Vacuum Engine

Abstract

To provide an improved solution that allows for the utilization of negative pressure as an energy form. The device includes a reciprocating piston engine and a negative pressure chamber capable of generating an air pressure lower than the atmosphere surrounding the reciprocating piston engine, the device comprising: The reciprocating piston engine 110 includes a cylinder 111 in which a piston 112 is connected to a crankshaft 116 via a connecting rod 115. The cylinder 111 has an intake valve 119a and an exhaust valve 119b in a cylinder head 118, the negative pressure chamber 130 is connectable to a working space 113 via the exhaust valve 119b, and the working space 113 is connectable to the atmosphere A, A valve control 120 is configured to control the intake valve 119a and the exhaust valve 119b such that the piston 112 reciprocates under alternating ambient and negative pressure loads.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus including a reciprocating piston engine configured for non-combustion operation and a negative pressure chamber capable of generating an air pressure lower than the atmosphere surrounding the reciprocating piston engine. Additionally, the present invention relates to a method of operating such an apparatus and to the use of the apparatus to drive a mechanical machine and / or to generate an electric current. [Background technology]

[0002] In energy technology, the search is constantly on for different forms of energy generation, conversion, storage and utilization that are as efficient, reliable, environmentally friendly and economical as possible, whereby today there is a great deal of interest in solutions that are based on or allow the use of renewable energies.

[0003] In this connection, power machines (prime movers) are known, which use, inter alia, negative pressure to perform mechanical work (movement). In the patent US 2005 / 0133993 (Benkendil) an air engine is described, which does not convert heat into mechanical work as in conventional heat engines, but operates by the action of negative pressure. In this case, a cylinder is used, closed at both ends and divided into two chambers by a movable piston inside. Each of the chambers is provided with an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and each chamber can be connected via its exhaust valve to a vacuum generator and via its intake valve to the surrounding air. When the exhaust valve of one chamber is open, the intake valve of this chamber is closed, while in the other chamber the intake valve is open and the exhaust valve is closed. By alternately opening and closing the valves, the piston can reciprocate in the cylinder.

[0004] The translational motion is converted into rotational motion using a suitable mechanism via a connecting rod attached to the piston and extending from the cylinder, making it possible to operate, for example, a generator.

[0005] US Patent No. 5,399,633 (Benkendil) proposes, for example, a Venturi tube which is inserted into the water stream to generate the necessary negative pressure. For example, the Venturi tube can be provided in the water stream, in the area of ​​the weir or at the outlet of the weir.

[0006] It has been shown that previously known power machines using negative pressure to perform mechanical work are not entirely convincing, in particular the efficiency of known machines is relatively low and problems arise from a construction point of view, so that an improved solution is still needed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 3249155 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved solution which allows the utilization of negative pressure as an energy form, in particular a power machine-based device should be provided which performs mechanical work by utilizing negative pressure, which can be converted into other energy forms if required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The solution to the above problem is defined by the features of claim 1. The essence of the invention therefore consists in a device comprising a reciprocating piston engine adapted for non-combustion operation and a negative pressure chamber capable of generating an air pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure surrounding said reciprocating piston engine, a) the reciprocating piston engine comprises at least one cylinder closed by a cylinder head, in which a piston is movable, the piston being connected to a crankshaft of the reciprocating piston engine via a connecting rod on the side opposite the cylinder head, the connecting rod and the crankshaft being integrated in a crankcase of the reciprocating piston engine, b) at least one of the cylinders is provided with at least one intake valve and at least one separate exhaust valve in the cylinder head, the negative pressure chamber is connectable to the working space of at least one of the cylinders via the exhaust valve to direct a fluid therethrough to create a negative pressure in the working space, and the working space is connectable to the atmosphere surrounding the reciprocating piston engine via the intake valve to direct a fluid therethrough to create an ambient pressure in the working space, c) a valve control is provided, the valve control controlling the intake valve and the exhaust valve during operation such that the piston reciprocates in at least one of the cylinders under alternating ambient and negative pressure loads; and d) The reciprocating piston engine is configured such that, during operation, there is always an essentially constant pressure in the area of ​​the piston opposite the cylinder head, in particular the atmospheric pressure surrounding the reciprocating piston engine.

[0010] The device according to the invention has been found to be extremely advantageous and efficient: without being bound by theory, the essentially constant pressure on the side of the piston opposite the cylinder head achieves a more circular motion of the piston compared to approaches such as that described in US Pat. No. 5,399,633.

[0011] By essentially constant pressure is meant in particular here that the pressure in the area of ​​the piston opposite the cylinder head during operation does not vary by more than 50 mbar, in particular does not vary by more than 10 mbar.

[0012] In addition, no connecting rod or conrod seals are required at the exit from the cylinder, which in many cases can only be achieved with great effort and have a relatively high leakage rate, so that generally much higher rotational speeds can be achieved without excessive mechanical loads and the interaction between the negative pressure and the atmospheric pressure in the working space can be controlled more precisely.

[0013] The additional integration of the connecting rod and the crankshaft in the crankcase ensures that the moving parts of the reciprocating piston engine are optimally protected against damage and the effects of weather, while at the same time making it possible to best control the pressure ratio in the range in question.

[0014] It is also important that the intake and exhaust valves are two separate valves, the exhaust valve being configured only to exhaust air from the working space, while the intake valve is configured only to supply air to the working space. This separation allows the supply and exhaust of air to be very precisely controlled; if both were to be supplied through the same intake or exhaust valve, efficiency would be greatly reduced.

[0015] Furthermore, the use of a vacuum chamber in the device according to the invention ensures an essentially constant vacuum during operation of the reciprocating piston engine over a wide range, independent of the rotational speed, which is not achievable when simply sucking air from the operating space by means of a blower or the like.

[0016] The vacuum chamber has in particular a volume larger than the stroke space of the reciprocating piston engine. In particular, the volume of the vacuum chamber corresponds to at least 10 times, in particular at least 100 times, in particular at least 1000 times the stroke space of the reciprocating piston engine. The stroke space of the reciprocating piston engine defines the volume displaced overall by the stroke of all the pistons.

[0017] The functional cooperation of the elements of the device according to the invention allows a surprisingly advantageous and efficient utilization of the negative pressure and its conversion into mechanical work, in other words the individual elements of the device according to the invention cooperate synergistically.

[0018] A further advantage to be mentioned is that the reciprocating piston engine used according to the invention can be realized by modifying a conventional internal combustion engine, for example a gasoline or diesel engine. Depending on the engine type, it is sufficient to adapt, for example, the valve control, so that the engine can be operated with a vacuum for operation. This allows the device according to the invention to be realized relatively simply and inexpensively. Therefore, according to an advantageous embodiment, the reciprocating piston engine is an internal combustion engine with a modified valve control.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the reciprocating piston engine has at least two, in particular four, five, six, eight, ten or twelve cylinders, so that the advantages according to the invention are particularly effective, but in principle it is also possible for the reciprocating piston engine to have one cylinder.

[0020] In particular, the reciprocating piston engine is a V-engine, a radial engine or an in-line engine, although other engine geometries are possible.

[0021] The valve control is realized in particular by at least one, for example two, camshafts and / or cam discs connected to the crankshaft. The crankshaft is then in particular connected purely mechanically to the at least one camshaft and / or cam disc. The intake and exhaust valves are then preferably opened and closed via tappets, cam followers and / or rocker arms which cooperate with the at least one camshaft and / or cam disc. This allows particularly precise and rapid opening and closing of the valves, which is particularly advantageous for the operation of reciprocating piston engines with vacuum. The connection is realized in particular via a (camshaft) timing chain or a toothed belt.

[0022] Basically, however, the valve control can also be realized differently. According to another possible embodiment, the valve control is a pneumatic, hydraulic and / or electromechanical valve control.

[0023] At least one camshaft and / or cam disc is coupled to the crankshaft, in particular with a transmission ratio of 2:1, so that during operation, the at least one camshaft and / or cam disc has half the number of revolutions of the crankshaft, which makes it possible to open and close the valves precisely, but other transmission ratios are equally feasible.

[0024] According to another preferred embodiment, the engine block, the pistons, the connecting rods, the crankshaft, at least one camshaft and / or the cam discs of the reciprocating piston engine, in particular the entire mechanical structure of the reciprocating piston engine, are made of synthetic resin, ceramic and / or composite materials. Depending on the materials used, this allows the weight of the reciprocating piston engine to be reduced, the manufacturing to be simplified and / or the costs for the manufacturing and replacement parts to be reduced. Since only a small amount of frictional heat is generated during the operation of the reciprocating piston engine, the reciprocating piston engine hardly heats up. No cooling is required. Therefore, the engine or its components can be manufactured from less heat-resistant and less expensive materials than conventional internal combustion engines. A further advantage of the above-mentioned materials is that the engine and its components can be manufactured in any shape and configuration by additive manufacturing methods, such as 3D printing, so that specially configured engine shapes can be realized.

[0025] According to another advantageous embodiment, the engine block, the pistons, the connecting rods, the crankshaft, at least one camshaft and / or the cam discs of the reciprocating piston engine, in particular the entire mechanical structure of the reciprocating piston engine, are made of metal, which makes it possible to realize a particularly robust reciprocating piston engine.

[0026] The valve control is configured in particular in such a way that, when a maximum stroke height of the piston in at least one cylinder is reached, the exhaust valve is opened and the intake valve is closed, so that the air pressure in the working space is reduced, and when a minimum stroke height of the piston in at least one cylinder is reached, the intake valve is opened, so that the air pressure in the working space is increased, in particular in a uniform cycle during operation of the reciprocating piston engine.

[0027] The maximum stroke height of the piston is achieved when the working space in the cylinder has a maximum volume, while the minimum stroke height of the piston is achieved when the working space in the cylinder has a minimum volume.

[0028] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the valve control comprises: During the first stroke of the piston toward the cylinder head, the exhaust valve is open and the intake valve is closed, so that the piston is pulled toward the cylinder head by negative pressure; During the subsequent second stroke, during which the piston moves away from the cylinder head, the exhaust valve is closed and the intake valve is open during a first time portion, followed by a second time portion during which both valves are closed, so that during the second time portion, the piston moving away from the cylinder head creates a negative pressure in the working space. It is structured as follows.

[0029] A stroke can be understood as a complete movement of a piston from one dead center to the other. A stroke is performed in particular during half a rotation of the crankshaft. Both strokes are performed during a complete rotation of the crankshaft.

[0030] The first and second time portions of the second stroke in particular correspond to 40-60% of the entire duration of the second stroke, in particular 50% each, and therefore in particular each of the first and second time portions corresponds to a half stroke.

[0031] Both steps are carried out successively during operation, particularly in a continuous process.

[0032] The valve control described above has proven to be particularly advantageous.

[0033] In the case of more than one cylinder, the crankshaft and valve controls are configured so that the pistons in each cylinder move at least partially out of phase during operation, similar to a conventional internal combustion engine.

[0034] The negative pressure chamber is in particular connected in a fluid-guiding manner to a vacuum generating device, in particular a vacuum pump, so that the negative pressure chamber can be or is evacuated without vibrations by the vacuum generating device. The device according to the invention can be operated with completely different vacuum generating devices and is therefore very flexible in use.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the vacuum generating device includes a Venturi tube. The Venturi tube can be used as a pump, which is simply constructed and has no moving parts. Correspondingly, the Venturi tube can be used robustly, with little maintenance and for multiple purposes. According to one possible embodiment, the Venturi tube is arranged in the water flow, for example in the area of ​​a weir or at the outlet of a weir. Thus, by means of the device according to the invention, hydraulic power can be converted into mechanical energy and, if necessary, further into electrical energy via a generator.

[0036] According to another advantageous embodiment, the vacuum generating device comprises an electrically operated vacuum pump, in particular a rotary vane pump. The electrically operated vacuum pump can be provided as an additional vacuum generating device or as the sole vacuum generating device, which makes it possible, for example, to compensate for fluctuations in the other vacuum generating devices. Likewise, an electrically operated vacuum pump makes it possible for the device according to the invention to be operated entirely by electrical energy, for example by solar energy or surplus energy from the power grid.

[0037] However, other vacuum generating devices are also conceivable, such as for example mechanically operated pumps, which can for example be driven by wind power.

[0038] According to another preferred embodiment, the vacuum generating device comprises, in addition to the electrically operated vacuum pump, a vacuum booster interposed between the negative pressure chamber and the electrically operated vacuum pump, the vacuum booster being in particular electrically operated.

[0039] Vacuum boosters increase the suction power and final pressure of a vacuum pump. They can increase the performance of a vacuum system by up to a factor of 10. Vacuum boosters work according to the Roots principle: in this case, two rotary pistons (rotors) rotate synchronously in a housing. The rotary pistons do not touch each other or the housing. This means that no lubricants or working liquids are needed in the process chamber. During the rotation of the rotary pistons, gas is transported between them and the housing to the subsequent vacuum pump.

[0040] The pressure in the vacuum chamber is at least 0.2 bar, in particular at least 0.4 bar, in particular at least 0.7 bar lower than the atmospheric pressure surrounding the reciprocating piston engine. In particular, the pressure in the vacuum chamber is in the range of 0.05 to 0.8 bar, in particular 0.1 to 0.5 bar, in particular 0.1 to 0.3 bar. The device according to the invention operates particularly efficiently at such pressures. However, in special configurations, other pressure ratios are also possible.

[0041] Furthermore, it is preferred if the reciprocating piston engine is equipped with a turbocharger, which is driven by the air flowing from the exhaust valve and compresses the ambient air supplied through the intake valve, the turbocharger being composed of a turbine which utilizes the energy of the exhausted air and drives a compressor which compresses the ambient air supplied, the air supply being thus increased to provide a more rapid volumetric filling.

[0042] It is also advantageous if the crankcase is provided with a crankcase vent, in particular an open crankcase vent, which is designed to communicate the inner volume of the crankcase and / or the area of ​​the piston opposite the cylinder head with the surrounding atmosphere in a fluid-guiding manner, so that an essentially constant pressure can be easily maintained in the area of ​​the piston opposite the cylinder head, while at the same time protecting the connecting rod and the crankshaft from external influences.

[0043] In a further preferred embodiment, the crankshaft of the reciprocating piston engine is connected to an electrical generator, so that operation of the reciprocating piston engine can generate or generates an electrical current, which can be utilized, for example, for the operation of external consumers and / or can be intermediately stored in a current store.

[0044] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating such a device, in which negative pressure and ambient pressure are alternately applied in the working space via the intake and exhaust valves, as a result of which a piston in at least one cylinder reciprocates, thereby driving the crankshaft.

[0045] At this time, in particular, when the maximum stroke height (stroke height) of the piston in at least one cylinder is reached, the exhaust valve is opened and the intake valve is closed, thereby reducing the air pressure in the operating space, and when the minimum stroke height (stroke height) of the piston in at least one cylinder is reached, the exhaust valve is closed and the intake valve is opened, thereby increasing the air pressure in the operating space.

[0046] Further, preferably, the valve is controlled by a valve control section. During the first stroke of the piston toward the cylinder head, the exhaust valve is open and the intake valve is closed, so that the piston is pulled toward the cylinder head by negative pressure; During the subsequent second stroke, during which the piston moves away from the cylinder head, the exhaust valve is closed and the intake valve is open during a first time portion, followed by a second time portion during which both valves are closed, so that during the second time portion, the piston moving away from the cylinder head creates a negative pressure in the working space. It is controlled (operated) as follows.

[0047] Both strokes occur during a complete revolution of the crankshaft.

[0048] Both steps are carried out successively during operation, particularly in a continuous process.

[0049] The negative pressure chamber is evacuated during operation by a vacuum generating device, in particular a vacuum pump, in particular continuously connected to conduct the fluid. Possible vacuum generating devices have been mentioned above.

[0050] The pressure in the vacuum chamber is preferably maintained during operation at least 0.2 bar, in particular at least 0.4 bar, in particular at least 0.7 bar below the atmospheric pressure surrounding the reciprocating piston engine. In particular, the pressure in the vacuum chamber is maintained in the range of 0.05 to 0.8 bar, in particular 0.1 to 0.5 bar, in particular 0.1 to 0.3 bar.

[0051] More preferably, the air flowing from the exhaust valve is used to power a turbocharger which compresses ambient air before being delivered through the intake valve, thereby further improving efficiency.

[0052] During operation, it is also advantageous for the crankcase to be vented via a crankcase vent, in particular an open crankcase vent.

[0053] A further aspect of the invention relates to the use of a device as described above for driving a mechanical machine and / or for generating an electric current.

[0054] Further advantageous embodiments and feature combinations of the invention are evident from the entirety of the following detailed description and claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus according to the invention, comprising a non-combustion driven reciprocating piston engine and a negative pressure chamber capable of generating an air pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure surrounding the reciprocating piston engine. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a first type of control (actuation) of the reciprocating piston engine valve according to FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0056] Basically, the same components are given the same reference numerals in each drawing.

[0057] In Fig. 1, a device 100 according to the invention is shown diagrammatically. The device comprises a reciprocating piston engine 110 configured for fireless operation, which is shown in Fig. 1 in a cross section perpendicular to the crankshaft and which comprises, for example, six cylinders arranged in series. In Fig. 1, a first cylinder 111 can be seen, while the other five cylinders are located behind the first cylinder and are not visible from the perspective of Fig. 1. The entire mechanical structure of the reciprocating piston engine 110 is, for example, made entirely of metal.

[0058] A first cylinder 111 of the reciprocating piston engine 110 is arranged in an engine block 117 and closed by a cylinder head 118, in which a piston 112 is movably supported. On the side of the piston 112 opposite the cylinder head 118, the piston is connected to a crankshaft 116 of the reciprocating piston engine 110 via a connecting rod 115. The connecting rod 115 and the crankshaft 116 are integrated in a crankcase 117a, which is an integral component of the engine block 117 and is provided with an open crankcase bleed 117a in the form of an opening, which ensures that in operation, in the area 114 of the piston 112 opposite the cylinder head 118, there is always an essentially constant pressure or atmospheric pressure surrounding the reciprocating piston engine 110.

[0059] In the cylinder head 118, there are an intake valve 119a and an exhaust valve 119b. The working volume 113 of the cylinder 111 can be fluidically connected to the atmosphere surrounding the reciprocating piston engine 110 (when the valve 119a is open as shown in FIG. 1) in order to supply the cylinder or working volume 113 with ambient air LZ and generate ambient pressure. The exhaust valve 119b (shown in the closed position in FIG. 1) allows the working volume 113 of the cylinder 111 to be fluidically connected to the negative pressure chamber 130 in order to discharge the exhaust air LA and generate a negative pressure in the working volume 113 (for this purpose the exhaust valve 119b can be opened and the intake valve 119a can be closed).

[0060] Furthermore, the reciprocating piston engine 110 comprises a valve control 120 in the form of two parallel camshafts 120a, 120b, which are connected to the crankshaft 116, for example via a cam belt (toothed belt) 121 (symbolically shown as a connecting arrow). The camshafts 120a, 120b are connected to the crankshaft 116 with a transmission ratio (gear ratio) of, for example, 2:1, so that during operation the camshafts 120a, 120b have half the rotational speed of the crankshaft 116.

[0061] The valve control 120 is arranged such that during operation the intake valve 119a and exhaust valve 119b are controlled such that the pistons reciprocate under alternating atmospheric and negative pressure loads within the cylinder 111. Possible control to achieve this is described in detail in relation to Figures 2 and 3. Control of the valves of the other cylinders is performed similarly, with the pistons of cylinders 1 and 6 operating in phase, cylinders 2 and 5 operating in phase with each other but out of phase with cylinders 1 and 6, while cylinders 3 and 4 operating in phase with each other but out of phase with the other cylinders.

[0062] During operation, air LA flowing from exhaust valve 119b can be utilized to power an optional turbocharger 122 (indicated by a dashed connecting line), which compresses ambient air before being delivered through the intake valve.

[0063] The reciprocating piston engine 110 is connected via an exhaust valve 119b to a vacuum chamber 130 in which a pressure of, for example, 0.2 bar exists. The pressure in the vacuum chamber 130 is therefore approximately 0.8 bar lower than the ambient or atmospheric pressure in which the reciprocating piston engine 110 is located. The vacuum in the vacuum chamber 130 can be measured by a manometer 131.

[0064] The negative pressure chamber 130 is connected in a fluid conducting manner to a vacuum generator 132. This is an electrically operated vacuum pump 132a, for example a rotary vane pump, which is operated in combination with an electrically operated vacuum booster 132b interposed between the negative pressure chamber 130 and the electrically operated vacuum pump. The air conveyed from the negative pressure chamber 130 is exhausted to the atmosphere A. Additionally or alternatively, there can be a second vacuum generator 133 in the form of a Venturi tube, for example placed in the water flow, which also draws the air from the negative pressure chamber 130 to the atmosphere.

[0065] The electrically operated vacuum pump 132a and vacuum booster 132b can be supplied with electrical energy (shown as a dashed line) via an optional power storage unit 150, e.g., a battery, which is charged by an external power source 160, e.g., a solar cell and / or a power grid.

[0066] During operation, the pressure in the negative pressure chamber is maintained at, for example, 0.1-0.3 bar.

[0067] Furthermore, the crankshaft 116 of the reciprocating piston engine 110 is connected to a generator 140 via a transmission 141 (suggested by a connecting arrow in FIG. 1 ), so that the operation of the reciprocating piston engine 110 can generate usable electrical energy E.

[0068] It is also possible to feed part of the energy generated in the generator to the power storage 150. Thus, electrical energy generated, for example by means of a Venturi tube, can be intermediately stored in the power storage 150 in the form of electricity and can be used at a later point in time for the operation of the suction engine 110.

[0069] The crankshaft 116 can optionally be coupled to the mechanical machine M via a second transmission 142 in order to directly drive the mechanical machine M.

[0070] 2 shows a first type of control of the valves of a first cylinder 111 of a reciprocating piston engine 110. The control of the valves of the other cylinders is performed in a similar manner, but the other cylinders are controlled in time such that the phase relationships described above are maintained. In particular, the intake valve 119a (left horizontal arrow) and the exhaust valve 119b (right horizontal arrow) are controlled as described below. The closed and open positions are indicated as ("X") and "O", respectively.

[0071] During the first stroke 201 as the piston 112 moves towards the cylinder head (indicated by the upward arrow), the exhaust valve 119b is open (O) and the intake valve 119a is closed (X), so the piston is pulled towards the cylinder head by negative pressure.

[0072] During the second stroke 202, as the piston 112 moves away from the cylinder head (indicated by the downward arrow), during a first portion of time (left side) the exhaust valve is closed (X) and the intake valve is opened (O), followed by a second portion of time (right side) where both valves are closed (X / X), so that during the second portion of time the piston moving away from the cylinder head creates a negative pressure in the working space.

[0073] In the following stroke 203 the valves are switched as in the first stroke 201, while in the following stroke 204 the valves are switched as in the second stroke. Then a new cycle begins.

[0074] In the illustrated cycle, each stroke corresponds to half a revolution of the crankshaft 116, so that the crankshaft has completed exactly two revolutions after one cycle, while the camshafts 120a, 120b have completed exactly one revolution.

[0075] The illustrated embodiments should be understood as merely examples of the various possible variations of the present invention.

[0076] Thus, for example, a radial engine or a V-engine could be provided instead of the in-line engine 110. The engine could also have more or less than six cylinders.

[0077] Likewise, the valve control can be configured differently, for example the closing and opening times can be adapted or the control (actuation) can be carried out by one camshaft.

[0078] It is also possible for individual components or the overall mechanical structure of reciprocating piston engine 110 to be manufactured from materials other than metal, such as synthetic resins, ceramics and / or composite materials.

[0079] It is also possible to omit the power storage unit 150. In this case, the electrically operated vacuum pump 132a and vacuum booster 132b can be directly connected to an external power source 160, for example.

[0080] In summary, it can be seen that a particularly advantageous apparatus has been provided which can be used for the economical production, conversion, storage and utilization of energy in a variety of forms, including a reciprocating piston engine and a vacuum chamber.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus (100) comprising a reciprocating piston engine (110) configured for non-combustion operation and a negative pressure chamber (130) capable of generating an air pressure lower than that of the atmosphere (A) surrounding the reciprocating piston engine (110), a) the reciprocating piston engine (110) comprises at least one cylinder (111) closed by a cylinder head (118), in which a piston (112) is movable, the piston (112) being connected to a crankshaft (116) of the reciprocating piston engine (110) via a connecting rod (115) on the side opposite the cylinder head (118), the connecting rod (115) and the crankshaft (116) being integrated in a crankcase (117a) of the reciprocating piston engine (110); b) at least one of the cylinders (111) has at least one intake valve (119a) and at least one exhaust valve (119b) in the cylinder head (118), the negative pressure chamber (130) is connectable to the working space (113) of the at least one cylinder (111) via the exhaust valve (119b) to conduct a fluid to create a negative pressure in the working space (113), and the working space (113) is connectable to the atmosphere (A) surrounding the reciprocating piston engine (110) via the intake valve (119a) to conduct a fluid to create an ambient pressure in the working space (113); c) a valve control (120) is provided, which controls the intake valve (119a) and the exhaust valve (119b) during operation so that the piston (112) reciprocates in at least one of the cylinders (111) under alternating loads of ambient pressure and negative pressure; and d) the reciprocating piston engine (110) is configured so that, during operation, an essentially constant pressure, in particular atmospheric pressure (A) surrounding the reciprocating piston engine (110), exists at all times in the area (114) of the piston opposite the cylinder head (118). An apparatus characterized in that

2. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reciprocating piston engine (110) comprises at least two cylinders, in particular four, six, eight, ten or twelve cylinders.

3. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the valve control (120) is realized via at least one camshaft (120a, 120b) coupled to the crankshaft (116).

4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the camshafts (120a, 120b) is coupled to the crankshaft (116) with a transmission ratio of 2:1, so that during operation, at least one of the camshafts (120a, 120b) has half the rotational speed of the crankshaft (116).

5. The valve control section (120) - during the first stroke of the piston (112) moving towards the cylinder head (118), the exhaust valve (119b) is open and the intake valve (119a) is closed, so that the piston (112) is pulled towards the cylinder head (118) by a vacuum; During the subsequent second stroke of the piston (112) moving away from the cylinder head (118), the exhaust valve (119b) is closed and the intake valve (119a) is open during a first time portion, followed by a second time portion in which both valves (119a, 119b) are closed, so that during the second time portion the piston (112) moving away from the cylinder head (118) generates a negative pressure in the working space (113).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to:

6. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the engine block (117), the pistons (112), the connecting rods (115), the crankshaft (116), at least one of the camshafts (120a, 120b) and / or the crankcase (117a) of the reciprocating piston engine (110), in particular the entire mechanical structure of the reciprocating piston engine (110), is made of synthetic resin, ceramic and / or composite material.

7. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the negative pressure chamber (130) is connected to a vacuum generating device (132, 133), in particular a vacuum pump, in a fluid-guiding manner, so that the negative pressure chamber (130) can be or is evacuated by the vacuum generating device (132).

8. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vacuum generator (133) comprises a Venturi tube.

9. 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the vacuum generating device (132, 133) comprises an electrically operated vacuum pump (132a), in particular a rotary vane pump, and the vacuum generating device optionally comprises, in addition to the electrically operated vacuum pump (132a), a vacuum booster (132b), which is interposed between the negative pressure chamber (130) and the electrically operated vacuum pump (132a).

10. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reciprocating piston engine (110) includes a turbocharger (122) configured to be driven by air flowing from the exhaust valve (119b) and to compress ambient air supplied through the intake valve (119a).

11. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crankshaft (116) of the reciprocating piston engine (110) is coupled to a generator (140), such that an electric current (E) can be generated or is generated by operation of the reciprocating piston engine (110).

12. 2. A method for operating the device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that negative pressure and ambient pressure are alternately applied in the working space (113) via the intake valve (119a) and the exhaust valve (119b), so that the piston (112) reciprocates in at least one of the cylinders (111).

13. 13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the pressure in the negative pressure chamber (130) is at least 0.2 bar, in particular at least 0.4 bar, in particular at least 0.7 bar lower than the atmospheric pressure (A) surrounding the reciprocating piston engine (110).

14. 10. Use of the device according to claim 1 for driving a mechanical machine (M) and / or for generating an electric current (E).

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