초록 ▼

An engine and a method for operating the engine comprising a chamber defined by at least one fixed wall and at least one movable wall, the volume of the chamber variable with movement of the movable wall; an injector arranged to inject liquid into the chamber while the chamber has a substantially mi

An engine and a method for operating the engine comprising a chamber defined by at least one fixed wall and at least one movable wall, the volume of the chamber variable with movement of the movable wall; an injector arranged to inject liquid into the chamber while the chamber has a substantially minimum volume; apparatus through which energy is introduced that is absorbed by the fluid which then explosively vaporizes, performing work on the movable wall; and apparatus which returns the movable wall to a position prior to the work being performed thereon so the chamber has the substantially minimum volume, substantially evacuating the chamber of vaporized fluid without substantially compressing the vaporized fluid.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of converting energy from one form to another by passing a working material through a closed liquid-vapor thermodynamic cycle, comprising:expanding at least a portion of the working material from a liquid phase into a vapor phase by addition of heat;recovering heat fr

What is claimed is: 1. A method of converting energy from one form to another by passing a working material through a closed liquid-vapor thermodynamic cycle, comprising:expanding at least a portion of the working material from a liquid phase into a vapor phase by addition of heat;recovering heat from the working material after expanding; condensing the working material, after recovering heat, from the vapor phase into the liquid phase, in a condenser, thus restoring the working material to a state where the working material awaits expansion to start a new cycle;varying the quantity of heat recovered by varying a bypass of the working material during recovering heat from the working material, so as to vary thermodynamic efficiencies and select desired specific work output; andadding the recovered heat to working material awaiting expansion, without changing the phase thereof; whereby efficiency of the method is improved over a method lacking recovering heat.