Energy conversion system and method using metal thermal expansion and contraction energy

Abstract

The application provides an energy conversion system and method using metal thermal expansion and contraction energy, and belongs to the technical field of new energy utilization. The method comprises the following steps: closing a pipeline valve to cut off the air flow between a heat preservation box 1 and a heat preservation box 2, starting a cold-heat exchanger, making hot air enter the heat preservation box 1 through a hot air port and cold air enter the heat preservation box 2 through a cold air port, making a metal rod 1 expand and elongate to drive a load 1 to work, and at the same time making a metal rod 2 shrink and pull the load 2 to work; closing the cold-heat exchanger and opening the pipeline valve to make the heat preservation box 1 and the heat preservation box 2 communicate through a heat preservation box connecting pipeline, exchanging heat by natural convection of air in the two box bodies, making the metal rod 1 shrink to pull the load 1 to work, and at the same time making the metal rod 2 expand to drive the load 2 to work. The application realizes the purpose of large-scale development of low-temperature cold energy as an active energy element, fills the technical gap of cold energy utilization in the prior art, and improves the continuity and stability of energy conversion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of new energy utilization technology, specifically to an energy conversion system and method that utilizes the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of new energy development and utilization, expanding the boundaries of energy utilization and improving energy conversion efficiency have always been core research directions. Currently, the global energy conversion and utilization system mainly revolves around thermal energy. Whether it is the combustion of fossil fuels or the solar thermal conversion, the technological logic is focused on the release and transfer of "heat source". However, low-temperature cold energy, which is widely present in nature, is a highly promising energy form, but its active utilization value has long been overlooked by the industry. Existing technologies have not yet formed a mature system for the large-scale development of "cold" as an active energy element, resulting in a large amount of theoretically usable cold-end temperature difference resources being idle during the thermal energy utilization process, failing to form a complete heat-cold energy cycle chain.

[0003] Based on the above situation, existing energy utilization models suffer from significant technological bottlenecks and resource waste. On the one hand, all current energy conversion and utilization primarily rely on thermal energy, with cold energy never being utilized as an energy source. This severely restricts the theoretical upper limit of energy utilization, preventing the full exploitation of energy reserves within environmental temperature differences. On the other hand, in the process of utilizing thermal energy, the lack of an effective heat-cold synergy mechanism leads to the waste of a large amount of thermal energy during conversion, failing to achieve cascaded utilization and maximized extraction of energy. Furthermore, traditional mechanical work systems often struggle to efficiently handle the deformation recovery of metal components under temperature changes, resulting in low continuity and efficiency in energy conversion. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new energy conversion system and method that can break through the limitations of traditional thermal energy utilization, utilize both thermal expansion and contraction energy, and effectively recover wasted thermal energy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an energy conversion system and method that utilizes the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals, in order to solve the technical problems in existing energy conversion systems where cold energy as an energy source has not been systematically developed, a two-way heat-cold energy cycle mechanism has not been formed, and the mechanical energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals is difficult to recover efficiently.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metal. The energy conversion system includes: a heat exchanger with hot air inlets and cold air inlets at its two ends; an insulation box 1 and an insulation box 2, the hot air inlets being connected to the insulation box 1 and the cold air inlets being connected to the insulation box 2; a metal rod 1 and a metal rod 2, the metal rod 1 being disposed inside the insulation box 1 and the metal rod 2 being disposed inside the insulation box 2, one end of the metal rod 1 having a fixed end 1 fixed inside the insulation box 1 and the other end of the metal rod 1 being connected to a load 1, one end of the metal rod 2 having a fixed end 2 fixed inside the insulation box 2 and the other end of the metal rod 2 being connected to a load 2; and a connecting pipe between the insulation boxes, with a connection between the insulation box 1 and the insulation box 2. The system includes a connecting pipe for insulated boxes, with valves on the connecting pipe for connecting or disconnecting airflow between insulated box one and insulated box two. The energy conversion system is configured as follows: In a first state, the valves are closed and a heat exchanger is activated, allowing hot air to enter insulated box one through a hot air inlet and cold air to enter insulated box two through a cold air inlet, driving metal rod one to extend due to heat and push load one to perform work, while simultaneously driving metal rod two to contract due to cold and pull load two to perform work; and in a second state, the heat exchanger is closed and the valves are opened, connecting insulated box one and insulated box two through the connecting pipe and allowing airflow convection heat exchange, driving metal rod one to cool and contract to pull load one to perform work, while simultaneously driving metal rod two to heat up and expand to push load two to perform work.

[0006] Optionally, the load one and / or load two include at least one of a power generation mechanism for converting mechanical displacement into electrical energy, a transmission mechanism for performing mechanical actions, or an energy storage mechanism for storing mechanical energy.

[0007] Optionally, the extension and retraction directions of the first metal rod and the second metal rod are arranged in the same direction, and the first fixed end and the second fixed end are respectively arranged at the corresponding ends of the first and second insulated boxes.

[0008] Optionally, the hot and cold air exchanger is configured to output hot air at a temperature higher than the ambient temperature to the first insulation box and cold air at a temperature lower than the ambient temperature to the second insulation box.

[0009] Optionally, the energy conversion system further includes a timing control unit, which is connected to the heat exchanger and the pipeline valves, and is used to alternately control the start and stop of the heat exchanger and the opening and closing of the pipeline valves, so that the energy conversion system cycles between a first state and a second state.

[0010] Optionally, the outer walls of the first and / or second insulated boxes are provided with heat insulation structures to reduce environmental heat loss during operation.

[0011] On the other hand, the present invention provides an energy conversion method utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals, the energy conversion method comprising the following steps: S1. Close the pipe valve to isolate the airflow between insulation box one and insulation box two, start the heat exchanger, so that hot air enters insulation box one through the hot air inlet and cold air enters insulation box two through the cold air inlet, so that metal rod one expands and elongates due to heat, pushing load one to do work, while metal rod two contracts due to cold, pulling load two to do work. S2. Turn off the heat exchanger and open the pipe valve to connect the insulation box 1 and the insulation box 2 through the insulation box connecting pipe. Use the natural convection of air in the two boxes to exchange heat, so that metal rod 1 cools down and contracts to pull load 1 to do work, while metal rod 2 heats up and expands to push load 2 to do work. S3. Repeat steps S1 and S2 to achieve continuous energy conversion.

[0012] Optionally, in step S1, the heat exchanger simultaneously supplies hot air to insulation box one and cold air to insulation box two, so that metal rod one and metal rod two are in opposite deformation states of thermal expansion and cold contraction, respectively.

[0013] Optionally, in step S2, the natural convection of air continues to exchange heat until the temperatures inside the first and second insulation boxes tend to be the same or the preset switching conditions are met, and then the process proceeds to the next step S1.

[0014] Optionally, the mechanical work generated by the thermal expansion and contraction of the first and second metal rods is converted into at least one of electrical energy, mechanical energy, or potential energy.

[0015] Through the above technical solution, this invention constructs a dual-channel supply system of heat exchanger and two insulated boxes, achieving the goal of large-scale development of low-temperature cold energy as an active energy element, filling the technological gap in cold energy utilization in the prior art; by switching and controlling the connecting pipes and valves of the insulated boxes, convective heat exchange of airflow inside the two insulated boxes is achieved, breaking the limitation of traditional heat energy utilization that only focuses on the heat source, and constructing a complete heat-cold bidirectional energy cycle chain; through the bidirectional work mechanism of the two metal rods under thermal expansion and contraction, the heat exchange of metal rods within a single cycle is achieved. The efficient capture of deformation energy twice solves the problem of traditional mechanical work systems struggling to handle the deformation recovery of metal components, significantly improving the continuity and stability of energy conversion. By coordinating the start-up and shutdown of the heat exchanger with the opening and closing of pipeline valves, the cascade utilization of thermal and cold energy is achieved, effectively recovering the thermal energy wasted in the traditional mode and broadening the utilization boundaries of low-grade energy. Through the diversified conversion of mechanical displacement by the load mechanism, the mechanical energy generated by thermal expansion and contraction is efficiently converted into electrical energy, mechanical energy, or potential energy, improving the applicability of energy output and the overall energy efficiency of the system.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the energy conversion system of the present invention that utilizes the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the energy conversion method of the present invention that utilizes the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the energy conversion method of the present invention that utilizes the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals. Figure 2 .

[0018] Figure label: 1. Heat exchanger; 2. Hot air outlet; 3. Cold air outlet; 4. Insulation box one; 5. Insulation box two; 6. Metal rod one; 7. Metal rod two; 8. Pipe valve; 9. Load one; 10. Load two; 11. Insulation box connecting pipe; 12. Fixed end one; 13. Fixed end two. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0020] Please refer to Figure 1This invention provides an energy conversion system utilizing the thermal expansion and contraction of metals. The energy conversion system includes: a heat exchanger 1, which has a hot air outlet 2 and a cold air outlet 3. The hot air outlet 2 is connected to an insulated box 4, and the cold air outlet 3 is connected to an insulated box 5. An insulated box connecting pipe 11 connects the insulated box 4 and the insulated box 5. The insulated box connecting pipe 11 is equipped with a pipe valve 8 for connecting or disconnecting the airflow between the insulated box 4 and the insulated box 5. The heat exchanger 1 is configured to output hot air with a temperature higher than the ambient temperature to the insulated box 4 and cold air with a temperature lower than the ambient temperature to the insulated box 5. The outer walls of the insulated box 4 and / or the insulated box 5 are provided with a heat insulation structure to reduce environmental heat loss during operation.

[0021] Specifically, the heat exchanger 1 can be sealed and connected to the hot air outlet 2 and the cold air outlet 3 respectively through insulated air ducts to ensure that the hot air and cold air do not mix during the transportation process; the first insulated box 4 and the second insulated box 5 can adopt a double-layer insulated box structure, and the heat insulation structure covering the outer wall can be a polyurethane foam layer or a vacuum insulation board, which can effectively reduce the heat exchange between the inside of the box and the external environment; the connecting pipe 11 of the insulated box can preferably be a metal or plastic pipe with a low thermal conductivity, and the pipe valve 8 can be an electromagnetic shut-off valve to achieve rapid airflow isolation and connection switching.

[0022] In this embodiment of the invention, one end of metal rod 6 is fixed inside the insulation box 4 via fixed end 12, and one end of metal rod 7 is fixed inside the insulation box 5 via fixed end 13. The extension and retraction directions of metal rod 6 and metal rod 7 are in the same direction, and fixed end 12 and fixed end 13 are respectively located at the corresponding ends of insulation box 4 and insulation box 5.

[0023] Specifically, the fixed end 12 and the fixed end 13 can be rigidly fixed to the inner wall or end plate of the insulation box 4 and the insulation box 5 by means of welding, flange bolt connection or interference fit, so as to ensure that the fixed end 12 and the fixed end 13 remain absolutely stationary when the metal rod 6 and the metal rod 7 expand when heated or contract when cooled, thereby transferring all deformation displacement to the load 9 and the load 10 side; the extension and contraction directions of the metal rod 6 and the metal rod 7 are set in the same direction, for example, both extend in the horizontal left and right direction or the vertical up and down direction, which is conducive to the two rods producing opposite or opposite displacements under the action of opposite temperatures, which facilitates the symmetrical arrangement of the load 9 and the load 10 and simplifies the transmission structure.

[0024] In this embodiment of the invention, the other end of the metal rod 6 is connected to the load 9, and the other end of the metal rod 7 is connected to the load 10. The load 9 and / or the load 10 include at least one of a power generation mechanism for converting mechanical displacement into electrical energy, a transmission mechanism for performing mechanical actions, or an energy storage mechanism for storing mechanical energy.

[0025] Specifically, when load 9 and load 10 function as power generation mechanisms, the telescopic ends of metal rod 6 and metal rod 7 can be connected to the mover of a linear generator or a piezoelectric conversion module, directly converting reciprocating mechanical displacement into electrical energy output. When functioning as transmission mechanisms, they can be connected to connecting rods, racks, or cams to drive external valves, pumps, or robotic arms to perform specific actions. When functioning as energy storage mechanisms, they can be connected to spring accumulators or flywheels to store intermittent deformation energy as potential or kinetic energy, releasing it when needed. In practical applications, load 9 and load 10 can be independently selected in different types; for example, load 9 can be a power generation mechanism, and load 10 can be a transmission mechanism to meet diverse energy output requirements.

[0026] In this embodiment of the invention, the energy conversion system is configured as follows: In a first state, the pipe valve 8 is closed and the heat exchanger 1 is operated, so that hot air enters the insulation box 4 through the hot air inlet 2 and cold air enters the insulation box 5 through the cold air inlet 3, driving the metal rod 6 to extend due to heat and push the load 9 to do work, while simultaneously driving the metal rod 7 to contract due to cold and pull the load 10 to do work; and in a second state, the heat exchanger 1 is closed and the pipe valve 8 is opened, so that the insulation box 4 and the insulation box 5 are connected through the insulation box connecting pipe 11 and airflow convection heat exchange occurs, driving the metal rod 6 to cool down and contract to pull the load 9 to do work, while simultaneously driving the metal rod 7 to heat up and expand to push the load 10 to do work.

[0027] Specifically, the operation process in the first state is as follows: close the pipe valve 8 to isolate the insulated box connecting pipe 11. Start the heat exchanger 1, so that hot air enters the first insulated box 4 through the hot air inlet 2 and cold air enters the second insulated box 5 through the cold air inlet 3. At this time, the metal rod 6 expands due to heat. Since the fixed end 12 is stationary, the metal rod 6 extends towards the load 9 and pushes the load 9 to do work. At the same time, the metal rod 7 contracts due to cold. Since the fixed end 13 is stationary, the metal rod 7 shrinks and shortens, pulling the load 10 to do work.

[0028] Furthermore, the operation process in the second state is as follows: The heat exchanger 1 is closed, and the pipe valve 8 is opened, connecting the insulation box to the pipe 11. At this time, the temperature inside insulation box 4 is higher than the temperature inside insulation box 5. The air inside the two boxes naturally convections, exchanging heat with each other. As a result, the temperature of metal rod 6 decreases, causing it to cool and contract, pulling load 9 to do work. Simultaneously, the temperature of metal rod 7 increases, causing it to heat and expand, pushing load 10 to do work. Thus, metal rod 6 and metal rod 7 have each undergone one cycle of thermal expansion and contraction, and their deformation energy has been fully converted into mechanical work. The system is then ready to enter the next cycle.

[0029] In this embodiment of the invention, the energy conversion system further includes a timing control unit, which is connected to the heat exchanger 1 and the pipeline valve 8, and is used to alternately control the start and stop of the heat exchanger 1 and the opening and closing of the pipeline valve 8, so that the energy conversion system cycles between the first state and the second state.

[0030] Specifically, the timing control unit may include a microcontroller, PLC, or timer relay circuit, which is connected to the power switch of the heat exchanger 1 and the drive coil of the pipe valve 8 via electrical signals. The timing control unit can preset thresholds for the duration of the first state and / or the duration of the second state. For example, the duration of the first state is set to 10 minutes, and the second state continues until the temperature difference between the two chambers is less than the set value.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the timing control unit is configured to: output a shut-off signal to the pipe valve 8 while starting the heat exchanger 1 to ensure that the two boxes are in an isolated state; and output an open signal to the pipe valve 8 after a delay of several seconds after shutting off the heat exchanger 1, so as to prevent the hot and cold air from being short-circuited and mixed through the connecting pipe at the moment of switching, thereby ensuring the stability of system operation and energy conversion efficiency.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention provide an energy conversion method utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals. The energy conversion method includes the following steps: S1. Close the pipe valve 8 to isolate the airflow between the insulation box 1 4 and the insulation box 2 5. Start the heat exchanger 1 so that hot air enters the insulation box 1 4 through the hot air inlet 2 and cold air enters the insulation box 2 5 through the cold air inlet 3. This causes the metal rod 1 6 to expand and elongate due to heat, pushing the load 1 9 to do work. At the same time, the metal rod 2 7 is cooled and contracts, pulling the load 2 10 to do work.

[0033] Specifically, the execution process of step S1 can be referred to the detailed description of the first state above: The operator or timing control unit first confirms that the pipeline valve 8 is in the closed position, and then turns on the heat exchanger 1. The heat exchanger 1 generates hot air and cold air simultaneously, and sends them into the corresponding insulation boxes through independent air ducts. The hot air sent into the insulation box 4 causes the ambient temperature inside the box to rise rapidly. After absorbing heat, the metal rod 6 extends along its axial direction, and the extension amount... (in, The coefficient of thermal expansion is For the original length of the rod, (Due to the temperature difference), the elongation displacement is directly transmitted to load 9 and drives it to complete one work stroke; at the same time, the cold air sent into the insulation box 5 lowers the temperature inside the box, and the metal rod 7 shortens axially after being cooled. The amount of shortening is also proportional to the temperature difference. This shortening displacement pulls load 10 to complete one work stroke. This step realizes the first synchronous capture and conversion of cold and hot energy.

[0034] In this embodiment of the invention, in step S1, the hot and cold air exchanger 1 simultaneously provides hot air to the first insulation box 4 and cold air to the second insulation box 5, so that the first metal rod 6 and the second metal rod 7 are in opposite deformation states of thermal expansion and contraction, respectively. The mechanical work generated by the thermal expansion and contraction of the first metal rod 6 and the second metal rod 7 is converted into at least one of electrical energy, mechanical energy or potential energy.

[0035] Specifically, the heat exchanger 1 can employ a compression heat pump or a semiconductor heat exchange box, with its hot-end air outlet corresponding to hot air outlet 2 and cold air outlet 3, respectively. This ensures that a single device can simultaneously output fluids at two different temperatures, simplifying the system structure. The opposite deformation states of metal rod 6 and metal rod 7 allow them to drive their respective independent loads without interference. The specific form of mechanical work generated can be determined according to the load type: if the load is a linear generator, the mechanical work is converted into electrical energy; if the load is a piston pump, it is converted into fluid pressure energy (mechanical energy); if the load is connected to a weight or spring, it is converted into gravitational potential energy or elastic potential energy. This diverse conversion path broadens the system's application scenarios.

[0036] S2. Close the heat exchanger 1 and open the pipe valve 8 to connect the insulation box 4 and the insulation box 5 through the insulation box connecting pipe 11. Use the natural convection of air in the two boxes to exchange heat, so that the metal rod 6 cools down and contracts to pull the load 9 to do work, and at the same time, the metal rod 7 heats up and expands to push the load 10 to do work.

[0037] Specifically, step S2 is executed as follows: First, the power supply to the heat exchanger 1 is cut off, stopping the supply of hot and cold air. Then, the pipe valve 8 is opened. At this time, the temperature inside the first insulation box 4 is high due to the previous introduction of hot air, while the temperature inside the second insulation box 5 is low due to the introduction of cold air, creating a significant temperature gradient between the two boxes. Due to the connection of the pipe 11 between the insulation boxes, the high-temperature air and the low-temperature air undergo natural convection driven by the density difference: the hot air in the first insulation box 4 flows to the second insulation box 5 through the connecting pipe, and the cold air in the second insulation box 5 flows to the first insulation box 4, gradually bringing the air in the two boxes to a temperature equilibrium. During this process, the ambient temperature of the metal rod 6 changes from rising to falling, thus it begins to cool down and contract axially, pulling the load 9 to do work again; the ambient temperature of the metal rod 7 changes from falling to rising, thus it begins to heat up and expand axially, pushing the load 10 to do work again. This step cleverly utilizes the temperature difference accumulated in the previous stage as a driving source, eliminating the need for continuous external power supply and achieving secondary energy recovery.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, in step S2, the natural convection of air continues to exchange heat until the temperatures inside the first insulation box 4 and the second insulation box 5 tend to be the same or reach the preset switching conditions, and then proceeds to the next step S1.

[0039] Specifically, the preset switching conditions can be determined based on real-time data collected by temperature sensors. For example, when the temperature difference between the first insulation box 4 and the second insulation box 5 is less than or equal to 5°C, the temperatures are considered to be consistent. At this point, the driving force of natural convection is significantly weakened, the deformation rate of the metal rod is significantly reduced, and the system should output a switching signal. Alternatively, a fixed convection duration (e.g., 20 minutes) can be set as the switching condition, without relying on temperature feedback. After the switching condition is met, the system automatically enters the next step S1, restarting the forced heat exchange process of the heat exchanger 1, thereby forming a cyclical energy conversion cycle.

[0040] S3. Repeat steps S1 and S2 to achieve continuous energy conversion.

[0041] Specifically, by cyclically executing the above two steps, metal rod 6 and metal rod 7 undergo one thermal expansion and one cold contraction in each complete cycle. That is, each metal rod completes two work strokes (one active expansion / contraction work stroke and one passive contraction / expansion work stroke), thereby maximizing the extraction of deformation energy from the thermal expansion and contraction of the metal. The entire system, coordinated by the timing control unit, can operate continuously without human intervention, continuously converting cold and heat energy in the environment into useful mechanical work or electrical energy. It is suitable for scenarios such as industrial waste heat recovery with stable temperature differences and the utilization of solar energy based on diurnal temperature variations.

[0042] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0045] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0046] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0047] The above are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals, characterized in that, The energy conversion system includes: A hot and cold air exchanger (1) is provided at both ends of a hot air outlet (2) and a cold air outlet (3). Insulation box one (4) and insulation box two (5), the hot air outlet (2) is connected to insulation box one (4), and the cold air outlet (3) is connected to insulation box two (5); Metal rod one (6) and metal rod two (7), the metal rod one (6) is set in the insulation box one (4), the metal rod two (7) is set in the insulation box two (5), one end of the metal rod one (6) is provided with a fixed end one (12) fixed in the insulation box one (4), the other end of the metal rod one (6) is connected to the load one (9), one end of the metal rod two (7) is provided with a fixed end two (13) fixed in the insulation box two (5), the other end of the metal rod two (7) is connected to the load two (10); A connecting pipe (11) is provided between the first insulated box (4) and the second insulated box (5). A pipe valve (8) is provided on the connecting pipe (11) to connect or disconnect the airflow between the first insulated box (4) and the second insulated box (5). The energy conversion system is configured as follows: in the first state, the pipe valve (8) is closed and the heat exchanger (1) is operated, so that hot air enters the insulation box one (4) through the hot air inlet (2) and cold air enters the insulation box two (5) through the cold air inlet (3), driving the metal rod one (6) to extend due to heat and push the load one (9) to do work, and at the same time driving the metal rod two (7) to contract due to cold and pull the load two (10) to do work; and in the second state, the heat exchanger (1) is closed and the pipe valve (8) is opened, so that the insulation box one (4) and the insulation box two (5) are connected through the insulation box connecting pipe (11) and airflow convection heat exchange occurs, driving the metal rod one (6) to cool down and contract to pull the load one (9) to do work, and at the same time driving the metal rod two (7) to heat up and expand to push the load two (10) to do work.

2. The energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The load one (9) and / or load two (10) include at least one of a power generation mechanism for converting mechanical displacement into electrical energy, a transmission mechanism for performing mechanical actions, or an energy storage mechanism for storing mechanical energy.

3. The energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The extension and retraction directions of the first metal rod (6) and the second metal rod (7) are in the same direction, and the first fixed end (12) and the second fixed end (13) are respectively located at the corresponding ends of the first heat preservation box (4) and the second heat preservation box (5).

4. The energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot and cold air exchanger (1) is configured to output hot air at a temperature higher than the ambient temperature to the first insulation box (4) and cold air at a temperature lower than the ambient temperature to the second insulation box (5).

5. The energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy conversion system also includes a timing control unit, which is connected to the heat exchanger (1) and the pipeline valve (8) to alternately control the start and stop of the heat exchanger (1) and the opening and closing of the pipeline valve (8), so that the energy conversion system cycles between the first state and the second state.

6. The energy conversion system utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer walls of the first insulated box (4) and / or the second insulated box (5) are provided with heat insulation structures to reduce environmental heat loss during operation.

7. An energy conversion method utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals, characterized in that, The energy conversion method includes the following steps: S1. Close the pipe valve (8) to isolate the airflow between the first insulation box (4) and the second insulation box (5), start the heat exchanger (1), so that hot air enters the first insulation box (4) through the hot air inlet (2) and cold air enters the second insulation box (5) through the cold air inlet (3), so that the first metal rod (6) expands and elongates due to heat, pushing the first load (9) to do work, while the second metal rod (7) contracts due to cold, pulling the second load (10) to do work; S2. Close the heat exchanger (1) and open the pipe valve (8) to connect the insulation box one (4) and the insulation box two (5) through the insulation box connecting pipe (11). Use the natural convection of air in the two boxes to exchange heat, so that the metal rod one (6) cools down and contracts to pull the load one (9) to do work, and at the same time, the metal rod two (7) heats up and expands to push the load two (10) to do work. S3. Repeat steps S1 and S2 to achieve continuous energy conversion.

8. The energy conversion method utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S1, the heat exchanger (1) simultaneously provides hot air to the first insulation box (4) and cold air to the second insulation box (5), so that the first metal rod (6) and the second metal rod (7) are in opposite deformation states of thermal expansion and cold contraction, respectively.

9. The energy conversion method utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S2, the natural convection of air continues to exchange heat until the temperatures inside the first insulation box (4) and the second insulation box (5) tend to be the same or reach the preset switching conditions, and then proceeds to the next step S1.

10. The energy conversion method utilizing the energy of thermal expansion and contraction of metals according to claim 7, characterized in that, The mechanical work generated by the thermal expansion and contraction of the metal rod one (6) and the metal rod two (7) is converted into at least one of electrical energy, mechanical energy or potential energy.

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