초록 ▼

An engine block has one or more cylinders with associated pistons connected to turn a crankshaft. A distributor housing mounted on the block has a base with one or more first ports that open into corresponding cylinders. A hollow cylindrical distributor mounted for rotation in the distributor housin

An engine block has one or more cylinders with associated pistons connected to turn a crankshaft. A distributor housing mounted on the block has a base with one or more first ports that open into corresponding cylinders. A hollow cylindrical distributor mounted for rotation in the distributor housing has one or more second ports formed in its circumference to align with the first ports in the housing base, at corresponding angular positions of the distributor. A combustor housing forms a combustion chamber with a fuel inlet, an air inlet, and a hot gas outlet. The combustor housing is joined to the distributor housing so that the combustion chamber opens into the interior of the distributor. A turbine plant has a gas inlet connected to the gas outlet on the combustor housing, and an output shaft that drives a compressor. The compressor has an air outlet connected to the air inlet on the combustor housing for supplying air to the combustion chamber. A timing mechanism is arranged between the crankshaft and the distributor so that when a given piston starts its work stroke, a second port in the distributor begins to coincide with a first port that opens into the corresponding cylinder, and hot gas charges under pressure through both ports to power the piston work stroke.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. An external combustion engine, comprising: an engine block having one or more cylinders, and a corresponding number of pistons arranged for reciprocating movement inside the cylinders; an engine crankshaft connected to each piston and supported for rotation about an axis of the cranksha

I claim: 1. An external combustion engine, comprising: an engine block having one or more cylinders, and a corresponding number of pistons arranged for reciprocating movement inside the cylinders; an engine crankshaft connected to each piston and supported for rotation about an axis of the crankshaft in response to a work stroke of each piston; a distributor housing mounted on the engine block, wherein the housing includes a base having one or more first ports that open into corresponding ones of the cylinders; a hollow cylindrical distributor having an axis and mounted in the distributor housing for rotational movement about said axis, one or more second ports are formed in the circumference of the distributor so that each second port registers with a corresponding first port in the base of the distributor housing at a determined angular position of the distributor; a combustor housing having a fuel inlet, a first air inlet, and a first gas outlet and forming a combustion chamber, wherein the combustor housing is joined to the distributor housing so that the combustion chamber opens into the interior of the distributor; a turbine plant having a gas inlet arranged in communication with the first gas outlet on the combustor housing, and an associated-output shaft; a compressor arranged to be driven by the output shaft of the turbine and having an air outlet coupled to the first air inlet on the combustor housing, for supplying air for fuel combustion in the combustion chamber; an igniter arranged to initiate combustion of air and fuel in the combustion chamber; and a timing mechanism constructed and arranged between the engine crankshaft and the distributor so that when the crankshaft is approximately at a position where a piston starts a work stroke in an associated cylinder, a second port in the distributor starts to coincide with a first port in the base of the distributor housing which opens into the cylinder, and hot gas charges under pressure from inside the distributor, through the coincident ports, and into the cylinder to power the work stroke of the piston. 2. An engine according to claim 1, wherein the distributor has one or more raised shutter portions that subtend a determined arc about the circumference of the distributor and are juxtaposed to the inner periphery of the distributor housing, and the second ports are formed in the raised shutter portions. 3. An engine according to claim 2, wherein the raised shutter portion subtends an arc of about 180 degrees. 4. An engine according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust space is defined between the outer circumference of the distributor and the inner periphery of the distributor housing, and the distributor housing has an exhaust port in communication with the exhaust space. 5. An engine according to claim 4, wherein the distributor is constructed and arranged so that gas present in a given cylinder of the engine block purges into the exhaust space during a return stroke of the corresponding piston. 6. An engine according to claim 1, wherein the combustor housing has a first air intake manifold associated with the first air inlet, and a first set of circumferentially spaced holes for directing air supplied to the first air inlet into the combustion chamber. 7. An engine according to claim 6, wherein the combustor housing has an end wall, the fuel inlet and the igniter are disposed in the vicinity of the end wall, and the first air intake manifold is located a certain distance downstream from the end wall to define a pre-chamber region of the combustion chamber wherein sub-stoichiometric combustion is obtained with air that enters the pre-chamber region from the first air intake manifold. 8. An engine according to claim 7, wherein the combustor housing has a second air inlet located a certain distance downstream from the first air inlet, a second air intake manifold associated with the second air inlet to define a transition region in the combustion chamber for completing combustion of fuel at a temperature lower than that developed in the pre-chamber region, and a second set of circumferentially spaced holes for directing air supplied to the second air inlet to the transition region. 9. A method of powering an engine having one or more working cylinders and associated pistons arranged to perform work strokes inside the cylinders, comprising: combusting a fuel in an external combustion chamber, thus producing heated combustion products; supplying a gas turbine plant with the heated combustion products produced in the combustion chamber to drive the turbine plant; coupling an output of the turbine plant to a compressor to obtain a supply of pressurized air; directing the pressurized air from the compressor to the combustion chamber, thus producing a pressurized hot gas; and opening the combustion chamber into a distributor device that is operative to charge the pressurized hot gas into each cylinder of the engine with such a timing as to urge the associated piston through a corresponding work stroke. 10. The method of claim 9, including varying the amount of heated combustion products supplied to the gas turbine plant for controlling a power output of the engine. 11. The method of claim 9, including directing a first branch of the pressurized air from the compressor to a first air inlet of the combustion chamber so as to obtain sub-stoichiometric combustion of the fuel at a first temperature, and directing a second branch of the pressurized air from the compressor to a second air inlet of the combustion chamber for completing combustion of the fuel at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. 12. The method of claim 9, including operating each piston under a two-stroke cycle. 13. The method of claim 9, including supplying the heated combustion products to a HP stage of the gas turbine plant. 14. The method of claim 13, including providing the gas turbine plant with a LP stage in addition to the HP stage, and directing exhaust gas from each cylinder to drive the LP stage.