JP2008223484A - Thermo-dynamic engine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermo-dynamic engine with a simple structure good for the environment. <P>SOLUTION: In the thermo-dynamic engine, at least a pair of rotatable cylinders 14, 14a is arranged on a fixed central shaft 11 while opposing in a radial direction, and pistons 15, 15a reciprocatable with volume change by heat-receiving and heat-releasing of medium are provided in the cylinders 14, 14a. Whereas, a heating part 20 for heating the medium and a heat-release part 21 for cooling the medium are provided so as to clamp the fixed central shaft 11, and a rotation output means 16 for converting the reciprocation motion of the pistons 15, 15a to rotation output around the fixed central shaft 11 of the cylinders 14, 14a is provided. Thereby, the pistons 15, 15a are moved by the volume change by heating or heat-releasing the medium in the cylinders 14, 14a, and the output is taken out from the output shaft 19 by rotating the cylinders 14, 14a themselves around the fixed central shaft 11 by the rotation output means 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermodynamic engine, which converts a volume change of a medium due to a temperature difference into mechanical energy so as to be extracted as a rotational force.

  There are many types of thermal conversion devices that convert thermal energy due to temperature differences into mechanical energy, and various types have been proposed such as those in practical use and those in the development stage.

  For example, a Stirling engine using the Carnot cycle has long been known as an engine that uses the expansion pressure of a working medium due to a temperature difference. However, compared to an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, the size of the device is increased. Since the output is smaller than the size of the device, it has hardly been put to practical use.

  Therefore, in order to increase the output, there is a method of using helium gas having a small molecular weight that is fast in heat transfer as a working medium or a high pressure method. However, it becomes difficult to seal the working medium or manufacture.

  On the other hand, an engine such as a Stirling engine is attracting attention as an environmentally friendly engine with less problems such as global warming, such as the generation of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides less than an internal combustion engine.

In addition, as an engine that effectively uses thermal energy, Patent Documents 1 to 4 use a heat pipe to drive a turbine or the like to convert it into mechanical energy.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-257417 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-91360 JP 07-119618 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-20706

  Such a conventional engine is desired to be improved due to its complicated structure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems and demands of the prior art, and aims to provide a thermodynamic engine having a simple structure and being environmentally friendly.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the thermodynamic engine according to claim 1 of the present invention, at least a pair of rotatable cylinders are arranged in the radial direction so as to be opposed to the fixed central axis, and heat receiving and heat dissipation of the medium are respectively carried in these cylinders. A piston capable of reciprocating with a volume change caused by the above, and a heating part for heating the medium in the cylinder across the fixed central axis and a heat dissipating part for cooling the piston, A rotation output means for converting the rotation output around the fixed central axis is provided.

  According to this thermodynamic engine, at least a pair of rotatable cylinders are arranged in the radial direction so as to be opposed to a fixed central axis, and pistons that can reciprocate by volume changes due to heat reception and heat dissipation of the medium are respectively provided in these cylinders. On the other hand, a heating unit that heats the medium in the cylinder and a heat dissipation unit that cools the medium in the cylinder across the fixed central axis are provided, and the reciprocating movement of the piston is converted into a rotational output around the fixed central axis of the cylinder. Output means is provided, and the piston is moved by volume change by heating / dissipating the medium in a pair of cylinders rotating around the fixed central axis, and this is rotated around the fixed axis by the rotation output means. The output can be taken out, and the heat energy is taken out as a rotational force with a simple structure.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the thermodynamic engine includes the one-way rotation means provided on the fixed central axis, and the one-way rotation means. And a rack meshed with the pinion and connected to the piston.

  According to this thermodynamic engine, the rotation output means includes a one-way rotation means provided on the fixed central shaft, a pinion provided via the one-way rotation means, meshed with the pinion, and coupled to the piston. The reciprocating movement of the piston can be converted into rotation in one direction and taken out as an output by a simple mechanism.

  Furthermore, in the thermodynamic engine according to claim 3 of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to claim 1 or 2, the cylinder is provided with a heat pipe for receiving heat from the heating portion and radiating heat to the heat radiating portion. It is characterized by this.

  According to this thermodynamic engine, the cylinder is provided with a heat pipe that receives heat from the heating unit and dissipates heat to the heat radiating unit, and can efficiently receive and radiate heat and increase output. I am doing so.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure according to any one of the first to third aspects, the thermodynamic engine according to any one of the first to third aspects is adapted to the fixed center. It is characterized in that a plurality are connected around the axis.

  According to this thermodynamic engine, a plurality of the thermodynamic engines according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are provided to be connected around the fixed central axis, so that smoother rotation and increased output can be achieved. I try to plan.

  According to the thermodynamic engine of the first aspect of the present invention, at least a pair of rotatable cylinders are disposed in the radial direction on the fixed central axis, and volume changes due to heat reception and heat dissipation of the medium in these cylinders, respectively. A reciprocating piston is provided, while a heating unit for heating the medium in the cylinder and a heat radiating unit for cooling are provided across the fixed central axis, and the piston reciprocates around the fixed central axis of the cylinder. Since the rotation output means for converting the rotation output to the rotation output means is provided, the piston is moved by the volume change by heating / dissipating the medium in the pair of cylinders rotating around the fixed central axis. The output can be taken out by rotating the cylinder itself around the fixed axis, and heat energy can be taken out as a rotational force with a simple structure. It can be.

  According to the thermodynamic engine of claim 2 of the present invention, the rotation output means includes a one-way rotation means provided on the fixed central shaft, a pinion provided via the one-way rotation means, Since the rack is engaged with the pinion and connected to the piston, the reciprocating movement of the piston can be converted into rotation in one direction and taken out as an output by a simple mechanism.

  Furthermore, according to the thermodynamic engine according to claim 3 of the present invention, since the heat pipe for receiving heat from the heating unit and radiating heat to the heat radiating unit is provided in the cylinder, heat receiving and radiating can be performed more efficiently. It is possible to increase the output.

  Moreover, according to the thermodynamic engine according to claim 4 of the present invention, the thermodynamic engine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is provided by being connected in plural around the fixed central axis. Smoother rotation and increased output can be achieved.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 relate to one embodiment of a thermodynamic engine of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic plan sectional view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

  In this thermodynamic engine E, upper and lower rotary connecting plates 13 are rotatably provided via bearings 12 provided above and below a vertical fixed central shaft 11, and fixed to both ends of these vertical rotating connecting plates 13. A pair of cylinders 14 and 14a are attached to symmetrical positions with the central axis 11 therebetween, and pistons 15 and 15a are mounted in the cylinders 14 and 14a so as to be reciprocally movable. As a result, the cylinders 14 and 14a to which the pistons 15 and 15a are attached are opposed to each other in the radial direction around the fixed central axis 11, and can be rotated about the fixed central axis 11, and the pistons 15 and 15a are connected to the cylinders 14 and 14a. It is designed to reciprocate inside.

  There is a rotation output means 16 for rotating the rotary connecting plate 13 by using such a reciprocating movement of the pistons 15 and 15a as a rotation output around the fixed central axis of the cylinders 14 and 14a.

  As the rotation output means 16, opposed pistons 15, 15 a are connected by upper and lower connecting rods 17, 18 having racks 17 a, 18 a, and the connecting rods 17, 18 are symmetrical positions sandwiching the fixed central axis 11. The racks 17a and 18a face inward. Pinions 17b and 18b which are arranged above and below and mesh with the racks 17a and 18a facing inward are attached to the top and bottom of the fixed central shaft 11 via one-way clutches 17c and 18c as one-way rotating means. When 15 and 15a also move toward the direction approaching the fixed central axis 11, the rotation of the pinions 17b and 18b is prevented. Conversely, when the piston 15 and 15a move toward the direction away from the fixed central axis 11, The rotation direction is regulated so that the pinions 17b and 18b can freely rotate. Guide rollers 17d and 18d for guiding the reciprocating movement of the connecting rods 17 and 18 are provided on the outer side opposite to the racks 17a and 18a so that the engagement with the pinions 17b and 18b can be maintained.

  That is, in the rotation output means 16, when attention is paid to the meshing of the rack 17a in FIG. 1 and the pinion 17b attached via the one-way clutch 17c, the piston 15 is moved in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. When moving in the approaching direction, a force that turns the pinion 17b counterclockwise is applied. Since the one-way clutch 17c is attached to the pinion 17b in a set that does not rotate in the counterclockwise direction, the reaction force causes the rack 17 to rotate in the clockwise direction, and the thermodynamic engine E including the rotary connecting plate 13 is It rotates clockwise as indicated by the rotation arrow R in FIG.

  At this time, paying attention to the entire thermodynamic engine E, the pinion 18b meshes with the rack 18a at a symmetrical position below the pinion 17b. Similarly, the one-way clutch 18c does not rotate counterclockwise but clockwise. Is attached to the pinion 18b in a freely rotating set. For this reason, when the thermodynamic engine E is rotated clockwise, the pinion 18b and the rack 18a remain engaged with each other, and no resistance is caused to rotate clockwise.

  On the other hand, when it rotates 180 degrees, it replaces with said piston 15, rack 17a, pinion 17b, and one-way clutch 17c, and piston 15a, rack 18a, pinion 18b, and one-way clutch 18c become the main roles of rotation output.

  Further, in order to take out this rotational output via the rotary connecting plate 13, an output shaft 19 is attached to the outside of the fixed central shaft 11 of the rotary connecting plate 13, so that a generator or the like can be driven via a gear mechanism or the like. It is.

  Further, in this thermodynamic engine E, air is placed as a working medium in the cylinders 14 and 14a, and a heating unit 20 and a heat radiating unit 21 are provided on both sides of the fixed central shaft 11, and for example, hot water by geothermal heat or the like as a heating source Steam, waste heat from factories and other engines is used, and cold water or cold air is used as a heat radiation source.

  Further, in this thermodynamic engine E, heat pipes 22 and 22a are attached in order to efficiently receive and release heat from the working medium in the cylinders 14 and 14a.

  In the thus configured thermodynamic engine E, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the cylinder 14 enters the heating unit 20, the working medium (air) in the cylinder 14 is transmitted from the wall surface of the cylinder 14. Heat or heat supplied by the supply through the heat pipe 22 expands, and a force to move the piston 15 and the rack 17a of the connecting rod 17 connected to the piston 15 toward the center of the fixed central shaft 11 is generated. work. When the above force is applied, the thermodynamic engine E starts to rotate clockwise as described above.

  When the thermodynamic engine E further rotates, the operation of the cylinder 14 and the other cylinder 14a is switched, and the cylinder 14 enters a heat dissipation region where the temperature is low, the wall of the cylinder 14 is cooled, and the heat pipe 22 is The heat of the working medium inside the cylinder 14 is also released, starts to cool, and begins to contract. At the same time, the opposing cylinder 14a enters a high-temperature heating zone, and the working medium (air) is heated and expanded by heat transfer from the wall surface of the cylinder 14a or supply of heat through the heat pipe 22a. The force which moves 15a and the rack 18a of the connecting rod 18 connected to this to the center direction of the fixed central axis 11 acts, and as described above, the thermodynamic engine E continues to rotate clockwise. .

Therefore, a clear rotation output occurs every 1/2 rotation. Therefore, the rotation output obtained by converting the heat energy into the mechanical energy can be extracted from the output shaft 19 around the fixed central shaft 11.

  According to such a thermodynamic engine E, since the pistons 15 and 15a are directly operated via the working medium, they can be reliably operated and the structure is simple.

  Further, in this thermodynamic engine E, the rotational output can be taken out by converting the reciprocating movement of the pistons 15 and 15a into the rotational motion by the racks 17a and 18a, the pinions 17b and 18b, and the one-way clutches 17c and 18c. Thus, the rotation output can be taken out from the output shaft 19 efficiently.

  Furthermore, according to this thermodynamic engine E, the thermal energy is obtained by utilizing the temperature difference between the heating unit 20 and the heat radiating unit 21, so that it can be operated even at a relatively low temperature difference, Steam can also be used as a heat source, making it environmentally friendly.

  In the above-described embodiment, a pair of cylinders and the like are provided with the fixed center axis interposed therebetween. However, a plurality of pairs of cylinders and the like are provided on the fixed center axis to connect the thermodynamic engine. The output can be increased and the rotation can be smoothed by providing a cylinder or the like by changing the phase with respect to the fixed central axis.

1 is a schematic plan sectional view according to an embodiment of a thermodynamic engine of the present invention. It is CC sectional drawing in FIG. 1 concerning one Embodiment of the thermodynamic engine of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

E Thermodynamic engine 11 Fixed central shaft 12 Bearing 13 Rotating connecting plates 14, 14a A pair of cylinders 15, 15a Piston 16 Rotating output means 17, 18 Connecting rods 17a, 18a Racks 17b, 18b Pinions 17c, 18c One-way clutches 17d, 18d Guide Roller 19 Output shaft 20 Heating part 21 Heat radiation part 22, 22a Heat pipe

Claims (4)

  At least a pair of rotatable cylinders are arranged radially opposite the fixed central axis, and pistons that can be reciprocated by volume changes due to heat reception and heat dissipation of the medium are provided in these cylinders, respectively, while the fixed central axis is A heating part for heating the medium in the cylinder and a heat radiating part for cooling are provided, and rotation output means for converting the reciprocating movement of the piston into a rotation output around the fixed central axis of the cylinder is provided. Characteristic thermodynamic engine.   The rotation output means comprises a one-way rotation means provided on the fixed central shaft, a pinion provided via the one-way rotation means, and a rack that meshes with the pinion and is connected to the piston. The thermodynamic engine according to claim 1.   The thermodynamic engine according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder is provided with a heat pipe that receives heat from the heating unit and dissipates heat to the heat radiating unit.   The thermodynamic engine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the thermodynamic engines according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are connected around the fixed central axis. .

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