E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

William A Doerner

Oral R Van Buskirk

A cascaded, two-fluid, rotary Rankine cycle engine is provided having improved efficiency and being capable of operating with a power fluid which is solid at ambient temperature. The engine comprises a rotatable annular boiler containing a first boiler liquid and means to heat this first boiler liquid to generate pressure vapor in the boiler, an expander system for extracting work from the vapor, an annular condenser rotatable with the boiler for condensing the exhaust vapor from the expander, said condenser having heat exchange tubes over which the exhaust vapor is passed to heat a second liquid contained in the tubes to generate pressure vapor therein, the second liquid having a lower boiling point than the first liquid, means for returning the vapor condensate to the boiler, a second expander system for extracting work from the pressure vapor in the heat-exchanging tubes, a rotatable second condenser for condensing the exhaust vapor from the second expander, and means for returning the vapor condensate from the second condenser to the heat-exchange tubes.

Cascaded two-fluid rotary closed Rankine cycle engine

A regenerator for rotary Rankine cycle engines having an annular boiler and an internal coaxial expander for pressure vapor generated in the boiler, comprising at least one annular series of axially extending heat exchange tubes disposed radially inward of the boiler and an array of axially spaced annular fins on each of said tubes which rotate with the engine. A condenser for the exhaust vapor rotates with the engine and means is provided for conducting exhaust vapor to the condenser after passing through the regenerator fins and for returning liquid condensate from the condenser to the regenerator for passage through the tubes thereof in heat exchange relation with the exhaust vapor conveyed between the fins on the tubes.

Regenerator for rotary Rankine cycle engines

Rotary cooling and heating apparatus comprising a rotary housing containing a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant expander rotatable with the housing and an external refrigerant condenser and evaporator. The components are disposed on a common axis for coaxial rotation together as a unit, and rotary power means rotationally drives the compressor and the housing-condenser-evaporator unit at predetermined different speeds. The refrigerant expander is completely self-regulating and is constructed to operate in a highly stable manner essentially adiabatically with no nucleate boiling of the refrigerant in the expander.

Rotary cooling and heating apparatus

Rotary closed Rankine cycle cooling and heating apparatus utilizing a single fluid for both engine power and refrigeration. The apparatus includes a rotary housing containing a boiler, power fluid expander coupled with a refrigerant fluid compressor and a refrigerant expander. A condenser for the expanded power portion and the compressed refrigerant portion of the single fluid, and an evaporator for the expanded refrigerant fluid portion, are mounted at respectively opposite sides of the housing coaxially thereof for rotation with the housing as a unit. The power fluid expander is driven at a predetermined speed by pressure power fluid vapor generated in the boiler and in turn drives the refrigerant fluid compressor. The refrigerant expander is of the capillary type constructed and arranged with respect to the evaporator to automatically control the capacity balance of the refrigerant system. The entire unit is hermetically sealed and the Rankine cycle power system is adapted and designed for use with a high molecular weight fluid. The expanded power and compressed refrigerant portions of the single fluid are condensed in the condenser and means are provided in the housing for dividing and supplying the condensed liquid to the boiler at the rate to maintain a constant predetermined liquid level in the boiler and to the refrigerant expander to establish and maintain capacity balance in the refrigerant system.

Rotary heat engine powered single fluid cooling and heating apparatus

Rotary closed Rankine cycle engine powered electric generating apparatus including a rotary boiler, power fluid expander and means for condensing the exhaust vapor from the expander. The power fluid expander is rotatably driven at a predetermined speed by pressure fluid generated in the boiler and in turn drives an alternator that is hermetically sealed in a casing rotatable with the boiler and condensing means as a unit. The alternator is rotatably mounted in gas bearings and a portion of the power fluid condensed in said condensing means is utilized to cool the alternator and to provide power fluid vapor at a constant low pressure which is supplied to the gas bearings to lubricate said bearings. In the disclosed embodiments a magnetic-harmonic drive between the alternator and the rotary engine rotatably drives the latter at a predetermined speed substantially slower than the speed of the expander and alternator. In one disclosed embodiment separate primary and secondary condensers are employed for the exhaust vapor condensing means, and in another disclosed embodiment a single condenser is employed.

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Wilmington, DE, United States of America

William A Doerner