WO2010074589A2

WO2010074589A2 - The energy ++ house

Info

Publication number: WO2010074589A2
Application number: PCT/RO2009/000012
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arpad Torok
Original assignee: Arpad Torok
Priority date: 2008-09-04
Filing date: 2009-09-04
Publication date: 2010-07-01
Also published as: WO2010074589A3

Abstract

The invention describes a new model of building, characterized by a high degree of energetic independence, entirely covering the usage of hot domestic water, of heat and electricity, even an excess being left to be transformed in electrical energy and provided to an electrical network. This type of building has an independent additional supra-structure that is completely covering the building, leaving in between the supra-structure and the building an intermediate air layer. On the interior side of this supra-structore a thermal outer cover made of multilayered barriers with variable thickness spacers is mounted, or one made of mobile blocks. The outer cover is crossed by thermally blocked ventilation channels through which large air quantities can be flown. Solar collector elements are set on the exterior side, on all the facades. Part of the walls and ceilings have a high heat cumulative capacity accentuated through a humidification system, part of them being radiant elements with metallic insertions and part of them being "porous walls" used for the interior air ventilation and for recovering the heat mid the energy used for this ventilation. The windowed surfaces are equipped with anti-convection barriers or with a lens system to reduce the section of light flux and the heat losses. The collector elements capture the energy on several temperature steps and then transfer it to some layered tanks. The heat cumulated in the tank is increased using the thermodynamic heat pump made of collectors with refrigerating injection and then is transformed in electrical energy by a series of specially adapted Stirling and Ericson engines and by some caged turbines using auxiliary sources.

Description

THE ENERGY-H- HOUSE

The invention describes a new model of building for housing, social, commercial or industrial use, featured by a high degree of energy independence, which fully meets the domestic hot water, heat and electricity demand, an energy surplus being left to be converted into electricity to be provided to a network. The invention describes Ihe construction and architectural features of such a building, features which ensure, on the one band, the possibility to minimize their own consumption and, on the other hand, Ae capability to collect and manage ihe solar energy geothermal and other renewable sources. The energy needed by the building and the additional energy provided to other consumers is ensured through a complex but unitary thermodynamic system, which combines all energy available in the most efficient way.

Currently, there is a strong concern for achieving the most efficient thermal covers to strongly diminish the energy consumption of buildings and for effective use of some renewable energy sources with Ae development of various building systems such as passive houses, 0-energy houses, energy+ houses etc. The main features of such buildings are as follows: highly reduced thermal bridges, building the thermal covering by classical meihods but with greater thickness, eliminating the unsealed portions, a useful location (typically south oriented) of surfaces with windows, a ventilation system based on inside heat recovery using heat pumps, installing heat or photovoltaic panels to collect solar energy and some grønnd-wafef heat pumps to collect the geothermal energy, installing wind miero-tuϊbines for electricity generation, chemical storage of electricity and energy. The disadvantage of these types of buildings consists in the relatively high price of heating and collecting systems.

Starting from the patent application WQ2007Λ) 18443, me present invention proposes the development of a more independent additional supra-stnicture, meant to completely coat the building (a house within another house) and to create m mt&rmeΦsiξ; layer of air between the two supra-structures. The new supra-stracture can support a new thermal insulation regardless its weight as well as a large number of collecting elements whose thermal insulation is provided by the building insulation and thus their cost is substantially cut down. In addition, on such a supra- structure, also other elements can be mounted, such as decorations, the heat bridges are removed more easily, and the air layer created between Ae two supra-structures can play a major role in regulating Ae internal temperature. To prødiiee hot wafer and electricity_^ and for air-conditioning the building, a Aermodynamic system is used whose main elements are Ae cage turbine and Ae double-range Stirling engine described in Ae patent application WO2008/094058. This system is able to operate at low temperature differences between the cold and hot source, to capitalize on all the available energy sources, to store energy for Ae sunless periods and to provide a high heat comfort. Compared to Ae currently existing systems, Ae system hereby described has a great number of benefits: a structure wi A extremely low energy losses; a highly effective air-conditioning system wiA minimum energy consumption provided from renewable sources; providing domestic hot water and Ae indoor Aeπnal comfort, usually based on cogeneration; integration of all energy resources into a single system; under favorable environmental conditions, energy generation is more Aan needed, hence

Ais energy amounts Aat are stored for being used during unfavorable conditions or to be transferred to oAer users; reducing the environmental Aeπnal and chemical pollution. The invention description will refer mainly to Ae following drawings: - fig.1 : plan and cross section for an energy++ house fig.2: vertical section Arough outer cover and Ae two supra-structures fig.3: cross section of a wall with thermal cover made of barriers with variable resistance, with focused aπiάolic lighting, with a window- surface with anti-convection barriers and with channels that are thermally stopped fig.4: multilayered barriers with variable thermal resistøice fig.5: thermally stopped channel cross section fig.6: foil thermo-insulation plate in intelligent cover fig.7: flat valves collector fig.8: window-surfaces with variable light flow fig.9: grid type anti-convection barrier fig.10: window-surfaces with variable light flow with optic fibers fig.l 1 : radiant element wiih ineial inserts fig.12: pressure amplifier fig.13 : receiver actuated with small size linear electric engine fig.14: cooler with evaporation bath fig.l 5: in principle scheme of thermodynamic system fig.16: scheme of a solar receiver with central slot fig.17: scheme of a solar receiver with lateral slot and Stirling engine, of facade receivers and geothermal receiver fig.18 : longitudinal and cross section of the flat collector fig.19: cam gear section and profiling of a cam fig20: double-alpha engine fig.21 : double-beta engine fig.22: double-gamma engine fig.23 : double-gamma engine wiih 3 pairs of collectors fig.24: adjusting diagrams and cam profiling for alpha-gamma engine fig.25: receiver with telescopic rod fig.26: longitudinal and cross section of the double-gamma engine fig.27: parallel operation of the shift collectors fϊg.28: Stirling engine equipped wiih a comb-type heat exchanger fig.29: Stirling engine equipped with multiple stage heat exchanger fig.30: Stirling engine in the ring fig.31 : Stirling engine in layered tank fig.32: static Stirling engine fig.33: Stirling collector with inside pipe system fig.34: engine diagram of the engine with refrigerant fig.35: diagram of adiabatic Stirling engine fig.36: Stirling -adiabatic engine fig.37: scheme, working cycle, P-V diagrame and the dog profiling for Ericson engine fig.38: Ericson engine with constant pressure heat exchanger fig.39: Ericson engine with constant pressure heat exchanger fig.40: powering system for a Stirling gamma engine fig.41 : powering system for an Ericson alpha engine fig.42: powering system for a Stirling gamma engine with gears fig.43 : Stirling engine set up on a tank in the heat installation fig 44: cross section of a caged turbine fig. 45: layered accumulator fϊg.46: thrmo mechanical heat pump fig.47: thermal engine with spraying fig.48: compressor with intermediate valve fig.49: engine with refrigerant injection fig.50: P-V diagrame of an engine with refrigerant injection

The components of an energy++ house (Fig. 1, 2 and 3):

1. The bmWhig 1.1 may be an existing or a new building which is designed and built according to its utility, as per the rules and procedures applied to passive houses, with some additional rules:

- The land under the building is recommended to be used for installing a geothermal collector with a concrete storage layer 1.13, according to the invention; the advantage is provided by the possibility of including this plate in the building foundation and of using the collector as earthnmg plate for the electrics! eqtήpment outlet and for the lightning protection of very high quality;

It is preferable to have a supra-structure made of columns and beams 1.2, compatible with the additional supra-structure, as the weight of the outside walls (with thinner and lighter structure) will be much lower and part of the weight of the roof, windows, balconies, decorations etc. is taken over by the additional supra-structure;

- For the supra-structure_* interior walls, floors_* indoor endowments etc. it is preferable to use materials with a high potential of beat storage; increasing the storage potential of the interior walls can be achieved by installing "wet walls", according to the invention;

The floors and ceilings are made as radial plates, with metal insertions, as per the invention; The roof of the building will be included in the outer coating;

The outer walls 1.3 will be constructed of light materials; the thermal resistance of these walls and their thermal insulation 1.4 is calculated in a fixed relationship to the outer themal insulation of the coating, so that the temperatare of air layer between Ae two supra- structures can be easily controlled; if the holes created for the window-surfaces are large, it is recommended mat the outer walls to be radial walls with metal insertions, part of the outer walls will be "porous walls," according to WO2O07/018443, to ensure the fresh air demands; A positive effect of reducing the heat loss is provided by covering the entire outer surface with a reflective layer 1.16.

2. The additional supra-structure is usually made of vertical pillars 1.5 and horizontal beam 1.7, on it own infrastructure 1.12 (thermally insulated 1.17 from the building infrastructure 1.14). It completely covers the building and sustains its roof For the buildings with a larger unfolded area, the roof is also supported by a part of the pillars of the internal supra-structure, 1.15. The distance between the two supra-structures is equal to the thickness of the thermal coating (including the part of the coating set up on the exterior side of the btiildmg),, being almost equal to the thickness of the coating is a passive house plus the thickness of the air layer between Ae two covers, computed depending on the characteristics of the Aermodynamic system. The two supra-structures can be built so that there is no connection point between them, but in order to build a lighter structure some support points 1.15, 1.18 may exist, points Aat will transfer a part of the mechanical load from the exterior supra-structure (mainly the load due to strong winds); however these points have to be as few as possible, preferably mounted using adhesives md made of elements with low thermal transfer coefficient (polyureAanes, expanded polystyrene, polycarbonates, etc) so Aat Aey do not become thermal bridges. A structure of longitudinal and transversal beams is supported by the superior side of these pillars, taking over part of the roof weight or a structure of curb rafters and arches is similarly supported completely taking over this weight. The new supra-structure takes over a smaller or larger part of the balcony weight, of balcony's cover, of the decorative elements, of the windowed-surfaces, tbus eliminating Ae Aermgl bridges moFe than in the case of classical systems. This way a house with double cover, a "house in house" is realized.

The setup of Ae horizontal beams is done so Aat Aeir side surface is approximately in Ae same vertical plan with Ae side surfaces of the pillars. The exterior supra-structure will Aus have two plane vertical surfaces: an interior one on which Ae support plates for fixing Ae Aermo- insulating materia) are glued or attached with demountable elements and an exterior one on which the facade decorative elements 1.11 are fixed (if the decoration is not directly done on the thermo insulating support-plates). Also between each pair of 2 hori?a>ntal beams and Ae pair of pillars on which this is set up, parallelepiped chambers will be formed, bordered on one side by the insulating material and open on the other side or bordered by decorative plates, transparent plates or heat storage plates. ID the case of solar exposure, given the greenhouse effect, the temperature of these chambers can be significantly higher that die outside temperature.

3. Thermal outer cover of this building type consists of 3 layers:

An inside layer, applied on the "inside house" (hot layer), it is applied on the unfinished walls and is relatively continuous, with few thermal bridges due to moving the items with low thermal resistance to the outer supra-siiuciure;

An outer layer applied on the inner side of the additional supra-stracture (cold layer); this layer can also be applied with a small number of fasteners, of materials with a low conductivity;

An intermediate air layer, which may be bordered by reflective surfaces to reduce the reflection losses, especially when the outer walls of the inner building are radiant to the interior (radiant elements with metal insertions), the temperature of this layer is relatively uniform, but there is a vertical stratification. In this ease,, Ae constructive elements introduced in this layer do not constitute thermal bridges and may be executed of any material. Between the two insulating layers, supporting elements with a thickness slightly larger than flie intermediate layer may be placed at intervals, forcedly, by slight pressing, so that by pushing the two thermal insulations layers to their support layer, they should produce a fixing effect of the same, reducing the number of penetrating fixings. This stratification can be enhanced by various procedures mά vseά m the operation of the air-conditioning system. As seen in Fig.2, ie intermediate layer can also penetrate between the two transparent surfaces 2.1 of a window. In mis layer, the ground-air heat exchangers 2.6 can be also fitted that use the geothermaϊ collector under the building and / or in its vicinity, for an additional heat input in winter and, in summer, to evacuate the extr&heat, and the evaporator 2.2 of a heat pump to recover (with a particularly high efficiency) the heat stored on the top (the hottest part) of the intermediate layer. The intermediate air layer can be relatively stable, can be naturally ventilated, may be circulated by a classical air-conditioning system, can be replaced with fresh air brought by "Canadian wells" and circulated through the procedures proposed by Tnertia Building Systems, or may be circulated by moving the mobile thermo-blocks or by expansion-compression movements of the thermo-insulating blocks with variable thickness as per the invention.

Intermediate layer temperature is determined by the thermal resistance ratio of the two insulating layers and is chosen function of the building function. For example, for a building inhabited permanently, as a whole (warehouses, hospitals etc.), the hot layer can be very thin; the intermediate layer temperature is close to the internal temperature and the internal temperature regulation may be performed by acting directly on the intermediate layer (for instance, a slight overheating of the air in the intermediate layer may be used, the contribution of heat through the hot layer being meant to compensate the losses through otheF parts of the room). For a building used entirely or partly within a period of a day and totally abandoned for the rest of the same day (offices, schools, restaurants, discos), the thickness of the hot layer may be higher and the temperature of the intermediate layer will be adjusted so that will have a guard temperature in the uninhabited rooms provided by the interior heat loss compensation of the heat flow passing from the intermediate layer through the hot insulation. The inhabited rooms will be equipped with- independent heat sources to ensure the desired thermal comfort. The heat lost by these rooms to the intermediate layer will be largely recovered. Also, the ratio of the two layers thickness can be chosen so that the intermediate layer temperature will not fall below 0 degrees Celsius unless exceptional cases, which enables a completely different approach in terms of methods and materials the two structures are made of, and an adjustment of the inside humidity by adjusting the humidity of the intermediate Isyer. For the

with many rooms (residences, hotels etc.) where differentiated temperatures are desired, it is recommended mat the intermediate layer should be portioned by horizontal and vertical belts (cordons), made of materials with high mechanical resistance (for a better distiibution of Ae mechanical load) and with high thermal resistance, mounted so as to fill in all meir thickness the space between the pillars (beams respectively) of the main supra-structure and {he opposite pillars (beams respectively) of the second structure. These belts can be crossed by venting channels tftat are thermally obstructed, constructed as per the invention.

If in a building wilh a cold intefrnedϊaie layer insulated rooms are constructed 1.9, with the outer wall non-insulated, (or completely suppressed), we can create rooms with conservation temperatures, similar to cellars. Furthermore, Ae refrigeration devices manufactured specifically for these buildings will have a removable capacitor mounted in the intermediate layer, m this way, the capacitor temperature will be significantly reduced, achieving a substantial energy savings.

4. Multilayer barrier with variable heat resistance. The patent application WO2007/018443 shows a method of producing thermo-insulating materials based on creating in the material structure of some gaseous film barriers. According to this invention, mυltilayered barriers can be achieved consisting of film of gas (called basic layers) of uniform thickness (hπiit thickness experimentally determined where gases are still non-convective) parallel with the large surface, separated by solid layers (polyethylene, PVC, paper, aluminium, resins etc.) of very small thickness (5-10 microns), called support layer. By a slight tension of the support layers, gas films are obtained of a relatively uniform thickness, by using a minimum number of spacers. In such a barrier, the volume of gas may exceed 90 % of the total amount, practically being obtained a non-corroding layer of gas, whose thickness is equal to the barrier thickness. If gas is air, it is possible to obtain ihermo-insulating materials with a heat conductivity coefficient less than 0.03 W / m.K .

The steadiness of the gas in the film layers depends ptϊm&ήly on the tetnperahirβ range between the two solid layers limiting them, the gas stays non-convective when this difference does not exceed a limit value, even if the gas film thickness is higher. This temperature range is achieved by dividing the total range between the temperatures of the two protective layers, to the total number of layers. For a certain temperature rang, there is a minimum number of layers, which if exceeded, provides a high value of the coating heat resistance. For an interior-exterior temperature range of 30 degrees Celsius, the minimum number of layers needed is 200-250. For coating thickness of 100 mm, thickness of a layer is 0.4-0.5 mm, and coatings of 500 mm, thickness of a layer is 2-2.5 mm, in both cases the heat conductivity coefficient being less than 0.03 W / mk for the entire thickness of the insulation.

This invention proposes the achievement of multilayer barriers with spacers of variable thickness. As a result, the entire barrier thickness becomes variable and may be modified between certain limits, the coefficient of heitf transfer being aprxoximately $*^e same for the portion of the two protective plates, and the rest of the thickness being occupied by eonvective air. Figure 4 shows several types of such barriers: in Fig. 4A between the support layers 4.2 corner spacers are inserted 4.3 made of two elastic pieces (rubber, polyethylene, plastics etc.) and in Fig. 4B, linear spacers 4.4 made of elastic tubes with thin walls. Chie of the protective plates 4.1 is fixed and the other is moved in a perpendicular direction to the plate surface (simultaneously with all support layers) by rod 4.6 of one or more pistons 4.7, the thickness of barriers ranging between two limits. Reverting the layers to the original position is made with the help of the spacers' elasticity, after the withdrawal of the piston, in fig. 4C, corner spacers 4.5 are made of a rigid material with the thickness of several tenth of a millimeter, but they are provided with a hole ibrough which a rod passes 4.8, and the spacers of the nearby layers are bounded with one or more wires 4.9 (for example, silk threads), with the length equaling to the maximum thickness of the gas films. The rod movement 4.6 of the piston, which in this type of barrier is attached to the protective plate, causes the successive sliding of the support layers along the 4 shafts they are installed on to a direction or another and in the barrier two areas are constituted: one with film layers of minimum thickness given by the spacers thickness, and one with a maximum thickness given by the length of bounding threads. Through these movements, the multilayer barrier may be loaded with hot or cold air, as the air-conditioning system operation requires.

Pistons operation may be done by classical methods, with pneumatic or hydraulic pistons, with rods mechanically driven, wiih rod-crank systems, with electromagαeis etc. They may be also operated by collectors activated by linear engines with electrical impulses, according to the invention. It is also possible of an automatic operation, with Ae help of some collectors where the two rooms located on both sides of the piston are connected through some electro-valves that are automatically controlled, to the gas tanks mounted in the refference environments. Pressures on both sides of the piston will vary accordingly, depending on the temperatures of the environments the controlling gas tanks are installed in, air circulation being made function of these temperatures.

5. Transparent insulations wtβ* variable heat resistance. If the protective outer layer of a multilayer barrier is done in a glass plate (or other material sufficiently transparent), support layers of very thin transparent sheets, separated by spacers of thickness equalling the limit thickness, and the inside protective layer of an beat radiation absorbent materia? and beat collector, an insulation transparent panel is obtained, with the property of absorbing and accumulating a large amount of heat. If at this panel, the spacers between the support layers are elastic ones and have a variable thickness, by alternating movements of the ioside mobile protective layer, it is possible to periodically replace the gas in the film layers, with a different temperature gas, according to the air- conditioning requirements at a certain time.

6. Ventilation ehttrøe! Ifterntally stepped. For the rapid transportation and with an insignificant consumption of mechanical work between different coating parts, as well as between the coating and the building inside or outside, some channels of ventilation are constructed in the insulation thickness. To avoid heat losses, inside fliese channels, insulating plugs are inserted, according to Figure 5. Oa one of the channel walls 5.1 a support 5.2 is installed by demountable elements, where spacers 5.3 with a very small thickness (0.1-1 mm) are mounted perpendicularly on the support on Hs the entire wkWh, and between each pair of spacers_^ aprons 5.4 of very small thickness (.01-0.1) are mounted by soldering or stringing, with the length and width approximately equal to the size of the respective channel. The material and thickness of ihe aprons should ensure on one hand the formation of gas film relatively uniform (due to their own weight and the weight of spacers 5.5 attached to their bottom), therefore forming a multilayer thermal barrier, and on the other hand, a sufficiently deforming degree, so that when the difference in pressure between the two sides of the stopper exceeds a certain value, the aprons are distorted and allow the passage of a gas flow, up to the cancellation of the pressure difference. If aprons material is tough enough as not to deform under its own weight, but with a proper elasticity, the spacers can be fastened on any of the other three sides of the channel. The procedure can be applied to any type of ventilation channel, but it can be extremely useful for buildings ventilation.

Figure 3 shows the achievement of a ventilation channel with a variable resistance multilayer barrier, the support layers 3.2-0 of the barrier (fixed to the sϊFpra-stFuetwre with fixing elements 3.4) are provided at the bottom with aprons 3.12, added by pasting (made of the same material as the support layers, or different material if this does not meet the needed qualities of different materials), or made by manufacturing these support layers with heights greater than the height of protective layers, forming with the nearby plate walls a ventilation channel thermally stopped. In this way, the films of non-convective gas of the barrier and of the stopper are an extension of the other and their thickness can be amended by the piston 3.11 action. Jn the ease in Figure 3, the ventilation channel is provided with a mobile wall actuated by its own piston 3.21. When pistons 3.11 and 3.21 are simultaneously actuated, both the barrier and ventilation channel change their sizes, the gas inside the baπier being largely circulated to or from Ae solar collector 3.8 formed behind glass plate 3.7. If only the piston 3.21 is actuated, the ventilation channel to die olar barrier remains stopped, and the air exchange is between the multilayer barrier and intermediary air layer 1.5 formed between the coating and Ae wall 1.3. A similar situation is shown in Figure 6, where the thermo-insulating material is made of modern materials in the form of parallelepiped blocks 6.1, which may slide on a support 6.7, under the action of the piston 6.6. A ventilation channel with heat stopping links the solar barrier 6.3 (separated from outside by the plate valve 6.5) and intermediate layer of air 6.8 (separated from the ventilation channel by Ae valve 6.2). Under die action of the piston 6.6, among the 3 environments, reciprocal gas exchanges may take place.

The temperature adjustment possibilities provided by Ae barrier with variable thickness are higher if the hot insulation is made of this type of material. B. becomes possible to increase or decrease the thickness of both layers in compensation wi A the variation of Ae intermediate layer thickness, and if one layer thickness increases while Ae oAer layer thickness decreases, it becomes possible to move Ae intermediate layer (and Aus its temperature changes) to one of Ae supra- structures, depending on Ae outdoor temperature changes, or on Ae geoAermal collector temperature.

Typically, on cold weather, air circulation inside Ae coating is so that immediately after Ae occurrence of a heatstroke on one of Ae facades, Ae temperature of Ae intermediate l^er and Aen the temperature of Ae whole coating increases until it reaches almost Ae value of Ae internal temperature, in such a way Aat Aese is no energy consumption is needed for heating. The maneuvers can be made so Aat when Ae sun is faded, Ae entire coating temperature is equal to Ae inside temperature and Ae intermediate layer to have Ae minimum Aickness and to be moved inwards. If, additionally, Ae whole building, or at least Ae glass surfaces are provided wiA a variable Aermal resistmee baπier as per WO2007/018443 (eg. an automatic blind system), Ae period during which a coating loses Ae heat stored in such a way can be more extended.

7. Plate valves. The intelligent coating operation is mainly based on low speed circulation of some air amounts with the pressure close to the atmospheric one on channels with large sections. These channels closing and opening can be performed wiA valves as in Figure 7, made of rectangular plates 7.2 (metal or plastic) of small Aickness, having a joint 7.1 installed on one side, and on one side a sealing gasket 7.3, which perfectly fits on Ae 4 sides of Ae ehannel (or if the valve is installed in Ae channel, an inside cross wall is constructed, provided wiA an opening stopped by Ae valve). The valves are usually vertical, wiA Ae joint mounted on Ae upper side, in which case it is opened by Ae air blow, and return to initial position is under Ae action of its own weight, but Aere are valves whose return is possible by means of a small spring 7.9. Also, in some circumstances, some stoppers may be mounted mechanically or electrically operated, to temporarily block Ae valves in a given position. Figure 7 shows a rectangular collector wiA a double effect, wiA plane valves used for flowing Ae air on large distances The valves are mounted in Ae two caps as well as in Ae upper wall 7.4. When Ae piston 7.5 moves to Ae right, Ae inlet valve 7.6 of Ae first compartment and Ae pressing valve 7.10 in Ae second compartment open, while when moving to Ae left, Ae valves 7.7 and 7.8 open.

8. Porous walls. Refreshing Ae inside air may be performed just like in case of Ae passive houses wiA a ventilation system based on a heat exchanger, which recovers most of Ae heat from the exhausted air, or by a ventilation system Arough Ae porous walls described in application WO2007/018443. This last system has Ae advantage Aat at a certain flow of air circulated Arough Ae walls, Ae amount of heat taken by Ae current of fresh air from Ae layers of walls can equalize the amount of heat received from Ae interior walls. As a result, all Ae heat consumed for heating is recovered by Ae fresh air inserted into Ae building.

The most significant process occurs in the case of the glass window surfaces, wiA Ae greatest heat losses. By including Ae air layer 3.31 between Ae last panes of glass in Ae porous wall 3.30, the heat loss from the intermediate layer is recovered (heat toss from inside to the intermediate layer is being found on top of the intermediate layer).

The heat in the polluted air can be extracted with a heat pump, can be used by being circulated in a cold area of the coating, or can be inserted in a thermodynamic circuit as in Fig. 9B. This system is composed of a cage turbine 9.1 that takes over the polluted hot air from the ventilation system and converts a part of its enthalpy into mechanical work, cooling it down to die outside ambient temperature. The turbine delivers to a piston-equipped collector with metal walls mounted on that facade. Here, the air is isothermally compressed up to the atmospheric pressure and released in the atmosphere, or reintroduced into the circuit The mechanic work therefore obtained is used to drive the ventilation system, and the excess is converted into electricity.

This thermodynamic system is useful also for cooling some containers or equipment with high temperatures, such is Ae one ia Fig. 9C, the mechanic work produced being much higher.

9. Window-surface with anti-convection barriers. In a thermal coating sufficiently thick and made of highly efficient materials, the highest heat losses are the ones through the window-surface. In these elements of construction, reducing the losses is correlated wifh the achievement of a visual comfort. If reducing the heat loss during the night or when leaving the room can be realized by automatic operation of reflective blinds, the heat loss by convection can be reduced through the imDlementation of barriers to reduce the conveetive motion of eas between two sheets of glass. The procedure is shown in Figure 3 for a fixed window-area, consisting of glass sheets 3.14 and of a frame with therrno-insulating core 3.13. Between the two layers the temperature range established is very close to the temperature range between the room interior and Ae exterior, which causes a gas movement with very high speed between the sheets of glass. If between the two sheets of glass several anti-convective barriers 3.15 are introduced, (such that the surface for sunlight penetration is not reduced by more than a few percent) barriers covering Ae entire surface and passing through the window frame 3.13, to come into intimate contact wilh Ae Aermal insulation on a very large surface, the temperature of these barriers will stabilize at a value close to Ihe temperature of the relevant layer of the thermo-msulation_^ transferring this temperature also to the gas in the immediate vicinity of the barrier. In this way, convective currents will appear between Ae layers of different temperatures of the barrier, wiA an intensity and speed very much lowered. A significant part of Ae gas will continue to move through the mesh network, with a slightly lower speed, achieving, per total, a significant reduction in heat loss. To achieve Ae proposed goals, Ae materials the barrier is made of must have a higher coefficient of heat transmission. As regards Ae number of barriers, Ae mesh sizes and Ae area of the filled part, m optimal compromise must be achieved wiA the absorbed light flow. In figure 3, the barriers are made of metal nets, made of Areads wiA a small diameter and wiA large mesh, Ae mesh of various barriers are aligned so Aat Ae flow of light is not reduced by more than 10-20 percent. Another option is to make Ae barriers of transparent materials. Now it is preferable to build network of perpendicular bars forming networks with large meshes, according to fig.9A, Ae overlapping of Ae networks is displaced wiA a bar widA, so Aat on a direction perpendicular to the window, at most two barriers could met, and Ae gas flow would circulate on a very winding road.

As barriers for breaking Ae convection also active items may be used (electrical resistors, tubes wiA a heat carrier agent) hidden in various items wiA decorative role.

Figure 3 also exemplifies one possibility to set Ae fixed window-surfaces: Ae frame made of an insulating material 3.13 of Ae window 3.14 is mounted on Ae supports 3.5 fixed on Ae exterior outer cover and on Ae wall 1.3 from Ae interior supra-struetee.

10. Window-surfaces with variable light flow. AnoAer procedure for reducing heat losses through Ae window-areas wiAout diminishing Ae light flow too much, shown in Figure 8, is a system of lenses and prisms by means of which Ae light rays on a surface 8.1 are focused by a system of convergent lenses 8.3, go Arough Ae insulating layer 8.5 Arough a much reduced section, and Λen Arough a divergent system 8.4 and enter inside Ae room Arough a screen 8.2, having the same size with the collecting element. On the route of the light flow, a mobile screening device can- be inserted, a decorative image, or even mobile screen of a TV or a PC monitor. Making a compromise in the detriment of Ae picture clarity, the lighting flux cam be passed through a smaller or larger section, correspondingly reducing the area with high heat losses. In Figure 8 A, the light passes first through a convergent lens 8.7, and then through a divergent 8.8, later restoring the rays parallelism by converging lens 8.9, while in figure IO the eollecteig surface decomposes Ae image received into a multitude of micro-images, they are each reduced by the lenses 10.1 and sent through optical tubes 10.1 Io the player area, where the micro-images are increased, and initial image is recomposed. This way transparent metallic walls can be obtained, made of concrete or other materials, useful for different applications: aero-ships, submarines, etc. This system can be also applied to the anidolic lighting systems, as shown in Figure 3, by replacing ihe windows of the classical systems with convergent and divergent lenses, or by focusing Ae light flux with a converging lens 3.16 towards the end of an optical tube 3.17 (closed by window-surfaces with very small surface 3.18) that leads this flow in the space between ceiling and the translucid plate 3.19.

11. Heat storage walls. The invention proposes ihe construction of some walls made of two light plates (wood, PVC, polyethylene etc.), with small perforations for ventilation and humidity evacuation, where a filling material is inserted (sand, gravel, clay, vegetable soil etc.), whose moisture is maintained between certain limits (dictated by inside httmidiiy regulation system) by means of a drip system fed from the interior water network. On sueh a wall one can even plant ornamental plants.

12. Radiant elements with metallic insertions, Heating a house by an intelligent thermal coating can be done with heat carrier agents with a temperature much lower than in the traditional systems. The invention proposes the use of radiant item with low temperature agents. The radiant wall 11.2 is made of concrete, plaster etc., where, when eastrøg, metal insertions 11.3 are introduced in the form of bars, yam, ribbons, etc. (resulted from the waste collected for this purpose), arranged as homogeneous as possible. All these insertions are welded to each other and to a collector plate 11.4, with greater thickness, located centrally on one of the sides of the radiant plate. M the storage plate a cylinder hole is made in which the pipe 11.5 is welded very intimately, through which the thermal agent (water, air and saturated vapours of Freon etc.) circulates powered or due to gravitation. The duet arid the warmer side of the radiant plate are thermally insulated 11.1, where it is preferable to insert also a thermos barrier with reflective surfaces. The insulating layer may be dropped in case of a radiant wail made inside a separating wall (with two radiant sides).

If Jhe heat coating meets the minimum thermal performance requirements imposed to on a passive houses, the working temperature of the radiant walls removed is only 2-3 degrees above the inside temperature and can be obtained with relatively low temperatures (max. 28 degrees) of the heat agent, which enhances the possibilily thai the heat needed to ohtawed also from auxiliary sources (a heat pump mat exfracts heat from the upper intermediate layer, or from recycling the domestic hot water), or from a Stirling generator by cogeneration or high efficiency due to a higher temperature range it is operating at. Tn addition, due to the fttoderate temperature, on these pipes branches may be mounted to feed Ae dampening system of the collector walls as well as for feeding some devices of the fire fighting system.

13. Receiver powered with small size linear electric engine. This receiver type serves for flowing the air inside the coating as well as for some other component elements of the climate system and for generating electric current Figure IA, shows a longitudinal cross section of a collector with a rectangular section. Carcass 13.1 is a parallelepiped box, made of a material, preferably non-magnetic with enough strength to bear internal pressures without becoming distorted, and if it is used to capture heat, with a heat transfer coefficient as high as possible. If the collector is a solar one, the surface exposed to the sun is covered with absorbent substances or with a panel of photovoltaic cells. In the case walls the inlet and repression valves 13.7 are mounted. The piston 13.2, made preferably, also of a non-magnetic material, has rounded comers, as shown in Section l-l, for the packings 13.16 should not be greatly distorted in these areas, ΪΆ Ae median area of the piston, parallel to its longest side, on one or both of the sides, a metal fitting is mounted, having both a good electrical conductivity and very good magnetic features. This fitting may joint the rest of the piston, or it can be removable. When working with high electric currents, it is preferable to mount a greater number of fittings, parallel between themselves and parallel to the short side of the piston (Fig. 13B, 13C>

For each fitting of the piston, to one or both ends of the collector, a U-shape (horseshoe) magnetic circuit is installed, with such dimensions that, when the piston reaches its stroke end, the metal fitting will fill very well the magnetic circuit inner cavity. The fitting penetrating Ae cavity can be either in front (the magnet axis is Ae same, or parallel to the coBecter axis) or lateral (the magnet axis is perpendicular io ihe collector one, ΪΆ ihis case two U shape magnets can be mounted face-to-face). The magnetic circuit can be achieved by 1 or 2 permanent magnets in die horseshoe shape (Fig. 13A), by two bar shaped permanent magnets (parallel to the piston fitting, one above and the other beneath it), mounted on a ferromagnetic fitting meant to close the magnetic circuit, or can be made in accordance with fig. 13B arκl 13C of ferromagnetic fittings 13.10, 13.11, (of plates) having electrical windings 13.9 placed on some parts, so that a magnetic circuit will be achieved with an gap air where the piston fitting penetrates when it reaches the end if the stroke. In this case, a single magnetic circuit can be achieved for all the fittings on one side of the piston (fig.13B). If the piston and / or the coating is made of magnetic material, the whole magnetic circuit is separated by an insulating mass 13.5 to reduce the dispersion magnetic flux. The insulating mass also serves to reduce the dead volwroe of the collector. Jn this same area ai the two air gap mάs_^ a two brush- collar system 13.14 is mounted jointly with Ae brushes 13.6. Using a flexible conductors system, the brushes are linked to the two clamps 13.17 Λat are electrically isolated from the case, and using the conductors 13.16 they are linked to flie feeding circuit. An elastic spring system 13.13, which presses the brushes, ensures their firm electric connection to the mobile fitting 13.3. If the voltage applied to the terminal exceeds a critical value, the interior walls of the collector are covered with a resin or a dielectric varnish

The magnetic field created by permanent magnets or by the electrical coils is oriented perpendicularly to the piston movement direction and it is much larger when its reinforcement fitting (fittings) enters the air gap arid an electric contact is made between this one and the two brushes. At this time, me two brushes are fed with a direct current impulse, oriented so mat the force created by the interaction of the magnetic field and the current passing through the fitting to cause the piston moving towards the opposite end of the collector. To prevent the formation of electrical arcs between brushes and Ae fitting, Ae impulse is disconnected before Ae fitting leaves the air gap and physical contact between the brush and Ae fitting ends. The size of this force is proportional to the magnetic field intensify and magnitude of the current impulse. As the fitting is made of solid iron, and Ae fitting section can be increased up to 70-80% of Ae collector section, Ae currents passing Arough Ae fitting may reach important values. These values may be even higher if the circulated fluid has a lower temperature or, if a gas is circulated which in the compressing stage is cooled by injection, (Ae fitting being also chilled, Ae current is higher when Ae fitting reaches a critical temperature).

Taking into account that this driving system is replaced with a rotating engine and a mechanical system of driving rod and crank type, Ae space and material saving is significant. Also, Ae range of powers is very large, and Ae load and speed control is very easily achieved by Ae control of Ae currents in the fitting and winding.

If Ais mechanism is used for some fluids circulations wiAout large pressure differences on boA sides of Ae piston, or for operating some mechanisms wiA alternative linear movement, Ae mechanical load is constant, the currents passing through the fitting are quite low, and the impulses magnitude is constant. In Ais case, for a lower speed of Ae piston, Ae impulses magnitude can be calculated in such a way Λat Ae interaction of Ae magnetic field and Ae electric current will cause a piston movement right to Ae opposite end of the collector, and the fitting on this side of the piston still has the mechanical energy required to penetrate between the two brushes, compressing their springs and thereafter the movement stops. The backwards movement will be made when this fitting also receives a current impulse (just when stopping in case of a continuous operation, or any time thereafter, in case of a sequential operation).

If higher piston speeds are- needed, the impulses magnitude is increased, but a braking is required to the ends of its ran. The braking can be done electrically by mounting an electric load 13R (such as electric resistance healing ihe fluid from another collector) properly sized, at the clamps of the fittings, in parallel with the source of impulses 13S. When the moving fitting comes near the magnetic circuit of the opposite end of Ae collector, in the circuit constituted by the load and the fitting, an electric current proportional the fitting speed occurs, which is interacting with the magnetic field and generates a force that opposes to the movement. This force grows very quickly once ihe fitting penetrates Ae air gap determining (if the brake distance is high enough) the piston stop before the mechanical limit. The power surplus needed for increasing Ae speed rate is Aus partialy recovered The electric brake can be replaced, or (in die case of very high speeds) supplemented wiA a mechanical brake, as Ae example in Figure 13 A shows, by means of some buffers 13.12, backed by elastic spring 13.8 mounted in guidance holes, or as shown in Figure 13D, wi A Ae help of a pneumatic (or hydraoϊϊe) damping pad_* inserted between the collector cap and a damping piston 13.20, covered wiA an elastic carpet 1321 (Ae volume of Ae damping pad can be increased by linking Ais rooms wiA an additional external room wiA elastic walls). The additional energy coming from the accelerated movement of the piston is therefore transferred to some elastic items which, once Ae brake is realized and Ae piston is stopped, transfer Ae energy back to Ae piston and push it backwards. The current impulse needed to obtain Ae desired movement speed will be thus lower tbsπ the impulse necessary to start. The pneumatic pad m^ be achieved just by Ae working fluid, by controlled earh/ closing Ae pressure valve. If Ae current impulse is sufficiently high for Ae elastic items in Ae opposite end to determine Ae full return run of the piston, the collector can be achieved with a single drive. Also, a collector where Ae piston moves vertically can have a single drive installed at Ae bottom, Ae momentum to starting impulse being calculated by considering Ae piston weight, but for Ae return run produced by Ae gravity effect, Ais additional energy is recovered.

For Ae engine continuous supply, it is necessary Aat Ae short fitting of Ae piston to be replaced wiA a rod longer Aan Ae collector, which gets out Arough a hole in Ae cap and is sealed wiA elastic packing, which requires a large space for maneuver. Tn Figure 13D, to recover Ais space, particularly option was chosen where a single rod serves Ae pistons of two collectors, separated from each oAer by an intermediary wall, where Ae crossing hole is made and is provided wiA seals and where are installed the magnetic circuit consisting of etAer the fittings 13.10, 13.11 and Ae coils 13.9 or of permanent magnets, and Ae system of power supply Arough brushes. The two collectors can be provided each wiA Ae valves 13.7, linked togeAer and to Ae circuit served by connecting pipelines 13.23, or may be directly connected by pipelines, in which case a single valve pair may be installed, but Ae volume of pipeline constitutes an additional dead space. The rod connecting Ae two pistons is made of steel wiA good magnetic features, having a high electrical conductivity. AIsO₁ on the rod a position transducer YM7A may be mounted_* to transmit at any time the piston position to a control circuit. In Ais way, Ae current magnitude passing Arough Ae fitting may cause Ae piston movement and stopping at any position. A continuous alternative movement of Ae piston can be ensured by an alternative current, whose frequency and amplitude are Aerefore matched to achieve Ae needed speed. Also, for Ae electromagnets engines Ais movement type can be achieved by supplying Ae engine from Ae power grid, provided Aat Ae current direction Arough the magneti^-ation coils will change sirrrøltaneousϊy with the current direction Arough the fitting (a requirement Aat can be met, for instance, by supplying Ae fitting from Ae secondary of a transformer whose primary is included wiA Ae magnetic circuit coils). This type of engine is reversible, it can function as a generator of direct current, or single- phased alternative one if the collector is connected in a fluid circuit and by the appropriate action of valves it becomes -a pneumatic engine (hydraulic). Jn this C^e₅ the fluid pressure triggers the collector piston which generates a current in the fitting and in Ae circuit where the fitting is connected to. The linear engine collector with rod and properly designed, can be used as a driving device in any facility where alternative movements are needed. The advantage of such an operation is the small amount needed for the installation and its simplicity.

14. Cooler with evaporation bath, used both for cooling the inside air as well as for cooling the thermal agents. Constructively, this cooler type is a collector 14.1 with a cut piston: as shown in Figure 14, the perimeter of Ae piston 14.2 (always sitting upright) does not cover Ae bottom of the interior collector section. However, ifae transit between ihe iwo compartments of the collector is hindered by a layer of liquid 14.3 (usually water) whose level exceeds with several millimeters the lower edge of the piston. The most economic constructive solution is the double effect piston and with two flat valves 14.4, 14.5, for each compartment. As the figures shows, the two compartments communicate when the valves are open directly to the atmosphere, btrt cooler can be connected to different thermodynamic circuits. The piston can be classically operated, or can be operated by a linear engine with electrical impulses. Energy consumed for this is very small, as the piston speed is low, and the pressure difference between the piston sides is zero. The alternative movement of the piston causes in one compartment the opening of the inlet valve and entering of the atmospheric air, while in the other compartment, opening of the exhaust valve and the air elimination from Ae collector. The hot air in the collector causes the evaporation of a small amount of water from Ae liquid baA and Aereby lowering Ae temperature, boA of Ae air introduced, and of Ae baA water. The decrease of pressure caused by air cooling is ofiset by Ae entry of an additional quantity of air, so that Ae evaporation process takes place under constant pressure. Due to a layer of vapour-rich air that is formed on Ae baA surface, it is quite difficult to produce saturated steam (state in which the cooling effect is maximized), but Arough different processes Ae evaporation can be improved: air introduced in Ae receiver to done below the level of liquid bath creation of a circuit which simultaneously wiA Ae movement of Ae piston to extract and spray water from Ae baA installation of two or more coolers in the series, as the piston movement causes, ihe damage of Ae saturated film on the surface extraction from Ae gas released of a vapour quantity, when shifting from a stage of Ae cooler to Ae next one, by eoπdeosmg them on a very cold twist Through m evaporation and drying chain, very low temperatures may be obtained wiA a minimum of energy consumption.

The evaporation process is higher depending of the heat of the air penetrating the collector, and that is why the system may be supplemented wiA an adiabatic compressor before cooler and an expansion turbine or a normal turbine after cooler to recover a part of Ae energy consumed by Ae compressor.

15. Pressure amplifier. In many of Ae devices used by an intelligent air-conditioning system pressures are needed to be greater than Ae available ones. Figure 12 shows a device, which starting from a difference given by the pressure, reaches a m»ιeh higher pressure. The device consists of two collectors (Ae cross section is usually circular or rectangular) 12.1 and 12.2, of different sizes and volumes, placed end to end, whose pistons 12.3 and 12.4, are linked by Ae common rod 12.5. Each of Ae two collectors is provided wiA Ae appropriate valve system 12.6. The collector 12.2 communicates Arough Ae valves 12.6, alternatively wiA two tanks filled wiA fluids having a pressure difference Dl, (one of Ae tanks may be Ae atmospheric environment, or Ae collector 12.2 may be the active collector of a double-range Stirling engine), which triggeis its piston, the opposing force being Ae pressure difference D2 on Ae two sides of Ae piston 12.3. If the ratio of Ae two piston sides is k, Ae system is in balanced when D2 becomes k times higher Λan Dl. Starting from low pressures and temperatures, we can thus get much higher pressures, and through adiabatic compression we can also obtain high temperatures.

16. Climate system. With the materials aid mechanisms described in the invention, there are multiple possibilities to achieve highly efficient thermal coatings:

1. Making a coating of heat insulating classical material, of any thickness (by properly sizing the exterior supra-stracture and achieve proper distaice between the two supra-struetures) and with complete freedom in choosing the materials for the facade. By mounting the balconies, sun-blinds and window-areas on the outside supra-struclure ihe thermal bridges are completely eliminated. The intermediate layer of air can be a thermos barrier, which considerably increases the total thermal resistance, or another variant may be chosen from the ones presented.

2. Making a thermal coating using multilayered barriers, with the protective outer layer made of solar radiation absorbent material (or any transparent ins»!ateg pistes), with spacers of adjustable thickness, with an intermediate layer of 5-10 cm thickness, and with Ae air circulation devices through thermally stopped ventilation channels. A collector system with linear engines with impulses (or similar devices) provides by alternating movements an exchange of air between the intermediate layer of air (or inside the building) and Ae one inside the plates on the sunny facade, until its reaching a certain temperature, providing the whole building heating; then through similar air exchanges, the thermo-insulsting plates on the shaded facades can be loaded with hot air from the coating, which considerably eases Ae system function of heating the building.

3. In addition, by installing on the outer supra-structure of some solar barriers where greenhouse effect is created, in die solar barriers when lightened by the sun there are temperatures much higher than the outside ones. By using devices for moving the mobile protective layers of the thermo- insulating plates, one realizes the hot air passage from inside the barrier to inside a plate located behind the solar barrier, and from here to the pneumatic, coating or directly into the building, while in a reverse motion, the air from the coating or from the building enters inside of a plate located on a shaded facade, and the existing inside air is sent outwards or to a heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to cold air that penetrates to the barrier.

4. Additionally, by assembling a system of collector pipes, a heat exchanger or a Stirling engine inside a solar barrier, the heat accumulated can be transferred to a boiler, to air-conditioning installations, to a heat collector, or to a thermodynamic facility the can use low potential energy.

17. Thermo dynamic system for capitalization on all available energy sources is described in figure 15. In the working circuit, the working agent (water, glycol, oil, etc) warmed inside the solar receiver 1 (set up on the building roof, oa ihe facade or close to it) gives away heat to the warm collectors of the Stirling generators 3 in 1he layered tank 7, then it continues to deliver heat to the gas flowing in counter current in the heat exchanger 4 up to the environmental temperature, and if the soil is cooler than the environment, the gas continues to cool in the heat exchanger 9, coupled with the geothermal collector 2 (mounted under Ae building or / and close to it, in the water of a river in the proximity, etc). The agent is heated again afterwards in the second layered tank, in the solar collectors 21 set up on the facade of the building and returns to the solar collector I. The heat exchangers 25 are also setup in these tanks, used for thermal exchange between Ae tanks and the receivers set up on the facade, on the roof, in the surrounding area, in the ground or in the auxiliary energy sources. The heat is transformed into mechanical (electrical) energy using the Stirling or Ericson engines 3. The gas heated in the exchanger 4 produces Ae mechanical energy in Ae caged turbine 5. Simultaneously Ae Aermo mechanical heat pump 10, with spraying of refrigerant, is successively collecting heat from the ground, from air, from Jhe solar collectors, from the solar collector wiA focus 1 and in Ae end it is overheated in Ae second solar collector 1.1 wiA a superior level of sunlight focus. Using Ae condenser 13, Ae heat is delivered to Ae hot accumulator 12 where the refrigerant is liquefied. The resulted liquid flows through- a cooling circuit in opposite direction and it's than sprayed by Ae pump 11 or it is laminated by Ae detentor 22, in each of Ae Aermo mechanical pump collectors. The electrical energy needed for Ae agent to flow is given by the engines in Ae main circuit by the photovoltaic panels 15 and by the aeoiian collectors and turbines 1.6. The temperature of the warm tank can be increased even more by burning an ecological combustible or using the electrical resistance 18 powered from auxiliary sources or from the main net in the periods with low tariffs. The type and pressure of the thermal agent in the warm tank is chosen such that for the minimum work temperature this is in solid state, so mat (he tank is also cumulating the melting heat. The temperature of the cold tank 20 is maintained at a minimal level using the heat exchangers 19 (with the external air) and 2 (with the ground). The pressure in the cold tank is controlled so that during cooling this thermal agent is also passing through the solidification point.

The main element of the system is the Stirling (Ericsøa) engine 17 mat works between the temperature of. die warm tank 12 and the cold tank 20. However, given lhe modularity of this type of Stirling engine, the collector in Sive warm tank can be coupled wish any of the collectors in the layered tank, so this can produce Ae heat needed to heat the house or the domestic water through cogeneration. Also, because of the layers in the tanks, the successive layers 25 of the thermal agent can be heated or cooled by the one collector oti lhe facade whose temperatøie is the most appropriate from the system efficacy point of view. The presence of the refrigerant in the thermo mechanical heat pump also allows the usage of the engines with refrigerant injection or of the engines with collector of cold when the energy sources have low potential. Similarly to the Stirling engines they can simultaneously work as engines and as heat pumps.

Because of their efficiency of utilization equal to the one of a Camot cycle, because of the simplicity of transferring them in linear generators of tri-phase carrerif arid, because of a very flexible adjustment, Ae Stirling and Ericson engines described in ftis invention are Ae best fit for Ae given proposed purpose. Any energy income from an alternative source will be almost entirely found in Ae energy produced by Ae system if it is used to increase Ae temperature difference between Ae two tanks. Hence, Ae aeoiian energy can be used on a much larger scale of wind speed variation, Ae energy of Ae photovoltaic panels can be used wiAout setting up an inverter, Ae electrical energy in Ae net can be used m ^~ Ae periods with low tariff and given back to the net during Ae load peaks, Ae combustible waste can be burned anytime and in whatever quantities, etc.

The described system is extremely flexible, being able to work at small temperature differences between Ae warm and Ae cold sources, using efficiently Ae temperature differences between air and ground, between day and night. Its component elements are mostly innovative and usable in oAer applications as well. They will be successively described below.

18. The solar receiver. The figwres 16 mtύ M show an application of the procedure wiA solar radiation flow wiA variable cross section to construct a highly efficient Stirling engine. Unlike Ae current technical procedures, where Ae solar energy is collected by means of mirrors (parabolic, cylindrical or others) and is focused to these mirrors' center, where Ae hot collector of a classical Stirling engine is installed, in Ae procedure proposed by Ais patent application, near the center of mirror 16.1 wiA adjustable orientation by Ae rotation system 17.2, anoAer adjustable mirror 16.2 (or lens) is installed_^ which collects Ais radiβftt flow and reflects it to a flow of parallel rays or slightly convergent, Arough a slot 16.3, inside a chamber 16.8 (or inside a tube wiA total reflection, which may guide Ae radiation flow to a chamber situated at a longer distance) where a divergent mirror 16.4 is mounted. At Ae slot inlet an automatically closing device is mounted to avoid Ae heat losses in Ae periods, however short, wiA no sunshine. Also, photovoltaic cells may be installed on Ae mirror surface to collect Ae radiations from Ae visible spectrum or lenses are installed in front of Ae mirror, decomposing the received radiations and guiding Ae infrared radiation to Ae absorbing plate, and Ae rest of Ae radiations to Ae photovoltaic panels. If Aey are transparent (John Bell patent), Ae photovoltaic panels are mounted in front of Ae light slot. The mirrors used must have a high reflection factor (Aey can be made of a material easy to work wiA, to obtain complex surfaces at minimum costs, a material whose surface is Aen covered with total reflection putty including glass nanoglobula). The radiation flux is guided to a strongly insulated chamber by the insulation 16.5. Inside the chamber, in the way of the incident rays, a pipe with heat agent 17.10, a tank or a divergent mirror (or lens) 16.4 (which sends the energy collected to a tank 16.6 covered with a material layer of high absorption factor) are installed. Inside the tank is installed: the coil heating 16.7 or the hot collector 16.6 of a Stirling engine (whose cold collector 17.3 is mounted on the outside and cooled by the atmospheric air or mounted in the insulated tank 17.5 and cooled by another refrigerøϊt like fee cooled wateF is the geotherma! collector 17.9) as per the invention. The Stirling recoverors 17.4 or the heat exchangers which replace them are thermally isolated by the same insulation 16.5.

At the energy + + house the solar collectors 1.20 are mounted on the northern edge of the roof, so that the rear mirror surface to be additional to the total collecting area. The roof and the three sunny facade are used for progressively heating the hot agent, by mounting in the solar barriers (the rectangular chambers formed between the pftlars and beams of the supfa-structure) of some collecting coils connected to the heat exchangers in the stratified tanks. These links are by means of a multi-way valve distributor, regulated by the controller, so that each coil to be optimally coupled with one of the container layera, depending on the outside temperature and on the successive orientation towards the sun of one of the building facades. It is also possible the cascade connection (with automatic selection of the agent paths, function of the position) of the coils. As shown in Fig. 17, on each facade Aere are several possibilities to collect solar energy, with different operating temperatures: in fig.D the collecting pipes 17.12 (preferably flattened pipes to increase the transfer speed) are mounted directly on the absorbing surface in Figure C, they are mounted in the focus of a convergent lens 17.14 and in Fig. 8, inside a closed rooQi, where the rays penetrate through a tube with total reflectionl7.7, after having passed through a convergent lens 17.14. Here again, the closing transparent plate 17.11 may be a transparent photovoltaic paneL In the solar barrier, behind the lens, outside Ae convergent rays route, a piping system 17.6 is mounted to recover the leaked heat, and the photovoltaic cells 17.13 to recover Ae diffuse radiation. The photovoltaic cells can directly feed into a series of electrical resistances mounted inside the heat pipes. The pipes 17.12 in Fig. 17D, and the pipes 17.6 in Figs. B and C, may be replaced with a collecting panel, with small thickness and with the absorbing exposed surface, or with a mixed thermal-photovoltaic panel. None of the proposed system requires an additional insulation, thermal coating insulation is sufficient, greatly diminishing the cost compared U> currently existing panels. Moreover, these collectors constitute a barrier to Ae building heat losses, and at high temperatures, it is a heat source for the intermediate layer. In addition, the collectors on the facades sunless surfaces may receive hot air through the thermally obstructed channels smd may contribute to pre-heaimg of the thermal agent.

The before mentioned collecting procedure is identically applied to energy collection through heat pipes placed in Ae foeus of some cylindrical minors (California*! gutters). In cross section, Ae assembly is identical to Aat described in Figs. 16 and 17A, but Ae collecting mirrors used in Ais case and Ae reflecting ones have no point-like focal, but a focal axis which is parallel to a pipe located in an insulated tube fitted with a narrow side slot. The sun's rays are collected by the large mirror and Aey are to be directed to Ae reflective mirror, which, in its turn, reflects Aem to Ae insulated tube slit and penetrate into it heating the whole inside space and Ae heat pipe as well.

The Stirling engines also need very cold source. This may be provided by a river or lake water, a underground water, or by Ae ground which is most at hand. Any of Λese can be replaced wiA atmospheric air during Ae cold seasons. Furthermore, during Ae colder seasons, Ae ground may be hot source. To create a higher heat transfer capacity to this bivalent source, we designed a geoAermal energy collector, starting from the collector described in patent application WO2008/094058.

19. The geotbermal celfe€iør described in Figure 17 is composed of a layer of material wiA large capacity of heat collection, installed under Ae ground, at a depA more Aan Im (recommended depA: 3-4 m), where Ae collecting pipes 17.18 are installed. The collecting layer consists of a plate 17.9 made of concrete, clay, etc. with metal inserts (different wastes). Before pouring the concrete, in the ground are inserted metal pipes, as long as possible (2.5m at least), with a diameter of 25-50 mm, the pace between them being of 30-100 cm. In tough ground, sandy land, or highly corrosive ones, drillings are performed with lengths and diameters higher than Ae mentioned one, then plastic pipes are placed with the outer diameter equal to the drilling diameter, and the metal pipes are inserted into them. A higher collecting capacity is obtained if in the walls of these pipes small holes are executed, and inside Ae pipes water or a mixture of materials with hygroscopic features is introduced, so that the ground under the collecting layer will always have a certain degree of moisture. The metal pipes are inserted into the soil so that after completing Ae operation an end of few centimeters remains above the land, located in approximately the same plan. On the ends of these pipes, possibly after fixing some supports, the collecting pipes are placed aad fixed, so that Ae contact surface is as high as possible, then Ae concrete is poured (or the clay is placed and compacted, or even Ae same is done wϊA cohesive soil, wiA no grounding). The cost of Ae installation can be much reduced if instead of metal or plastic pipes, inflatable hoses (made for example of polyethylene films of 1-2 mm thickness that can be rolled in a very small working space) are placed. They are easily installed, after being placed Ae ends are blocked and filled with air, and after Ae concrete strengAening (or after compaction) Ae air is released, operation which doesn't require special tools for cutting and jointing, no fittings are required (only a passing part at the edge of Ae concrete plate) and don't have high beat resistance, while Ae possible small unsealings are not harmful. By Ais meAod, Ae whole volume of soil beneaA Ae collecting plate until Ae depA of pipes peaetration will be about Ae same temperature, greatly increasing Ae collector volume and Ae area Aiough which Ae land heat is collected by Ae collector.

In Ae case of roads, motorways, runways for landing, Ais receiver type can be placed in Ae concrete foundation, helping the woFk of some Sterling engines that cm produce electricity simultaneously with adjusting Ae temperature of Ae running track surface. To Ais purpose, two systems of pipes are implemented (made in Ae concrete mass by Ae process described above): one at the surface near the runway and Sie other in depth. In the warm periods, Ae surface system supplies the hot tank of a Stirling engine and Ae depA system supplies Ae cold tank. By operating Ae engine, electricity is generated simultaneously wiA cooling Ae track, by absorbing Ae energy that Ais one cumulates. Simultaneously (or during the periods m which no πβiway cooling is needed), anoAer engine operates having sun as hot source and as a cold source Ae geoAermal collector. The temperature of Ais hot source can be increased wiA electrical resistances, and Ae temperature of the cold source can be lowered with heat pumps, both powered by photovoltaic panels. In winter, boA engines have as cold source Ae surface pipe system, heating Ae track through cogeneration using Ae heat extracted from Ae soil or captured from solar radiation, or if this is not necessary, Ae cold source is the atmospheric ear.

20. The Stirling engine is "Ae heart" of Ae Aermodynamic system and of the energy++ house. The invention describes several types of external combustion engines working on a Stirling cycle, which have a range of constructive features meant to increase their efficiency compared wiA Ae ones existing in Ae current technical stage. These new constructive features are mainly targeting to reduce Ae temperature range between Ae cold source to Ae warm one when Ae engine can operate efficiently, which makes it able to use energy sources wiA low heat potential, particularly solar. These engines can function boA as a heat engine with external combustion as well as heat pumps.

Currently, Ae existing Stirling engines, or Ae ones being in Ae patent stage have some common constructive features, which lower their efficiency: the shape of Ae heat block, where Ae isoAerm compression and expansion take place, is usually cylindrical, which is technically easy to achieve, wiA Ae best behavior to mechanical duties, but where, for a given section, the perimeter is minimal, and Aerefore Ae heat exchange area (where Ae external energy is usually collected) is also minimal; - both for mechanical drive, because of the cinematic rigid ties, as well as for free piston engines, the 4 cycle phases are not perfectly distinct, as there are always overlaps of the isochoric and isotherm phases, which leads to a distortion of the curve describing the process execution, moving it more or less further from the ideal Stirling cycle (which has the maximum possible efficiency) and reducing die facility efficiency due to the mechanical and pneumatic links between Ae component units, Ae area taking over heat from the hot source is in fee vicinity of the area delivering heat to the cold source, which leads to mutual influences, being necessary measures to be taken to overcome this phenomenon; load control is pretty difficult and slow as the Stirling engines are not recommended for certain types of applications.

This invention is meant to ametid these constructive features considered detrimental and to achieve a series of Stirling engines with increased efficiency, which can be used to produce mechanical energy and electricity (and co generation heat) especially from renewable sources. In the patent application WO200S/094058 I have presented a donbJe-garoma Stirling engine, which eliminates some of the disadvantages listed above by a head to head coupling of two gamma-type engines, delayed by 180 degrees for which the cylinders have been replaced with two plate collectors. In this invention, the constructive changes proposed in the above mentioned application, and a number of additional changes are applied to all types of Stirling engines to reach the same result: the achievement of engines with increased efficiency, able to highly capitalize the energy source with low heat rate. Compared to the Stirling engines currently existing, the engines proposed offer the following benefits: the surfaces of the energy collectors are much larger and are processed to meet this goal; the hot and cold collector are completely separated and e«si be located in different places, far from each other; the pistons are mechanically driven (synchronization being achieved with the help of some cams) or electrically (synchronization by means of an information system), so that no overlapping appears at Ae 4 phases of the cycle; the power collector of the gamma-type engine is also separated and is simultaneously driven by the expansion pressure and compression pressure; by mounting in parallel several power collectors, an appropriate number of power steps may be obtained, which makes possible to regulate the load within very broad limits; by appropriately increasing the number of shift collector pairs acting on the same power collector, between Ae lengths of expansion-compression and isochoric stages a integer ratio is established, that may be best chosen; for electrical drive using a linear engine, a perfect tightness of the collectors will be provided;

Stirling economizers may be replaced with heat exchangers at a steady state volume;

- by introducing some additional economizers the expansion and / or compression may be adiabatic; by equalizing the pressures of the shift collectors at the end of the expansion-compression stage, Ae dead-point is eliminated «md Ae start-up is independent wiA no additional means and a new load control is possible by changing the internal pressure; at Ae same time, when changing Ae external temperatures, Ae cold collector may be heated and vice versa; if Ae power collector is a reversible linear electric generator, which becomes an electric engine by simply changing Ae energy flow direction, Ae Stirling engine can become a heat pump wiA no further modification. The constructive element ensuring Ae heat transfer is Ae flat collector described in Ae patent application WO2008/094058, collector whose longitudinal and cross sections are showed in fig 18.

This is a tank whose interior volume is a translation geometric body (generated by shifting along a curve segment, not necessarily a straight line, of a surface perpendicular to it). If the translation axis is a straight line segment, by shifting a circle, a cylinder is generated as used by the classical Stirling engine, and by shifting a rectmgie with rounded comers (to ease the creation of some secure packing) a parallelepiped is generated with the side areas connected as in Figure 18. The translation surface may have any shape, as required (for example, in case of some high internal pressures, the big sides of the rectangle are concave, for s mom advantageous pressure distribution, or for reasons of optimizing the exchange of heat, the collector is immersed in a exchanger with high internal pressure, the sides are convex, for the same reasons). Similarly, there may be reasons for which the shifting axis is not a straight line segment (in one example of this invention, this axis is a closed curve). The parallelepiped collectors have the great advantage that for a certain inside volume they have a larger heat exchange surface than for the cylindrical ones (the higher the advantage, the higher ihe ratio between length a»d width of the shiftmg rectangle^ and therefore the higher the speed of collecting the energy from the environment Fig.18 shows the side walls 18.2 made of a material with a volume specific heat as high possible and with thermal conductivity as good as possible (iroα, steel, aluminum, copper), provided wiδi fins 18.4 to increase the heat exchange area, and with very low thickness. For the Stirling engines in the current technical development stage the inner pressure is high and the cylinder walls are thick. The Stirling and Ericsoπ engines used for energy++ houses are dipped in tasks with thermal agent. This way, the thermal exchange between the agent and the collector's wall is happening much faster than when the collectors are placed in the air, and the tank pressure can be equalized with the pressure in the collectors which allows the construction of collectors with very lhio walls. When the pressures inside ihe collector are high (which could lead to distortions of these walls, distortions that may reduce the packing of piston seals) the intention is that outside the collector higher pressures are achieved, and the outer surface of the walls will be slightly curved for a proper allocation of overpressure. In some applications, Ae collector is provided with a double wall 18.7, made of the same material, between the two walls being introduced a liquid heat agent under pressure. Both the bottom and the top walls 18.1 inside surfaces are rounded and accurately worked, so that the joints 18.6 do not present any burrs. The caps 18.11 are usually made of the same material and are equipped with valves 18.9. Inside the collector is the piston 18.4, equipped with the packings (or oiling and sealing segments) ) 8 5. It can move freely or is coupled to a mechanical system through the rod 18.8 that moves through ahole made in one of the caps, the sealing is ensured by mounting packings on that wall. At some applications it is necessary to install some injectors or nozzles 18.10 in Ihe collector walls.

As for the classical Stirling engines of beta and gamma type, the hot and cold gas usually occupies opposite ends of the same cylinder, being separated only by the motion piston. This creates limitations as regards the cylinder location and generates some disturbances at heat exchanges (such disturbances can be reduced by a costly increase of the piston volume). The solution proposed by this invention to solve the problem is to produce different collectors for the two gas types, each having its own piston ami being located in different environments. The simplest, lhis is achieved by coupling in serial two engines of the same type, delayed between themselves by 180 mechanical degrees. It usually turns the active pistons to pistons with double effect, cumulating the powers of the two engines and reducing the material amount needed for the engine manufacturing.

Another major difference from the existing Stirling engines is how the pistons are working. As for the classical Stirling engines mat are usually valves-free, due to the mechanical and pneumatic links, there are always overlaps of the isochoric and iso&erm phases, which leads to a distortion of the curve mat describes Ae process development, removing it more or less from the ideal Stirling cycle and reduces the facility efficiency. Also, there is a ratio between the speeds these stages are carried out, a ratio which is always the same, dictated by the mechanical characteristics of the installation and which is not always the best. The solution proposed by the invention to solve the problem is to implement a mechanical or electrical system to ensure each piston the best speed suited to perform its functional role, allowing its complete stop when necessary, fa some cases, different parts of the installation are separated from each other through valves that are mechanically or electrically operated. There are a lot of possibilities to resolve this problem, some of them being set out below.

The controlled movement of the pistons can be done through a shaft with cams, as shown in Figure 19A. The pistons 19.2 of the collectors 19.1 are provided at the ends of the rods 19.5 with one bar 19.3 each, perpendicular on the rod. The ends of this rod slide using rolling bearings 19.4 (or by simply slip) in shaped channels 19.8, whose width is slightly greater than the external diameter of the rolling bearings, executed on the surface of fee 2 cams 19.7 rigidly fixed on the shaft 19.6. In the case of small forces, the rod is replaced by a sideways bolt, being necessary only one cam. In case of some guided items (pistons or a mechanical load), the constant rotation of the shaft 19.6 induces to this item a controlled alternate movement by the shaping of die guiding channel (for example, a channel with more volutes ensures an appropriate number of to-and-from movements, and parts of the channel located in the concentric circles with the axis, provide the temporary stop of the guided item in the position required by this circle radios). In the case of the guiding item (a power piston or a motor driving rod actuating a heat pump), the force with which it presses on the canal walls decomposes into a radial component that is canceled and a tangent component that makes Ae shaft to rotate in the direction of this component: in Figure 19C, in position 1, the force is exerted on a portion of the channel concentric with the shaft, the force is radial and it is totally canceled; in position 2, the tangent component is exerted on Ae inside wall of the channel and generates a clockwise rotation; in position 3, the tangent component is exerted on the outside wall of the channel, and generates a rotation in the same direction. The piston can be alternative, namely it may be both a guided and a guiding item: for example, the moving pistons generate forces that mutually mnihilate and for the alpha mid beta-type engines, the same piston in certain phases is a power piston, and in other phases it is a motion piston.

The channel profile is obtained by tracing, on a chart, the desired position of the piston end function of the shaft rotation angle, as in Fig. 19B and transposing this move in polar coordinates (Fig. 19C).

Fig. 2OA shows the 4 phases of the double-alpha Stirling engine cycle obtained by serial connection of two alpha-type Stirling engines, and its components: the collector 20.1 with Ae piston 20.4 located in a warm environment, the cold collector 20.2 with the piston 20.5 located in a cold environment, and from the economizers 20.3, Figure 2OB shows the diagram of the hot piston motion and the profile of the relevant cam, and Fig. 20C, shows the motion of Ae cold piston and the profile of Ae cam that controls it.

Figure 21 A shows a double-beta engine. Due to the specificity of this engine type, Ae hot collector 21.1 and Ae cold one 21.2 are continuing one another, Ae power piston 21.7 is located between Ae motion pistons 21.4 and 21.5, its rod sliding inside Ae hot piston rod and Ae rod of the cold piston 21.10 is actuated by a cam mounted at Ae opposite end (which is possible as Aere is no more cinematic connection with the power piston), or it is rigidly coupled by Ae rods 21.6, (that slide Arough Ae piston 2L7) and operates simultaneously wiA hot piston 21.4, as shown in fϊg.21B. Fig. 21C shows Ae movement diagrams and Ae cam profile for Ae two motion pistons.

Figure 22 A shows a double-gamma Stirling engine obtained by putting in series two gamma engines offset by 180 mechanical degrees. The engine is composed of the collector 22.1, with the piston 22.4 located in a hot environment, Ae collector 22.2 wiA Ae piston 22.5 located in a cold environment, economizers 22.6 and Ae power collector 22.3, which ma$ be located in eifter of Ae two environments, or in an environment wiA an average temperature (taking into account A at at one of its ends, an expansion followed by compression takes place, and at Ae oAer end Ae processes is opposite). In Ais respect, the two ends of Ae piston can be connected in the circuit in 4 different ways, each having advantages and disadvantages. The engine shown in the figure has both ends cold hence it is located in Ae cold environment. The 4 phases of Ae Aeπnodynamic cycle are shown, and next to it we cam see the form and position of the 3 cams guiding the movement of the pistons. If Ae driving piston is free (the power collector being a linear power generator), the installation is completed with the valves 22.7, which are closed during the movement of the motion valves and are opened when they reach the end of the stroke. The control of these valves may also be done with a cam (located on the same shaft with the 3 cams of the pistons), having the motion diagram and the shape of the resulting profile in Fig, 23B.

Out of the 3 types of engines, the double-gamma Stirling engine is the most flexible and provides the most functions. For example, ihe diagram shown in Figure 22 may be supplemented with another pair of moving collectors, shifted with 180 degrees from the first pair, which work in opposition to the collectors in the Figure, performing the compression-expansion phase within the time period when in the first collectors pair the isochors heat exchange is made, providing therefore a stopples motion of the power piston. The restrftøg diagram may determine the need for installing some pipes and some additional valves enabling the same pair of collectors to act alternatively on the two ends of the driving piston. That is why we chose the diagram shown in Figure 23 A and we supplemented the installation with two collector pairs. In this system, Ae shift between fee collector pairs is of 120 degrees, the speed of Ae moving pistons is two times lower than the speed of the power piston, and the driving piston performs 3 alternative movements during one cycle. The valves 23 g, 6i and 23k controlled by 3 cams shifted by 120 degrees, separate the three collector pairs from the power collector during the movement and during the isochors heat exchange and are open when in the relevant collector pair the expansion-compression phase is executed. The power of such a system is 6 times higher than a gamma engine vAύx one collection of the same size and the same speed of piston motion, and the isochors heat exchange may be made within an optimal period of time, for not generating large differences in temperature between the collectors and the environment where they are located in. The installation power can be increased as desired without increasing the length of time, by increasing the number of motion collector pairs (for the pneumatic connection simplicity, a total odd number is preferable) working with the same motor collector and with same speed implicitly. Fig. 23C shows ihe diagram of the piston motor movement and the profile of the driving cam and Figure 23D shows Ae hot and cold piston movement of a collector pair as well as the profile of the relevant cams, for the installation with 3 piston pairs. The other two moving piston pairs describe similar movements and are guided by identical cams shifted by J 20 and 240 degrees, respectively.

The system thus realized is extremely flexible, enabling the power increase both by increasing the force exerted by pistons and by increasing the speed of the power piston and it also enables a wide range of adjustment processes. The following procedure is applied when the temperature difference between the hot and the cold sources is small or when the volume of the moving receiver is large. In each of the collector pairs, the thermodynamic processes are conducted by a Stirling cycle, which is very close to the ideal one (1-2-3-4 curve) in the P-V Diagram (fig.24A). At a certain temperature difference between the two sources, the optimum operating point is that where the pressure, at the end of the expansion -compression cycle is the same throughout the whole installation (the pressure in the points 2 and 3 of the cycle is the same). This point (zero point) ensures the maximum stroke of the piston so that the force occurred to be continuously positive, there are no phases hi the cycle where the process is conducted inertia!. This operation point provides an easier and faster startup and an increased stability to the change of load. In addition, it provides a timely and efficient power control function of the motor load The control procedures used are meant to maintain the system close to this operation point. Maintaining an identical pressure at the two collectors is made by the continuous equalization of the two pressures, as described in the patent application WO2008/094058. As per the installation in Figure 23 a nick 23n was executed in the power collector wall, so that when the piston reaches fhe end of the stroke to establish a communication between the two sides of Ae piston in order to equalize the pressure. For small temperature variations of the hot source or of the load, the system is self-controlling and moves to the most stable point in operation. When a strong power change is desired, a compressor 23p (or valve) increases (or decreases) the pressure in point zero by introducing (exhausting) the supplemental agent in the tank 23q, so that after changing the temperature of the hot source, or the cold one the engine keeps a "zero point", the process running by the curve 8-9-6-7 in Ae diagram 24A, or 5-6-7-8 or 1-9-11-12 (diagram 24B).

Another control possibility is to put in parallel with the first power collector one or more collectors having the same volυme, or with progressively increasing volume, which makes possible to increase the power without changing the speed of the pistons. Commissioning or decommissioning of a collector is simply done by controlling the appropriate valves 23g and introducing/excluding the collector from the cinematic scheme (for Ae cam actuated engines the valves turn on^off a by-pass pipe, while for the electrical actuated engines the corresponding driver wheel is coupled - decoupled). The collector in Fig. 23 is equipped with 3 power collectors of the same volume, which provides 3 power steps. WiA 3 collectors having volumes V, 2V and 4V, 7 power steps may be provided. The process is described by the curve 1-9-11-12. in Fig 24B. The power of mis engine can be adjusted i» mttcn finer steps, if one of the power collectors has one mobile cap. In Fig.25 the collector 25.1 has the cap 252 done exactly like a piston and it is movable using a telescopic rod 25.8, operated by a hydraulic system. The valve 25.3 is mounted in this cap and is bound to the moving collector by means of a flexible hose 25.5. On the rod 25.6 of the piston 25.4 a permanent magnet is mounted which is part of the linear engine 25.9 that uses this piston power.

Ihe installation power may be changed also by creating a delay between the moving pistons motion: after completing a driving phase, Ae hot piston rests still, Ae cold piston compresses Ae gas in the collector and Aen Ae two pistons move simultaneously wiA Ae same speed until Ae cold piston reaches Ae end of Ae collector, heating Ae cold gas and partly cooling Ae hot air. Further moving the hot piston till Ae end of Ae stroke is made performing useful work, which is growing higher as Ae shift between Ae two pistons is higher. The process is identical to Aat of Ae Stirling engine of alpha type and is conducted by Ae curve 8-11 -12-7 in Ae diagram 24A. This process can be used for power control when Ae pistons are driven by separate engines (preferably electric engines) and we can choose when to start and Ae spaed desired. If driving is made by cams, Ae process can be applied for a more reasonable material and energy use, its application needs to modify Ae cams driving Ae moving pistons as shown in Fig. 24C. An alpha type compression also influences Ae reduction of Ac pulsations for Ac engine wiA 3 pairs of collectors: in Ae first half of the driving piston semi-stroke (30 mechanical degrees), when Ae pressure difference between its sides is high, in Ae second collector pair a compression takes place, and a single trip is done in Ae Aird pair, while in Ae second half of the semi-trip, when Ae pressure difference between its sides is small, in Ae second collector pair a simple movement takes place, and in Ae AUd pair an expansion takes place.

AnoAer control procedure is described in Figure 26, together wiA a procedure for building a Stirling engine wiA 3 moving collector pairs. The collectors are made as detailed in Figure 18, one of Ae caps is fitted wiA a plate 26g through which it is attached to Ae exterior wall of Ae 2 tanks 26a and 26m, after Ae collector body was introduced in Ae tank. The two tanks are filled wiA heat agent and are crossed by Ae system of pipes 26d which transfer heat from the hot source to Ae hot collectors in Ae heat exchanger 26a, and Ae cold collectors in Ae heat exchanger 26m deliver heat to Ae cold source. Above each tank, separated by a metal wall 26c, Aere is an additional tank 26b and 26n respectively, and a system of pipes for the superposed tanks communication. In these additional tanks an additional collector pair is mounted 26i. The two heat exchanging systems are mounted face to face on a pedestal 26e, Aus Ae shafts of the cold and warm collectors to overlap, and Aeir pistons can be operated by a common rod. The two collectors in a pair are connected to each other by some economizers 26r, and by separating valves 26s, for a range of 120 mechanical degrees, wiA Ae 2 collecting pipes 26t are linked to the driving collector 26u. The system is complemented by a set of heating resistances 26q, immersed in the hot tank, which are intended to provide additional Heat during the startup and during the time periods where the engine consumes more than receives through the pipe system. Tor example, in the case of solar engines, the heat transmitted through these resistances enables the operation at the rated power during the cloudy periods.

The cam-driven process that was previousJy mentioned has the advantage that while the pistons are still, the pressure they exercise is cancelled, the force produced being perpendicular to the cam profile. But the space width required for the cam shaft location exceeds the double length of a piston. If these cams were actuated by a tie rod, more space would be obtained, but the movement cinematic would be more complex, m the patent application WO2008/094058, some simple procedures are described to reduce the needed space to switch the alternating movement of the pistons to a rotating one. The engine i» Figwre 26 is using the adheriftg wheels procedure: common rod of two pistons, executed with rectangular section (with rounded edges, to easily execute the packing for cap passing through), is pressed in opposite directions by two wheels: a guiding one 26o, which rotates freely, and a motion one. Also, on the sides of the metal rod, band^type areas are inserted, with an increased electrical resistance 26p, which allow the piston position "reading". The driving wheel is placed on a trolley 261 and is directly actuated or using a wheel of the same diameter, by the main wheel 26k whose rotation is controlled by the meεhanleaJ system 26x. The movement is transmitted to Ae rod using an elastic material, adherent, which tires the periphery of these wheels. The mechanical system 26x is a system of cinematic elements moved by the piston 26v of the driving collector 26u (for starting up and for overloads an electric engine may be attached). A cinematic system, which may contain also the cams above mentioned (much smaller in size) operates the principal wheels 26k of the 3 motion collector pairs (through the shafts 26v), the rods 26z drive the 3 pairs of valves 26s that separate the active pair of collectors from the rest of the system, and the shafts 26w switch the tip carts 261, which insert m the cinematic chain in the relevant collector, the reversing wheel.

The additional power collector 26i is mounted in extension of the collector 26u, the rods of the two pistons are in extension to each other, and Ae valves, the main wheel, and the tip cart of the additional motion collectors are driven by the mechanical system 26x, depending on engine load variations. Under normal operating mode, the addftiorral collectors are not actuated, and the separating valves link the two chambers of the additional power collector, which transfer the agent from a chamber to the other, having therefore an idle running. In case of decrease of the driving load or in case of braking, the valves open and ftte tip cart is switched for compressing the agent of the hot collector and for expending Ae agent of the cold collector, the power collector entering the regime for a heat pump and using inertia! energy for additional heating of the additional hot tank. Being independent of the supply system, the temperature of the tank eat* be raised above the main tank temperature, and the heat can be transmitted to it through the separating metal wall, or a pumping system. In case of a strong braking operation, also me main collector may switch to a heat pump mode, by introducing a shift of 180 degrees when tipping the switching carts (the motion pistons stop for a semi-cycle during the active trip of the driving piston). Under an over-load regime, the tipping cart is switched in terms of extending the agent in the hot collector and the extra collector goes to a driving mode, supplying additional energy to Ae main piston. Also, if the temperature of the additional tank agent is high, the hot agent can be pumped between the double walls of the main collectors, increasing the engine power. The size of the additional collectors is adjusted depending on the possible load variations, taking into consideration the possibility of temporarily using any of the main collectors as heat pumps.

If the engine load is frequently but not widely fluctuating, the engine power control is made by changing the temperature of the agent between fee double walls of the hot collectors (if a refrigerating system is attached to the system, it is also possible to acton the cold collectors). In this case, the temperature in the tanks is maintained at a nominal value, and the agent is overheated in an additional tank. A speed regulator is acting on a mixer, which by mixing the overheated agent with a cold one_. provides ^*a pump that is supplying the space between the double walls of the collectors with thermal agent at the right temperature.

Based on this procedure one can built heat pumps powered by solar energy or by any other unconventional source: a Stirling engine is built with a single power collector and with two sets of motion collectors - one set that extracts heat from a tank heated using solar energy produces the useful work of expansion-compression in the first semi-stroke of the power piston and eliminates the heat excess in the cold tank; the other set drivea by the power piston in the second semi-stroke is using the obtained useful work for eømpFessing-expandϊng of the thermal agent from other two tanks, transferring heat from the cold tank to the hot one.

Controlling the power of the alpha-type engines may be made by the variation of the nominal shift of the two pistons movement. By implementing some separate devices for hot and cold pistons movement, the length and amplitude of compression and expansion may change upwards or downwards, depending on the power needs of the system, simultaneously with the increase of the still period of the hot piston. If the actuators have a fixed operating speed, Ae inserted shift changes the Stirling engine speed upwards or downwards, but if the speed is adjustable, Stirling engine speed can be kept constant The motion collectors of the double beta and gamma type engines may be considered alpha type engines with void delay. Their power cmi be increased or reduced, whether in addition to the nominal component an alpha positive or negative component is also inserted (the latter one introduces a heat pump which turns the braking useful work to heat that is delivered to the working agent). The process is based as well o» the separate driving of the hot and cold pistons. By insuring a stop period of the hot piston after completing a driving phase, the cold piston continues to compress the gas in the cold collector still delivering heat to ihe cold source, then the two pistons move simultaneously with the same speed until the cold piston reaches the end of the collector, heating Ae cold gas and partially cooling Ae warm air in the collectors, and then the rest of the movement of the hot piston is made through expansion, using useful work, with absorption of heat from hot source, while the gas existing in the collector at Ae begromng of the expansion process is pushed to the cold collector, is cooled in the economizer and is compressed in the cold collector, delivering heat to the cold source. If the shift is negative (the initial state is imposed to Ae cold piston), the heat processes are carried out liks in a heat pump of alpha type, the system being braked by introducing useful work to compress Ae agent in the hot collector and to transfer a quantity of heat from Ae cold source to Ae hot one.

In figure 26, space is economized by placing Ae hot eoBeetors face to face with Ae hot ones and actuating Aeir pistons using Ae same rods. If this is not achievable, Ae solution is to split in two Ae motion collectors and to distribute Aem in two hot tanks and two cold tanks located face to face, by overlapping Ae shifting shafts, and linking in parallel the two halves of a collector as shown in Fig.27. In this configuration, Ae pistons 27.1 of Ae two halves of a collector 27.3, 27.4 may be actuated by a common rod 27.5 Arough the main wheel 27.6 and Ae tip cart 27.7.

AnoAer option to drive Ae pistons that saves space end adds maneuverability is using linear engines. In many patents, Ae pistons are free and Ae alternating movement of Ae power piston is taken over by an electric coil or by a permanent magnet and is converted into electricity, which is well suited to Ais type of engine. Simultaneously, a special constructive shφe of the parallelepiped collectors foster the achievement of some linear engines wiA high efficiency, obtained by executing single and poly phase DC/AC electric windings, or some special windings (pulsating field engines, interference engines, modulated field engines) even in Ae side wails of Ae collectors and in Ae piston walls, as detailed in Ae patent application WQ2OO8/O94058 or Ae collector powered Arough electrical impulses as described previously can be used. Powering Ae system by linear engines allows to choose freely the location of the tanks and Ae other elements of the system and to give up switching the direction of the tip carts and using the rods driving the valves. All controls and adjustments can be controlled from one electronic processor designed to optimize Ae system. Also new control possibilities occur: controlling Ae movement velocity of the pistons by varying the excitation, current of the linear engines, a more reasonable correlation of the still time of pistons, using the braking power of Ae moving pistons and of the power collector for heating the agent by means of some heat resistances etc.

Another problem the Stirling engine manufacturers are lacing is the way in which the isochoric heat exchange is made. For a heat exchange as good as possible the period of time dedicated to this process should as long as possible. But this results in a decrease of Ae motor speed. Therefore, a favorable compromise is made, or various correction procedures are applied. Figure 28 presents a system consisting of a hot collector 280 equipped with a linear engine located in a warm environment, a cold collector 281 also equipped with a linear engine located in a cold environment, a driving collector 282 equipped with a linear generator located in the cold environment, two heat economizers 283 sized for the volume of the power collector, aβd a sequeetia! heat exchanger at a constant volume in counter-flow, as described in the patent application WG2008/094058 or with a classical Stirling economizer. The heat stored in the economizers 283 is transferred, during movement of die pistoas to a heating circuit which is not mentioned in the diagram, or to the main agent by branches of the main routes, sized accordingly. As at higher speeds of the agent, the heat exchange is incomplete, which affects the engine power flow, both collectors are supplied directly from the tanks 284 and 285, one located in a eold environment mtd the other in a warm one, which are continuously cooled and respectively heated. The gas flow in the whole system is controlled by a valves system, electrically operated valves, or as shown in the figure by a system of valves with 3 and 4 channels (286, respectively 287). The driving aad the motion cycles are clearly separated. In phase 1, the motion pistons are still, the valve 287 is towards the driving collector, the hot gas in the collector 280 pushes the piston of the driving collector and isothermally expands in this collector deli vering heat to the first economizer. For Ae cold gas on Ae other side of Ae driving piston, Ae 3 way valve opens Ae access to Ae cold collector, and expands in Ais one, going Arough Ae second economizer, cooled in Ae previous phase. In Ae second phase, Ae driving piston is separated from Ae main circuit (it may be included in Ae circuit of other motion collector pairs), and open Ae 4 way valves to ensure Ae following route: by moving Ae piston 280, Ae agent is allowed to enter from Ae warm tank and Ae air on Ae oAer side of Ae piston is directed towards Ae heat exchanger, where it enters Ae first compartment and provides heat to the last section of Ae counter- flow circuit. By simultaneously moving Ae pistons in Ae sequential exchanger, Ae agent in the last compartment, cooled in previous cycles, goes to Ae cold tank, where it will finalize Ae cooling process. Simultaneously, the corresponding agent volume goes to Ae cold collector, wiA Ae piston movement, while Ae gas existing in Ae collector is guided to Ae first compartment of Ae heat exchanger in Ae heating circuit. The agent in Ae last compartment in Ais circuit heated in previous cycles is guided by Ae 4 way valve to Ae warm tank, where it warms up to work temperature. This entire route is balanced in terms of Ae work pressures, being necessary only to overcome Ae frictions. Phases 3 and 4 are similarly carried out, as described in Figure 28, Ae agent circulation being in reversed direction. Tf Ae engine has Npaits of motion collectors, there is no need to install N sequential exchangers, the pressures and Ae temperatures from Ae entrance and from Ae exit of Ae exchanger being Ae same, a single sequential exchanger can be setup, whose cells volume is equal to Ae volume of N motion collectors.

In Ae sequential heat exchanger in Fig.28, heat exchange is done directly Arough Ae Ain metal walls Aat separate Ae two gas flows. Figure 29 shows an exchanger which is easier to achieve, where Ae heat exchange is done with an intermediary agent. The engine parts are as in Fig.26 but the economizers are replaced wiA heat exchangers under constant volume. The main components of Ais heat exchanger are Ae collectors identical, as form and volume, wiA the motion collectors of Ae Stirling engine. They are arranged in one or (for a more compact operation) two tanks 29a wiA heat agent (preferably water under pressure). The exchanger collectors are divided into groups of two, (like Ae motion ones in Fig.26) placed face to face, so Aat Aeir pistons 29d to be operated by the same rod, with Ae help of the main wheel 29k and of the tipping system 291, controlled by the mechanism 29x. The temperature difference between the cold and the hot sources is divided into a sufficient number of steps, which are materialized by dividiiig the tanks into the number of compartments. In each compartment there are at least two collectors: a hot one 29b at the bottom of the compartment, and one cold 29c, above it. Compared to the diagram of Fig.26, the installation is completed wiA two tanks: a hot one 29s, in the hot source {or heated by this one by means of the same system of pipes (hat heat also the tanks where the motion collectors are placed) and one cold one 29r, in the cold source. In motion collector 29p (the figure has not included the tank where it is mounted, and neither the other collectors) during isochoric exchange phases, hot agent enters directly from the hot tank, at the nominal temperature and pressure, and after the expansion in the power collector, it is delivered in the first step (the first collector 29b of exchanger) from the heat exchanger, where through the intermediary heat agent it exchanges heat wife Ae last cold collector 29c, both during the trip, as well as during expansion-compression stages. For this, the control system 29x, through the rods 29f, 29e, opens the appropriate valves 29g. fit the next isochoric exchange phase, this agent is delivered to the second collector then it successively goes through the other steps, finally reaching the cold tank. The hot agent in Ae cold collector, starting from Ae nominal temperature and pressure, goes to a similar way from Ae tank Arough Ae cold motion collector and Arough Ae heat exchanger where it successively takes over Ae heat of the hot collectors up to Ae hot tank. The valves 29g alternatively open to ensure Ae movement shown: in Fig.29, Ae arrows drawn wiA continuous line describe Ais movement in a semi-period and Ae ones drawn wi A discoatøued line in Ae next serni-period

If Ae heat exchange takes place quickly enough so Aat no high temperature differences or conversions may occur, Ae walls between compartments may be missing, and in Ae exchanger tanks a stratification of temperatures will be created. A more rapid heat exchange can be achieved by separating warm collectors m one of Ae tanks, and Ae cold ones in Ae oAer one and introducing a forced flow using a pump: in Ae tank with warm collectors from Ae bottom upwards, Aen passing to Ae top of the cold tank, where ϊi circulates fiom the top downwards, going back to Ae hot tank. On Ais route pipes wiA cold or hot agent may be inserted to correct Ae temperature in Ae collectors, depending on Ae need. If Ae Stirling engine has several collector pairs (n) in each compartment (or thermal layer) of the exi&angβr n exchange collectors will be placed in Ae same volume V, or a single collector wiA Ae volume n*V, whose piston will sequentially or continuously move, so as in one semi-period, Ae volume V of agent will be circulated.

Figure 30 shows a Stirling engine where Ae motion collectors have side walls_* in cascade, wiA no caps, and Ae compartment separation is made by Ae pistons. Therefore, Ae side walls are mounted as to constitute a closed tube. In Ae figure Ais tube is perfectly circular, a configuration where it is easy to secure the tightness of the compartments between ihe pistons, but its volume is high. Also rectangular configurations may be achieved wiA rounded comers, requiring less space, but when Ae pistons shift from a linear stroke to a curve one, sealing is more difficult. The engine in Ae figure has Ae side walls 30b are made of ferrcHwagnetic material and contain the winding 30c, like Ae pistons 3Od, wiA Ae winding 3Oe. In Ais way, a linear engine is achieved ensuring Ae pistons motion. For maintaining Ae constant size of Ae compartments, Ae pistons are connected among Aemselves by Ae joint bars 30f (at Ae tubes Aat are not circular, Aese bars are made of joint fragments so Aat when changing Ae direction of pistons, Ae bars may have Ae shape of the tube shaft). The tube wiA pistons is immersed in a tank wiA intermediate hot agent 30a, whose walls are parallel to Ae walls of Ae tube, creating a closed tube. Intermediate agent is circulated backwards vs. the movement of Ae pistons taking the heat of Ae hot collectors and transferring it to Ae cold collectors. In two diametrically opposed regions of Ae tank, in an area of a collector size, by means of a pipe system 30h, Ae intermediary agent exchanges heat with Ae hot source in one of the areas and with Ae cold source in Ae oAer area. Tn the walls between the tank and the tube with the work agent in Aese two areas, Aere are electrically controlled valves installed, making Ae connection between Ae respective collectors (one being at hot source temperature and the oAer at the cold source temperature) and the power collector 30g achieving the expansion-compression stage alternatively during a semi-period on one side of the piston, aid during the other semi-period on the other side.

The Stirling engine in Figure 31 is similar: the collectors 31c are closed units, having the metal walls equipped with fins to increase heat excbmge area, md inside, a series of filaments and grills (like Stirling economizers) to rapidly transfer heat to the inside gas. On top, there is no need anymore for the pistons and mechanisms required for their movement. The collectors are installed in a layer tank 31a, where the bottom is cooled by a system of pipes 3 Id exchanging heat with cold source, Ihe top is heated by a system of pipes that exchstαges heat with the warm source, and at the intermediate levels, the heat is exchanged betweeo the collectors from the half left and the collectors in the half right also by a system of pipes These collectors are moved by a driving mechanism, in a closed circuit, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 31, the collectors successively passing from the bottom, the coldest one, to the top the hottest, exchanging heat among themselves by means of the intermediary agent 31b. Once they arrive in the areas with extreme temperatures, each pair of collectors open their valves to ihe power collector and actuate the piston movement, then they are continuing the movement towards the opposite area of the tank.

The Stirling engine in Figure 32 is a static engine, not requiring any motion pistons, or mechanisms for the collector movement, all Ae thermal processes being carried out by the reasonable guide of the intermediary hot agent towards the collectors. Figure 33 shows a cross- section of these engine collectors. Such a collector is a closed unit with double walls 33c, crossed by a system of pipes 33d, which communicates also with the space 33b between the double walls and supplies through a pipe 33a. Both the interior walls and the system of pipes axe provided with fins 33e for increasing the exchange area. Between the fias, it is possible also to mount thin wires, exactly as for the Stirling economizers to accelerate even more heat exchange. The working agent 33 f is in this space. Also, the collector is fitted with valves 33g for the communication with the outside environment The temperature difFerenee between hot and cold sources is divided into a reasonable number of steps, each step having dedicated two collectors 32a. The input and output pipelines 32d of all collectors are serial connected in a closed circuit Between every two successive collectors there are provided 2 valves with three ways 32f for each, and between these ones there is a cross type branch. The two arms of the branch have each a valve 32g (operated mechanically, electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically) one of which connects to hot agent pipe 32j, the other with cold agent pipe 32h. The 3-way valves 32f are linked to ate bird by-pass ducts 32r», so that the main circuit of the intermediary agent may close when one of the collectors is included into the hot agent circuit or in the cold agent one. The agent of this circuit is circulated by the pump 32e. The installation is completed by the pipe system wiih mfermedi&fy agent 32j where by means of the pump 32k the heat is circulated from the hot source and pipe system 32h, where using the pump 32i, the excess heat is circulated to the cold source. On each of these pipelines in front of each collector, a valve 32m is fitted which closes it when that agent is deviated through the collector.

By the controlled off-on of the 2 and 3-way valves, a progressive increase of temperatures (and pressure) is ensured in the collectors, from the hot source temperature to the cold source temperature, and then it is a gradual decrease. At a certain moment there is one collector in the system at the maximum temperature, and in a diametrically opposite position there is one collector at the minimum temperature. In mis moment, the 3-way valves 32f are operated and the main circuit is switched through the by-pass pipeline 32α of the relevant collectors (fee arrow 32t with continuous line for the warm agent and arrow 32v with dashed line for the cold agent). The valves 32m in front of these collectors are closed, the valves 32g are opening at the outlet and inlet of the collector, linking the hot intermediate agent pipeline (arrow 32s),, and the cold intermediate agent, respectively (arrow 32s). At the same time, the gas valves 32c of the two collector and Ae valves 32q (performing the switch of the gas flow between piston faces) open, the piston of the power collector 32ό receives on its both sides the pressure difference between the two collectors being put into motion. The hot gas from the collector expands absorbing heat from the hot agent, passes through a heat economizer 32p transferring beat to this one, md enters the piston. The gas existing initially in the piston, cooled in the previous semi-period, enters by that valve directly in the cold collector, where it compresses the existing gas, transferring the heat to the cold intermediary agent. Simultaneously, cold gas circuit is established (not shown in the Figure) which incorporates the heat from the other economizer, preparing it for the next stage. The heat recovered in this way is reintroduced in the process. During this process, the agenl in the main circuit takes over heat from the collector preceding the one where the expsisioB takes place_* (where the expansion took place in the previous semi- period, being therefore at a maximum temperature) and transfers it to the next collector, preparing it for expansion. The agent existing in this collector is also transferred by one step, a gradual waonitig of the upstream collectors taking place as well as a gradual cooling of the downstream collectors. The process continues with one step in every semi-period. The installation control is very simple, by changing the flow and temperature of the intermediate agent simultaneously with the frequency of the valves eo»trøls.

A Stirling engine can be designed in such a way that by choosing the appropriate agent and internal pressure, for the temperature during work, the engine processes are conducted near the curve of chosen agent vapour. Figure 34 shows the P-V diagram of a cycle where the isothermal expansion in the engine starts at point 2 of this curve and continues up to the point 3, corresponding to the volume Vl, where for the temperature TO of the cold source the agent reaches the saturation stage corresponding to this temperature. As a result, the agent after the expansion in the driving piston is passed through an economizer or directly through a heat exchanger into the condenser of refrigeration equipment, where it isotheπnally condensates, up to the level corresponding to volume V2, where for the temperature Tl the agent is completely saturated. At the exit of the condenser, the gas is passed through the economizer, where it is heated up to a temperature close to Tl, and through a heat exchanger for an additional heat, it reaches again the saturation status corresponding to the temperature Tl₅ where process resumes. As it caw be seen m the diagram the process takes, place according to the curve 2-3-4-5-2, with a useful work produced higher than in the process 2-3- 4-1-2, which corresponds to the overheated steam. If in the driving motor, simultaneously with the saturated vapours a certain quantity of liquid is also inserted and the agent expansion is executed with a certain heat input and the collector volume is sized to take over the whole vapour amount that resulted from evaporation, the expansion is accompanied by the evaporation of this quantity of liquid, which is executed at a constant pressure, so that the useroϊ work produced increases further, the process being developed according to Λe curve 2-3-4-6-7-2.

Another way the Stirling engine can receive and transmit energy very quickly is described in Figure 36, where a double gamma engine can be noticed fitted with some additional items: the hot collectors 36.Ia and / or cold collectors 36.2 having the same volume with the motion collectors, and the 3 -way valves 36.3, 36.4. The procedure is applied when having a source warmer (T4) than the temperature Tl of the nominal source and/or a source colder (T3) than Ae temperature T2 of the rated hot source (fig.35), which may interfere in short time. If at a certain time of the nominal operation (curve 1-2-3-4) the valve 36.3 opens, the gas route is diverted to the circuit described by the arrow 36e: the gas from the cold collector, after passing through the economizer, goes to the additional collector 36.1 while the gas existing here, overheated, flows to Ae hot collector, and the gas in the hot collector, after passing through the economizer, goes to the cold collector where it is isothermally compressed (if there is a source colder ihm Tl and ϊt is necessary, with the help of the valve 36.6, the gas is diverted through the additional collector 36.2). As the hot collector is in an environment with the temperature T2 lower man the gas in the collector, the expansion is not isotherm anymore but adiabatic (even sub-adiabatic, as the gas transfers part of the heat) and the gas is cooled up to the temperature T3. The economizer will receive an additional quantity of heat, which will be transferred in the next stage and the process will take place according to the curve 5- 6-7-9, and if there is an over-cooled source, according to Ae curve 5-6-7-8, where the compression is adiabatic.

21. The Ericson engine. Figure 37 shows a Stirling engine, of double-alpha type, consisting of the hot collector 41, with the piston 44, the cold collector 42 and (he piston 45 and the Stirling heat exchangers 43. As shown in the figure, the volume of the two collectors differs (due to differences in length and / or diameter). The ratio is chosen so that at the same temperature, the two collectors contain the same amount of gas at a default pressure ratio plφ2, so that at Ae extreme working temperatures, the two pressures should not exceed Ae maximum pressure, and mininium respectively, permitted by the installation features. Fig. A clearly shows the 4 times when the engine switches from one phase to another within a cycle. The cold piston 45 performs a continuous motion with constant or variable speed (the ratio of piston speed in expansion-compression stage and the speed of isobar phase, where fhe heat exchange is made within fee beat exchanger, may take any value, profiling correspondingly Ae cams that control Ae movement of the pistons). During Ae first phase, Ae hot piston 44 stops at one of Ae collector ends, while Ae cold piston iso Aermally compresses Ae gas in Ae cold collector (and in the corresponding heat exchanger), up to a pressure pi equal to Ae pressure in Ae hot collector at Aat time. Hot gas from Ae hot collector enters behind Ae piston, where an isotherm expansion is developed. Up to equaling Ae pressures in Ae two collectors (items 1 and 3 in Ae diagram, Fig, 37D), Ae system produces mechanical work Aen it consumes it. Throughout Ais phase, Ae gas in Ae hot collector (and Aat of Ae heat exchanger downstream, and Ae one already entered Ae cold collector) is isoAeπnally expanding, absorbing heat from Ae environment in which it is mounted. At this moment, Ae hot piston starts and Ae movement of Ae two pistons is Aus interrelated, so Aat Ae two pistons simultaneously reach Ae opposite end of the collector. Throughout Ais phase a mechanical work emerges, at Ae maximum pressure difference in Ae system. Simultaneously, heat exchange in the heat exchangers takes place, Ae process is almost isochoric. Phases 3 and 4 of the cycle are identical to phases 1 and 2, but takes place in reversed direction.

As shown in Figure 37D, depending on Ae hot source temperature, different configurations of the cycle are obtained (poinis 5'-6 ', or 5™-6"), but at Ae rated work temperature Ae cams can be configured so (fig.4B, 4C) Aat Ae heat exchange in Ae heat exchangers is made at constant pressure: Ae cycle Aus obtained is an Ericsørr cycle, whose output is also equal to one of a Camot cycle conducted between Ae same temperatures.

The two heat exchangers may be replaced wiA a heat exchanger 61 at constant pressure, in countercurrent, as shown in Figure 38. Gas circulation in pipes is controlled by Ae single direction valves 62 and by Ae valves 63, 64, 65 and 66. The valves may be mechanically controlled, with a cam device, or electrically, wiΛ position sensors mounted on Ae cold piston rod. Valves 63 are opened alternately when the waon piston moves to their direction Valve 64 closes when Ae cold piston reaches one of Ae ends and opens when Ae pressure in Ae piston reaches a certain value. Valves 65 and 66 are opened when Ae piston has reached Aat end, allowing Ae high pressure gas to enter the hot collector when the piston starts moving to the opposite direction and is closed during Ae movement, causing Ae expansion of gas already inserted so Aat when Ae piston reaches the end of Ae race, Ae pressure in Ae collector should reach Ae lower value. If Ae hot source temperature is relatively constant, Ae momaife when the valves 65 and 66 are controlled are always Ae same and Aey can be pre-controHed. The movement of boA pistons is continuous, but Aere is no direct correlation between Aem, Aere is only Ae condition Aat Ae circulated vehicle mass flow is Ae same. In this case, Ae collectors may be replaced with any type of isoAermal compressor. The system can be adapted to operate even if Ae hot source temperature varies widely: Ae moments when Ae closing-opening valves are controlled are set by a control system based on Ae temperature range between the two sources.

Similarly, in figure 39, Ae gas from a tank 43 wiA temperature T2 and pressure p2 is allowed to enter Ae hot collector 41 filled wiA gas at pressure p 1 Arough a valve 47 Aat closes so Aat Arough isothermal expansion of Ae gas entering the collector it readies pressure pi. The cold gas is allowed to enter from the tank 44 with temperature Tl and pressure pi in the collector 42 that compresses isoAeπήally the gas from the other side of the piston till p2 and pushes it afterwards in the heat exchanger with constant pressure 46, where thermal exchange happens with the hot gas entered from the collector 41.

Figures 40, 41 and 42 show different practical ways of manufacturing alpha and gamma Stirling and Ericson engines. Fig. 40A shows a cross section through a gamma engine, consisting of three hot collectors 71 , a power collector 76, all placed in the hot tank 75 and three cold collectors 73 placed in the cold tank 706 mounted on the same frame with the warm one, beneath this one, both tanks being well insulated with the insulation 716. Fig. 7B shows a front view of the assembly. The overlapped collectors are linked among themselves by copper pipes filled with small pieces of copper, such as wires and cuttings. The gas in these pipelines occupies approximately half of the pipe volume. The pipeline part located in the hot talk is the heater 78, Ae insulated part is the regenerator 701, and the part in Ae cold tank is Ae cooler 702. The hot tank is heated continuously and Ae cold tank is cooled by Ae piping system 71 S. On Ae heaters 78 some t-branches are mounted linking Ae moving collectors to Ae power one Arough Ae valves 79. Between Ae 3 pairs of moving collectors Aere is mechanical phase shift of 120 degrees. When Ae pistons of a collector pair reach Ae end of semi-race, Ae appropriate valves open said Ae driving piston 77 is driven by the pressure difference in Ae collectors. Using the rod 722 and the bearing 721 which run on a shaped channel on Ae driving wheel 714, Ae main shaft 711 is rotated. Qn this shaft Ae shaped cams are mounted 713, which using Ae pickers 708 o» Ae rods 715 (which rotate on Ae secondary shaft 712) actuate Ae rods of all moving pistons. The shaft 711 has also Ae cams 709, which by means of Ae driving system wiA spring 710, control Ae valves closing-opening accordingly. The power developed is found in shaft rotation 711 Aat in Ae figure is sent to an electrical generator G. In the option of Fig. 4OC, Ae heat required is obtained by burning a gaseous fuel or a sprayed liquid, in Ae burner 752, supplied wiA fuel by the pipeline 754 and wiA Ae air needed for combustion Arough Ae pipe 753. The heat generated m the fire chamber uoder pressure is collected by Ae pipe 750, where liquid or gaseous Aermal agent is circulated transferring Ae heat to Ae hot tank of Ae engine. The heat contained in burning gas is used bo A for pre-heating Ae combustion air in Ae heat exchanger 777, and for driving Ae turbine (which may be a cage turbine) 757. Turbine output rotates Ae shaft of Ae electric generator 755 (at Ae cage turbine, Ae generator can be made directly on Ae turbine blades), and Ae compressor 756 Aat collects air from Ae atmosphere and compresses it up to the pressure m the eombvstk>r» chamber.

As for the option in Figure 42, Ae rod 722 of Ae driving piston transfers Ae movement forward to Ae shaft 711 via Ae link-rod system 740. The shaft 741 has pulleys, which using some gear wheels 742 or some of belis, with a multiplying Factor equal to the number of moving pistons pairs, transfer this movement to Ae shaft 760 where Ae shaped cams are mounted 762 to drive Ae hot pistons and to Ae shaft 761 having Ae shaped cams 763 Aat drive Ae cold pistons and Ae cams 709 for Ae valves control.

The engine shown in Figure 41 is an Ericson-alpha engine wiA 8 pairs of collectors 80. Figure shows a cross section Arough Ae hot tank The cold tank is in a plane parallel to it, having Ae same dimensions, and Ae cold collectors are connected to Ae hot ones by pairs of heater-economizer- cooler pipes, Aeir shaft is perpendicular to Ae drawing. The tank 81 has an octagonal cross section and Ae driving shaft 82 is located in Ae center of Ae circle circumscribed. The rods 83 of the pistons coincide wiA radii of this circle, and are oflset one vs. Ae other wiA an angle of 45 degrees. At Ae end of each rod, bearings are fitted Aat press on Ae shaped channels 85 (for Ae cold pistons) and 86 (for Ae hot pistons), milled in a wheel Aickness 84 mounted on Ae shaft (if tanks Aickness is large, each of Ae 2 groups of pistons has its own gear wheel). The hot agent in Ae tanks may receive (transfer) heat Arough a pipe system, or, due to large surface, in a direct way. The engines and heat pumps Ericson alpha and Ericson gamma can be used in all Ae applications Aat use Stirling type engines and pump. Moreover, in the Ericson cycle applications, the heat exchangers can be replaced with^" 2 chains regenerator-heat exchanger Stirling-cooler.

Figure 43 shows a new application of the Stirling or Ericson type engines, for electricity generation through cogeneration. The hot collector of the engine sensor (and the power collector of the gamma type engines) is mounted in a boiler of a thermal installation 90 for heating and / or producing hot water, or in a tank 91 fed fioin the return of the heatϊsg facility and the cold collector in a tank 92 fed from me installation return. Heat engine 93 is coupled to an electric generator or the electric coils are mounted in collectors and pistons walls, forming a ring engine. In this way, part of the heat generated in the boiler is used to generate electricity needed for the heating facility operation and the heat that is isothermal released by the cold collector is returned to the heating circuit. A similar scheme is obtained by using a cage turbine (Fig. 43b): the hot air out of the turbine 95 is cooled in cold, tank 92, taken by the compressor 94 which raises its pressure and after heating the tank 91 it is introduced in the turbine where power is generated to turn the turbine. Also, to drive the engine or the turbine, burning gas can be used (fig.40C).

22. Caged turbine is also described in the patent application WO2008/094058. Within the thermodynamic system of the energy++ house, this device is used to recover the heat from the stratified tank, when most of it had been extracted by Stirling engines. Also, this turbine, operating with high flow, at small in and out differences of temperature and pressure, together with an isothermal compressor, can trigger the ventilation system and can extract the heat from the air exhausted from the building. Fig.44 shows a cross section of a turbine whose stator blades 448 and rotor blades 446 are made of two sheet metal segments( the blade hitra-baek and extra-back side), that, after being shaped, are welded together on bom edges. Inside the blades, the metal rods 447, and 445 respectively are inserted with circular cross section and the blades are fixed by being spot welded on it. The threaded ends of these rods are inserted in the holes 444 executed in the stator 441, and rotor 442 crowns and, after being well stretched, they are fixed by nuts or by welding. The space 443 between the two columns, between the rotor and stator blades respectively, should be very small. Then, the two pairs of crowns are mounted on one ball bearing each.

If the rotor crowns are constructed as a series of chain links 451 mounted on the gear wheels 451, the rotor blades movement 454, 456, will be performed on two parallel flat surfaces and the turbine becomes a two-stage turbine, a true "wall" that can be placed on the winds' way, or on other air drafts. The wind collector in Figure 44B has the rotor blades placed on supporting pillars 458. The blades in the first stage collect the air drafts from a vertical flat surface and direct it to the first rotor stage pushing the blades downwards. The second stator stage deviate the currents from the first rotor plane vent, so that the second stage is actuated to the same direction.

23. Stratified accumulator. Using heat accumulator with stratification (in which, because of the gravitational effect, the fluid is deposited in layers with temperatures sorted ascending to the top of the tank) provides the possibility of effective use of Stirling generators under cogeneration regime. In Figure 45A, the hot tank 45a includes warm collectors of a battery of Stirling generators at different heights. Due to the stratification of the tank fluid, these generators will operate at different absorption temperatures. In me cold tank 45c an identical stratification is achieved. As a result, the heat taken from the hot source 45d is transferred gradually to Stirling generators, and then, at a lower temperature of a accumulator OF beat exchanger 45b_s enters with a low temperature in the cold tank 45 c, where recovers all the heat released by the cold collectors and reenter the hot source. If the heat carrier agent is of gaseous type it can be circulated by a compressor 45f, which also rises the temperature of the agent (Figure 45B). In this way, the installation becomes a heat pump that by the compressor 45£ turns Ae mechanical energy to heat, which is released together with heat recovered from the cold collectors in the tank 45c to the hot collectors in the tank 45a. The residual energy is entirely recovered inside the expander 45e (turbine, or piston detenter).

24. Thermo-mechanical heat pump. Compared with refrigerator installations and to the classical heat pumps where the vaporizer pressure increase up to the condensation pressure is mechanically performed by means of a compressor and Ae heat released to the hot source (or dissipated into Ae environment in case of refrigerating facilities) greatly comes from the mechanical compression of the working agent, for the therrno-mechanical pumps more or less of this compression is achieved by spraying in an overheated steam environment an additional amount of liquid refrigerants and by addition of heat from the exterior. The additional refrigerant introduced by spraying during compression describes same operation cycle as the agent already in the circuit, but with a lower difference between Ae condensing and vaporization temperatures, hence with a greater efficiency.

In the international patent application WO2008/094058, a spray compressor is presented, which due to refrigerating agent spray, works as an adiabatic-isochoric cycle and may be used in the theπno-mechanical heat pumps. In the following examples we will show several other thermo- mechanical pumps that ose compressors at constant vohime

Figure 46A shows a refrigerating facility with a thermo-mechanical pump. The installation (composed of the vaporizer 46b, located in the area to be cooled at the temperature Tl, the capacitor 46a located in the environment with the temperature Tl, me deteater 46c and the thermo- mechanical compressor located also in Ae environment) is identical to an installation Aat currently exists but for which Ae mechanical compressor is replaced wiA a Aermo-mechanical one, composed of Ae piston compressor 46d mid Ae constant volume compressors 46e, serially linked (each cylinder is fitted wiA a switching circuit, which allows admission eiAer on one side or Ae oAer side of Ae piston, while Ae evacuation is made on Ae opposite side; Aerefore, Ae gas admitted in Ae cylinder from Ae previous cylinder at a semi-stroke is discharged in Ae next cylinder in Ae oAer semi-stroke of Ae piston). The volumes all cylinders of Ae constant volume compressor are equal between Aem and are equal to Ae volume of Ae mechanic compressor cylinder.

The compressor- 46d has a dual function: in Ae first phase it extracts vapours (saturated, unsaturated, or overheated) wiA Ae pressure Pl (fig.46C) from Ae vaporizer and pushes Ae vapours from the other side of the piston (with pressure P2) to the condenser (preferably after a slight over-compression up to a pressure P3, which leads to an increase in temperature over Ae one of Ae environment). Simultaneously, Ae injection pump 46f extracts from Ae condenser outlet a quantity of liquid agent equal to the amount of agent condensed in Ae previous cycle, which in stationary mode is equal to Ae amount resulting from vapour condensation input in a cycle (keeping Aus a constant pressure in Ae condenser) and sprays it finely in Ae whole mass of oversaturated vapours in Ae compressor cylinders at constant volume, where it evaporates instantly. The vapours from Aese cylinders, on Ae one hand, are cooled and compressed (by introducing of additional agent), and on Ae oAer hand, are heated and Aeir pressure is raised by heat absorption from Ae environment. In Ae second phase, Ae back movement of the piston is simultaneous wiA Ae movement of Ae pistons in Ae double effect cylinders chain of Ae compressor at constant volume. This movement is done in closed circuit, wiA Ae sum of all pressures being zero, Ae mechanical energy consumption is only to overcome the frictions. Following this cycle, the vapours absorbed in Ae first stage pass to Ae second cylinder, Ae vapours in Ae cylinder chain move one step at a time, and Ae vapours in Ae last cylinder go Ae mechanical compressor cylinder. The movement direction is provided for Ae first cylinder by Ae orientation valves 46g, and for the oAer cylinders switching Ae switching of Ae active face of Ae piston is made wiA switching valves, wiA drawers or wiA 3 -way valves 46h. The movement of all pistons as well as opening-closing Ae valves and 3- way valves is coordinated by a cinematic chain controlled by a profile cam axis (similarly wiA Stirling engines, described in Ae patent application WO2008/094058). By washing Ae compressor cylinders walls at an air blow at constant volume 46k, wiA draft or forced flow, cold air for Ae air conditioning installation can be produced or a Aermal agent can be cooled to produce Ae cold source of an engine Aat recovers part of Ae mechanical work used by Ae heat pump. Depending on the interior-exterior temperature difference, on the process running speed and on the features of the agent and installation components, the process can be carried out by an adiabatic- isothermal curve, on a saturation curve, or on a polytropic curve (Fig. 46C, curve 1-2-3-4-5). If spraying is continue, the additional vapours form an additional heat pump, whose average behavior is suggested by the curve 1-2-3-6 (an exact description is not possible as the scale of representing the specific volume varies with the variation of agent quantity). The mechanical compressor 46d has to maintain in Ae condenser the necessary pressure for vapour condensation, the mechanical work performed being equal to the shaded area in Figure 46C (multiplied with a coefficient dependent on the quantity of the sprayed agent; the area is equivalent to Ae 2-3-4-7-2 area, Ae mechanical equivalent of the heat extracted to shift the curve from the 4-7 circuit to the 4-3-2 circuit). It should do the same for the additional vapours consuming an additional mechanical work (double bar area). The work executed by this type of compressor is higher than the one of a classical compressor due to the higher volume of vapours in the circuit, but the speed of heat transfer and the efficiency are higher. The pump efficiency increases with Ae increase of the condensation temperature closer to the critical temperature of refrigerant

The heat pump in Figure 46B consumes even less mechanical work. At Ae pump, Ae detenter and mechanical compressor are removed, and their role is taken over by Ae vaporizer consisting of a battery of at least two cylinders 461, which together with compressor cylinders at constant volume 46m, form a continuous chain which begins at Ae condenser outlet and ends at its inlet. In a first phase, Ae piston of Ae first cylinder of Ae sprayer being blocked, by Ae movement of Ae oAer pistons in Ae chain Ae vapours of Ae agent in Ae sprayer detent and the pressure decreases in steps from one cylinder to anoAer, Ae vapours existing initially m Ae sprayer enter Ae constant volume compressors and are compressed in Ae condenser, consuming mechanical work accordingly. Vapours md liquid from the first cylinder of Ae sprayer undergo a polytropic detent, resulting in a decrease of their pressure and temperature up to Ae regime temperature value. Simultaneously, the injector 46n extracts liquid of all Ae sprayer cylinders and sprays them in Ae compressor cylinders at constant volume, producing an additional pressure decrease, and by the evaporation of the residual liquid, a further cooling of Ae vapours in Ae cylinders, wiA a decrease of temperature tank 46p, where Aey are located. After reaching Ae operation regime, at least in Ae last sprayer cylinder Aere is noAing but oversaturated vapours. Now, the condenser outlet is open and Ae first cylinder piston of Ae sprayer is released and Ae chain of cylinders becomes a closed ring. Now, Ae liquid from Ae condenser bottom enters Ae first cylinder of Ae sprayer, wi A a quantity of vapours, Ae liquid being partly extracted by injection pump, which causes a decrease of its pressure and temperature and of Ae vapours in Ae cylinder. The liquid extraction continues also in Ae next sprayer cylinders, so Aat in Ae first compressor cylinder only saturated vapours enter, which undergo Ae process of the thermo-mechsnica! compression, until reaching Ae environmental temperature and Ae appropriate condensation pressure. Adjusting Ae system operation is made, for a direction, by blocking from time to time Ae first cylinder piston and realizing and expansion in the sprayer, and for Ae other direction, by introducing heat to Ae compressor outlet (electrical resistance 46q). Between Ae sprayer and Ae compressor a heat exchange can take place by an air circulation 46k, increasing Ae process speed.

25, Spraying heat engine. The spraying collector can be used highly efficient for building thermal engines due to Ae possibility of changing fast the temperatures and pressures in closed spaces. Reducing Ae temperature is only possible for some thermal agents as Ae compression resulted Arough fast temperature decrease is usually compensated by Ae gas volume appeared Λrough vaporization. But big temperature decrease favours, especially for flat collectors, fast heat absorption from Ae environment, followed by an important pressure increase. The Aeπnal engine in Figure 47 operates between hot source temperature (usually the environment) TO and a cold source temperature T2. Reciprocating compressor wiA double effect 47a is alternatively actuated by Ae gas in Ae tanks 47b (on continuous line trace) and 47c (on dashed line trace). In Aese tanks, Ae work gas at a pressure pO is heated by the sun or directly ftom the environment In a first stage, by opening the valve to' the compressor, gas expands following an isotherm curve (1-2 curve in the diagram PV of fig.47B). During Ae detention, heat is absorbed from hot source. The gas in the compressor, on the other side of the piston, having Ae pressure p2, is pushed in the cylinder 47d, thermally insulated, located in the cold source, with a higher volume, where pressure pi is lower and the piston is pushed towards the opposite end of the cylinder, and Ae existing gas is pushed in the condenser 47e, initially being at Ae same pressure pi, but wiA a decrease trend due to Ae condensation of vapours and extraction of liquefied gas. Due to Ae Aermal insulation, Ais expansion is carried out adiabatically (2-3 curve in the chart), up to Ae condensing pressure pi corresponding to Ae condenser temperature. During Ais expansion period, liquid agent is sprayed in Ae cylinder 47c, extracted from condenser 47d, wiA Ae injection pump 47f. The vapours from this cylinder, initially being in Ae state 2, are recompressed up to Ae state I₁ compensating Ae vaporization temperature wiA Ae heat extracted from the environment (isoAermal compression). En phase two, Ae gas in cylinder 47c expands and Aat of 47b is compressed, Ae pistons movement being in reverse direction. The vapours evacuated from Ae cylinder 47d, condensate at constant temperature and pressure (3-4-5 curve of the chart). As spraying is done at various pressures, Ae vapours initially sprayed are also subject to compressing, Ais process was described in Ae chart of an average curve 5-6-1. The sprayed vapours perform the direct eyele 4-5-6-2-3-4 whose effect is Ae reverse movement 2-1 of Ae motor piston. The mechanical work performed by Ais one is represented by Ae surface 1-2-b-a which is Ae higher as pO is higher.

26. Intermediate valve compressor. Figure 48 shows a compressor that may be extremely useful in carrying out installations Aat uses spraying of liquid for cooling and compression. This type of compressor is constructed by changing an existing compressor by implementing in its walls an overfeeding valve 48d_s located at a well determined distance from Ae cap. At a regular compressor, Ais valve existence may lead to gas compression in Ae compressor up to Ae pressure the valve is set to, to some gas discharge at Ais pressure, and when Ae piston 48b reaches Ae valve, it closes it by lowering the pressure and the gas remaining in the compressor is compressed up to a higher pressure. In Ae case of a spraying compressor 48a, valve 48d can be regulated and located in such a way Aat the overheated vapours (point 2 in P-V diagram) are cooled (point 3) Arough spraying and are afterwards compressed to Ae pressure of condensation (point 7) when Ae valve opens and Ae exact sprayed amount is evacuated. Figure 48A shows an example of Ais type of compressor use to create Ae operation pressure for a heat engine. The engine presented operates wiA carbon dioxide, whose critical point is at 31 degrees Celsius and at pressures of 7.4 MPa, The gas is inserted into a small compartment at Ae end of Ae compressor, at the environment temperature, or during sunny days, at a high temperature, produced by focusing on Ae cylinder of sunlight captured by a mirror concentration. Pressure on Ae other side of the piston is Ae atmospheric one. The extension is isoAermal, wiA heat absorption from Ae environment (1-2 curve). During Ae reverse strike of Ae piston, liquid agent is sprayed which is extracted from the condenser and cooled (curve 5-6 is an average). At the beginning, spray flow is large, with high cooling, vapours saturation and decrease of the title (up to point 3 of Ae diagram of fig.48B). Vapours in Ae cylinder are compressed until Ae pressure gets equal to Ae condenser (as close as possible to Ae critical pressure),. Ae intermediate valve opens and a quantity of gas equal to Ae sprayed one is inserted in condenser 48e, wiAin Ae battery 48j. After closing Ae valve, compression will still be adiabatic, until Ae piston reaches Ae end run, where Ae cycle resumes. The movement of the piston is transformed into a rotation movement, by means of Ae roll of Ae tip cart 48c. Because boA the detente and Ae compression are carried out at high differences of temperature and pressure, boA Ae mechanical work produced and Ae energy accumulated reach significant values.

Introducing Ae intermediate valve Ae engine regime is clearly separated by Ae heat pump regime. 27. Engines with refrigerant injection. By using a collector with double effect, the engine shown in JFigure 49" is a combination of those described in Fig. 47 and 48. It is composed of a collector with double effect 110 equipped with 2 intermediate vaJves 114, mounted at the same distance from both ends and with Ae spray nozzles 113 mounted in the collector covers. The piston stroke 111 is made between two boundaries 112, which create at the ends a dead volume Vl and is controlled electrically or with profiled cams. The collector can receive the heat directly from a solar collector, when used only as engine or from a forced draft hot tank when coldness is also wanted. In the first phase, the piston is at one end of the collector, the gas pressure of the dead volume is p4 (point 1 in P-V diagram, Figure 49BX in the rest of the collector the pressure being p2. When the piston is released, in Ate low pressure chamber a quantity of sufficient liquid is sprayed to lower the gas temperature up to the pressure of the evaporation point (point 3 of the diagram). A supersaturated mixture is obtained, whose title is chosen such that after compression, die gas gets closer to the saturated vapour condition (point 4 of the diagram). Under pressure difference between its faces, the piston 111 moves to the opposite end of the collector, with a speed dependant on the load magnitude, allowing a expansion as closer to isotherm as possible, so a higher heat absorption. On the other side of the piston, compressing the gas is accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature, bom due to the compression mechanical work and to the heat input from outside and the gas reaches Ae liquefaction pressure and temperature (point 4 of the diagram, below the temperature of the environment). Because of additional liquid sprayed, this point is reached faster (point 5 of the chart, curve 2-5-4 is drawn at another scale of the specific volume and does not reflect the actual temperature, but it is usefirf to assess the mechanic work consumed by the heat pump) . The corresponding intermediate valve, adjusted to mis pressure, opens and leaves the saturated vapour to penetrate into the capacitor 115. The valves are mounted in such a way that when the piston is in front of them and closes them, Ae amount of vapour in Ae capacitor is equal to Ae amount of sprayed liquid (point 4 of Ae diagram). The piston continues its stroke, still compressing Ae vapours, but due to lower temperature range, Ae compression curve is closer to an adiabatic one At Ae end of Ae piston stroke, we have Ae initial condition but a* Ae opposite end of Ae collector and Aen Ae process is similarly followed in Ae reversed direction. The real curve of the mechanical circuit is 1-2-5-4-1. In Ae capacitor mounted on Ae cold source, Ae vapour condenses wiA heat transfer, and Ae liquid resulted is extracted by the injection pump 116 to be sprayed again. The curve of Ae spraying agent cycle is 6-7-8-2-5-6, Ae mechanical work consumed being Ae shaded area. One can see Aat it is larger Aan Ae gain obtained by lowering Ae operation below the cold source temperature, but Ae gain obtained by increasing Ae heat transfer rate may be decisive in choosing Ais solution. The engine is running identically in a binary scheme also where the liquid used for Ae cooling spay is different from Ae working agent.

If Ais collector is mounted in a hot reservoir with forced draft, Ae engine can produce, in parallel, an appreciable amount of coldness, on Ae expense of Ae mechanical work produced, or it may produce only coldness, by operating Ae piston from outside.

28. Thermal engine with cold teι»k. During Ae Aermo-dynamic system operation at Ae energy++ house, frequent depletion conditions may occur (or failures) of Ae energy sources and of the heat stored. The engine described in fig.50 may operate by using heat from Ae environment (or from the hot battery, where, after being empty, Ae temperature is higher) and having a cold tank as a cold source, ft consists of Ae collector 121, connected to Ae evaporator 122 Arough Ae valve 129, mounted in Ae environment wiA Ae temperature T2 and from Ae cold reservoir 124 (a cylinder wiA Ae working agent at Ae temperature Tl and pressure pi, or as shown, a tank wiA anoAer agent, wiA a greater storage capacity, at Ae temperature Tl). When valve opens, Ae saturated agent in Ae evaporator enters Ae collector and displaces isoAeπnally Ae piston having on its opposite side Ae pressure pi. In a certain position of Ae piston Ae valve closes, stopping Ae agent penetration. At Ae same time, Ae piston moves wiA a faster speed (by changing the controlling cam shape, or by removing Ae mechanical load). The expansion is adiabatic and continues until the pressure in the collector is pi, the agent condensates up to the title x3. The diagram T-s of Fig: '50D shows both the presented cycle 1-2-3, as well as other possible cycles: isotherm extension to the point 6, followed by an adiabatic one to Ae point 8 with the title = 1, or isotherm expansion up to point 7, with the pressure pi, followed by cooling spray to the point 8. In this moment cold spraying takes place (point 5 of the chart) and Ae piston return stroke starts. Spraying does not affect the temperature or pressure of the agent in the collector, but it determines reaching a title x4. For this, the mass of sprayed agent must be so many times higher than the mass of the agent in the collector, whenever it is x3 higher than x4 (in the figure, by 5 times). The smaller this ratio the closer T2 of T critical (if T2> Tcr, both x3, and x4 may be higher than 0.5, and the cold agent consumption and mechanical work for its compression decreases very much). Starting from this point, the agent compression is up to its full conversion in liquid (point 1). The quantity of liquid is evacuated and stored at this temperature, or is placed in Ae bottom of the evaporator. The mechanical work used to compress the agent is in this case, 6 times higher than mat achieved by adiabatic extension, but is lower than that produced by me isotherm extension. The useful work has been shaded represented in the diagram in Fig 5OC. In fact, during compression, the engine becomes a theπno-mechanical heat pump mat simultaneously executes 5 cycles 5-4-1, taking over the heat from the heat agent in the collector 4-3 -b-a which it transfers to the agent in the tank. It is to be noted, that during the evaporation of Ae working agent from the evaporator and from the cold tank, heat is consumed, which results in lowering the two temperatures, a phenomenon that can be used for the coldness production. If T2 is higher than the environment temperature, the cooling process 1-5 is happening in two stages: up to pint 10 it happens in a heat exchanger where a thermal agent is heated and a shorter stage 10-5 happens in Ae coldness tank.

The process is similar, when T2 is Ae temperature of a hot source and Ae Tl is Ae environment one, or an unconventional source one: during Ae extension, Ae engine extracts heat from hot source, to use part of it during the compression to bring liquid agent in Ae tank to Ae temperature of Ae hot source, wiA high speed hot transfer, and wiAout using a heat exchanger. It also eliminates Ae condenser for liquefaction 3-4.

The difficulty in achieving Ais type of engine lies in achieving Ae compression 4.1 of the supersaturated vapours. For this purpose, at high speeds, for most of Ae hot agents, Ae materials Ae pistons are made of are expensive and Aeir life-time is short. To solve Ais problem, Ae invention proposes Ae use of an additional collector and an intermediary agent, as in Figure 50B. The agent in the collector 125 should be inactive compared to Ae work agent, not to cause chemical reactions and not dissolve into each oAer. After spraying, work collector piston remains in its end position, but Ae intermediary agent is compτessed. The valve 128 opens only when Ae pressure is higher Aan Aat of Ae working collector 121, Ae intermediary agent enters Ae collector and indirectly compresses it At Ae end of Ae piston stroke, Ae pressure in Ae work collector is p2 and Ae work agent is folly compressed, turning into liquid and is discharged Arough valve 126. A small part of the gas left in Ae collector is made of saturated vapours of Ae work agent. The temperature of Ae intermediary agent must be and remain at least equal to Ae one of Ae working agent for the transformation to be adiabatic. After the liquid evacuation Ae intermediary agent is extended in Ae additional collector, returning to Ae initial temperature and pressure Pl and retrieving Ae work used for compression. Now Ae piston 127 is executing a foil race, releasing Ae intermediary agent in a recycling installation, Aer> reintroducing Ae working agent wiA Ae pressure pi .

Claims

1. Building for living or other purpose called energy++ house, equipped with a supplemental supra- structure built around it but independent of the building itself, with its own foundation, having the role of taking:

- part of the roof weight

- part of the building elements that favorites the creation of thermal bridges

- part of the windowed surfaces

- the decorative elements of the facade

- an additional thermal outer cover, separated by the building cover through an intermediate air lair

- a solar barrier system formed between the pillars and headboards of the additional supra-structure

- devices used for collecting the solar energy characterized by the fact that it has a system of controlling the temperature in the intermediate layer and a thermodynamic system that captures energy from the solar barriers and geothermal energy from the ground, as well as energy from other sources, that is transferred to some layered rechargeable or chemical rechargeable in order to transform it in electrical energy when needed or when the efficiency is at its peak, producing through cogeneration the heat needed to heat the interior space and the water.

2. Energy ++ house as per claim 1 , characterized by the fact that part of the transparent elements of the windowed surfaces are set on the interior supra-structure and the rest on the exterior supra- structure, the space in between communicating with the intermediate air layer.

3. Energy ++ house as per claim 1, characterized by the fact that the climate system contains a heat pump that extracts heat from the superior part of the intermediate layer.

4. M u lti layered material with pellicle gas barrier, used for thermal outer cover of energy ++ houses as per claim 1 as well as for different other applications, characterized by the fact that the distance between support layers can be changed using some devices that change the distance between the protective layers (fig. 4), changing in this way the quantity of air inside.

5. Procedure for reducing the heat transfer through the ventilation channels in the steady periods, used for intermittent flow of the air in the thermal outer cover of the energy++ houses as per claim 1 , as well as for other applications, characterized by the fact that a multilayered material with gas barriers is fixed on one of the sides of the channel, having the surface approximately equal to the channel cross section, made of flexible support layers, so that when a gas current flows through the channel the support layers are distorted letting gas to pass, while for zero gas speed the support layers are back to their original position, thermally blocking the channel.

6. Procedure for thermal covering of energy++ houses as per claim 1 , as well as of other type of buildings, characterized by the fact that the cover is made of blocks of thermo-insulating material that can slide on the supports on which they are set up, thus moving air between different layers of the cover or between cover and solar barriers, through ventilation channels thermally blocked, closed at the ends with flat valves.

7. Procedure for thermal covering of the energy++ houses as per claim 1, as well as of other type of buildings, characterized by the fact that the cover is made of multilayered barriers with variable distance spacers, whose protective layers are performing intermittent movements, thus moving air between different layers of the cover or between cover and solar barriers, through ventilation channels thermally blocked, closed at the ends with flat valves.

8. Ventilation procedure through "porous walls" for the energy++ houses as per claim I . as well as for other types of building, characterized by the fact that the speed of cold air towards interior is such set so that for a given interior and exterior temperature, the temperature of the successive material layers remains unchanged.

9. Procedure for reducing the convective heat losses through windowed surfaces in the energy++ houses as per claim 1, as well as in other types of buildings, characterized by the fact successive nets made of thin metallic strings are mounted that between the window sheets and their perimeter is withhold in an insulating frame.

10. Procedure for reducing heat losses through windowed surfaces in the energy++ houses as per claim 1 , as well as in other types of buildings, characterized by the fact that the window sheets are replaced by a system of convergent and divergent lenses used to reduce the non insulating surface through which the light flow enters inside.

1 1. Radiant element used for heating energy++ houses as per claim 1 , as well as other types of buildings, characterized by the fact that it is built in form of panels made of materials with high capacity of heat accumulation, in which a net of bars, strings and iron bands is inserted, all welded to a collector plate which is itself in close contact with a pipe through which a thermal agent flows.

12. Actuating device for moving the mobile insulating blocks and the protective layers of multilayered barriers with variable thickness spacers of energy++ houses as per claim 1, for actuating some devices of the thermo-dynamic system for these buildings as well as for different other applications, characterized by the fact that it is made of a cylinder or a flat receiver in which a piston slides, piston that is equipped on one or both sides with metallic reinforcement and has at one or both ends a magnetic circuit with air gap with approximately same section as the one of this reinforcement and a system of collecting brushes (fig 13); when the piston reaches the respective end, the metallic reinforcement on the piston enters the magnet circuit air gap, increasing the intensity of the magnetic flux; in the same time the reinforcement presses the collecting brushes producing an electrical current with the direction chosen so that by interaction with the magnetic field it produces a force that moves the piston in the opposite direction.

13. Device for cooling the thermal agents in the thermodynamic system of energy++ houses as per claim 1 , as well as for other thermo dynamic systems, characterized by the fact that it is made of a cylinder or a flat receiver with double effect, with the horizontal axis, in which a piston with the inferior side cut is sliding; the sealing between the two chambers is ensured by a liquid layer that covers the inferior side of the piston

14. Thermodynamic system for capitalization of the available energy sources of the energy++ houses as per claim 1, as well as of other sites, characterized by the fact that it is made of:

- a series of energy receivers with different temperature levels that perform thermal exchange with two layered tanks through a pipe system; in the two tanks the receivers of some Stirling and Ericson engines are also setup, as well other receiver elements of some thermo mechanical heat pumps

- a circuit in which the thermal agent is heated in one or more solar receivers, then it is cooled in the warm, layered tank of a heat exchanger that recovers the remaining heat and transfers it to a gas to drive a caged turbine, then in a geothermal receiver, and than it is warmed again in the cold layered tank and returns in the solar receivers

- a second circuit, made of a thermo mechanical heat pump that takes the heat from the layered tanks and from the solar receivers and gives it away to a heat accumulator.

- a circuit that exhausts the heat from a cold accumulator every time when there is a colder exterior source: the air or the geothermal receivers

- auxiliary energy sources: photovoltaic panels, aeolian turbines, reservoirs^ electrical resistors used to overheat the warm tank or to cool the cold one.

- one or more Stirling and Ericson engines that produce electrical energy taking heat from the warm accumulator and giving away the remaining energy to the cold accumulator

- pipe systems that use the heat from tanks for house heating and water usage

15. Procedure for reducing heat losses in thermo dynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as in other systems, based on focusing the radiations through convergent mirrors and lenses, characterized by the fact that the receiver elements are no longer setup in the focus point, but in a well thermal insulated enclosure in which the radiations are entering through a thin slot or through an optical tube, after they have been redirected by a mirror mounted in the focus point.

16. Geothermal energy receiver, part of thermo dynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as part of other systems, characterized by the fact that it is made of a plate with high capacity of accumulating heat, towards which the geothermal energy is led by a net of pipes or vertical metallic bars stiffed in the ground and from which the energy is exhausted by a system of pipes through which a thermal agent is flowing, incorporated in the receiver's plate.

17. Procedure for manufacturing the energy exhaustion system for the geothermal receiver as pei claim 16, as well as for other systems, characterized by the fact that the pipes are replaced by inflatable hose pipes, with thin walls, around which a cohesive material is compacted or a paste-like material that fortifies in time is poured, so that after cancelling the supra-pressure in the hose, a channel through which the thermal agent can circulate is left in the receiver plate.

18. Procedure for manufacturing Stirling type external combustion engines, part of thermo dynamical systems as per claim 14 as well as of other systems, characterized by the fact that:

- cylinders are replaced with double effect flat receivers with pistons

- the installation is made in the back to back variant, with one or more cold receivers placed in the cold source and with pair warm receivers in the warm source

- the piston movement is controlled by a cam system or an electrical system, so that the compression — expansion phases are not overlapping with the ones of isochoric exchange, same system being able to control simultaneously more piston pairs, properly shifted among them

19. Procedure for manufacturing Stirling type engines as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that the receivers are placed in tanks with liquid thermal agent, whose temperature is ensured by the thermal exchange of this agent with the hot source and with the cold source respectively, and the pressure is equal to the one inside the receivers.

20. Procedure of manufacturing Stirling type engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that it is serially connected with more power receivers, with same or different volume, equipped at the ends with valves that open in line with the power need.

21. Receiver (cylinder) with double effect piston, for controlling the Stirling engines power, as per claim 18. or for other applications, characterized by the fact that the useful volume can be changed by controlled shifting of one of the end caps in which one of the valves is mounted.

22. Gamma type Stirling engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that the movement of the pistons is made so that after the expanding - compression phase ends with the movement of the power piston, it continues with the movement of the cold piston over a portion of the receiver and the standing of the warm receiver (exactly like the alpha type engines), followed by the simultaneous movement of the two pistons until the cold one reaches the end of the receiver (isochoric phase), followed by its standing during the movement of the warm piston till the end of the warm receiver.

23. Stirling (Ericson) engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that the isothermal compression phase done by the cold piston (accompanied by the standing of the warm piston) that starts from the pressure P2 in the warm receiver and the pressure Pl in the cold receiver is done till the pressure P2 on the corresponding side of the piston is reached simultaneously with the expansion of the gas in the warm receiver (and from the other side of the cold piston) till the pressure P l ; in the next phase, the moving of the cold piston continues simultaneously with the movement at a higher speed of the warm piston, so that the two pistons simultaneously reach the end of the respective receivers; given the thermal exchange in the receivers, this last phase happens with no change in pressures (isobar thermal exchange)

24. Ericson engine as per claim 23 characterized by the fact that the receivers are replaced by a constant pressure in counter current heat exchanger.

25. Stirling engine as per claim 18 characterized by the fact that the system for driving the pistons and valves is made such that for one or more of the receiver pairs, depending of needs, one or more of the following functioning regimes can be chosen: engine, heat pump, empty operation

26. Stirling engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that the receivers are replaced by an isochoric thermal exchanger, in counter current, of sequential type, for which the isochoric thermal exchange is done through thin walls ('"comb" exchanger, fig 28) or through a thermal agent from a layered tank, with or without dividing walls between the layers with different temperatures (fig 29). and a cold and respectively a warm tank are mounted between this exchanger and the motion receivers.

27. Stirling engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that the side walls of the moving receivers are one in the extension of the other, creating a closed tube with constant section, the division of the compartments is made through pistons connected to each other by rods of the same lengths, with mobile joints at both ends and in continuous unidirectional movement; the tube with pistons is dipped in a tank with intermediate thermal agent, whose walls are parallel with the walls of the tube, also making a closed tube; the intermediate agent is flown in reverse direction versus the piston movement, taking the heat of the warm receivers and giving it away to the cold receivers: using a pipe system, the intermediate agent makes the heat exchange with the warm source in one of the tank areas and with the cold source in the opposite area; in the walls of the receivers in this areas the valves are set up, with intermittent opening, driving the receiver of the power piston set outside the tank (fig 30)

28. Stirling engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that it is made of a series of receivers without piston that move unidirectional in a closed circuit m a layered tank: each pair of receivers will occupy at a point in time the inferior and the superior positions in the tank, moment when the valves controlling the piston of the power receiver built in the exterior of the tank are opening (fisj 31).

29. Stirling engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that it is made of a pipe with hot thermal agent sourced in closed circuit from the warm source, of a pipe with cold thermal agent sourced in closed circuit from the cold source and of a series of flat receivers, with no piston, filled with the working gas and crossed by a pipe system linked in a third closed circuit through which thermal agent flows actuated by a pump; between these receivers a system of electro valves and valves with more paths is installed, system controlled by an electronic processor so that for given time intervals the warmest collector is taken out of the main circuit (that closes through a bypass pipe) and receives thermal agent from the warm pipe, and the receiver with opposite placement in the circuit (the coldest one) is linked to the cold pipe; in the same time, the valves of these receivers are opening, the power receiver being actuated and the process of isothermal compression - expansion takes place: in the next step, the thermal agent left in the two receivers enters back in the main circuit and flows downstream while the upstream receivers are excluded from the circuit (fig. 32)

30. Stirling engine as per claim 18, characterized by the fact that additional receivers are serially connected with the warm (cold) receiver, one at each end. in which the agent can be over heated (over cooled) and can expand (compress) adiabatically before the isotherm expansion (compression) (fig. 36)

31. Procedure for increasing the efficiency and the heat flowing capacity in refrigerant installations and in heat pumps used by the thermodynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as in other systems, characterized by the fact that a spraying compressor or a spraying compressor under constant volume is used instead of a mechanical compressor.

32. Procedure for increasing the pressure in the engines used by the thermodynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as by other systems, characterized by the fact that liquid refrigerant is sprayed in the overheated vapours from an enclosure in order to cool the gas, followed by a pressure increase through the heat absorption from the environment.

33. Procedure for recovering the thermal agent sprayed in the engines with refrigerant form the thermodynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as from other systems, characterized by the fact that in the wall of the active receiver a valve is introduced, placed and controlled so that it opens at the same pressure as the one in the condenser and it closes after the eviction of gas resulted from vaporization.

34. Thermal engine used by thermodynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as by other systems. characterized by the fact that it is made of a receiver linked to a vaporizer through a valve, both set up in an environment with temperature T2 and of a cold tank (a gas cylinder with the working agent at temperature Tl or a tank with a different agent in which a cooling spiral is set, linked to the exit of the vaporizer); when the valve opens, the agent from the vaporizer enters the receiver, is isothermally expanding, and after the adiabatic closure of the piston up to pressure p i and a designation x3, a spraying of the agent follows until a designation x4 is obtained chosen such that through compression till pressure p2 the liquid state is reached (fig. 50A)

35. Procedure of compressing an agent with a designation smaller than- 1 (100%) used by the thermodynamic systems as per claim 14 as well as by other systems, characterized by the fact that a gas thermal agent is introduced in an enclosure with over-saturated vapours and its pressure is raised till complete liquefaction of the over-saturated thermal agent.

36. Caged turbine used by the thermodynamic systems as per claim 14, as well as by other systems, for capturing the aeolian energy, characterized by the fact that it has the rotor crowns made of coats set on driving wheels, on these crowns the rotor blades are mounted in two parallel planes, one upstream and the other downstream, and the stator blades mounted on fixed supporting elements form two plane surfaces: one before the first rotor step, the other one between them.