The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 12, 1976
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1975
Kenneth G Hagen, Acton, MA (US);
Fred N Huffman, Sudbury, MA (US);
Arthur E Ruggles, Billerica, MA (US);
Thermo Electron Corporation, Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
An annular tidal regenerator heat engine including a housing assembly enclosing a cylindrical interior region with a loose-fitting piston and a condensable vapor working fluid disposed therein. A condenser is adapted to maintain a portion of the interior region near one end of the piston at a condenser temperature equal to or below the boiling point of the working fluid at a predetermined minimum pressure. A super-heater is adapted to maintain a portion of the interior region near the other end of the piston at a super-heater temperature above the boiling point of the working fluid at a predetermined maximum pressure. A boiler is adapted to maintain a portion of the cylindrical shell portion of the interior region between the piston and housing at a boiler temperature below the super-heater temperature and above or equal to the boiling point of the working fluid at a predetermined maximum pressure. A tidal liquid regenerator is adapted to maintain a predetermined temperature gradient in the portion of the interior region between those characterized by the condenser and boiler temperatures and a vapor regenerator is adapted to maintain a predetermined temperature gradient in the portion of the interior region between those characterized by the boiler and super-heater temperatures. A power extraction means such as a bellows is connected to the cold end of the piston for coupling energy derived from piston motion to an external load. A cycle control means maintains a liquid-vapor interface of the working fluid to be positioned in the regions of the annular cross-section cylindrical shell region between the piston and the interior surfaces of the housing assembly. The cycle control further positions the interface to alternate between the portion of the shell region characterized by the boiler and condenser temperatures.