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A heat-driven engine having a first, thermally conductive, pump to which a working medium is admitted and within which the working medium subsequently absorbs its latent heat while undergoing a phase change from low to high enthalpy phase before being expelled from the first pump. Also, a restrictiv

A heat-driven engine having a first, thermally conductive, pump to which a working medium is admitted and within which the working medium subsequently absorbs its latent heat while undergoing a phase change from low to high enthalpy phase before being expelled from the first pump. Also, a restrictive cooling element accepts the working medium in its high enthalpy phase and allows it to release its latent heat and undergo a phase change from a liquid to a low enthalpy phase. A first and a second passage, through which the working medium traverses, connects the first pump and the cooling element. The second passage incorporates a thermally conductive element, placing the working medium in thermal contact with a heat source or sink. Also, a heat pump is in thermal contact with the first pump and the cooling element. Finally, a power transmission element links the first pump to the heat pump.

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1. A heat-driven engine comprising: (a) a thermally conductive pump having latent heat, to which a working medium is admitted and within which the working medium absorbs said latent heat while undergoing a phase change from a low enthalpy phase to a high enthalpy phase before being expelled from the

1. A heat-driven engine comprising: (a) a thermally conductive pump having latent heat, to which a working medium is admitted and within which the working medium absorbs said latent heat while undergoing a phase change from a low enthalpy phase to a high enthalpy phase before being expelled from the pump;(b) a restrictive cooling element which accepts said working medium in its high enthalpy phase and allows said working medium to release its latent heat and undergo a phase change from a high enthalpy state to a low enthalpy phase;(c) a first passage, through which said working medium traverses between said thermally conductive pump and said restrictive cooling element;(d) a second passage, through which said working medium traverses between said restrictive cooling element and said thermally conductive pump, said second passage having a heat exchanger, which places said working medium in thermal contact with a heat source or heat sink;(e) a heat pump in thermal contact with said thermally conductive pump and said restrictive cooling element, whereby heat is removed from said restrictive cooling element and conducted to said heat pump by said heat exchanger; and(f) a power transmission element linking the thermally conductive pump to the heat pump and which powers the heat pump. 2. The engine of claim 1, wherein said thermally conductive pump is a first thermally conductive pump and said restrictive cooling element comprises a second thermally conductive pump, additionally linked to the power transmission element. 3. The engine of claim 2, wherein said second thermally conductive pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 4. The engine of claim 1, wherein said restrictive cooling element comprises an expansion valve and heat exchanger. 5. The engine of claim 1, wherein said thermally conductive pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 6. The engine of claim 1, wherein said heat pump comprises a vapor compression heat pump, driven by said power transmission element. 7. The engine of claim 1, wherein said heat pump comprises an absorption heat pump, driven by said power transmission element. 8. The engine of claim 1, wherein said heat pump comprises a peltier effect heat pump, and said power transmission element is an electric energy transmission element. 9. The engine of claim 1, wherein said power transmission element drives an external load. 10. The engine of claim 1, wherein said power transmission element is driven by an external power source. 11. The engine of claim 2, wherein said heat pump further includes: (a) a third thermally conductive pump, placed in thermal contact with said thermally conductive pump;(b) a fourth thermally conductive pump, placed in thermal contact with said restrictive cooling element;(c) a third passage, through which a heat pump medium traverses from the third thermally conductive pump to the fourth thermally conductive pump;(d) a fourth passage, through which a heat pump fluid medium traverses from the fourth thermally conductive pump to the third thermally conductive pump; and(e) a connection between said power transmission element and said third and fourth thermally conductive pumps, such that the heat pump is driven by said power transmission element. 12. The engine of claim 11, wherein said third thermally conductive pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 13. The engine of claim 11, wherein said fourth thermally conductive pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 14. The engine of claim 11, wherein said third thermally conductive pump is comprised of multiple pumps, linked by said power transmission element, and all communicating with said first and second passages. 15. The engine of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger further comprises a component of restricted thermal conductivity, for the purpose of properly regulating the thermal energy conducted to said working medium. 16. The engine of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger further comprises a component of variable thermal conductivity, for the purpose of properly regulating the thermal energy conducted to said working medium. 17. The engine of claim 16, wherein said component of variable thermal conductivity comprises a variable-conductance heat pipe. 18. The engine of claim 1, further comprising one or more valves which, in the closed state, prevent the working medium from flowing between said first passage and said second passage through said thermally conductive pump. 19. The engine of claim 2, further comprising one or more valves which, in the closed state, prevent the working medium from flowing between said first passage and said second passage through said second thermally conductive pump. 20. The engine of claim 11, further comprising one or more valves which, in the closed state, prevent the working medium from flowing between said first passage and said second passage through said third thermally conductive pump. 21. The engine of claim 11, further comprising one or more valves which, in the closed state, prevent the working medium from flowing between said first passage and said second passage through said fourth thermally conductive pump. 22. The engine of claim 1, further comprising a heat source in thermal contact with said first passage, for the purpose of bringing said working medium up to its operating temperature during a startup procedure. 23. The engine of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink in thermal contact with said second passage, for the purpose of bringing said working medium down to its operating temperature during a startup procedure. 24. The engine of claim 1, further comprising a second heat pump in thermal contact with said first passage and said second passage, for the purpose of bringing the working media contained in said passages to their correct operating temperatures during a startup procedure. 25. The engine of claim 1, further comprising additional element sets, each said additional element set including a thermally conductive pump, a restrictive cooling element, a first passage, a second passage, and a heat exchanger; all of said sets driving or being driven by said power transmission element. 26. The engine of claim 1, further comprising additional heat pumps, all of said heat pumps driving or being driven by said power transmission element.