Thermolift, Inc.

David Yates

Peter Hofbauer

Paul Steven Schwartz

Adrian Tusinean

Erik Kauppi

YueXin Huang

Matthew Duthie

Sai Ronit Kaza

A thermodynamic apparatus that includes a displacer within a cylinder is disclosed. The displacer reciprocates within the cylinder by a linear actuator that includes electrical coils, an armature, and a coil spring system. The spring system includes collinear first and second coil springs of opposite sense. First ends of the springs are captured in a first plate; second ends of the springs are captured in a second plate. Without constraint, the springs can compensate to forces by bending, rotating, increasing in diameter, and combinations thereof. In certain applications, such as the heat pump, bending should be minimized. By selecting the points of capture of the hooks at the ends of the springs in the plates, bending force of the first spring counteracts the bending force of the second spring.

Thermodynamic device with a tension-compression coil spring system

Some heat pumps have displacers mechatronically-controlled via springs and coils acting upon a ferromagnetic plate. In some prior art heat pumps, the components are housed in hot parts of the heat pump and in others, the components are housed in a cold part of the heat pump, but the components are offset from a central axis of the heat pump. A heat pump with the mechatronic driver components collinear with a central axis of the heat pump has the components in a cold part of the heat pump.

Mechatronic drivers in the cold end of a heat pump

A thermodynamic apparatus, such as a Stirling engine or a Vuilleumier heat pump, has a heat exchanger in which energy is exchanged between a working fluid and an exhaust gas stream. On top of the cylinder of the thermodynamic apparatus is a dome-shaped section. By incorporating the heat exchanger within the dome, the flow paths can be simplified, the number of separate components reduced, and overall weight reduced. Flow passages for the working fluid are embedded in the dome. Channels for the exhaust gases are formed in an outer surface. The passages and the channels are helically arranged, one clockwise and one counter clockwise. The dome can be cast with a core for the casting fabricated via three-dimensional printing. In some embodiments, the dome is made of fiber-reinforced material.

Dome for a thermodynamic apparatus

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

David Yates