US3756018A - Varying the power output of stirling cycle engines - Google Patents

Varying the power output of stirling cycle engines Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3756018A
US3756018A US3756018DA US3756018A US 3756018 A US3756018 A US 3756018A US 3756018D A US3756018D A US 3756018DA US 3756018 A US3756018 A US 3756018A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
reservoir
cylinder
medium
engine
varying
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
S Hakansson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
United Stirling AB and Co
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3756018A publication Critical patent/US3756018A/en
Assigned to UNITED STIRLING AB., A CORP. OF SWEDEN reassignment UNITED STIRLING AB., A CORP. OF SWEDEN ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: KOMMANDIT BOLAGET UNITED STIRLING (SWEDEN) AB & CO.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02G—HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS; USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F02G1/00—Hot gas positive-displacement engine plants
    • F02G1/04—Hot gas positive-displacement engine plants of closed-cycle type
    • F02G1/043—Hot gas positive-displacement engine plants of closed-cycle type the engine being operated by expansion and contraction of a mass of working gas which is heated and cooled in one of a plurality of constantly communicating expansible chambers, e.g. Stirling cycle type engines
    • F02G1/045—Controlling
    • F02G1/05—Controlling by varying the rate of flow or quantity of the working gas
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02G—HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS; USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F02G1/00—Hot gas positive-displacement engine plants
    • F02G1/04—Hot gas positive-displacement engine plants of closed-cycle type
    • F02G1/043—Hot gas positive-displacement engine plants of closed-cycle type the engine being operated by expansion and contraction of a mass of working gas which is heated and cooled in one of a plurality of constantly communicating expansible chambers, e.g. Stirling cycle type engines
    • F02G1/045—Controlling
    • F02G1/047—Controlling by varying the heating or cooling
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/4673—Plural tanks or compartments with parallel flow

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT Means provides the varying of mean pressure of the gaseous working medium in a multiple chamber reservoir at a higher temperature position in each engine cylinder connected to the lower temperature portion of the engine cylinder with valve regulating means governing the following of pressures of gas in the various stages and the cooler portion of the engine cylinder.
  • This invention relates to a device of the kind (hereinafter called the kind defined") used for varying the power output of a Stirling cycle engine by varying the mean pressure of the gaseous working medium, the said device comprising for each engine cylinder a reservoir, connection means for connecting the reservoir to the cooler part of the engine cylinder containing low temperature gaseous medium, and regulating means for governing the said connection means.
  • the present invention is therefore intended to provide a device of the kind defined which will offer a higher degree of efficiency than that hitherto obtainable with the said known devices.
  • connection means comprises a non-return valve always allowing the gaseous working medium in the whole reservoir to pass to the cooler part of the engine cylinder containing lowtemperature gas.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in axial section through a device according to the invention
  • FIGS. 2 a, b, c and d show the positions of four valve members in sections a-a, b-b, c-c, and d-d of FIG. I respectively the positions of the valves giving maximum load to the engine.
  • FIGS. 3 a, b, c and d show the same valves in their positions corresponding to half load to the engine
  • FIG. 4 schematically shows some parts of a multicylinder Stirling cycle engine provided with a device according to the invention.
  • FIG. 1 shows a cylindrical housing 1 containing a cooler 2 and a space 3 below the cooler 2, the said space 3 being connected to a compression chamber (not shown in FIG. 1) by a channel 4.
  • a first wall 5 separates the space 3 from a first chamber 6.
  • a second wall 7 separates the chamber 6 from a second chamber 8, and a third wall 9 separates the chamber 8 from a third chamber 10.
  • a valve tube 11 extends co-axially and centrally through the three chambers 6, 8 and 10, and fits tightly against tubular flanges l2, 13 on the walls 7 and 9 respectively.
  • a butterfly valve member 14 is arranged to be axially movable and downwardly actuated by a helical compression spring 15 which tends to establish contact between the valve member 14 and the first wall 5 but allows upward movements of the valve member 14 and passage of medium through an opening 16 in the wall 5 in case the pressure inside the chamber 6 is higher than in the space 3.
  • the butterfly valve member 14 is angularly locked to the valve tube 11 which is movable in rotation about its longitudinal axis by an arm 17 fastened to a solid extension 18 of the tube I1 passing through the bottom 19 of the cylinder 1.
  • Choke passages 20 and 21 are provided in the second wall 7 and the third wall 9 respectively.
  • valve tube 1 I and the flanges I2, 13 are provided with openings in their respective axially overlapping sections, as will be seen most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, sections b, c, and d.
  • the interior of the tube 1 l is always in connection with the first chamber 6 via openings 22.
  • an opening 23 in the flange 12 is of angularly greater extent than an opening 24 in the flange 13.
  • the corresponding openings 25 and 26 in the valve tube 11 are of equal size and are of the same angular position.
  • an opening 27 in the valve tube I 1 may communicate with a passage 28 in case the valve tube 11 is turned about 120 in the counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 2.
  • the pressure variations in the chambers 6 and 8 will thus follow the variations in pressure occurring in the space 3.
  • the pressure in the third chamber 10 will correspond to the mean value of the pressure in the chamber 8 because of the choke connection 211.
  • a further angular movement of the arm 17 to rotate the tube 11 in the opening direction will cause a full opening of the butterfly valve 14 followed by a gradual opening of the connecion between the chambers 6 and 8.
  • the resistance offered by a partly opened connection to a further chamber will cause a decrease in efficiency, but the fully opened connections offer a very slight resistance and thus a decrease in engine power output can be achieved in combination with a minor decrease in efficiency.
  • FIG. 4 shows schematically and in vertical section the use of a device according to the invention as applied to a single-cylinder Stirling engine.
  • the cylindrical housing 1 contains a cooler 2, and a heat-exchanger 30 connected at its top to heater tubes 31 (only one of which is shown).
  • the heater tubes 31 are connected to the top of the engine cylinder 32 containing a displacer piston 33 and a working piston 34.
  • the passage 28 shown in FIG. 1 is also shown in FIG. 4 and leads to the space below the working piston 34.
  • the arm 17 is turned to rotate the tube 11 fully in the engine-throttling direction the spaces on both sides of the working piston 34 are short-circuited via the valve tube 1 l and will cause a complete stop of the engine.
  • valve 14 constitutes an adjustable valve which can be set to act as a non-return valve which always allows the working medium from the whole of the reservoir comprising the chamber 6, 8, and to pass to the cooler 2 and through the channel 4 to the cooler part of the engine cylinder 32.
  • a device for varying the power output by varying the mean pressure of the gaseous working medium comprising for each engine cylinder a reservoir for containing said gaseou working medium, gas flow connection means for connecting the reservoir to the cooler part of the engine cylinder containing low temperature gaseous medium, and regulating means for governing the said connection means comprising a nonreturn valve always allowing the gaseous working medium in the reservoir to pass to the cooler part of the engine cylinder containing low temperature gas
  • the reservoir consists of a number of separate chambers connected in series, the first chamber being connected to the said cooler part of the engine cylinder by said non-return valve, valve means connected to govern the flow of the gaseous medium between the said cooler part of the engine cylinder and the number of chambers including movable means being mechanically coupled to open connections successively to the series of chambers in the order
  • connection between the cooler part of the engine cylinder and the first chamber of the reservoir comprises a combination of a butterfly valve and a non-return valve.
  • a device characterized in that a choke passage is present between each chamber of the reservoir.
  • valves include means interconnecting all the reservoirs when the regulating means are moved to positions beyond those corresponding to the opening of the passages between all the chambers.
  • a device for varying the power output by varying the mean presure of the gaseous working medium between said compression cylinder and said reservoir comprising in combination, a single valve extending into said reservoir and having an element adjustable between a position preventing and a position permitting flow in both directions between said cylinder and said reservoir and means on said valve operable in said position preventing flow of said medium to prevent flow only in the direction between said cylinder and said reservoir while permitting a flow of said medium in the direction from the reservoir to said compression cylinder.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Engine Equipment That Uses Special Cycles (AREA)
  • Output Control And Ontrol Of Special Type Engine (AREA)
  • Fluid-Pressure Circuits (AREA)
US3756018D 1970-11-21 1971-10-20 Varying the power output of stirling cycle engines Expired - Lifetime US3756018A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB5547070A GB1271047A (en) 1970-11-21 1970-11-21 Improvements in devices for varying the power output of stirling cycle engines

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3756018A true US3756018A (en) 1973-09-04

Family

ID=10474014

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US3756018D Expired - Lifetime US3756018A (en) 1970-11-21 1971-10-20 Varying the power output of stirling cycle engines

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3756018A (ref)
JP (1) JPS506916B1 (ref)
DE (1) DE2155162C3 (ref)
FR (1) FR2115872A5 (ref)
GB (1) GB1271047A (ref)
IT (1) IT941113B (ref)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3902321A (en) * 1972-11-02 1975-09-02 United Stirling Ab & Co Speed control valves for stirling type hot gas engines
US4395881A (en) * 1981-02-17 1983-08-02 Mechanical Technology Incorporated Stirling engine power control
US4633668A (en) * 1984-04-30 1987-01-06 Mechanical Technology Incorporated Two piston V-type Stirling engine

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2602288A (en) * 1943-03-05 1952-07-08 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Hot-gas piston engine with power output control
US2607190A (en) * 1948-07-27 1952-08-19 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Hot gas reciprocating engine with working medium augmenting means
US2794315A (en) * 1951-06-05 1957-06-04 Philips Corp Hot-gas reciprocating apparatus
US3372539A (en) * 1965-07-19 1968-03-12 Philips Corp Hot-gas reciprocating engine
US3496720A (en) * 1967-02-25 1970-02-24 Philips Corp Hot-gas engine with solid cap on expansion piston

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2602288A (en) * 1943-03-05 1952-07-08 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Hot-gas piston engine with power output control
US2607190A (en) * 1948-07-27 1952-08-19 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Hot gas reciprocating engine with working medium augmenting means
US2794315A (en) * 1951-06-05 1957-06-04 Philips Corp Hot-gas reciprocating apparatus
US3372539A (en) * 1965-07-19 1968-03-12 Philips Corp Hot-gas reciprocating engine
US3496720A (en) * 1967-02-25 1970-02-24 Philips Corp Hot-gas engine with solid cap on expansion piston

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3902321A (en) * 1972-11-02 1975-09-02 United Stirling Ab & Co Speed control valves for stirling type hot gas engines
US4395881A (en) * 1981-02-17 1983-08-02 Mechanical Technology Incorporated Stirling engine power control
US4633668A (en) * 1984-04-30 1987-01-06 Mechanical Technology Incorporated Two piston V-type Stirling engine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT941113B (it) 1973-03-01
DE2155162B2 (de) 1975-02-06
DE2155162A1 (de) 1972-06-08
GB1271047A (en) 1972-04-19
DE2155162C3 (de) 1975-09-18
JPS506916B1 (ref) 1975-03-19
FR2115872A5 (ref) 1972-07-07

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3530681A (en) Hydraulically driven cryogenic refrigerator
US4791786A (en) Free-piston motor with hydraulic or pneumatic energy transmission
US4030297A (en) Hydrogen compression system for Stirling engine power control
US3372539A (en) Hot-gas reciprocating engine
US2746241A (en) Hot-gas reciprocating engine
US3460344A (en) Stirling cycle machine and system
US3756018A (en) Varying the power output of stirling cycle engines
US3550371A (en) Hot gas engine with speed control
US3458994A (en) Hot gas engine with improved gas pressure control
US3610214A (en) Unsymmetrical, double-acting free piston engine
US3668974A (en) Reciprocating engine
US3572215A (en) Single acting steam engine
US3216190A (en) Fluid engine compensator device
US5056419A (en) Sealing device for a piston rod of a stirling engine
US4568251A (en) Cyclic speed control apparatus in variable stroke machines
US1740924A (en) Compressor
JP3351800B2 (ja) 熱機関
US3811272A (en) Stirling cycle engine power control means
US3813882A (en) Hot-gas engines
US3724206A (en) Speed control apparatus for hot gas engine
RU2037636C1 (ru) Двигатель внешнего сгорания
US3149617A (en) Free piston engines
US3820330A (en) Stirling cycle engine power control system
US3090317A (en) Free piston engines
JP2541983B2 (ja) スタ−リングエンジン

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: UNITED STIRLING AB., BOX 856 S-201 80 MALMO, SWEDE

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:KOMMANDIT BOLAGET UNITED STIRLING (SWEDEN) AB & CO.;REEL/FRAME:004106/0501

Effective date: 19821027