Centrifugal Piston Expander, Inc.

Centrifugal Piston Expanders, Inc.

Edwin W Dibrell

Wilbur A Schaich

Charles D Wood, Iii

Glenn B O'Neal

A fluid pressure, free piston engine, such as a centrifugal piston expander, provides a cyclically varying torque to a rotatable output shaft. A unidirectional or overrunning rotational clutch comprising two relatively rotatable elements has one element secured to a unidirectionally rotatable load and the other element driven by the output shaft of the centrifugal piston expander. The engine output shaft further drives, through appropriate gearing, a battery operated, starting motor-generator unit. The motor-generator is employed to initially rotate the expander to sufficient speed to ensure the centrifugal return of the free pistons of the centrifugal piston expander to their radially outermost positions. After start-up of the centrifugal piston expander, the starting motor functions as a generator to recharge the battery during the high torque portions of rotation of the engine output shaft, and during the low torque portions of the power output shaft, again functions as a motor to increase such speed. A plurality of fluid pressure engines may be connected to the same output shaft and selectively energized to further minimize the cyclical swing in speed of the power output shaft and to provide variable displacement operation by automatically varying the number of engines utilized to accommodate a varying load.

Method for optimizing the mechanical output of a fluid pressure free

Apparatus for producing a reciprocating oscillation of a power output shaft comprises a plurality of peripherally spaced cylinders disposed in generally tangential relationship to the periphery of a cylindrical fluid pressure chamber and connected at their inner ends to such fluid pressure chamber. The gas pressure in such chamber is regulated to maintain a selected value above ambient. Cooperating pistons in each of the cylinders are interconnected by connecting rods to a spoke-like rocker element which is freely oscillatable about the output shaft to which the housing defining the cylindrical fluid pressure chamber is secured for co-rotation. A flywheel mass is connected to the spokes of the rocker element. Inlet and exhaust valves are provided in a cylinder head mounted in the outer end of each cylinder and are operable by contact with the outer face of the respective piston. A radial exhaust port is uncovered by each piston as it nears the end of its power stroke, thus reducing the fluid pressure on the outer piston face to ambient and permitting the regulated fluid pressure chamber to effect the return of the pistons to their outermost pistons relative to the cylinder.

Multi-cylinder piston engine and method of operation thereof

The disclosure provides a rotating cylinder defining an elongated S-shaped fluid pressure chamber having the two ends thereof remotely located with respect to the axis of rotation. The S-shaped fluid pressure chamber accommodates a free piston which reciprocates along the length of the chamber according to fluid pressure and centrifugal forces applied thereto. Solenoid operated inlet and exhaust valves are provided at each end of the S-shaped fluid pressure chamber, and sensing devices, responsive to the passage of the free piston therethrough are disposed on opposite ends of the S-shaped fluid pressure chamber and adjacent the medial portions thereof to control the operation of the inlet and exhaust valves in accordance with the desired objective to either maximize the extraction of mechanical energy from a pressured gas or maximize the expansion of the pressured gas to derive the greatest possible cooling effect therefrom.

Method and apparatus for extracting heat and mechanical energy from a

The improved method and apparatus for operating a centrifugal piston expander of the type wherein a free piston is mounted in a rotating fluid pressure chamber having a longitudinal axis that is non-radial with respect to the axis of rotation, but extends from a position remote from the rotation axis to a position proximate to the rotation axis. To bring the free piston to a cushioned stop when it is moving radially inwardly under the influence of applied gas pressure, a normally open exhaust valve in the inner end of the fluid pressure chamber is closed to trap a column of gas in the path of the oncoming piston. After the inward motion of the piston is arrested, the valve may be opened to exhaust the trapped gas or may be maintained closed for a brief period to permit the energy stored in the trapped gas to initiate the acceleration of the piston in its return outward movement.

Centrifugal piston expander

The disclosure provides an oscillatable body mounting a cylinder defining an elongated fluid pressure chamber having at least one end thereof remotely located with respect to the axis of oscillation. The elongated fluid pressure chamber accommodates a free piston which reciprocates along the length of the chamber according to fluid pressure applied thereto. Solenoid operated inlet and exhaust valves are provided at each end of the elongated fluid pressure chamber, and sensing devices, responsive to the passage of the free piston therethrough are disposed on opposite ends of the elongated fluid pressure chamber and adjacent the medial portions thereof to control the operation of the inlet and exhaust valves in accordance with the desired objective to either maximize the extraction of mechanical energy from a pressured gas in the form of oscillating movements of the body, or maximize the expansion of the pressured gas to derive the greatest possible cooling effect therefrom.

Gas pressure operated power source

A piston for a fluid pressure chamber having an arcuate longitudinal axis. Such piston comprises an assemblage of two spherical bodies in side-by-side relationship and interconnected by a universal pivot. Each spherical body carries a circumferential piston ring receiving groove and piston rings are mounted in such grooves to provide a sliding and sealable engagement with the walls of the fluid pressure chamber as the piston moves along the curved longitudinal axis of such chamber.

Piston

The disclosure provides an apparatus for extracting heat and/or mechanical energy from a pressured gas wherein the pressured gas is applied to the radially outer ends of rotating cylinder elements defining logitudinally extending fluid pressure chambers having one end thereof remote from the axis of rotation and the other end proximate to the axis of rotation. A free piston is mounted in each of the fluid pressure chambers and is reciprocable therein solely under the influence of the gas pressure and centrifugal force. Valving elements are provided at the outer end of the cylinder elements which are operable by the movement of the free piston toward such outer end to open the pressured gas inlet valve. A second valving element is provided near the inner end of each fluid pressure chamber to open ports causing the exhaust of the expanded, cooled gas from the chamber. The fluid pressure chambers accommodating such free pistons may be cylindrical, longitudinally curved, spirally shaped, or of a spiral-helical configuration. The free pistons comprise ball-shaped or ellipsoid-shaped elements capable of traversing the longitudinally curved fluid pressure chambers and are coated with an organic plastic having lubricating and sealing properties.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for operating any centrifugal piston expander to convert energy derived from a heat source into mechanical energy. Pressured gas received from the heat source is circulated through the centrifugal piston expander, then to a series connected heat exchanger and compressor to recompress same and to remove sufficient heat to satisfy the entropy requirements of the closed cycle, and then is resupplied to the heat source for recirculation. Several types of centrifugal piston expanders are disclosed including one type wherein the centrifugally produced stroke of each piston is utilized to force the expanded gas into the subsequent apparatus.

Method and apparatus for deriving mechanical energy from a heat source

An air cooling system is provided wherein a refrigerant gas, which may be air, is expanded in a plurality of piston and cylinder elements which are concurrently rotated by a power driven shaft. The reaction force of the expanding gas produces mechanical energy assisting in the rotation of the power shaft. Valving arrangements are provided for supplying pressured gas to separate sets of piston and cylinder elements in timed sequence, if desired. The expanded, cooled gas is directed through a heat exchanger mounted on the rotating power shaft and returned to a compressor, also mounted on the rotating power shaft, for recompression and resupply to the rotating piston and cylinder elements. Alternately, the cooled gas may be fed directly into the room to be cooled.

Air cooling system

The disclosure provides a method and apparatus for extracting heat and/or mechanical energy from a pressured gas wherein the pressured gas is applied to the radially outer ends of rotating cylinder elements defining longitudinally extending pressure chambers having one end thereof remote from the axis of rotation and the other end proximate to the axis of rotation. A free piston is mounted in each of the fluid pressure chambers and is reciprocable therein solely under the influence of the gas pressure and centrifugal force. Valving elements are provided at the outer end of the cylinder elements which are operable by sensing elements which are respectively mounted on each of the cylinders and generate signals in accordance with the position of the free piston in the respective cylinder. Electronic circuitry is provided to insure that the inlet valves of each pair of diametrically opposed cylinders are concurrently operated to an open position to assure the dynamic balance of the rotating system.

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San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Edwin W Dibrell