초록 ▼

The invention is for a continuous-combustion, closed-cycle, gas turbine engine with a regenerator and a displacer. It has embodiments that remove heater and cooler interior volumes during gas compression, which enable it to scale well to very large sizes. Low combustion temperatures insure very low

The invention is for a continuous-combustion, closed-cycle, gas turbine engine with a regenerator and a displacer. It has embodiments that remove heater and cooler interior volumes during gas compression, which enable it to scale well to very large sizes. Low combustion temperatures insure very low emissions. The displacer levitated by an integral gas bearing and small clearance seal and given oscillatory translational motion by electromagnetic forces operates without surface wear. The turbine blades, subjected only to warm gases, are durable and inexpensive. Thus, this engine has a very long, continuous, maintenance-free service life. This gas turbine engine also operates without back work allowing high efficiency for both low and rated output. Pressurized encapsulation permits use of low-cost ceramics for high temperature components. The invention includes a unique monolithic ceramic heater, a compact high-capacity regenerator and a constant-power gas turbine.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A heat engine that used a thermal compressor to power a compressed gas drive, where gas compression is mechanically uncoupled from the output drive and where a quasi-constant-pressure process is used and comprising:(a) a thermal compressor (TC) which receives gas at engine ambient pressure and di

1. A heat engine that used a thermal compressor to power a compressed gas drive, where gas compression is mechanically uncoupled from the output drive and where a quasi-constant-pressure process is used and comprising:(a) a thermal compressor (TC) which receives gas at engine ambient pressure and discharges it at a higher pressure, and comprising: a closed container and a displacer, means of bringing heat into the engine, a cooler that rejects heat, a regenerator, a region or tank for accumulating low-pressure gas, a region or tank for accumulating high-pressure gas, a pair of pump check valves and a piping set that connects the elements;(b) a displacer drive system which receives power from a controller and outputs mechanical power to a displacer; and(c) a compressed gas drive that receives high-pressure gas from the TC, transforms it into output mechanical shaft power and discharges low-pressure gas to the TC. 2. A heat engine according to claim 1 with a feedback control system, and further comprising a controller that receives inputs from an engine sensor and uses these data to enable precise control of engine output speed and torque. 3. A heat engine according to claim 1, further comprising a thermal compressor with a continuous external combustion heater as a means of bringing heat into the engine. 4. A heat engine according to claim 3, with elements that vary output torque by allowing the engine ambient pressure to vary and further comprising:(a) a compressor that receives working fluid gas from the system and sends it to a check valve;(b) a motor which drives the compressor and which receives power commands from the controller to reduce the operating pressure in the system;(c) a check valve, which receives gas from the compressor and delivers it to a storage tank;(d) a storage tank, which receives gas from a check valve and delivers it to an adjustable flow valve;(e) an adjustable flow valve which is regulated by the controller, receives gas from the storage tank and delivers it to the high-pressure tank; and(f) a controller, which regulates system pressurization, as a means of varying turbine-output torque, by powering up the compressor motor to reduce system pressure and controlling the adjustable flow valve. 5. A heat engine according to claim 4, with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by effectively removing the cooler interior volume during compression, and further comprising a valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke, gas follows a path from the cold chamber, then through the regenerator, heater and into the hot chamber;(b) during the intake stroke, gas follows a path from the hot chamber, through the heater, the regenerator and then discharges from the thermal compressors to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold chamber. 6. A heat engine according to claim 4, with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by effectively removing the heater interior volume during compression, and further comprising a valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke, gas follows a path from the cold chamber, through the cooler, the regenerator and into the hot chamber;(b) during the intake stroke, gas follows a path from the hot chamber, through the heater, regenerator, cooler and then into the cold chamber; and(c) simultaneously during the intake stroke, fresh gas also directly enters the cold chamber. 7. A heat engine according to claim 6, with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by also effectively removing the cooler interior volume during compression so that both the heater and cooler interior volumes are removed, and further comprising a valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke gas follows a path from the cold chamber, through the regenerator and then into the hot chamber;(b) during the intake stroke, gas follows a path from the hot chamber, through the heater, the regenerator and then is discharged from the thermal compressors to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold chamber. 8. A heat engine according to claim 7, further comprising an output drive that incorporates a turbine as the output power device. 9. A heat engine according to claim 7, further comprising an output drive that incorporates a reaction turbine as the output power device. 10. A heat engine according to claim 1, further comprising:(a) a thermal compressor with a continuous internal combustion heater;(b) means of pumping fuel and air, oxygen or oxidizer into the interior of the system; and(c) means of extracting compressed gas energy from the products of combustion before discharging them out of the system. 11. A heat engine according to claim 10, with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by effectively removing the heater and cooler interior volumes during compression, and further comprising a valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke gas follows a path from the cold chamber, through the regenerator and then into the hot chamber;(b) during the intake stroke gas follows a path from the hot chamber, through the heater and the regenerator and then discharged from the thermal compressors to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold chamber. 12. A heat engine according to claim 1, with continuous internal combustion in the hot chamber of the thermal compressor, and further comprising:(a) a thermal compressor with combustion occurring in the hot chamber or at some point in the gas dynamic circuit in or between the hot chamber and the regenerator;(b) means of pumping fuel and air, oxygen or oxidizer into the interior of the system; and(c) means of extracting compressed gas energy from the products of combustion before discharging them out of the system. 13. A heat engine according to claim 12 with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by effectively removing the cooler interior volume during compression and further comprising a valve set so that:(a) during the compression stroke gas follows a path from the cold chamber, through the regenerator and then into the hot chamber;(b) during the intake stroke gas follows a path from the hot chamber, through the regenerator and then discharges from the thermal compressors to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold chamber. 14. A heat engine, with a continuous internal combustion thermal compressor, a displacer that is supported by a center rod and powered by a linear electromagnetic drive, and comprising:(a) a continuous internal combustion thermal compressor closed container with a displacer supported by a center rod and powered by a linear electromagnetic drive;(b) a cooler that rejects heat, a regenerator, a region or tank for accumulating low-pressure gas, a region or tank for accumulating high-pressure gas, a pair of pump check valves, a piping set that connects the elements, and a compressed gas drive which transforms compressed gas from the high pressure tank into mechanical power that is delivered to a load and discharges gas to the low pressure tank;(c) a displacer, center-rod seal that inhibits drive chamber lubricant from entering the closed container cold chamber;(d) means of equalizing the pressure between the closed container cold chamber and displacer center rod base;(e) means of pumping fuel and air, oxygen or oxidizer into the interior of the system; and(f) means of extracting compressed gas energy from the products of combustion before discharging them. 15. A heat engine according to claim 14 with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by effectively removing the cooler interior volume during compression and elements that incorporate an active vibration mitigation system that nullifies vibrations on the engine support plate, and further comprising:(a) a thermal compressor valve set configured so that:i. during the compression stroke gas follows a path from the cold chamber, through the regenerator and then into the hot chamber;ii. during the intake stroke gas follows a path from the hot chamber and regenerator and then discharges from the thermal compressors to an external cooler; andiii. simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold chamber; and(b) an active, vibration-mitigation system comprising:i. an engine support plate;ii. a vibration isolation spring that is attached to the engine support plate and closed container;iii. an active damper drive coil, back iron and structure, that is attached to the engine support plate;iv. an active damper armature housed within the damper drive coil;v. a motion response sensor attached to the engine support plate; andvi. a controller that synchronizes the motion of the active damper armature with that of the displacer. 16. A heat engine according to claim 15 with a fully integrated system, and further comprising:(a) a controller that regulates all controllable functions;(b) a cooler that discharges heat into a cooling media;(c) a high-pressure tank and a low-pressure tank;(d) a liquid-gas separator that separates water and oil from the products of combustion after being discharged by the cooler, discharging the water and oil from the system and then sending the products of combustion to the low pressure tank;(e) an air intake, an air intake filter, a compressor that receives and compresses air from the atmosphere and delivers it to the cooler, an expander that receives gases from the high pressure tank and extracts energy from the products of combustion before discharging them into the exhaust at atmospheric pressure, and a heat exchanger that cools gases between compression stages and heats gases between expansion stages;(f) an intake choke and an exhaust choke used to regulate system pressure;(g) a gas dynamic drive that receives gas from the high-pressure tank, outputs power to a load and discharges gases to the low-pressure tank;(h) a discharge check valve that discharges compressed gas from the thermal compressor to the high-pressure tank, an intake check valve that supplies intake gas to the thermal compressor, and a three-port, two-position, solenoid cooler valve that diverts warm thermal compressor gas to the cooler or receives gas from the TC cold chamber;(i) a closed container and displacer that divides it into a hot chamber and cold chamber;(j) a regenerator that is connected to the hot chamber and cooler valve;(k) a fuel system comprising: a fuel tank, a fuel pump, a fuel pump motor that is regulated by the controller, a fuel filter, an adjustable fuel-flow control that is regulated by the controller to maintain a constant temperature in the hot chamber, a fuel injection nozzle, igniter, and a hot-chamber temperature transducer that the controller monitors;(l) an oxygen sensor that measures the oxygen level before it enters the high-pressure tank used by the controller to regulate the intake of fresh air into the low-pressure tank;(m) a displacer drive coil;(n) a displacer, drive-coil, spring-like leads that bring power to the displacer drive coil;(o) a spring set that cause the displacer to bounce at the end of the stroke; and(p) an active vibration-mitigation system comprising:a system support plate,a vibration isolation spring that is attached to the engine support plate and the closed container, an active damper drive coil and structure attached to the engine support plate, an active damper armature located in the damper drive coil, a motion sensor attached to the support plate and monitored by the controller, and a controller used to correlate displacer and damper armature motion so that the system-support-plate vibrations are nullified. 17. A heat engine with a continuous internal combustion thermal compressor that uses a pushrod-driven displacer that obviates the wear problem of a pushrod seal by nullifying the pressure change across the seal, and comprising:(a) a continuous internal combustion thermal compressor closed container with a pushrod-driven displacer that separates it into a hot space and a cold space;(b) a cooler that rejects heat, a regenerator, a region or tank for accumulating low-pressure gas, a region or tank for accumulating high-pressure gas, a pair of pump check valves, a piping set that connects the elements, and a compressed gas drive which transforms compressed gas into mechanical power and delivers it to a load;(c) a displacer drive chamber and liquid lubricant that fills all chamber voids precluding gas in the drive chamber;(d) a displacer drive connected to the displacer by means of a pushrod;(e) an expandable baffle with its interior connected by a passage to the closed container cold space, located in the drive chamber, and which expands and contracts so that the pressure in the closed container cold chamber equalizes with that of the displacer drive chamber;(f) means of pumping fuel and air, oxygen or oxidizer into the interior of the system; and(g) means of extracting compressed gas energy from the products of combustion before discharging them. 18. A heat engine according to claim 17, with elements that improve volumetric efficiency by effectively removing the cooler interior volume during compression, and further comprising a thermal compressor valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke gas follows a path from the cold chamber, then through the regenerator and then into the hot chamber;(b) during the intake stroke gas follows a path from the hot chamber and regenerator and then discharges from the thermal compressors to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold chamber. 19. A heat engine according to claim 18 with means to pressurize air and extract energy from the products of combustion prior to discharging into the atmosphere, and further comprising:(a) a controller that regulates all controllable functions;(b) a cooler that discharges heat into a cooling media;(c) a high-pressure tank and a low-pressure tank;(d) a liquid-gas separator that separates water and oil from the products of combustion after being discharged by the cooler, discharging the water and oil from the system and then sending the products of combustion to the low pressure tank;(e) an air intake, an air intake filter, a compressor that receives and compresses air from the atmosphere and delivers it to the cooler, an expander that receives gases from the high pressure tank and extracts energy from the products of combustion before discharging them into the exhaust at atmospheric pressure, and a heat exchanger that cools gases between compression stages and heats gases between expansion stages;(f) an intake choke and an exhaust choke used to regulate system pressure;(g) a gas dynamic drive that receives gas from the high pressure, that outputs power to a load and discharges gases to the low-pressure tank;(h) a discharge check valve that discharges compressed gas from the thermal compressor to the high-pressure tank, an intake check valve that supplies intake gas to the thermal compressor, and a three-port, two-position, cam-actuated cooler valve that diverts warm thermal compressor gas to the cooler or receives gas from the TC cold chamber;(i) a regenerator that is connected to the hot chamber and cooler valve;(j) a fuel system comprising: a fuel tank, a fuel pump, a fuel pump motor that is regulated by the controller, a fuel filter, an adjustable-fuel flow control that is regulated by the controller to maintain a constant temperature in the hot chamber, a fuel-injection nozzle, an igniter, and a hot-chamber temperature transducer that the controller monitors;(k) an oxygen sensor that measures the oxygen level before it enters the high-pressure tank used by the controller to regulate the intake of fresh air into the low-pressure tank;(l ) a closed container and displacer that divides it into a hot chamber and cold chamber;(m) a displacer seal;(n) a displacer pushrod and a pushrod seal;(o) a crankcase oil system comprising: an oil-gas separator that recovers any oil leakage in the system, an oil sump tank, an oil heater that drives off water, a two-port, two-position oil valve which responds to commands to add oil to the crankcase, crankcase oil, and a crankcase;(p) a crankshaft cam that drives the cooler valve;(q) a crank drive motor, a crank arm and a connecting rod;(r) a pressure-equalizing bellow and a low-oil sensor that activates the solenoid valve that restores lost crankcase oil. 20. A heat engine according to claim 19, further comprising means to eliminate vibrations associated with the primary frequency and the second harmonic frequency. 21. A heat engine according to claims 16 or 20 , with an engine structure of ceramic manufacture, resistant to thermal fatigue and thermal shock failures, and further comprising:(a) a pressure chamber that contains a high-pressure gas and encapsulates an engine structural assembly containing high temperature ceramic elements that are protected from thermal fatigue and thermal shock failures;(b) an engine structural assembly containing high temperature ceramic elements that are protected from thermal fatigue and thermal shock failures and configured so that these elements are primarily subjected to compressive stresses; and(c) means that thermally insulate the pressure chamber from the high temperature elements. 22. A heat engine according to claim 21 integrated into a cogeneration system and further comprising:(a) a turbo generator; and(b) a cooler integrated into a hot water tank. 23. A heat engine according to claim 21, integrated into a base-load central power plant and further comprising a turbo generator. 24. A heat engine according to claim 21, which includes features required in automotive applications and further comprising a full-function, turbine-drive system with a forward and reverse-retard capability. 25. A heat engine according to claim 21, further comprising a helical type gas motor and a conventional transmission as required by heavy truck applications. 26. A heat engine according to claim 21, further comprising an axial flow compressor and an axial flow expander for use as a railroad engine. 27. A heat engine according to claim 21, further comprising a drive system that incorporates a reaction turbine as the output power device. 28. A heat engine with a continuous external combustion heater, which uses a displacer push rod and obviates the wear problem of a high-pressure, push-rod seal by nullifying the pressure change across the seal and comprising:(a) a continuous external combustion thermal compressor, a heater, a cooler that rejects heat, a regenerator, a region or tank for accumulating low-pressure gas, a region or tank for accumulating high-pressure gas, a pair of pump check valves, a piping set that connects the elements, and a compressed gas drive which transforms compressed gas into mechanical power that is delivered to a load;(b) a displacer drive chamber and a liquid lubricant that fills all voids precluding gas in the drive chamber;(c) a displacer drive connected to the displacer by means of a pushrod; and(d) a closed expandable baffle that is located in the drive chamber and with its interior connected by a passage to the closed container cold space, and which expands and contracts so that the pressure in the closed container cold chamber equalizes with the displacer drive chamber. 29. A heat engine according to claim 28, having variable output torque comprising:(a) a second compressor for receiving compressed gas from the compressed gas drive;(b) a controller operatively connected to an adjustable flow valve;(c) a motor for driving the second compressor operatively connected to the controller; and(d) a third check valve connected between the second compressor and a storage tank for rec eiving gas from the second compressor and delivering the gas to the storage tank for subsequent transmission of the gas under the control of the controller to the adjustable flow valve wherein turbine output torque is regulated by controlling the speed of the compressor motor to reduce engine pressure and by opening the adjustable flow valve to increase engine pressure. 30. A heat engine according to claim 29, having improved volumetric efficiency, further comprising a thermal compressor valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke, the gas follows a path from the cold region through the regenerator to the heater and thereafter into the hot region;(b) during the intake stroke, the gas follows a path from the hot region, through the heater to the regenerator and thereafter is discharged from the thermal compressor to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas is directly introduced to the cold region. 31. A heat engine according to claim 29, that effectively removes heat during compression, and further comprising a thermal compressor valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke, the gas in the cold chamber passes through the cooler through the regenerator and into the hot region;(b) during the subsequent intake stroke, the gas in the hot region passes from the heater, through the regenerator and cooler and into the cold region; and(c) simultaneously during the intake stroke, fresh gas is directly introduced to the cold region. 32. A heat engine according to claim 31, having improved volumetric efficiency wherein both hot and cold gas volumes are removed during compression, and further comprising a thermal compressor valve set configured so that:(a) during the compression stroke, the gas follows a path from the cold region through the regenerator and into the hot region;(b) during the intake stroke, the gas follows a path from the hot chamber, through the heater, to the regenerator and thereafter is discharged from the thermal compressor to an external cooler; and(c) simultaneously, during the intake stroke, fresh gas directly enters the cold region.