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:
Dec. 06, 1988
Filed:
Sep. 22, 1987
Barry W Johnston, Washington, DC (US);
Other;
Abstract
A closed loop solar collector system (10) includes a fluid receiver (12) for collecting solar heat to vaporize a working fluid therein. A uniflow engine (15), connected to the receiver (12), is powered by the vaporized fluid to power a water wheel (19). The engine (15) includes a single piston (37) acting directly upon a pair of normally closed intake valves (50) projecting into the engine cylinder (35). Under low boiler pressure conditions, a spring loaded connecting rod (62) having depending arms (64) each engaging one of the intake valve rods (54b) when in a normally raised position coordinates simultaneous opening or closing of the valves (50) with a detent mechanism (63), enabling the piston (37) to operate in a nonexpanding state. At high boiler pressures, the connecting rod (62) disengages from the intake valve (50) by means of a transmission rod (90) and follower (96) acted upon by outwardly displaced weights (100) provided on a flywheel ( 19a) powered by the engine drive shaft (44) so that the piston operates in the expanding state. Exhausted vaporized fluid discharged from the engine (15) enters a condensor (20) alternately connected in series with first (25a) and second (25b) holding tanks so that the receiver (12) fills with water draining from one of the tanks (25a, 15b) while the other tank refills with water from the condensor (20). The alternating cycle is controlled by steam actuated valves (30, 30') in response to fluid levels inside the holding tanks (25a, 25b). The tanks are mounted to feed water to the receiver under gravity and under pressure of vaporized fluid entering the tanks from the receiver.