US2384247A - Piston and cylinder construction - Google Patents

Piston and cylinder construction Download PDF

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US2384247A
US2384247A US483363A US48336343A US2384247A US 2384247 A US2384247 A US 2384247A US 483363 A US483363 A US 483363A US 48336343 A US48336343 A US 48336343A US 2384247 A US2384247 A US 2384247A
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cylinder
walls
pressure
piston
water
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Frazer W Gay
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    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01BMACHINES OR ENGINES, IN GENERAL OR OF POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT TYPE, e.g. STEAM ENGINES
    • F01B21/00Combinations of two or more machines or engines

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  • This invention relates to an earth imbedded pumping engine, piston and cylinder construction, being a modification of the pump shown in my U. 8.
  • This invention relates to a novel piston and cylinder construction employing the strength of the earth to support the lateral pressure on the cylinder walls, and employing the weight of a heavy concrete structure to withstand the upward pressure of the gases within the cylinder.
  • the cylinder walls comprise flat sides, whereby there are no resultant forces acting to open cracks in the cylinder walls, except at the angles between the flat sides.
  • the hot gases are expanded to or nearly to atmospheric pressure, and, for the type of engine according to this invention, the cylinder must be set relatively close to the earth's surface if the cylinder volume is to be employed efliciently.
  • the use of a heavily weighted stopper employing a large mass 01' concrete and rock to overcome the upward gas pressure constitutes an economic method of providing a cylinder head.
  • Fig. 1 is an elevation in section of the pump of the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 is a. plan view of 1.
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the engine cylinder and valve shown in Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 4 is a cross section in plan marked AA in Fig. 3.
  • Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the valves and supporting structure along the lines BB in Fig. 2.
  • Fig. 6 is an elevation of the valve grid shown in Fig. 5.
  • Fig. 7 is a cross section of the play pipe 22 of Fi 1.
  • Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section of one of the seals shown in Fig. 8.
  • Fig. 8A is an enlarged cross section of two seal blocks similar to those shown in Fig. 7.
  • Fig. 9 is a cross section of one 01' the gas seals located in a comer position of the cylinder II of Fig. 3.
  • Fig. 10 shows a gas seal located around the top of combustion engine cylinder il in Fig. 3 and is represented by the number llil in Fig. 15.
  • Fig. 10A shows an extension joint and seal.
  • Fig. 11 is a device for maintaining the hydraulic pressure in the gas seals of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 at all times above the pressure of the gas in the cylinder l3.
  • Fig. 12 is a cross section of the wall of cylinder II showing the arrangement of the heatinsulating curtains, which are arranged in the form of shingles.
  • Fig. 13 shows the arrangement of the hanger irons supporting the insulating curtain of Fig. 12.
  • Fig. 14 is an elevation of a shingle in the curtain shown in Fig. 12.
  • Fig. 15 is an enlarged section of the cylinder head plug 16 shown in Fig. 1.
  • the reference 1 indicates a dam in a river having overflow gates 2 so as to maintain a maximum elevation level El.
  • the engine cylinder chamber I3 has four fiat walls l5, l5, l5, [5, constituting a rectangular cylinder (although 8, cylinder of any polygon shape would be satisfactory).
  • the cylinder walls l5, l5, l5, l5 are cast integral with the reinforced masonry walls l0, l0, l0, l0, etc. These walls are cast directly against the bedrock 3!. At the junction of each pair of walls, however, are left the cracks 30. These cracks are continuous from the cylinder back to the. bedrock so that each of the four cylinder walls is cast independently and integrally with the bedrock. Between the vertical walls l0, l0, l0, etc., arethe vertical passages II, II, II, etc., down which the water flows from the tailrace to the high pressure valves H.
  • the'tops of the walls l0, l0, ID are cut away as at l2 so as to allow a freer flow of water in passing around the cylinder to freely enter any of the passages II, II, II.
  • the high pressure valves I! are shown located on the three sidewalls below cylinder walls l5. These valves I! are supported by a grid. This grid comprises thin, rather deep vertical pieces of steel plate next the valves which in turn are imbedded in concrete horizontal beams l8.
  • the low-pressure valves H are supported on a similar, but lighter structure carried by the supporting walls, 34, 3'4, 34, etc.
  • the high-pressure exit chamber opens out through the arched opening 20 into the conical guide reducer 2
  • the low-pressure end of the water conduit expands outwardly through the expanding elbow 23 through the valves l9 and through the large opening 24 into the reservoir bounded by the walls 3, 3, 3. Water pumped into this reservoir flows through the gates 2 into the lake above the dam I.
  • guide veins 25, 25 are placed on the outlet reservoir side of valves 2; and similar guide veins 26, 2B are placed in the reservoir structure.
  • These guide veins serve to carry the water through the gates 2 at high velocity, but receive water at the flared ends of guide veins 25-25 at low velocity and discharge it at the 'flared ends of guide veins 26, 26, also at low velocity, whereby although there is considerable energy in this water when it passes through the gates 2, 2, etc., there is very little leaving energy in the water when it is discharged into the lake L.
  • Reference number 3 represents a lighter structure dam built about It will be noted that the entire force on the cylinder walls, the valve chamber walls, the reducing chamber walls 2
  • This stopper IG contains all the valve mechanisms and other mechanical devices common to internal combustion engines, and no novelty is claimed for these devices in this application.
  • a concrete bulkhead 25 is built to protect the stopper l6 against floods.
  • the compressor house 26' On top of this bulkhead 25' is located the compressor house 26'. It is the function of the compressor house 26' to compress and deliver to the inlet valves in stopper IS the necessary amount of compressed air to supply the cylinder chamber l3.
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the. cylinder of Fig. 1. This figure shows the stopper l5 having a portion projecting several feet downwards into the cylinder chamber l3. The clearance between the projections 29 on the stopper I6 and the walls I5 is kept to a small value except in the corners where clearance is needed to give access to the gas seals. Blocks are bolted to the stopper in the corners. These corner blocks can be removed to provide access to the corner seals shown in Fig. 9.
  • Fig. 3 shows two heat exchangers, 32, 32 in the combination inlet and outlet passages. These heat exchangers open into the combustion chamber 44 at the cylinder end and into valve passages 33. 33 at the valve end.
  • the valve passages 33 and 33 are preferably located in two of the corners of the cylinder, and the admission valves are located on two opposite sides of the stopper l6 and adjacent the valve passages, and the remaining two sides of the stopper l6 adjacent to these same corners are taken up by the exhaust valves.
  • the pipes 42, 42, etc. carry warm, compressed air from the air compressor 26 in Fig. 1 and discharge this warm, compressed air into the low-pressure heat exchangers in the smokestack.
  • the compressed air enters the lowpressure stack heat exchangers at the top of the stack, flows in counterflow relation to the exhaust gases, and emerges from the heat exchangers at the bottom of the stack as shown on Fig. 15.
  • the partially heated air is then carried to the abovementioned inlet valves, while the outlet valves discharge their somewhat cooled hot gases into Y chambers in the cylinder head ll.
  • the water piston ll carries a float l which follows the water level.
  • the walls ii, and the cylinder projection II have all the surfaces which line the combustion cylinder protected by heat insulation designated 48, 43, etc., in Fig. 3.
  • the fuel and highly compressed injection air enters through the fuel pipes 4
  • the gas seals I00 in the cylinder plug are shown in this figure as at the top of the cylinder walls, whereas in the preferred form shown in Fig. 10, they are in the side of the cylinder walls but still accessible from the valve
  • the water leaves the cylinder through the arched passageway II.
  • the arched passageway is completelyreinforced throughout and held together against the hydraulic force by the reinforcing.
  • the water leaving through passage II has its velocity. increased while passing through feeder 2
  • Fig. 4 is a cross section plan along the line AA of Fig. 3. It clearly shows the walls I ll, ill, etc.. that carry the pneumatic and hydraulic pressure developed in the engine from the cylinder walls back to the rock structure II. This drawing also shows the passages II, II, etc., also shown in Fig; 2 which carry the tall water vertically downward to pass into the cylinder basement ll.
  • Fig. 5 is a cross section in elevation along the lines BB in Fig. 2.
  • One of the vertical walls I! is shown cast integrally with the horizontal supporting floors II, II, II, II. These supporting floors are broken into three portions by the extended cracks ll, 30, III, II. They form a solid monolithic cast structure with the vertical walls "I, and the whole is cast directly against the rock structure ll.
  • Fig. 5 shows the vertical steel riser plates '0, II and the horizontal I-beams l! are framed into the vertical H-beains ll, ll, l8, etc.
  • flap comprises horizontal hardwood planks battened together and covered with a thin veneer of steel.
  • Fig. 7 is a cross section of the play pipe 22
  • Fig. 1 taken along the line CC. P18. 1 shows the main play pipe duct formed by a plurality of list walls II, II, etc.; and at each corner where these ilat walls meet there is left a crack opening into a crevice 12, I2; etc., cut out of the rock and forming an opening.
  • the pressure within the play pipe 22 will cause the cracks to extend as at .1, at locations where the pressure is sufllciently high.
  • These cavities 12, 12, etc.. are drained by the drain pipes 13, 13, etc., so that it is not possible for hydraulic fluid leaking out of the play pipe I! to build up high pressure outside of the conduit 22 itself.
  • this conduit 22 and other similar structures are lined by a thin steel skin; and in the preferred form of the lining, I elect to place small passages at frequent intervals between the lining skin and the concrete which drain into the drain cs 12, II, etc., so that leakage (if any) will break out into the passages I2 and will not build up destructive pressuresin any part of the rock structure.
  • Fig. 7 shows the cracks sealed by the sealing blocks ll, ll, etc., and it further shows the sealing blocks protected against fluid friction by the thin anti-friction bailles II, II, etc., so that the. interior of the hydraulic conduit 22 exposes at all points only list or slightly curved surfaces to the flow of the water.
  • baifles ll provide a small auxiliary duct in each corner. It is proposed to block this duct at frequent intervals so that hydraulic fluid will not flow in these small ducts. the flow being confined entirely to.the central passage. small openings will be provided through the baffies II so that the pressure on both sides of the s baiiies will be substantially equal.
  • Fig. 8 also shows the longitudinal stops ll, ll. These stops engage lugs on the seal block which allow the seal blocks to move a very limited amount longitudinally.
  • Fig. 8A is an enlarged cross section of the sealing key N of Fig. 8, as enclosed by the ring marked N in Fig. 8.
  • I2 I are keyways carefully cut in the ends of seal blocks ll, 14 so as to exactly match.
  • the key ll is made to-flt in the keyways very closely, and longitudinal stops .8, II are welded into the keyways to allow the key Ill only a limited longitudinal motion.
  • This key ll seals the hydraulic fluid which would otherwise escape out of the conduit through the crack .4 between adjacent sealing blocks ll, 14 and thence directly through the crack at this point between the flat walls of duct 22.
  • Fig. 9 shows two flat walls II, II of the cylinder chamber ii in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and constitutes a gas seal to prevent gases within the cylinder chamber ll leaking through the cracks where the flat surfaces II, II Join.
  • This seal comprises a small passage ll, one corner of which comprises one of the cracks between walls II, II of the cylinder chamber ll.
  • Diagonally opposite this crack is another crack which empties into the drain the walls of the small passage and are arranged to provide access to the sealblocks 14, II as shown.
  • it is necessary to make provision in the projection 29 on the cylinder head II as shown in Fig. 3 so that these corners are accessible. This will of course slTghtly increase the clearance in the cylinder chamber If, and the amount of this objectionable clearance will be kept to a minimum byfilling the corner openings with bolted-in blocks.
  • Fig. shows a gas seal around the top of cylinder chamber I3 between the rock structure 3
  • Fig. 10A shows an expansion, as for instance P or Q, in the play pipe 22 (Figs. 1 and 2).
  • Steel blocks I22, I22 are welded to the skin I24 of play pipe 22, and the small crack P between these steel blocks is vented to the drain 35.
  • Other small drains as 38, 39, 38, 38, are shown so as to maintain a relatively low pressure back of the steel skin I24, I24 which is secured to the concrete outer steel by the welded-on tacks I23, I23, etc.
  • the fiap 38 is mortised into the corner seal blocks as shown diagrammatically at 88, 88, Fig. 8.
  • the seal fiap 38 is pressed down by steel springs 31 held in position by steel blocks 38.
  • Steel blocks 38 are welded to the skin I24.
  • Fig. 11 shows one way to maintain the necessary excess pressure in the gas seals, as for instance 90 in Fig. 9 for the vertical cracks and I00 in Fig. 10 for horizontal cracks.
  • I08 I08
  • This centrifugal pump takes fluid from the fluid piston I4 at the bottom of the cylinder chamber I3 through the pipe 81, increases its pressure, and discharges it into the pipe 98.
  • This fluid which is maintained at a pressure approximately 100 lbs. above the piston pressure is'led by pipes I90, I80, etc., into the vertical seal passages 90, 90, etc., and by pipes I08, I08, etc., into the horizontal seal passages I00, I00, etc.
  • Fig. 12 shows the thermal insulating screen designated 43 in Fig. 3. It is to be understood that this is only one of many available methods of providing a thermal screen to keep cylinder heat away from cylinder walls.
  • H0 represents a steel skin on that portion of the cylinder wall which is exposed to gas pressure
  • This skin H0 is tied into the reinforcing structure I20, I20, etc., buried in the concrete so that the concrete and the skin IIO constitute an integral piece.
  • On this skin IIO are welded a large number of Z-clips III, III, III. Three of these Z-clips are shown in elevation in Fig. 13, and to these Z-clips are welded the screen supports H2, H2, H2.
  • This screen is composed of many shingles H3, H3, etc. These shingles'are bent into hooks at their tops by which they are attached to the supporting members H2, H2, etc.
  • Fig. 14 shows a shingle II3 of Fig. 12. This shingle is shown having many slots II4, so it is made somewhat in the form of a comb. To this shingle the many small protecting fins F are spotwelded at the spots H3, H9, etc. Between certain of the fins F are wire lashings H8 and II! by which the individual teeth are attached to the screen supporting members H2, H2, etc. . The protecting fins F are bent down after the lashings are in place so that the fins take the larger part of the radiant energy which is thrown against them from the incandescent gases in the cylinder I3. If lush-temperature material is available, the fins F will be made of some such metal as nichrome.
  • this material is not available, a less resistant material must be chosen; and in this case the ends of the fins may be expected to burn oil until the amount'or heat carried away by the fins is sufiicient to maintain the temperature at an endurable value. It is expected of course that these fins will curl and twist, but they are made very thin (approximately 2 mills) so that they will not greatly distort the comb shingles II3 which are protected against extreme heat by these fins.
  • Fig. 15 shows the plug I8 of Fig. l acting as cylinder head for the cylinder chamber I3.
  • the seals I00, I00 between the plug and the rock structure are served by drains I31, I31, by which leakage out of the seals I00, I00 is drained away to sump pumps.
  • This figure also shows the valve chambers I38, I38, the exhaust gas passages I38, I30, and the chimney I33, and the load of rock and gravel I34.
  • the hot gases enter the chimney I3I at the base and pass out through the enlarged passages I32, I32.
  • the cool compressed air enters the heat exchanger pipes I38, I38 and sses downward to the bottom 01' the chimney and thence to the-intake valves.
  • the intake and exhaust valves are of the usual gas engine construction, and no novelty is claimed for their arrangement or operation. -It is proposed to operate them by a compressed air system in which the rise and fall of the piston float 40 cause the operation of the valves at the proper instant of the stroke in a manner well known to the art.
  • the operation of the entire pump device is as follows: When the water .piston float 40 reaches a position several feet away from the bottom of the projection 20 on the cylinder head I8 (Fig. 3), the exhaust valves are closed and the water rushing down in the passages I I, I I, etc., through the high-pressure valves I1, and up the cylinder chamber I3, compresses the exhaust gases in the cylinder chamberI3 to a value closely approaching' the pressure of the air as delivered by the compressor 28. Between the compressor 28 and the cylinderchamber I3 is a receiver not shown. This receiver is placed after the heater shown in Fig. 15 so that it contains warm compressed air after it has passed through the air preheater in the chimney. When the piston float 40 is still a.
  • the air inlet valves are opened so that as the liquid piston stops and reverses; a flow of warm compressed air is allowed to enter the cylinder through .the high-pressure heat exchangers 32, 32.
  • This warm air is greatly heated in the heat exchangers and enters the combustion chamber 44 at a relatively high temperature.
  • the walls of the combustion chamber 44 are initially heated by driving compressed air and gas through a special heat device corresponding to a. hot ball in the usual hot-ball oil engine. After the engine has been operated for some minutes, the fire brick, or other lining of the combustion chamber 44, will be incandescent.
  • the low pressure valves l9 will never be called upon to close and the flow of water through the passageway 2 into lake (Fig. 1) will be continuous and will vary only a minor amount in velocity. It will be noted that the location of the low-pressure valves I9 is such that it will never be possible to develop under the valves IS a vacuum so great that the water will fall away.
  • An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the ground and comprising a plurality of flat cylinder sides, walls of masonry carrying the pressure on the sides of said cylinder to the earth, and a plug comprising the cylinder head, said cylinder head having a weight greater than the total gas pressure on said cylinder head.
  • An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder in the earth having a combustion chamber at its upper end, a water piston for said cylinder, a float carried by said water piston in opposition to said combustion chamber, said cylinder comprising bounding walls providing a multiplicity of internal fiat surfaces, and a plurality of vertical backing walls of divergent mass between said cylinder walls and the earth, said backing walls supporting and holding said cylinder walls in position.
  • An internal combustion engine cylinder of polygonal cross-section located in the earth, masonry walls of divergent mass between cylinder walls and the earth, said masonry walls being adapted to back said cylinder walls against lateral gas pressure within the cylinder, whereby to transmit to and dissipate said pressure within the surrounding earth.
  • An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the ground, the lateral gas pressure in the cylinder wall being supported by the adjacent earth, and a weighty cylinder head mounted on said cylinder which supports the upward pressure of the gas therein.
  • An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the ground and having lateral gas pressure in said cylinder supported by the adjacent earth, a weighty cylinder head mounted on the cylinder, said cylinder head supporting the upward gas pressure in the cylinder, a water piston in the cylinder, a float on said water piston, and heat insulation on the cylinder sides and top and on the float.
  • An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the earth, the lateral gas pressure in the cylinder wall being supported by the adjacent earth, and a cylinder head mounted on said cylinder which supports the upward pressure of the gas therein, said cylinder head comprising a structure of great weight and strength and being formed to carry a great load of rip rap.

Description

Sept. 4, 1945. F. w. GAY
PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 MH HHI MNI IQ l l i n I N V ENTOR.
Sept. 4, 1945. F. w GAY PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 N N .4? |t| i l\ ||\||||||H--m|||||.\\\\ A i \iLFi Sept. 4, 1945.
F. W. GAY
PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY fiazefg 6 g,
Sept. 4, 1945. F. w. GAY
PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENIOR. 9
5 .W m M A BY Eager P 1945- F. w. GAY 2,384,247
PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N VENTOR.
Sept. 4, 1945. F. w. GAY 2,384,247
PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 I// INVENTOR. & ii
p 1 F. w. GAY 2,384,247
PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 1, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Sept. 4, 1945 PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Frazer W. Gay, Metuchen, N. J.
Original application September 1, 1942, Serial No. 458,909. Divided and this application April 18, 1943, Serial No. 483,363
8 Claims.
This invention relates to an earth imbedded pumping engine, piston and cylinder construction, being a modification of the pump shown in my U. 8. Patent No. 1,848,389, dated February 23, 1932, and this application is a division of my copending application Ber. No. 456,909, filed September 1, 1942.
This invention relates to a novel piston and cylinder construction employing the strength of the earth to support the lateral pressure on the cylinder walls, and employing the weight of a heavy concrete structure to withstand the upward pressure of the gases within the cylinder.
The cylinder walls comprise flat sides, whereby there are no resultant forces acting to open cracks in the cylinder walls, except at the angles between the flat sides.
U. S. patent application Serial No. 456,909, explains in detail the method employed in sealing the cracks against the leakage of gas and water.
In a preferred type of cylinder covered by the present invention the hot gases are expanded to or nearly to atmospheric pressure, and, for the type of engine according to this invention, the cylinder must be set relatively close to the earth's surface if the cylinder volume is to be employed efliciently. The use of a heavily weighted stopper employing a large mass 01' concrete and rock to overcome the upward gas pressure constitutes an economic method of providing a cylinder head.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an earth imbedded engine cylinder with a plurality of flat walls; each wall comprising a concrete mass arranged to carry the lateral fluid pressure from the wall to the earth surface, whereby the unit stress on the earth is relatively low. Conduits formed in said concrete mass act to conduct water to said cylinder.
It is a further object of the present invention to support the enormous gas pressure against the top or head of the cylinder by a concrete and steel stopper, said stopper resisting the enormous upward pressure of the burning gases by the greater downward pressure of its very great weight.
It is a further object to utilize a very strong structure of concrete and steel to constitute a. stopper to oppose the upward pressure of the cylinder gases, and to supply the necessary additional weight by loading this structure with a mixture of sand, rock, gravel or like weighty material.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a float on water within the cylinder, which float constitutes the top of the liquid piston formed by said water, and to face the floor of the float with fire brick, or other suitable heat insulator, and to line that portion of the cylinder walls exposed to hot gases with special heat insulating material, so that as the piston rises and falls, cool surfaces are not continuously exposed so as to continuously absorb radiant heat from the contained gases, and from the hot piston float and roof of the large gas-illled chamber of the cylinder.
Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following description or same. The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation in section of the pump of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a. plan view of 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the engine cylinder and valve shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a cross section in plan marked AA in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the valves and supporting structure along the lines BB in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the valve grid shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a cross section of the play pipe 22 of Fi 1.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section of one of the seals shown in Fig. 8.
Fig. 8A is an enlarged cross section of two seal blocks similar to those shown in Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a cross section of one 01' the gas seals located in a comer position of the cylinder II of Fig. 3.
Fig. 10 shows a gas seal located around the top of combustion engine cylinder il in Fig. 3 and is represented by the number llil in Fig. 15.
Fig. 10A shows an extension joint and seal.
Fig. 11 is a device for maintaining the hydraulic pressure in the gas seals of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 at all times above the pressure of the gas in the cylinder l3.
Fig. 12 is a cross section of the wall of cylinder II showing the arrangement of the heatinsulating curtains, which are arranged in the form of shingles.
Fig. 13 shows the arrangement of the hanger irons supporting the insulating curtain of Fig. 12.
Fig. 14 is an elevation of a shingle in the curtain shown in Fig. 12.
Fig. 15 is an enlarged section of the cylinder head plug 16 shown in Fig. 1.
Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.
In Fig, 1 and in the accompanying plan View Fig. 2, the reference 1 indicates a dam in a river having overflow gates 2 so as to maintain a maximum elevation level El.
the base of the main dam so as to form a reservoir and hold water up to the elevation El in the lake produced by the main dam l. 4 represents buttresses on the dam. 5 indicates emergency overflow nozzles which are sealed closed by the stop logs 6. The tail water is shown at elevation 1 so that the normal head of the dam is 8. A portion 9 of a conical hole is carved out of the rock. This portion comprises approximately 200/360 parts of a complete cone. The engine cylinder chamber I3 has four fiat walls l5, l5, l5, [5, constituting a rectangular cylinder (although 8, cylinder of any polygon shape would be satisfactory). The cylinder walls l5, l5, l5, l5 are cast integral with the reinforced masonry walls l0, l0, l0, l0, etc. These walls are cast directly against the bedrock 3!. At the junction of each pair of walls, however, are left the cracks 30. These cracks are continuous from the cylinder back to the. bedrock so that each of the four cylinder walls is cast independently and integrally with the bedrock. Between the vertical walls l0, l0, l0, etc., arethe vertical passages II, II, II, etc., down which the water flows from the tailrace to the high pressure valves H. 'In the preferred form of the invention, the'tops of the walls l0, l0, ID are cut away as at l2 so as to allow a freer flow of water in passing around the cylinder to freely enter any of the passages II, II, II. The high pressure valves I! are shown located on the three sidewalls below cylinder walls l5. These valves I! are supported by a grid. This grid comprises thin, rather deep vertical pieces of steel plate next the valves which in turn are imbedded in concrete horizontal beams l8. The low-pressure valves H are supported on a similar, but lighter structure carried by the supporting walls, 34, 3'4, 34, etc.
The high-pressure exit chamber opens out through the arched opening 20 into the conical guide reducer 2|. Liquid flows from guide reducer 2| into and through the rectangular water conduit 22. A section of this rectangular water conduit 22 is shown in Fig. '7 along the lines CC of Fig. 1. While the drawings show a rectangular water conduit, it is to be understood that a play pipe having any polygon structure is satisfactory. The low-pressure end of the water conduit expands outwardly through the expanding elbow 23 through the valves l9 and through the large opening 24 into the reservoir bounded by the walls 3, 3, 3. Water pumped into this reservoir flows through the gates 2 into the lake above the dam I.
In the preferred form of the invention, guide veins 25, 25 are placed on the outlet reservoir side of valves 2; and similar guide veins 26, 2B are placed in the reservoir structure. These guide veins serve to carry the water through the gates 2 at high velocity, but receive water at the flared ends of guide veins 25-25 at low velocity and discharge it at the 'flared ends of guide veins 26, 26, also at low velocity, whereby although there is considerable energy in this water when it passes through the gates 2, 2, etc., there is very little leaving energy in the water when it is discharged into the lake L.
Reference number 3 represents a lighter structure dam built about It will be noted that the entire force on the cylinder walls, the valve chamber walls, the reducing chamber walls 2|, and the water conduit walls 22 is taken by the rock structure of the earth leaving only the upward force at the cylinder head to be otherwise carried. I have shown this upward force carried by a cylinder head l6 comprising an enormous mass, or stopper, of concrete and gravel. The main structure of this stopper is reinforced concrete, but a great portion of the weight is made up of the filling which is preferably rock and gravel. This stopper IG contains all the valve mechanisms and other mechanical devices common to internal combustion engines, and no novelty is claimed for these devices in this application.
The gases coming up the sides of the stopper l6 pass to the Smokestack I33. A concrete bulkhead 25 is built to protect the stopper l6 against floods. On top of this bulkhead 25' is located the compressor house 26'. It is the function of the compressor house 26' to compress and deliver to the inlet valves in stopper IS the necessary amount of compressed air to supply the cylinder chamber l3.
It is to be understood that in the preferred form of this invention, no fresh air is introduced into the cylinder chamber l3 at atmospheric pressure. All combustion air comes through the compressor 26'. Although it is to be understood that if it is desired, fresh air can be introduced into the chamber l3 through auxiliary valves and compressed by the inlet waterfiowing from the tailrace level into the cylinder chamber I3. I prefer to allow a portion of hot gases to remain in cylinder chamber l3 sufficient to be compressed to very nearly normal inlet pressure. The engine therefore operates on a cycle similar to that of a single acting steam engine as far as inlet gases are concerned, given a working stroke for every complete piston cycle.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the. cylinder of Fig. 1. This figure shows the stopper l5 having a portion projecting several feet downwards into the cylinder chamber l3. The clearance between the projections 29 on the stopper I6 and the walls I5 is kept to a small value except in the corners where clearance is needed to give access to the gas seals. Blocks are bolted to the stopper in the corners. These corner blocks can be removed to provide access to the corner seals shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 3 shows two heat exchangers, 32, 32 in the combination inlet and outlet passages. These heat exchangers open into the combustion chamber 44 at the cylinder end and into valve passages 33. 33 at the valve end. The valve passages 33 and 33 are preferably located in two of the corners of the cylinder, and the admission valves are located on two opposite sides of the stopper l6 and adjacent the valve passages, and the remaining two sides of the stopper l6 adjacent to these same corners are taken up by the exhaust valves. The pipes 42, 42, etc., carry warm, compressed air from the air compressor 26 in Fig. 1 and discharge this warm, compressed air into the low-pressure heat exchangers in the smokestack. The compressed air enters the lowpressure stack heat exchangers at the top of the stack, flows in counterflow relation to the exhaust gases, and emerges from the heat exchangers at the bottom of the stack as shown on Fig. 15. The partially heated air is then carried to the abovementioned inlet valves, while the outlet valves discharge their somewhat cooled hot gases into Y chambers in the cylinder head ll.
the chimney through corner ducts I30 shown in Fig. 15. The water piston ll carries a float l which follows the water level. The float 40, the
walls ii, and the cylinder projection II have all the surfaces which line the combustion cylinder protected by heat insulation designated 48, 43, etc., in Fig. 3. The fuel and highly compressed injection air (if any) enters through the fuel pipes 4|, 4|, 4|. The gas seals I00 in the cylinder plug are shown in this figure as at the top of the cylinder walls, whereas in the preferred form shown in Fig. 10, they are in the side of the cylinder walls but still accessible from the valve The water leaves the cylinder through the arched passageway II. The arched passageway is completelyreinforced throughout and held together against the hydraulic force by the reinforcing. The water leaving through passage II has its velocity. increased while passing through feeder 2| to the play pipe 22.
Fig. 4 is a cross section plan along the line AA of Fig. 3. It clearly shows the walls I ll, ill, etc.. that carry the pneumatic and hydraulic pressure developed in the engine from the cylinder walls back to the rock structure II. This drawing also shows the passages II, II, etc., also shown in Fig; 2 which carry the tall water vertically downward to pass into the cylinder basement ll.
Fig. 5 is a cross section in elevation along the lines BB in Fig. 2. One of the vertical walls I! is shown cast integrally with the horizontal supporting floors II, II, II, II. These supporting floors are broken into three portions by the extended cracks ll, 30, III, II. They form a solid monolithic cast structure with the vertical walls "I, and the whole is cast directly against the rock structure ll. Fig. 5 shows the vertical steel riser plates '0, II and the horizontal I-beams l! are framed into the vertical H-beains ll, ll, l8, etc.
(Fig. 5), and the vertical plates ll, I which form the grid support of the midsections of the valves and are framed into the horizontal I-beamsthat these valve flaps may be made of any suit-.
able material, but a preferred form of flap comprises horizontal hardwood planks battened together and covered with a thin veneer of steel.
Fig. 7 is a cross section of the play pipe 22,
shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line CC. P18. 1 shows the main play pipe duct formed by a plurality of list walls II, II, etc.; and at each corner where these ilat walls meet there is left a crack opening into a crevice 12, I2; etc., cut out of the rock and forming an opening. The pressure within the play pipe 22 will cause the cracks to extend as at .1, at locations where the pressure is sufllciently high. These cavities 12, 12, etc.. are drained by the drain pipes 13, 13, etc., so that it is not possible for hydraulic fluid leaking out of the play pipe I! to build up high pressure outside of the conduit 22 itself. It is to be understood that this conduit 22 and other similar structures are lined by a thin steel skin; and in the preferred form of the lining, I elect to place small passages at frequent intervals between the lining skin and the concrete which drain into the drain cs 12, II, etc., so that leakage (if any) will break out into the passages I2 and will not build up destructive pressuresin any part of the rock structure. Fig. 7 shows the cracks sealed by the sealing blocks ll, ll, etc., and it further shows the sealing blocks protected against fluid friction by the thin anti-friction bailles II, II, etc., so that the. interior of the hydraulic conduit 22 exposes at all points only list or slightly curved surfaces to the flow of the water. It will be noted that the baifles ll provide a small auxiliary duct in each corner. It is proposed to block this duct at frequent intervals so that hydraulic fluid will not flow in these small ducts. the flow being confined entirely to.the central passage. small openings will be provided through the baffies II so that the pressure on both sides of the s baiiies will be substantially equal.
.drilled in it holes toaccommodate the pipes 10.
II, which are welded in place and form guides for the springs 1|, 1!. These springs each press a seal block I4 securely into the corner of the passage 22 without regard to the pressure within the duct 22. Fig. 8 also shows the longitudinal stops ll, ll. These stops engage lugs on the seal block which allow the seal blocks to move a very limited amount longitudinally.
Fig. 8A is an enlarged cross section of the sealing key N of Fig. 8, as enclosed by the ring marked N in Fig. 8. I2, I are keyways carefully cut in the ends of seal blocks ll, 14 so as to exactly match. The key ll is made to-flt in the keyways very closely, and longitudinal stops .8, II are welded into the keyways to allow the key Ill only a limited longitudinal motion. This key ll seals the hydraulic fluid which would otherwise escape out of the conduit through the crack .4 between adjacent sealing blocks ll, 14 and thence directly through the crack at this point between the flat walls of duct 22.
Fig. 9 shows two flat walls II, II of the cylinder chamber ii in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and constitutes a gas seal to prevent gases within the cylinder chamber ll leaking through the cracks where the flat surfaces II, II Join. This seal comprises a small passage ll, one corner of which comprises one of the cracks between walls II, II of the cylinder chamber ll. Diagonally opposite this crack is another crack which empties into the drain the walls of the small passage and are arranged to provide access to the sealblocks 14, II as shown. It will be understood that it is necessary to make provision in the projection 29 on the cylinder head II as shown in Fig. 3 so that these corners are accessible. This will of course slTghtly increase the clearance in the cylinder chamber If, and the amount of this objectionable clearance will be kept to a minimum byfilling the corner openings with bolted-in blocks.
Frequent Fig. shows a gas seal around the top of cylinder chamber I3 between the rock structure 3| and the cylinder head l8. This is very similar to the structure shown in Fig. 9. In this case the high-pressure passage I00 vents on the outside into the valve chamber I38, I38 (Fig. where leakage must be drained and pumped away and on the inside into the cylinder chamber I3.
Fig. 10A shows an expansion, as for instance P or Q, in the play pipe 22 (Figs. 1 and 2). Steel blocks I22, I22 are welded to the skin I24 of play pipe 22, and the small crack P between these steel blocks is vented to the drain 35. Other small drains as 38, 39, 38, 38, are shown so as to maintain a relatively low pressure back of the steel skin I24, I24 which is secured to the concrete outer steel by the welded-on tacks I23, I23, etc. The fiap 38 is mortised into the corner seal blocks as shown diagrammatically at 88, 88, Fig. 8. The seal fiap 38 is pressed down by steel springs 31 held in position by steel blocks 38. Steel blocks 38 are welded to the skin I24.
Fig. 11 shows one way to maintain the necessary excess pressure in the gas seals, as for instance 90 in Fig. 9 for the vertical cracks and I00 in Fig. 10 for horizontal cracks. In Fig. 11, I08
represents a motor driving a centrifugal pump I01. This centrifugal pump takes fluid from the fluid piston I4 at the bottom of the cylinder chamber I3 through the pipe 81, increases its pressure, and discharges it into the pipe 98. This fluid which is maintained at a pressure approximately 100 lbs. above the piston pressure is'led by pipes I90, I80, etc., into the vertical seal passages 90, 90, etc., and by pipes I08, I08, etc., into the horizontal seal passages I00, I00, etc.
Fig. 12 shows the thermal insulating screen designated 43 in Fig. 3. It is to be understood that this is only one of many available methods of providing a thermal screen to keep cylinder heat away from cylinder walls. In Fig. 12, H0 represents a steel skin on that portion of the cylinder wall which is exposed to gas pressure, This skin H0 is tied into the reinforcing structure I20, I20, etc., buried in the concrete so that the concrete and the skin IIO constitute an integral piece. On this skin IIO are welded a large number of Z-clips III, III, III. Three of these Z-clips are shown in elevation in Fig. 13, and to these Z-clips are welded the screen supports H2, H2, H2. This screen is composed of many shingles H3, H3, etc. These shingles'are bent into hooks at their tops by which they are attached to the supporting members H2, H2, etc.
In the shingles just below the hooks are the small holes I2 I, I2I, etc., by which it is possible to lash the shingles to the bars II2 by the wire lashings II8,II8,etc.
Fig. 14 shows a shingle II3 of Fig. 12. This shingle is shown having many slots II4, so it is made somewhat in the form of a comb. To this shingle the many small protecting fins F are spotwelded at the spots H3, H9, etc. Between certain of the fins F are wire lashings H8 and II! by which the individual teeth are attached to the screen supporting members H2, H2, etc. .The protecting fins F are bent down after the lashings are in place so that the fins take the larger part of the radiant energy which is thrown against them from the incandescent gases in the cylinder I3. If lush-temperature material is available, the fins F will be made of some such metal as nichrome. I fdue to a war emergency for instance, this material is not available, a less resistant material must be chosen; and in this case the ends of the fins may be expected to burn oil until the amount'or heat carried away by the fins is sufiicient to maintain the temperature at an endurable value. It is expected of course that these fins will curl and twist, but they are made very thin (approximately 2 mills) so that they will not greatly distort the comb shingles II3 which are protected against extreme heat by these fins.
Fig. 15 shows the plug I8 of Fig. l acting as cylinder head for the cylinder chamber I3. The seals I00, I00 between the plug and the rock structure are served by drains I31, I31, by which leakage out of the seals I00, I00 is drained away to sump pumps. This figure also shows the valve chambers I38, I38, the exhaust gas passages I38, I30, and the chimney I33, and the load of rock and gravel I34. It will be noted that the hot gases enter the chimney I3I at the base and pass out through the enlarged passages I32, I32. The cool compressed air enters the heat exchanger pipes I38, I38 and sses downward to the bottom 01' the chimney and thence to the-intake valves. The intake and exhaust valves are of the usual gas engine construction, and no novelty is claimed for their arrangement or operation. -It is proposed to operate them by a compressed air system in which the rise and fall of the piston float 40 cause the operation of the valves at the proper instant of the stroke in a manner well known to the art.
The operation of the entire pump device is as follows: When the water .piston float 40 reaches a position several feet away from the bottom of the projection 20 on the cylinder head I8 (Fig. 3), the exhaust valves are closed and the water rushing down in the passages I I, I I, etc., through the high-pressure valves I1, and up the cylinder chamber I3, compresses the exhaust gases in the cylinder chamberI3 to a value closely approaching' the pressure of the air as delivered by the compressor 28. Between the compressor 28 and the cylinderchamber I3 is a receiver not shown. This receiver is placed after the heater shown in Fig. 15 so that it contains warm compressed air after it has passed through the air preheater in the chimney. When the piston float 40 is still a. number of inches away from the projection '29, the air inlet valves are opened so that as the liquid piston stops and reverses; a flow of warm compressed air is allowed to enter the cylinder through .the high- pressure heat exchangers 32, 32. This warm air is greatly heated in the heat exchangers and enters the combustion chamber 44 at a relatively high temperature. The walls of the combustion chamber 44 are initially heated by driving compressed air and gas through a special heat device corresponding to a. hot ball in the usual hot-ball oil engine. After the engine has been operated for some minutes, the fire brick, or other lining of the combustion chamber 44, will be incandescent. Gas or oil forced into the combustion chamber 44 through pipes 4|, 4|, etc., with the highly compressed hot air will burn in the combustion chamber 44 and follow the water piston down in the cylinder chamber I3. When the float 40 has reached a desired position and a small fraction of the down stroke has been covered, the inlet air valves will be closed, and shortly thereafter the fuel will be cut off. The piston will then fall, while the hot gases expand and do their work. When the piston fioat 40 closely approaches the lowest through the passages H, II, etc., and the valves l1, and the float will rise. The cycle will be continually repeated. It will be noted that the long water conduit 22 will maintain a flow of water to the reservoir formed by the walls 3, 3, nearly, if not all, the time. In other words, if the water conduit 22 is long enough, the low pressure valves l9 will never be called upon to close and the flow of water through the passageway 2 into lake (Fig. 1) will be continuous and will vary only a minor amount in velocity. It will be noted that the location of the low-pressure valves I9 is such that it will never be possible to develop under the valves IS a vacuum so great that the water will fall away.
Many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is intended that all matter pertaining to the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
What is claimed is:
1. An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the ground and comprising a plurality of flat cylinder sides, walls of masonry carrying the pressure on the sides of said cylinder to the earth, and a plug comprising the cylinder head, said cylinder head having a weight greater than the total gas pressure on said cylinder head.
2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder in the earth having a combustion chamber at its upper end, a water piston for said cylinder, a float carried by said water piston in opposition to said combustion chamber, said cylinder comprising bounding walls providing a multiplicity of internal fiat surfaces, and a plurality of vertical backing walls of divergent mass between said cylinder walls and the earth, said backing walls supporting and holding said cylinder walls in position.
.3. An internal combustion engine cylinder of polygonal cross-section located in the earth, masonry walls of divergent mass between cylinder walls and the earth, said masonry walls being adapted to back said cylinder walls against lateral gas pressure within the cylinder, whereby to transmit to and dissipate said pressure within the surrounding earth.
4. An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the ground, the lateral gas pressure in the cylinder wall being supported by the adjacent earth, and a weighty cylinder head mounted on said cylinder which supports the upward pressure of the gas therein.
5. An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the ground and having lateral gas pressure in said cylinder supported by the adjacent earth, a weighty cylinder head mounted on the cylinder, said cylinder head supporting the upward gas pressure in the cylinder, a water piston in the cylinder, a float on said water piston, and heat insulation on the cylinder sides and top and on the float.
6. An internal combustion engine cylinder located in the earth, the lateral gas pressure in the cylinder wall being supported by the adjacent earth, and a cylinder head mounted on said cylinder which supports the upward pressure of the gas therein, said cylinder head comprising a structure of great weight and strength and being formed to carry a great load of rip rap.
FRAZER W. GAY.
US483363A 1942-09-01 1943-04-16 Piston and cylinder construction Expired - Lifetime US2384247A (en)

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060213502A1 (en) * 2005-03-23 2006-09-28 Baker David M Utility scale method and apparatus to convert low temperature thermal energy to electricity

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060213502A1 (en) * 2005-03-23 2006-09-28 Baker David M Utility scale method and apparatus to convert low temperature thermal energy to electricity
US7748219B2 (en) 2005-03-23 2010-07-06 Pdm Solar, Inc. method and apparatus to convert low temperature thermal energy to electricity

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