GB643598A - Improvements relating to power plant in which a vapour is used to heat a gaseous working fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

643,598. Hot air or gas power plant. KAY, C. W. Feb. 26, 1948, No. 5819. [Class 7 (i)] Vapour, particularly steam, is used as an agent for heating a constantly gaseous working fluid, particularly air, the heating agent and working fluid flowing in separate closed circuits without mixing and the heating agent being alternately vaporized in a boiler and condensed without having been expanded, in a separate vessel in which heat is transferred to the working fluid which is then expanded to afford useful work and the heating agent is vaporized in the boiler and condensed in the separate vessel at substantially the same temperature and pressure without appreciable increase or loss of sensible heat and the temperature and pressure of the working fluid is raised substantially solely by the transfer of the latent heat of condensation of the heating agent. As shown pistons c, w, d each of which co-operates with a crank shaft g operate respectively in a hot air displacer cylinder a, a motor cylinder v and a cold air displacer b. The hot air displacer cylinder is connected to a heater m by a duct L and to a cooler j by a duct h while the cold air displacer cylinder b is connected to the opposite sides of the heater and cooler respectively by ducts n and k. If steam is used as the heating agent this steam direct from a boiler, not shown, enters the heater at o and water at the same temperature and pressure at the steain leaves at p. The cooling agent is suitably water which enters at q and leaves at n a throttle valve u is provided between the cylinder a and the motor cylinder v. Non- return valves s, t control the flow of air. In order to provide for reversing the engine a second pair of non-return valves may be fitted at the points where the ducts k I communicate with the cold and hot displacer cylinders respectively. One or other of the pairs of non-return valves is rendered inoperative by holding the valves off their seats. The valves s, t may be pressure actuated or mechanically controlled. In modification the cylinders a and v are combined in a single cylinder the piston of this cylinder having an area equal to the combined areas of the pistons c, w. Reversing may be provided for by known link motion associated with mechanism for controlling the valves or by mechanism for altering the angle between a motor crank x' and displacer cranks e' f. The air flow may alternatively be controlled by an oscillatory sleeve valve preferably in the cylinder b. The cylinders may be doubleacting in which case the heater and cooler will be duplicated. The cranks may be replaced by other mechanism such as links, rocker arms and eccentrics. A flywheel and/or a second motor cylinder similarly operated with its crank at 90 degrees to the crank x<SP>1</SP> and with a pair of displacers will be provided in practice. Pressure may be maintained by a small air pump driven from the main crank shaft.