); Ball valve, Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4118T122); Nipple () Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Check Valve, Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4620K83); Directions in reverse, Elbow (M-M), Quantity 2 (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K451); Tec (F-F-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K511); Tec (M-M-M) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K129); Ball valve (McMaster-Carr Part No. 47275K43); Union Connector (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Reducer, - M-M (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K871); Adapter to DIN (Walmart 146867723).
[0056] Network 9 (which may be exemplified by FIGS. 5 and 7): [Connection Cross (F-F-F-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4443K654) (from McMaster-Carr of Robbinsville, New Jersey); Pressure Gauge (McMaster-Carr Part No. 3852K875-3852K9); Union Connector (to cylinder 4) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Burst disk Reducer, - M-M (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K871); Adapter (Dynapex Part No. gbu2p_04zf_u06x24f from Dynapex, LLC of Sparks, Nevada).square-solid.Burst disk (Amazon B00B7AQ3HQ); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Ball valve (McMaster-Carr Part No. 47275K43); Hose, Length 12, (McMaster-Carr Part No. 5793K13); Union Connector (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Tec (M-M-M) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K129); Ball valve (McMaster-Carr Part No. 47275K43); Connection Cross (F-F-F-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4443K654); Union Connector (to cylinder 1) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Burst disk Reducer, - M-M (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K871); Adapter (Dynapex Part No. gbu2p_04zf_u06x24f from Dynapex, LLC of Sparks, Nevada). Burst disk (Amazon B00B7AQ3HQ); Nipple (McMaster-Carr 48805K911); Ball Valve (McMaster-Carr 47275K43); Reducer -M to -F (McMaster-Carr 48805K526); 8-mm fill adapter (Amazon B07HKXV157).
[0057] Network 10 (which may be exemplified by FIG. 5): [Connection Cross (F-F-F-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4443K654) (from McMaster-Carr of Robbinsville, New Jersey); Pressure Gauge (McMaster-Carr Part No. 3852K875-3852K9); Union Connector (to cylinder 4) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Burst disk Reducer, - M-M (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K871); Adapter (Dynapex Part No. gbu2p_04zf_u06x24f from Dynapex, LLC of Sparks, Nevada).square-solid.Burst disk (Amazon B00B7AQ3HQ); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Ball valve (McMaster-Carr Part No. 47275K43); Hose, Length 12, (McMaster-Carr Part No. 5793K13); Union Connector (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Tec (M-M-M) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K129); Ball valve (McMaster-Carr Part No. 47275K43); Connection Cross (F-F-F-F) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 4443K654); Union Connector (to cylinder 1) (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K942); Nipple () (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K911); Burst disk Reducer, - M-M (McMaster-Carr Part No. 48805K871); Adapter (Dynapex Part No. gbu2p_04zf_u06x24f from Dynapex, LLC of Sparks, Nevada).square-solid.Burst disk (Amazon BOOB7AQ3HQ); Nipple (McMaster-Carr 48805K911); Ball Valve (McMaster-Carr 47275K43); Reducer -M to -F (McMaster-Carr 48805K527); NPT to CGA 320 (Amazon B06WVMF9PV).
Network 11 (which May be Exemplified by FIG. 5): [Same as Network 9]
[0058] Many further variations and modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in art upon making reference to above disclosure and foregoing interrelated and interchangeable illustrative embodiments, which are given by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope and spirit of the interrelated embodiments of the invention described herein.
[0059] With the figures, FIG. 1 may exemplify a heat engine within Stage 1 of the described thermodynamic cycle. FIG. 2 may exemplify a heat engine that is transitioning between Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the described thermodynamic cycle. FIG. 3 may exemplify a heat engine within Stage 3 of the described thermodynamic cycle. FIG. 4 may exemplify a heat engine that is transitioning between Stage 3 and Stage 4 of the described thermodynamic cycle. FIG. 5 may exemplify Network 9, Network 10, and Network 11. FIG. 6 may exemplify Network 8. FIG. 7 may exemplify the direction-control component of Network 8. FIG. 8 may exemplify Network 8, Network 9, Network 10, and Network 11, with a comparison of the difference between Network 8 and Network 9, 10, and 11.
