The invention belongs to a 
prime mover, and particularly relates to a 
prime mover and a working method. The 
prime mover comprises an 
evaporator, a 
machine body and an energy body, wherein the energy body is arranged in the 
machine body in a sliding mode; a 
closed cavity is formed between the bottom of the energy body and the inner wall of the 
machine body; the 
evaporator communicates with the cavity and continuously absorbs heat to evaporate a liquid working medium, and the volume of the working medium expands due to 
evaporation so as to push the energy body to move upwards to do work until the upper limit 
stroke; and when the ambient temperature is lower than the 
evaporation temperature, the energy body moves downwards to compress the gaseous working medium due to 
self weight to completethe 
liquefaction. According to the prime mover and the working method, the 
evaporator evaporates the liquid working medium, the 
volume expansion pushes the energy body to move upwards to do work, andthe 
mechanical energy is output; when the ambient temperature meets the set value of the 
liquefaction stroke, the gaseous working medium is compressed by the 
self weight of the energy body to carry out the 
liquefaction stroke; the whole working stroke and liquefaction stroke do not need other auxiliary equipment, so that unnecessary 
energy loss is avoided; and the whole structure is simple, the cost is low, the performance is stable, the efficiency is high, and the positive economic value is realized.