Abstract

An engine includes a radial arrangement of cylinders each having a reciprocating piston with a piston head and a connecting rod pivotally linked to the piston head at an upper end. A lower end of each connecting rod is pivotally linked to a crank disk that is rotatably mounted on a crank arm of a crankshaft. Steam intake valves at each cylinder are momentarily opened by a bearing cam roller that is moved in a circular path by rotation of the crank disk to sequentially engage spring urged cam followers on inboard ends of radially extending valve stems. Low pressure steam or gas is injected into the top of each cylinder, as the intake valves of the cylinders are opened in sequence, thereby forcing the piston in each cylinder through a power stroke to move the crank disk and turn the crankshaft. Angular displacement of each connecting rod through the return stroke of the piston urges an exhaust reed valve on the piston head to an open position, thereby releasing exhaust steam to a condenser chamber. The engine is self- starting and operates in a low pressure, low temperature range, using waste heat from an external source, such as exhaust from an internal combustion engine, burning of refuse (e.g. garbage or other solid waste material) or solar heat.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01B 1/06 - Reciprocating-piston machines or engines characterised by number or relative disposition of cylinders or by being built-up from separate cylinder-crankcase elements with cylinders in star or fan arrangement
• F01B 29/12 - Steam engines
• F01B 17/04 - Steam engines
• F02G 5/02 - Profiting from waste heat of exhaust gases

Abstract

A crankshaft and connecting rod configuration for use in piston engines comprises a crankshaft having a separable crank throw wherein the separable crank throw includes a pair of laterally separated throw arms supporting a crankpin therebetween. A pair of coplanar connecting rods is in rotational engagement with the crankpin. Each rod has a small end configured for rotational attachment to a piston and a large end configured for the rotational engagement with the crankpin. At least one retention ring engages a portion of the large end of each connecting rod for maintaining the large ends of the connecting rods in rotational engagement with the crankpin.

IPC Classes  ?

• F16C 3/04 - Crankshafts, eccentric-shaftsCranks, eccentrics
• F16C 9/02 - Crankshaft bearings
• F16C 3/06 - Crankshafts

Abstract

A compact, lightweight steam turbine is connected to a central shaft that drives a high pressure pump, a high efficiency generator and a blower. An igniter burns fuel exiting a fuel injector to generate heat in a cyclone combustion chamber. Water pumped through coils is heated in the combustion chamber to produce steam energy to drive the turbine. Exhaust steam is directed through a centrifugal condenser having an arrangement of flat plates to condense the steam to a liquid state. The turbine drives the generator at a high rpm, through the connected shaft, to generate electric power.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01K 23/06 - Plants characterised by more than one engine delivering power external to the plant, the engines being driven by different fluids the engine cycles being thermally coupled combustion heat from one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle

Abstract

A pre-heater arrangement in a heat regenerative engine for pre-heating water in its delivery path from a condenser sump to a combustion chamber. The engine includes a steam generator, including the combustion chamber, for producing pressurized steam. The engine further includes at least one piston and cylinder arrangement for receiving the pressurized steam in order to drive the piston within the cylinder, and a condenser for condensing steam to liquid. A conduit formed of a heat transferring material provides the delivery path from the condenser sump to the combustion chamber. The pre-heater arrangement includes at least one exhaust port associated with the cylinder for releasing steam from within the cylinder after driving the piston, and a tubular coil connected to the steam delivery conduit and wound about the cylinder, adjacent to the exhaust port, for transferring heat from the exhausted steam to the water traveling through the coil, thereby heating the water on its delivery path to the steam generator. In giving up heat to the pre-heater coil, the exhausted steam begins the process of cooling on its path from the cylinder exhaust port to the condenser where the steam is condensed to a liquid and returned to the sump.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01K 1/00 - Steam accumulators

Abstract

An insulated engine shrouding encloses a combustion chamber and piston assembly. The engine shrouding includes air transfer ducts that channel air from a condenser, where the air is preheated, to intakes of air-to-air heat exchangers where the air is further heated. The heat exchangers direct the hot air to atomizer/igniter assemblies in a burner to generate combustion gases in the combustion chamber. The engine shrouding further includes return ducts that direct the combustion exhaust gases through an exhaust portion of the air-to-air heat exchangers. Heat from the exhaust gases is used to preheat the air being directed through the intakes.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01K 1/00 - Steam accumulators
• F01K 13/02 - Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting

Abstract

In an engine having at least one cylinder with a reciprocating piston and a connecting rod for driving rotation of a crank disk and a crankshaft, a cam sleeve is moved along the crankshaft in response to a change in engine speed. The cam sleeve is coupled to a cam ring that moves with the cam sleeve and in a spiraling motion about the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. A follower engages an outer face of the cam ring and is movable against a pushrod that opens an injector valve. The follower is structured and disposed to move in response to contact with a lobe on the outer face of the cam ring to urge the pushrod against the injector valve. The pushrod passes through a throttle control ring that rotates in an arc. Rotation of the throttle ring, with the use of a control lever, shifts the position of the pushrod on the follower relative to a fulcrum of the follower to control the distance the pushrod is driven by the. follower and, thus, the amount the injector valve is opened.

IPC Classes  ?

• F02M 7/00 - Carburettors with means for influencing, e.g. enriching or keeping constant, fuel/air ratio of charge under varying conditions

Abstract

In an engine having a crankshaft driven by reciprocating pistons in an arrangement of cylinders, a spider bearing is fixed to a crankshaft journal that is offset from the central axis of the crankshaft. Each piston is drivingly linked to the spider bearing by a connecting rod. Circular links at the opposite ends of each connecting rod are fitted with an inner bearing ring to provide low friction movement of the ends of each connecting rod relative to the piston and the spider bearing. Hubs equally spaced about the central axis of the spider bearing enable connection of the rod links to the spider bearing. In a preferred embodiment, the spider bearing is formed of a bearing material that surrounds the outer surface of the connecting rod links which, combined with the inner bearing rings, provides a double-backed bearing for carrying the piston load.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01B 1/06 - Reciprocating-piston machines or engines characterised by number or relative disposition of cylinders or by being built-up from separate cylinder-crankcase elements with cylinders in star or fan arrangement

Abstract

In an engine having at least one cylinder with a reciprocating piston and a connecting rod for driving rotation of a crank disk and a crankshaft, a cam sleeve is moved along the crankshaft in response to a change in engine speed. The cam sleeve is coupled to a cam ring that moves with the cam sleeve and in a spiraling motion about the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. A follower engages an outer face of the cam ring and is movable against a push rod that opens an injector valve. The follower is structured and disposed to move in response to contact with a lobe on the outer face of the cam ring to urge the push rod against the injector valve. The follower changes position on the cam ring as the cam ring is moved in the spiraling motion, causing the follower to be exposed to a progressive change in profile of the lobe, resulting in a varying degree of movement of the follower to thereby control timing and duration of momentary opening of the injector valve and injection of pressurized steam into the cylinder.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01K 13/02 - Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• F01K 1/00 - Steam accumulators

Abstract

In a heat regenerative engine that uses water as both the working fluid and the lubricant, water is pumped through a single line of a coil that wraps around a cylinder exhaust, port, causing the water to be preheated by steam exhausted from the cylinder. The preheated water is then directed through multiple branch lines in a steam generator to produce high pressure super heated steam; a splitter valve at the juncture of the single line and multiple branch lines equalizes the flow among the multiple branch lines. Flow control restrictors in the splitter valve allow unimpeded flow of fluid and steam towards the steam generator through each of the branch lines.

IPC Classes  ?

• B28D 7/00 - Accessories specially adapted for use with machines or devices of the other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A clearance volume valve for controlling cylinder compression at varying engine speeds in a steam engine. At the injector of each cylinder, a clearance volume valve is hydraulically operated in response to changes in engine RPMs to thereby control opening and closing of an inlet to a sealed tube that extends from each cylinder of the engine. At lower engine RPMs, the clearance volume valve opens the tube inlet to increase the volume of the cylinder, thereby lowering compression and relieving back pressure against an incoming change of super-heated steam. At higher engine RPMs, the clearance volume valve is hydraulically operated to close the tube inlet, thereby reducing the total clearance volume and raising the cylinder compression for greater efficiency at higher engine speeds.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01K 1/00 - Steam accumulators