Method and apparatus for transferring heat energy from engine housing to

Abstract

A continuous combustion, pinned vane type, positive displacement, rotary compressor and expander engine system comprises a compressor which outputs compressed air, a combustor which effects continuous combustion of a combustion gas mixture containing fuel and the compressed air and produces a combustion gas output. An expander is coupled to receive a mixture of combustion gas and an expansion fluid as an expandable working gas. The expander expands the expandable working gas and performs work to cause rotation of an engine output shaft. Each the compressor and the expander comprises a respective pinned vane type, positive displacement, rotary device. The engine system further includes an expansion fluid flow path having an input port to which the expansion fluid is supplied, and an output port coupled to combine the expansion fluid with the combustion gas as the expandable working gas. The expansion fluid flow path is in thermal communication with the expander housing such that there is a thermal energy transfer from the housing to the expansion fluid, thereby increasing the thermal energy of the expansion fluid to the extent where a phase transformation takes place from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase. In the gaseous phase the expansion fluid is combined with the combustion gas to form the expandable working gas.