The invention relates to a
heat engine (121) for carrying out a
thermal cycle. This
heat engine operates with a
heat transfer fluid and comprises a drive unit (1) having a first rotor (4) and a second rotor (5), each having three pistons (7a, 7b, 7c; 9a, 9b, 9c) that can slide in an annular chamber (12), the pistons defining six chambers of variable volume (13', 13", 13"'; 14', 14", 14"'). The drive unit includes a transmission configured to convert the rotary motion with first and second periodically varying angular velocities (ω1, ω2) of said first and second rotors (4, 5), offset from each other, into rotary motion at a
constant angular velocity.The
heat engine further comprises a compensation tank (44), configured to store the compressed heat fluid from the drive unit, a regenerator (42) configured to preheat the heat fluid, a heating device (41) configured to superheat the heat fluid circulating in the coil, and a burner (40) configured to supply the
thermal energy required by the heating device (41). The regenerator (42), in fluidic communication with the drive unit (1), is further configured to acquire
heat energy from the discharged heat fluid and to use it to preheat the heat fluid to be sent to the heating device (41). The invention further relates to a method for carrying out a heat cycle using said heat engine.