Stirling cycle transducer for converting between thermal energy and mechanical energy
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F02G-001/04
F02G-001/043
F02G-001/053
출원번호
US-0382245
(2010-07-12)
등록번호
US-9394851
(2016-07-19)
국제출원번호
PCT/CA2010/001092
(2010-07-12)
§371/§102 date
20120309
(20120309)
국제공개번호
WO2011/003207
(2011-01-13)
발명자
/ 주소
Steiner, Thomas Walter
Medard de Chardon, Briac
Kanemaru, Takao
출원인 / 주소
Etalim Inc.
대리인 / 주소
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
78
초록▼
The apparatus includes a housing, a compression chamber disposed in the housing and having at least a first interface operable to vary a volume of the compression chamber, an expansion chamber disposed in the housing and having a second interface operable to vary a volume of at least the expansion c
The apparatus includes a housing, a compression chamber disposed in the housing and having at least a first interface operable to vary a volume of the compression chamber, an expansion chamber disposed in the housing and having a second interface operable to vary a volume of at least the expansion chamber, and a thermal regenerator in fluid communication with each of the compression chamber and the expansion chamber. The thermal regenerator is operable to alternatively receive thermal energy from gas flowing in a first direction through the regenerator and to deliver the thermal energy to gas flowing in a direction opposite to the first direction through the regenerator. The compression chamber, the expansion chamber, and the regenerator together define a working volume for containing a pressurized working gas. Each of the first and second interfaces are configured for reciprocating motion in a direction aligned with a transducer axis, the reciprocating motion being operable to cause a periodic exchange of working gas between the expansion and the compression chambers. In one aspect, at least one of the first and second interfaces includes a resilient diaphragm, and a cylindrical tube spring coupled between the diaphragm and the housing, the tube spring being configured to elastically deform in a direction generally aligned with the transducer axis in response to forces imparted on the tube spring by the diaphragm to cause the at least one of the first and second interfaces to have a desired natural frequency. In another aspect the apparatus includes a first heat exchanger in communication with the expansion chamber, a second heat exchanger in communication with the compression chamber, the thermal regenerator is disposed between the first and second heat exchangers, and each of the first and second heat exchangers are peripherally disposed within the housing with respect to the transducer axis and configured to receive working gas flowing to or from the respective chambers and to redirect the working gas flow through the regenerator.
대표청구항▼
1. A Stirling cycle transducer apparatus for converting between thermal energy and mechanical energy, the apparatus comprising: a housing;a compression chamber disposed in the housing and having at least a first interface operable to vary a volume of the compression chamber;an expansion chamber disp
1. A Stirling cycle transducer apparatus for converting between thermal energy and mechanical energy, the apparatus comprising: a housing;a compression chamber disposed in the housing and having at least a first interface operable to vary a volume of the compression chamber;an expansion chamber disposed in the housing and having a second interface operable to vary a volume of at least the expansion chamber;a thermal regenerator in fluid communication with each of the compression chamber and the expansion chamber, the thermal regenerator being operable to alternatively receive thermal energy from gas flowing in a first direction through the regenerator and to deliver the thermal energy to gas flowing in a direction opposite to the first direction through the regenerator, the compression chamber, the expansion chamber, and the regenerator together defining a working volume for containing a pressurized working gas, each of the first and second interfaces being configured for reciprocating motion in a direction aligned with a transducer axis, the reciprocating motion being operable to cause a periodic exchange of working gas between the expansion and the compression chambers, andwherein at least one of the first and second interfaces comprises: a resilient diaphragm; anda cylindrical tube coupled to the resilient diaphragm and connected to the housing, wherein the cylindrical tube has a cylindrical wall extending between the diaphragm and the housing, the cylindrical wall being configured to elastically deform in a direction generally aligned with the transducer axis in response to forces imparted on the cylindrical tube by the diaphragm to cause the at least one of the first and second interfaces to have a desired natural frequency, the cylindrical wall being operable to provide a seal between the diaphragm and the housing for containing the working gas. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first interface comprises a resilient diaphragm and wherein the second interface comprises a displacer disposed between the expansion chamber and the compression chamber and wherein the reciprocating motion of the second interface is operable to vary the volume of both the expansion chamber and the compression chamber. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the expansion chamber is defined between a first surface of the displacer and a wall of the housing and the first surface of the displacer comprises a flexure configured to permit reciprocating motion of the displacer, and wherein a central portion of the wall is offset along the transducer axis from the displacer with respect to a peripheral portion of the wall for accommodating the reciprocating motion of the displacer. 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the compression chamber is defined between a second surface of the displacer and the diaphragm and the second surface of the displacer comprises a flexure configured to permit reciprocating motion of the displacer, and wherein the central portion of the diaphragm is offset along the transducer axis with respect to a peripheral portion of the diaphragm for accommodating reciprocating motion of the displacer. 5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the displacer comprises a flexure, the flexure comprising: a peripheral portion;a central portion; andan intermediate flexing portion extending between the peripheral portion and the central portion, the flexing portion configured such that during reciprocating motion of the displacer, flexing occurs substantially in the intermediate flexing portion. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the peripheral portion, the intermediate flexing portion, and the central portion together define a thickness profile for the flexure, and wherein the thickness profile is selected to cause the flexure to have an effective area to cause reciprocating motion of the displacer to be out of phase with the reciprocating motion of the first interface by a desired phase angle and to have a desired amplitude, the effective area being less than a physical area of the flexure due to deformation of the flexure during reciprocating motion. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the thickness profile of the flexure is selected to cause the flexure to have an effective area to impart reciprocating motion to the displacer at the desired phase angle in absence of reciprocating complementary vibration of the apparatus. 8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the flexure comprises a first flexure operable to vary a volume of the expansion chamber and wherein the displacer further comprises a second flexure operable to vary a volume of the compression chamber, the first and second flexures being spaced apart and configured for corresponding reciprocating motion and wherein the second flexure comprises: a peripheral portion;a central portion; andan intermediate flexing portion extending between the peripheral portion and the central portion, the intermediate flexing portion being configured such that during reciprocating motion, flexing occurs substantially in the intermediate flexing portion. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an insulating material disposed between the first and second flexures, the insulating material being operable to provide thermal insulation between the expansion chamber and the compression chamber. 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first and second flexures define an insulating volume therebetween, the insulating volume being operable to receive an insulating gas having a lower thermal conductivity than the working gas. 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the peripheral portion, the intermediate flexing portion, and the central portion together define a thickness profile for the respective first and second flexures, and wherein the thickness profile of at least one of the first and second flexures is selected to cause the flexure to have an effective area to cause reciprocating motion of the displacer to be out of phase with the reciprocating motion of the first interface by a desired phase angle, the effective area being less than a physical area of the first and second flexures due to deformation of the flexures during reciprocating motion. 12. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a support extending between the first flexure and the second flexure, the support being operable to couple the first and second flexures. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the support is disposed in at least one of: the central portion of the respective first and second flexures; andthe intermediate flexing portion of the respective first and second flexures. 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical tube is disposed to contain the pressurized working gas. 15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein cylindrical wall of the cylindrical tube comprises: an outer cylindrical wall having first and second ends, the first end being coupled to the housing; andan inner cylindrical wall coaxially disposed within the outer cylindrical wall and coupled between the second end of the outer cylindrical wall and the diaphragm. 16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the working gas bears on a first surface of the diaphragm and wherein the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical tube is coupled between a second surface of the diaphragm and the housing to define a bounce chamber between the second surface of the diaphragm, the housing, and the cylindrical wall, the bounce chamber being operable to contain a gas volume bearing on the second surface of the diaphragm. 17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical tube comprises a bore and further comprising a rod mechanically coupled to the diaphragm and extending outwardly within the bore of the cylindrical tube, the rod being operable to facilitate coupling of the transducer to an electro-mechanical transducer. 18. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a strain gauge disposed on the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical tube, the strain gauge being operably configured to produce a time varying strain signal representing an instantaneous strain in the cylindrical wall during reciprocating motion, the time-varying strain being proportional to an amplitude of the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm and an average value of the time varying strain signal being further proportional to an average static working gas pressure. 19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diaphragm comprises a material capable in operation of infinite fatigue life and wherein the diaphragm has a thickness profile across the diaphragm that is selected to cause stress concentrations across the diaphragm to be reduced below a fatigue threshold limit for the material. 20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the working gas bears on a first surface of the diaphragm and further comprising a bounce chamber for containing a pressurized gas volume bearing on a second surface of the diaphragm and wherein a volume of the bounce chamber is selected to be sufficiently larger than a swept volume swept by the diaphragm during the reciprocating motion such that pressure oscillations in the bounce chamber are reduced thereby reducing hysteresis losses associated with the gas volume in the bounce chamber and further comprising an equalization conduit for facilitating gaseous communication between the working gas in the expansion and compression chambers and the gas volume in the bounce chamber, the equalization conduit being sized to permit static pressure equalization between the working gas and the gas volume within the bounce chamber while being sufficiently narrow to prevent significant gaseous communication during time periods corresponding to an operating frequency of the transducer apparatus. 21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the expansion chamber is configured to receive thermal energy from an external source for increasing a temperature of the working gas within the expansion chamber and wherein: the reciprocating motion of at least one of the first and second interfaces alternately causes: the increased temperature working gas in the expansion chamber to pass through the regenerator, thereby reducing a temperature of the working gas flowing into the compression chamber;the reduced temperature working gas in the compression chamber to pass through the regenerator, thereby increasing a temperature of the working gas flowing into the expansion chamber;the reciprocating motion of at least one of the first and second interfaces facilitating expansion of the working gas when an average temperature of the working gas is increased and compression of the working gas when the average temperature of the working gas is reduced; andwherein at least one of the first and second interfaces comprise an electro-mechanical transducer coupled to the interface, the electro-mechanical transducer being operably configured to receive mechanical energy from the interface and to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy. 22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second interfaces comprise an electro-mechanical transducer coupled to the interface for imparting the reciprocating motion to the interface and wherein: the reciprocating motion of at least one of the first and second interfaces alternately causes: the working gas in the compression chamber to pass through the regenerator, thereby reducing a temperature of the working gas flowing into the expansion chamber;the working gas in the expansion chamber to pass through the regenerator, thereby increasing a temperature of the working gas flowing into the compression chamber; andthe reciprocating motion of at least one of the first and second interfaces facilitating compression of the working gas when an average temperature of the working gas is increased and expansion of the working gas when the average temperature of the working gas is reduced thereby causing the expansion chamber to be cooled relative to the compression chamber. 23. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a first heat exchanger in communication with the expansion chamber;a second heat exchanger in communication with the compression chamber, the thermal regenerator being disposed between the first and second heat exchangers; andwherein each of the first and second heat exchangers are peripherally disposed within the housing with respect to the transducer axis and configured to receive working gas flowing to or from the respective chambers and to redirect the working gas flow through the regenerator. 24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each of the first and second heat exchangers have a greater transverse extent than height and are configured to cause gaseous flow in a generally transverse direction through the heat exchangers. 25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein each of the first and second heat exchangers comprise a substantially transversely extending interface in communication with the regenerator and wherein redirection of the working gas flow occurs proximate the interface. 26. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a heat transport conduit disposed in thermal communication with at least one of the first and second heat exchangers, the heat transport conduit being configured to carry a heat exchange fluid for transporting heat between an external environment and the at least one of the first and second heat exchangers. 27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the expansion chamber is separated from the compression chamber by an insulating wall dimensioned to provide sufficient thermal insulation to reduce heat conduction between the expansion chamber and the compression chamber, and further comprising at least one access conduit for directing working gas between at least one of: the expansion chamber and the first heat exchanger; orthe compression chamber and the second heat exchanger. 28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer apparatus is used for converting between thermal energy and mechanical energy and wherein the expansion chamber comprises an expansion chamber wall, the expansion chamber wall comprising: a high thermal conductivity wall; anda low thermal conductivity insulating spacer extending between the wall and the housing. 29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the high thermal conductivity wall comprises a first silicon carbide material composition having a high thermal conductivity and wherein the low thermal conductivity insulating spacer comprises a second silicon carbide material composition having a low thermal conductivity. 30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the high thermal conductivity wall comprises a material that has greater strength in compression than in tension and wherein the wall is fabricated in a dome-shape such that in operation the wall is primarily subjected to compressive stresses.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (78)
Wheatley John C. (Los Alamos NM) Swift Gregory W. (Los Alamos NM) Migliori Albert (Santa Fe NM granted to U.S. Department of Energy under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. 2182), Acoustical heat pumping engine.
Dewar Douglas M. (Rolling Hills Estates CA) Anderson Alexander F. (Rolling Hills Estates CA) Duncan Christopher K. (Long Beach CA), Composite continuous sheet fin heat exchanger.
Dewar Douglas M. (Rolling Hills Estates CA) Duncan Christopher K. (Long Beach CA) Anderson Alexander F. (Rolling Hills Estates CA), Composite plate pin or ribbon heat exchanger.
Weber, Richard M.; Rummel, Kerrin A., Construction of phase change material embedded electronic circuit boards and electronic circuit board assemblies using porous and fibrous media.
Beale William T. (Athens OH) Scheck Christopher G. (Athens OH), Electromechanical transducer particularly suitable for a linear alternator driven by a free-piston Stirling engine.
Yuen James L. (Thousand Oaks CA) Ash Beverly A. (Oxnard CA) Purmort William P. (Simi Valley CA), Fiber reinforced composite leading edge heat exchanger and method for producing same.
Gilli Paul V. (Obere Teichstrasse 21/i 8010 Graz ATX) Beckmann Georg (Vienna ATX), Method and apparatus for peak-load coverage and stop-gap reserve in steam power plants.
Zonneveld Maarten H.,NLX ; Van Voorst Vader Pieter J. Q.,NLX ; Brinkert Jacob,NLX, Method of manufacturing a flat glass panel for a picture display device.
Bauer Jean-Michel (Pagny S/Moselle FRX) Bontems Maurice (Pagny S/Moselle FRX), Process for producing sealing components from all-carbon composite material.
Kamen, Dean L.; Gurski, Thomas Q.; Langenfeld, Christopher C.; LaRocque, Ryan Keith; Norris, Michael; Owens, Kingston; Strimling, Jonathan, Stirling engine thermal system improvements.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.