Resilient Deformable Displacer for Heat Engine Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional closed cycle regenerative heat engines suffer from inefficiencies due to dead spaces and reduced heat transfer areas, leading to suboptimal heating and cooling of the working fluid, which affects mechanical power output.
Innovation Solution
A closed cycle regenerative heat engine design featuring a resiliently deformable displacer that fills the heating and cooling locations without gaps, with a thermally insulating portion maintaining a temperature gradient and projections enhancing heat transfer surface areas, allowing efficient heat exchange and mechanical power generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional displacer design is used in closed cycle regenerative heat engines, then the engine structure is simpler, but dead spaces are created and heat transfer areas are reduced, leading to suboptimal heating and cooling of the working fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The displacer is designed as a resiliently deformable diaphragm that dynamically changes shape during operation. The diaphragm deforms in response to shaft movement to completely fill the chamber volume, eliminating dead spaces and maximizing heat transfer surface area between the working fluid and heating/cooling locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The displacer's physical state is changed from rigid to resiliently deformable, allowing it to adapt its volume and shape parameters. This enables the displacer to fully utilize the chamber space during cyclic operation, eliminating gaps and maximizing contact with thermal exchange surfaces.
2Ease of manufacture
If a rigid displacer is used, then the manufacturing is easier, but dead spaces are created reducing the efficiency of heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The displacer is constructed as a flexible diaphragm rather than a rigid structure. This flexible membrane can deform to conform to the chamber geometry and completely fill available space, eliminating dead zones while maintaining manufacturability through standard diaphragm fabrication techniques.
3Productivity
If the displacer does not completely fill the chamber, then the device complexity is reduced, but dead spaces reduce the mechanical power output
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient diaphragm displacer dynamically adapts its shape during operation to completely fill the chamber volume at all positions, eliminating dead spaces without requiring complex mechanical structures. The simplicity of the diaphragm design is maintained while achieving maximum space utilization through elastic deformation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the efficiency of heat transfer and mechanical power output by ensuring complete filling of heating and cooling locations, reducing dead spaces and increasing the surface area for heat exchange, thereby improving the overall performance of the engine.
Implementation Method 1
a resiliently deformable displacer housed in said chamber... The resiliently deformable displacer is a diaphragm secured to said housing and is resiliently deformable in response to movement of said shaft
Implementation Method 2
with a thermally insulating portion maintaining a temperature gradient
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger known as a regenerator that is arranged to take heat from the working fluid as the working fluid moves to a cool part of the engine and return the heat to the working fluid when it moves back
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A closed cycle regenerative heat engine has a housing (12) defining a chamber (14). A displacer (18) is housed in the chamber. A shaft (24) is connected with the displacer and extends from the chamber. A power piston (30) is housed in the chamber. The displacer (18) is secured to the housing (12) and is resiliently deformable from a rest condition in response to movement of the shaft (24) to displace the working fluid in the chamber.