Thermodynamic cycle engine with bi-directional regenerators and elliptical gear train and method thereof
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F01B-029/10
F01B-029/00
출원번호
US-0036410
(2005-01-14)
등록번호
US-7284373
(2007-10-23)
발명자
/ 주소
Benson,Mark Christopher
출원인 / 주소
Benson,Mark Christopher
대리인 / 주소
Simpson & Simpson, PLLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
4인용 특허 :
16
초록▼
A thermodynamic cycle heat engine comprising a regenerator housing with two bi-directional regenerators, compression and expansion chambers connected to different ends of the housing, and a gear train. Each of the bi-directional regenerators comprises a low pressure connection having a first volume
A thermodynamic cycle heat engine comprising a regenerator housing with two bi-directional regenerators, compression and expansion chambers connected to different ends of the housing, and a gear train. Each of the bi-directional regenerators comprises a low pressure connection having a first volume and a high pressure connection having a second volume less than the first volume. The bi-directional regenerators, the compression chamber, and the expansion chamber form a closed space for a working fluid. The gear train is disposed within the regenerator housing and comprises a plurality of non-round gears, a center gear group, and two outer gear groups substantially opposed with respect to the center gear group. The gear train oscillatingly rotates rotors in the chambers to create cyclically varying volumes for compression and expansion spaces so that two thermodynamic cycles are completed by the engine for each rotation of the rotors.
대표청구항▼
What we claim is: 1. A thermodynamic cycle heat engine comprising: a regenerator housing comprising first and second bi-directional regenerators, each said first and second bi-directional regenerator comprising a low pressure connection having a first volume and a high pressure connection having a
What we claim is: 1. A thermodynamic cycle heat engine comprising: a regenerator housing comprising first and second bi-directional regenerators, each said first and second bi-directional regenerator comprising a low pressure connection having a first volume and a high pressure connection having a second volume less than said first volume; a compression chamber connected to a first end of said regenerator housing; an expansion chamber connected to a second end of said regenerator housing and in fluid communication with said compression chamber via said first and second bi-directional regenerators, said first and second bi-directional regenerators, said compression chamber, and said expansion chamber forming a closed space for a working fluid; first and second compression rotors disposed within said compression chamber, said rotors forming at least one pair of compression spaces within said compression chamber; first and second expansion rotors disposed within said expansion chamber, said rotors forming at least one pair of expansion spaces within said expansion chamber; and, a gear train disposed within said regenerator housing and comprising a plurality of non-round gears, a center gear group, first and second outer gear groups substantially opposed with respect to said center gear group, and a power shaft, wherein said gear train is connected to said first and second compression and expansion rotors, said gear train is arranged to oscillatingly rotate said first and second compression rotors and said first and second expansion rotors to create cyclically varying volumes for said at least one pair of compression spaces and said at least one pair of expansion spaces, respectively, and to control said fluid communication between said compression and expansion chambers so that two thermodynamic cycles are completed by said engine for each rotation of said first and second compression and expansion rotors. 2. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 1 wherein said at least one pair of expansion spaces further comprise a third volume, and said first volume is greater than said third volume. 3. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 1 wherein said low pressure connection further comprises a first cross section having a first area and said high pressure connection further comprises a second cross section having a second area less than said first area. 4. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 1 wherein said low pressure connection and said high pressure connection share at least one wall. 5. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 1 wherein said compression chamber further comprises a compression plate mounted to said first end and a compression cap having a first exterior surface, said compression cap mounted to said compression plate to form a compression chamber volume, said compression rotors are disposed within said compression chamber volume, and said first exterior surface is arranged for exposure to a cooling medium; and, wherein said expansion chamber further comprises an expansion plate mounted to said second end and an expansion cap having a second exterior surface, said expansion cap mounted to said expansion plate to form an expansion chamber volume, said expansion rotors are disposed within said expansion chamber volume, and said second exterior surface is arranged for exposure to a heating medium. 6. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 5 wherein said compression plate further comprises first and second ports in fluid communication with said low pressure connection for said first and second bi-directional regenerators, respectively, and third and fourth ports in fluid communication with said high pressure connection for said first and second bi-directional regenerators, respectively: wherein said expansion plate further comprises fifth and sixth ports in fluid communication with said low pressure connection for said first and second bi-directional regenerators, respectively, and seventh and eighth ports in fluid communication with said high pressure connection for said first and second bi-directional regenerators, respectively; and, wherein said compression rotors are arranged to cyclically block said first, second, third, and fourth ports and said expansion rotors are arranged to cyclically block said fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth ports as said compression and expansion rotors rotate. 7. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 6 wherein each said first and second compression rotors comprises at least one compression lobe, each said first and second expansion rotors comprises at least one expansion lobe, and said at least one pair of compression spaces further comprises a fourth volume; and, wherein said gear train is arranged to move said at least one lobe for said first and second compression rotors in respective opposing directions to increase and decrease said fourth volume and to move said at least one lobe for said first and second expansion rotors in respective opposing directions to increase and decrease said third volume. 8. The thermodynamic cycle beat engine of claim 7 wherein said at least one compression lobe further comprises first and second compression lobes and said at least one expansion lobe further comprises first and second expansion lobes, said first and second compression lobes are interleaved to form two pairs of compression spaces, and said first and second expansion lobes are interleaved to form two pairs of expansion spaces. 9. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 1 wherein said gear train further comprises first and second rotor round gears connected to said first and second compression rotors, respectively, and third and fourth rotor round gears connected to said first and second expansion rotors, respectively; wherein said center gear group comprises first and second center elliptical gears mounted to a center shaft; wherein said first outer gear group is mounted to at least one first outboard gear shaft and comprises first and second pairs of gears, said first and second pairs each comprising a first and second outboard elliptical gear, respectively, said first pair engaging said first rotor round gear and said center gear group and said second pair engaging said third rotor round gear and said center gear group; and, wherein said second outer gear group is mounted to at least one second outboard gear shaft and comprises third and fourth pairs of gears, said third and fourth pairs each comprising a third and fourth outboard elliptical gear, respectively, said third pair engaging said second rotor round gear and said center gear group and said fourth pair engaging said fourth rotor round gear and said center gear group. 10. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 9 wherein said first pair of gears includes a first round outboard gear engaged said with first rotor round gear and said first outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said first center elliptical gear, said second pair of gears includes a second round outboard gear engaged with said third rotor round gear and said second outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said second center elliptical gear, said third pair of gears includes a third round outboard gear engaged with said second rotor round gear and said third outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said first center elliptical gear, and said fourth pair of gears includes a fourth round outboard gear engaged with said fourth rotor round gear and said fourth outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said second center elliptical gear. 11. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 10 wherein said first and second center elliptical gears and said first, second, third, and fourth outboard elliptical gears have a one-to-one ratio with respect to each other and each said first, second, third, and fourth rotor round gears has a one-to-two ratio with respect to said first, second, third, and fourth outboard round gears. 12. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 11 wherein said first outboard gear group comprises an idler gear, said center gear group comprises a center round gear engaged with said idler gear, and said power shaft is engaged with said idler gear. 13. The thermodynamic cycle heat engine of claim 11 wherein said center gear group is mounted to said power shaft. 14. A thermodynamic cycle heat engine comprising: first and second bi-directional regenerators, each said first and second bi-directional regenerator comprising a low pressure connection having a first volume and a high pressure connection having a second volume less than said first volume; a compression chamber comprising first and second rotors, said rotors defining two pairs of compression spaces; an expansion chamber comprising third and fourth rotors, said rotors defining two pairs of expansion spaces; and, a gear train comprising a center gear group, first and second outer gear groups substantially opposed with respect to said center gear group, and a power shaft, wherein each said center group and first and second outer groups includes at least one elliptical gear, said gear train is arranged to oscillatingly rotate said first and second compression rotors to create cyclically varying volumes for said two pairs of compression spaces, to oscillatingly rotate said first and second expansion rotors to create cyclically varying volumes for said two pairs of expansion spaces, and to control fluid communication between said compression and expansion chambers so that two thermodynamic cycles are completed by said engine for each rotation of said first and second compression and expansion rotors. 15. A method for completing a thermodynamic cycle in a heat engine, the method comprising: oscillatingly rotating at least two compression rotor lobes disposed within a compression chamber using a gear train including a plurality of non-round gears, a center gear group, and first and second outer gear groups substantially opposed with respect to said center gear group; forming at least one pair of compression spaces having cyclically varying volumes within said compression chamber; oscillatingly rotating at least two expansion rotor lobes disposed within an expansion chamber using said gear train; forming at least one pair of expansion spaces having cyclically varying volumes within said expansion chamber; passing working fluid from said compression chamber through respective high pressure connections in first and second bi-directional regenerators to said expansion chamber, each said high pressure connection having a first volume; passing said working fluid from said expansion chamber through respective low pressure connections in said first and second bi-directional regenerators to said compression chamber, each said low pressure connection having a second volume greater than said first volume; and, completing two thermodynamic cycles in said engine for each rotation of said at least two compression and expansion rotor lobes. 16. The method recited in claim 15 wherein said at least one pair of compression spaces further comprises two pairs of compression spaces and said at least two compression rotor lobes further comprises four compression rotor lobes; and, wherein said at least one pair of expansion spaces further comprises two pairs of expansion spaces and said at least two expansion rotor lobes further comprises four expansion rotor lobes. 17. The method recited in claim 15 wherein said at least one pair of compression spaces further comprises a third volume, and said second volume is greater than said third volume. 18. The method recited in claim 15 wherein said at least one pair of compression and expansion spaces further comprises fourth and fifth volumes, respectively; and, said method further comprising: moving said at least two compression rotor lobes in opposing directions to increase and decrease said fourth volume and moving said at least two expansion rotor lobes in opposing directions to increase and decrease said fifth volume, wherein said moving is performed by said gear train. 19. The method recited in claim 15 wherein said gear train further comprises first and second rotor round gears each connected to one of said at least two compression rotor lobes and third and fourth rotor round gears each connected to one of said at least two expansion rotors; wherein said center gear group comprises first and second center elliptical gears mounted to a center shaft; wherein said first outer gear group is mounted to at least one first outboard gear shaft and comprises first and second pairs of gears, said first and second pairs each comprising a first and second outboard elliptical gear, respectively, said first pair engaging said first rotor round gear and said center gear group and said second pair engaging said third rotor round gear and said center gear group; and, wherein said second outer gear group is mounted to at least one second outboard gear shaft and comprises third and fourth pairs of gears, said third and fourth pairs each comprising a third and fourth outboard elliptical gear, respectively, said third pair engaging said second rotor round gear and said center gear group and said fourth pair engaging said fourth rotor round gear and said center gear group. 20. The method recited in claim 19 wherein said first pair of gears includes a first round outboard gear engaged said with first rotor round gear and said first outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said first center elliptical gear, said second pair of gears includes a second round outboard gear engaged with said third rotor round gear and said second outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said second center elliptical gear, said third pair of gears includes a third round outboard gear engaged with said second rotor round gear and said third outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said first center elliptical gear, and said fourth pair of gears includes a fourth round outboard gear engaged with said fourth rotor round gear and said fourth outboard elliptical gear is engaged with said second center elliptical gear. 21. The method recited in claim 20 wherein said first and second center elliptical gears and said first, second, third, and fourth outboard elliptical gears have a one-to-one ratio with respect to each other and each said first, second, third, and fourth rotor round gears has a one-to-two ratio with respect to said first, second, third, and fourth outboard round gears. 22. The method recited in claim 20 wherein said first outboard gear group comprises an idler gear, said center gear group comprises a center round gear engaged with said idler gear, and said power shaft is engaged with said idler gear. 23. The method recited in claim 20 wherein said center gear group is mounted to said power shaft.
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