External combustion engine

Abstract

An external combustion engine is disclosed, comprising a container (11) for sealing a working liquid (12) in a way adapted to allow the liquid to flow therein, a heater (13) for heating and vaporizing the working liquid (12) in the container (11), and a cooler (14) for cooling and liquefying the vapor of the working liquid (12) heated and vaporized by the heater (13). The displacement of the working liquid (12) caused by the volume change of the vapor of the working liquid (12) is output by being converted into mechanical energy. In the heated portion (11d) of the container (11) for vaporizing the working liquid (12), the direction of displacement of the working liquid (12) at the parts (17, 19) far from the cooler (14) is changed with respect to the direction of displacement at the part (16) near to the cooler (14).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a general configuration of a power generating unit according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation characteristics of an external combustion engine according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a general configuration of the power generating unit according to a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3B a sectional view taken in line A-A in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a general configuration of the power generating unit according to a third embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4B a sectional view taken in line B-B in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a general configuration of the power generating unit according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An external combustion engine comprising: a container for sealing a working liquid in a way adapted to allow the liquid to flow therein;a heater for heating and vaporizing the working liquid in the container; anda cooler for cooling and liquefying the vapor of the working liquid heated and vaporized by the heater;wherein the displacement of the working liquid caused by the volume change of the vapor of the working liquid is converted into mechanical energy and output, andwherein the heated portion of the container for vaporizing the working liquid is so formed that the direction of displacement of the working liquid at the part of the heated portion far from the cooler is changed with respect to the direction of displacement of the working liquid at the part of the heated portion near to the cooler.

2. The external combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the heated portion includes a first path portion extending toward the cooler and a second path portion extending in the direction, across the first path portion, from the end of the first path portion far from the cooler.

3. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the angle formed between the direction in which the first path portion extends and the direction in which the second path portion extends is set to not less than 15 degrees but not more than 90 degrees.

4. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the second path portion extends in horizontal direction.

5. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the sectional area of the second path portion is smaller than that of the first path portion.

6. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the second path portions are formed.

7. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the second path portion is formed as a tubular member.

8. The external combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein the second path portion is formed as a hollow cylinder having the inner diameter (d2) not more than the heat penetration depth (δ).

9. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the second path portion is formed as a flat hollow portion.

10. The external combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein the size (c) of the cavity of the second path portion in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second path portion extends is set to not greater than the heat penetration depth (δ).

11. An external combustion engine comprising: a container for sealing a working liquid in a way adapted to allow the liquid to flow therein;a heater for heating and vaporizing the working liquid through the container; anda cooler for cooling and liquefying the vapor heated and vaporized by the heater;wherein the periodic flow displacement of the working liquid caused by the vaporization and the liquefaction of the working liquid is output by being converted into mechanical energy; andwherein the inner wall surface of the heated portion of the container for vaporizing the working liquid has a stepped collision surface in which a first inner wall surface portion far from the cooler is projected inward of the heated portion than a second inner wall surface portion near to the cooler.

12. The external combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein the collision surface is formed over the entire periphery of the heated portion.

13. The external combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the heated portion is arranged above the cooled portion of the container for liquefying the vapor of the working liquid.

14. The external combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein a gas always exists in the heated portion.

15. The external combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein a gas sealing portion for sealing the gas and communicating with the heated portion is formed in the container.

16. The external combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein a gas sealing portion for sealing the gas and communicating with the second path portion is formed in the container.

17. The external combustion engine according to claim 15, comprising a heating means for heating the gas sealing portion to at least the temperature of the vapor of the working liquid.

18. The external combustion engine according to claim 17, wherein the heating means is the heater.

19. The external combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein the container is formed to extend from an end of the external combustion engine for outputting the mechanical energy to the other end thereof, andwherein the gas sealing portion is arranged nearer to the other end than the heated portion.

20. The external combustion engine according to claim 14, wherein the gas is the air.

21. The external combustion engine according to claim 14, wherein the gas is the vapor of the working liquid.

22. The external combustion engine according to claim 19, wherein the gas is the air.

23. The external combustion engine according to claim 19, wherein the gas is the vapor of the working liquid.