US3863452A - Hot-gas engine heater - Google Patents

Hot-gas engine heater Download PDF

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Publication number
US3863452A
US3863452A US388601A US38860173A US3863452A US 3863452 A US3863452 A US 3863452A US 388601 A US388601 A US 388601A US 38860173 A US38860173 A US 38860173A US 3863452 A US3863452 A US 3863452A
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United States
Prior art keywords
heater
heat
pipe
heat pipe
pipes
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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
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US388601A
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English (en)
Inventor
George Albert Apoloni Asselman
Frits Reinink
Der Leegte Joseph Wilhelmu Van
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US Philips Corp
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US Philips Corp
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Publication date
Application filed by US Philips Corp filed Critical US Philips Corp
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Publication of US3863452A publication Critical patent/US3863452A/en
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    • 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
    • F02G1/053—Component parts or details
    • F02G1/055—Heaters or coolers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a hot-gas engine having at least one working space, space of variable volume and lower mean temperature and an expansion space of variable volume and higher mean temperature which communicates therewith, via a cooler, a regenerator and a heater.
  • the heater is formed by a number of pipes which are arranged in the flow path of hot combustion gases originating from a common burner device.
  • a hot-gas engine of this kind is known as appears from British Pat. Nos. 708,199 and 898,270.
  • the heater is a heat exchanger in which thermal energy is given off to working medium in the engine. To this end, the combustion gases flow along the heater pipes while giving off heat to the working medium flowing through the pipes.
  • the temperatures of the working medium in the various heater pipe bundles can differ substantially, particularly in multi-cylinder hot-gas engines having one central burning device as known from British Pat. No. 708,199.
  • This may have various causes: for example, a deviation in the burning position of the burner can cause one bundle of heater pipes to receive more heat than the other; furthermore, temperature differences can be caused, in that unequal flow losses and leakage losses of the working medium occur for the different cylinders.
  • the flow resistances of the pipe bundles associated with the individual cylinders can then differ, but the flow resistance of the individual pipes associated with a cylinder can also differ.
  • the observed temperature differences exert an adverse effect on the power and the thermal efficiency of the engine.
  • the invention has for its object to provide a hot-gas engine in which the said drawbacks are simply eliminated.
  • the hot-gas engine according to the invention is characterized in that the heater pipes are arranged over a part of their length within a common heat pipe which is elsewhere provided with a heat source for maintaining the same temperature to the relevant heater pipe parts during operation of the engine.
  • a heat pipe is to be understood to mean a heat transport device which is formed by a reservoir in which a small quantity of a heat transport medium, for example, sodium, is present which evaporates on one side from a reservoir wall by taking up heat from a heat source, and which on the other side gives off heat to another reservoir wall while changing from the vapour phase to the liquid phase.
  • a heat transport medium for example, sodium
  • Heat transport medium condensate can be returned to the wall where evaporation takes place by gravity.
  • the heat pipe often contains a capillary structure which connects the condensation wall to the evaporation wall, and through which condensate is returned to the evaporation wall under all circumstances by capillary action.
  • Heat pipes which are provided with a capillary structure for the return of condensate are known, for example, from US. Pat. Nos. 3,299,759 and 3,402,767.
  • the major advantage of the use of the heat pipe is based on the fact that most of the heat transport medium vapour in the heat pipe always condenses on the heater pipe parts which have the lowest temperature, i.e., the heater pipe parts in which most heat is taken up from the pipe walls by working medium of the engine. Consequently, and due to the absence of temperature gradients over the thermal connections between the heat source and the heater pipe parts, it is achieved that the heater pipe parts themselves are isothermal and all have the same temperature. As a result, the working medium flowing through the various heater pipes (bundles), assumes the same temperature everywhere.
  • the heat pipe can be readily added on already existing engines having direct heating by combustion gases, while a large degree of freedom remains as regards the location where the heat pipe is mounted on the heater pipes. Furthermore. the thermal load of the heat pipe is particularly low.
  • Swiss Pat. No. 512,670 (corresponding to German Pat. No. 2,015,202) describes a hot-gas engine which is heated by combustion gases and in which the heater pipes are accommodated over a part of their length in a vessel which is filled with a heat-accummulating material.
  • a heat buffer of this kind is unsuitable for various reasons for use as a temperature equalizer for the heater pipe parts situated therein.
  • the heat buffer considering its heat transport by conduction, has a heat resistance which is thousands of times higher than that of the heat pipe. Consequently, permanently colder areas arise in the heat buffer when heat is withdrawn from the heat buffer by the working medium in these heater pipes. As the working medium in a pipe withdraws more heat, a locally lower temperature appears. The lower temperatures are insufficiently compensated for due to the insufficient heat flows from the heat-accumulating material. If the vessel contains liquid heat-accumulating material, for example, this material will solidify at the area of the heater pipe parts of lower temperature, and the thermal resistance in the heat buffer increases substantially.
  • the heat pipe performs its temperature-equalizing function substantially from the instant at which the engine is started, but in the hot-gas engine described in said Swiss patent, the heat buffer actually constitutes an element which hampers the equalization of the working medium temperature in the various heater pipes for a substantial period after the engine has been started. Due to the comparatively high heat capacity and the poor heat conduction of the heat buffer material, a substantial period of time is required for heating this material to the operating temperature. Particularly because of the poor heat conduction, substantially no heat exchange occurs during this period between the heater pipe parts themselves, so no temperature equalization occurs either.
  • the common heat pipe comprises a heattransmitting wall which is arranged in the flow path of the combustion gases and which is in thermal contact with a part of the combustion gases.
  • the construction of the heat source is such that it maintains the heater pipe parts at a temperature which is at least substantially equal to the mean temperature of the heater pipe parts outside the heat pipe which are directly heated by the combustion gases.
  • the heat pipe then equalizes the temperature to a value which is substantially equal to the desired working medium temperature in the heater pipes.
  • the heat source then supplies the optimum quantity of heat. An increase of the heat flow through the heat pipe, causing a rise of the temperature level, has no further favourable effect as regards reduction of the temperature differences between the heater pipes.
  • FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a four-cylinder doubleacting hot-gas engine.
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II of FIG.
  • the hot-gas engine of FIG. 1 comprises four cylinders 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, for four thermodynamic cycles.
  • the regenerator and cooler which form part of a given cycle are each situated in a common space, i.e., in the spaces 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively.
  • the four cylinders as well as the spaces for regenerator and cooler are arranged in a ring.
  • the space 7 of FIG. 2 accommodates a regenerator 9 and a cooler 10; the spaces 5, 6 and 8 are similar to space 7 and also contain a regenerator and a cooler which are not shown in the Figure,
  • cylinder 3 In cylinder 3 is reciprocal piston 11, and situated above the piston is expansion space 12 to which heater pipes 13 are connected; the remote ends of these pipes extend into a duct 14. Arranged below piston 11 is compression space 15 to which a duct 16 is connected. Heater pipes 17 communicate with regenerator 9, the other end of these pipes opening into duct 14. A duct 18 communicates with cooler 10.
  • the expansion space of one cylinder communicates with the compression space of a second cylinder via a heater, regenerator and cooler; the expansion space of the second cylinder communicates with the compression space of a third cylinder, again via a heater, regenerator and cooler.
  • expansion space 12 in cylinder 3 is in open communication with the compression space inside cylinder 4 (not shown) via heater pipes 13, duct 14, heater pipes 17, regenerator 9, cooler 10 and duct 18.
  • Compression space 15 inside cylinder 3 communicates with the expansion space inside cylinder 2 (not shown) via duct 16, the cooler and regenerator (not shown) inside space 6, and heater pipes (not shown).
  • the heater pipes associated with the four thermodynamic cycles are arranged in a ring about a space 20 for combustion gases.
  • the hot combustion gases originate from one central burner device 21, having an inlet for combustion air 22 and an inlet for fuel 23.
  • An outlet 24 for combustion gases communicates with space 20.
  • the upper parts of all heater pipes are arranged, together with the ducts which interconnect the heater pipes associated with one cylinder/regenerator combination (for example, duct 14 of FIG. 2) inside a common annular heat pipe 25, the inner wall of which is covered with a capillary structure 26.
  • a small quantity of sodium is present in the heat pipe as a heat transport medium.
  • the heat pipe furthermore comprises a heattransmitting wall 27 which is arranged in the flow path of the hot-combustion gases originating from burner device 21.
  • the hot combustion gases flow along the heat-transmitting wall 27 and along the lower free heater pipe parts, while giving off heat thereto.
  • the sodium present in the heat pipe 25 evaporates.
  • the sodium vapour flows to the heater pipe parts and their connection ducts due to the pressure prevailing at this area as a result of slightly lower local temperatures. This is because the working medium flowing through the heater pipes and their connection ducts takes up heat from the heater pipe walls and duct walls.
  • the sodium vapour subsequently condenses on these walls while giving off heat thereto. Most vapour condenses at the areas where the lowest temperatures prevail. The temperatures of these walls are thus equalized.
  • the upper heater pipe parts and their connection ducts are each isothermal and all have the same temperature. Consequently, the temperaturev of the working medium flowing through the heater pipes is equalized everywhere, with the result that working medium temperature differences between the pipes substantially disappear, which improves the power and the thermal efficiency of the engine.
  • the surface of heat-transmitting wall 27 of heat pipe 25 is chosen to be so large that the heat flow to the heat pipe produces a sodium temperature which is substantially equal to the mean temperature of the lower pipe parts which are directly heated by the combustion gases. The quantity of heat taken up by the heat pipe is then optimum for achieving the desired temperature equalization.
  • the thermal loading of the heat pipe is small which is desirable, because higher thermal loading does not improve the temperature equalization.
  • a hot-gas engine including a burner providing a flow of hot combustion gases, an expansion space for working gas, and a heater using thermal energy from said combustion gases to heat said working gas, the heater formed of a plurality of pipes, each pipe having a first part thereof situated in the flow path of said combustion gases, the improvement in combination therewith comprising a heat pipe also situated in the flow path of said combustion gases, with a second part of each heater pipe situated inside the heat pipe, whereby said second parts of the heater pipes within the heat pipe are maintained at substantially the same temperature.
  • Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said heater pipes for the four cylinders form parts of a continuous conduit for said working gas, and said heat is a single component for providing thermal energy to all of said heater pipe second parts.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)
  • Central Heating Systems (AREA)
US388601A 1972-09-22 1973-08-15 Hot-gas engine heater Expired - Lifetime US3863452A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL7212824A NL7212824A (es) 1972-09-22 1972-09-22

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3863452A true US3863452A (en) 1975-02-04

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ID=19816990

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US388601A Expired - Lifetime US3863452A (en) 1972-09-22 1973-08-15 Hot-gas engine heater

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3863452A (es)
JP (1) JPS5232420B2 (es)
CA (1) CA982349A (es)
DE (1) DE2344162A1 (es)
FR (1) FR2200896A5 (es)
GB (1) GB1446058A (es)
NL (1) NL7212824A (es)
SE (1) SE395042B (es)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4069671A (en) * 1976-07-02 1978-01-24 Kommanditbolaget United Stirling (Sweden) Ab & Co. Stirling engine combustion assembly
US4117679A (en) * 1977-03-02 1978-10-03 Kommanditbolaget United Stirling (Sweden) Ab & Co. Hot gas engine heater head
US4126995A (en) * 1976-06-11 1978-11-28 U.S. Philips Corporation Hot-gas engine with protected heat reservoir
US4129003A (en) * 1976-03-29 1978-12-12 Q Corporation Engine operated by a non-polluting recyclable fuel
US4248048A (en) * 1978-09-01 1981-02-03 Q Corporation Engine operated by a non-polluting recyclable fuel

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5155140U (es) * 1974-10-25 1976-04-27

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2596057A (en) * 1943-05-27 1952-05-06 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Method and apparatus for temporarily increasing the power of hotgas engines
US3029596A (en) * 1959-11-17 1962-04-17 Gen Motors Corp Power plant heat storage arrangement
US3702533A (en) * 1969-12-24 1972-11-14 Philips Corp Hot-gas machine comprising a heat transfer device

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2596057A (en) * 1943-05-27 1952-05-06 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Method and apparatus for temporarily increasing the power of hotgas engines
US3029596A (en) * 1959-11-17 1962-04-17 Gen Motors Corp Power plant heat storage arrangement
US3702533A (en) * 1969-12-24 1972-11-14 Philips Corp Hot-gas machine comprising a heat transfer device

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4129003A (en) * 1976-03-29 1978-12-12 Q Corporation Engine operated by a non-polluting recyclable fuel
US4126995A (en) * 1976-06-11 1978-11-28 U.S. Philips Corporation Hot-gas engine with protected heat reservoir
US4069671A (en) * 1976-07-02 1978-01-24 Kommanditbolaget United Stirling (Sweden) Ab & Co. Stirling engine combustion assembly
US4117679A (en) * 1977-03-02 1978-10-03 Kommanditbolaget United Stirling (Sweden) Ab & Co. Hot gas engine heater head
US4248048A (en) * 1978-09-01 1981-02-03 Q Corporation Engine operated by a non-polluting recyclable fuel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5232420B2 (es) 1977-08-22
NL7212824A (es) 1974-03-26
CA982349A (en) 1976-01-27
FR2200896A5 (es) 1974-04-19
DE2344162A1 (de) 1974-03-28
SE395042B (sv) 1977-07-25
JPS4975946A (es) 1974-07-22
GB1446058A (en) 1976-08-11

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