U.S. patent application number 11/533933 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-27 for electrically conductive liquid piston engine.
This patent application is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Anson J. Call.
Application Number | 20080072597 11/533933 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39223446 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080072597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Call; Anson J. |
March 27, 2008 |
ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE LIQUID PISTON ENGINE
Abstract
A liquid piston engine utilizing an electronically or
electrically conductive liquid medium. A method is provided for
utilizing the electrically conductive liquid piston engine.
Inventors: |
Call; Anson J.;
(Poughkeepsie, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCULLY, SCOTT, MURPHY & PRESSER, P.C.
400 GARDEN CITY PLAZA, Suite 300
GARDEN CITY
NY
11530
US
|
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
39223446 |
Appl. No.: |
11/533933 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
60/645 ; 60/650;
60/671 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02K 44/085
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
60/645 ; 60/650;
60/671 |
International
Class: |
F01K 13/00 20060101
F01K013/00; F01K 25/02 20060101 F01K025/02; F01K 25/00 20060101
F01K025/00 |
Claims
1. A liquid engine system for converting heat into electrical
energy or work, said system comprising: an arrangement for
imparting heat to a gaseous medium at a first location and
conducting said gaseous medium to a second location for cooling
thereof; a pumping device employing an electrically or
electronically conductive liquid for pumping said gaseous medium in
reciprocatory motion between said first and second locations; and a
generator communicating with said gaseous medium intermediate said
first and second locations and incorporating an electrically or
electronically conductive liquid operative as a liquid engine for
generating an electrical output current responsive to movement of
said liquid caused by changing flow and temperature conditions of
said gaseous medium.
2. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
generator comprises a magneto-hydrodynamic generator, said
conductive liquid forming a conductor, which is moved through a
magnetic field perpendicular to flux lines of said field so as
cause an electrical current to flow in the liquid perpendicular to
both the direction of the conductive liquid and the flux lines of
the magnetic field.
3. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
electrical current is outputted from said magneto-hydrodynamic
generator as work or energy.
4. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
pumping device comprises a magneto-hydrodynamic pump, said
conductive liquid forming a conductor which is moved through a
magnetic field perpendicular to flux lines of said field so as
cause an electrical current to flow in the liquid perpendicular to
both the direction of the conductive pump and the flux lines of the
magnetic field.
5. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
electrical current causes said conductive liquid to shift in
reciprocating motion in directions towards and away from,
respectively, said first and second location.
6. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first
location comprises a first chamber having a gaseous medium located
in an upper portion of said chamber, having an inlet connected to a
heat source for imparting the heat to said gaseous medium.
7. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said
second location comprises a second chamber having an upper portion
communicating with the upper portion of said first chamber for the
flow of said gaseous medium between said first and second
chambers.
8. A liquid engine system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lower
portions of said first and second chambers communicate with said
pumping device and contain said conductive liquid.
9. A method of utilizing a liquid engine system for converting heat
into electrical energy or work, said method comprising: providing
an arrangement for imparting heat to a gaseous medium at a first
location and conducting said gaseous medium to a second location
for cooling thereof; employing a pumping device containing an
electrically or electronically conductive liquid for pumping said
gaseous medium in reciprocatory motion between said first and
second locations; and having a generator communicate with said
gaseous medium intermediate said first and second locations and
incorporating an electrically or electronically conductive liquid
operative as a liquid engine for generating an electrical output
current responsive to movement of said liquid caused by changing
flow and temperature conditions of said gaseous medium.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said generator
comprises a magneto-hydrodynamic generator, said conductive liquid
forming a conductor which is moved through a magnetic field
perpendicular to flux lines of said field so as cause an electrical
current to flow in the liquid perpendicular to both the direction
of the conductive liquid and the flux lines of the magnetic
field.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said electrical
current is outputted from said magneto-hydrodynamic generator as
work or energy.
12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said pumping device
comprises a magneto-hydrodynamic pump, said conductive liquid
forming a conductor which is moved through a magnetic field
perpendicular to flux lines of said field so as cause an electrical
current to flow in the liquid perpendicular to both the direction
of the conductive pump and the flux lines of the magnetic
field.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said electrical
current causes said conductive liquid to shift in reciprocatory
motion in directions towards and away from, respectively, said
first and second location.
14. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first location
comprises a first chamber having a gaseous medium located in an
upper portion of said chamber, having an inlet connected to a heat
source for imparting the heat to said gaseous medium.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second location
comprises a second chamber having an upper portion communicating
with the upper portion of said first chamber for the flow of said
gaseous medium between said first and second chambers.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the lower portions of
said first and second chambers communicate with said pumping device
and contain said conductive liquid.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a liquid piston engine
utilizing an electronically or electrically conductive liquid
medium. Furthermore, the present invention is also directed to a
method of utilizing the electrically conductive liquid piston
engine.
[0003] 2. Background Art
[0004] In the current state of the technology, diverse types of
piston engines and methods of application thereof, which are
adapted to convert heat into work or electricity, are subject to
low degrees of operating efficiencies and also are encumbered by
relatively poor conditions of reliability. This pertains to both
classes of internal and external combustion engines in which the
low degree of efficiency during operation is predicated on various
origins. Thus, for internal combustion engines, much of the heat
generated which is intended to be converted into work or
electricity, is wasted in the exhaust of the engine, whereas for
both internal and external combustion engines, a considerable
portion of the energy is lost due to friction which is internal to
the engine. For instance, for a typical automobile engine, it is
estimated that probably less than 15% of the energy which is
present in a gallon of gasoline, is actually employed in propelling
the automobile, with the major portion of the remaining energy
being uselessly squandered or wasted.
[0005] Furthermore, problems with regard to reliability of such
engine are also encountered due to the presence of multiple moving
components within an engine and the close or tight tolerances for
mutually movable parts, which are necessary for those components to
operate satisfactorily in conjunction with each other. For
instance, the pistons and cylinder walls must be a close fit with
each other, using extremely tight tolerances, or the expanding
gases which are generated, would tend to leak around and pass the
pistons in the gap present between the former and the cylinder
walls and, thus, would fail to provide the desired power for the
engine.
[0006] Although many of these problems encountered in both internal
and external combustion engines, which use mechanical components,
have been eliminated or at least ameliorated by employing a liquid
piston, problems are still encountered in the presence of an
instability of the liquid surface. Hereby, when using the liquid
piston, the expanding gases and the engine cylinder push against a
liquid and energy is removed from the liquid by passing it through
a turbine. A liquid piston eliminates the necessity for tight or
close tolerances between the cylinder and the piston and
significantly reduces any friction present between the cylinder and
the piston. However, due to the instability of the liquid surface,
the unstable surface that is encountered causes some of the gas to
form bubbles in the liquid, rather than pushing against the liquid,
per se. This problem has been overcome in the technology by
swirling the liquid within the cylinder, thus creating a vortex and
providing a more stable surface for the gas to push against the
liquid piston. However, although the foregoing provides significant
advantages over the mechanical types of internal and external
combustion engines, the liquid piston introduces another type of
mechanical component to the engine, in essence, the turbine, which
is presently employed to extract energy from the liquid. This
turbine component is susceptible to wear and breakdown over
extended operative periods of time, and also adds to the complexity
of construction and costs of the liquid piston engine.
[0007] Although various functional aspects of liquid piston engines
and structures thereof have been discussed in the technology, none
of these are applicable to any significant degree to the present
inventive concept.
[0008] Pinto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,825 discloses an arrangement for
maximizing the thermal efficiency of a hot gas engine, in
particular, Ericsson Cycle engines, which are similar to a Stirling
engine, by preventing hot gas from entering a cooling cylinder
during expansion. This patent discloses three different
embodiments, two of which employ liquid pistons, of which one
embodiment provides for liquid pistons engines which control
phasing by use of cams and camshafts and pushing rods against a
type of diaphragm in order to move a liquid. A second embodiment
discloses a liquid piston engine which employs a second liquid with
pumps to push against diaphragms in order to move a first liquid
into and out of cylinders. There is no disclosure of the novel
utilization of any electrically conductive fluid analogous to the
present invention.
[0009] Even more remote from the inventive concept is Howard, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,195,321, which discloses a liquid piston Stirling engine
in which the cylinders are attached to an axis in an off center
position, whereby this creates moments of rotation around the axis
as the liquid piston moves from a hot cylinder to a cold cylinder.
These moments cause the axis to rotate and this rotation is the
mechanical energy which is extracted from the engine. Again, there
is no disclosure of the electronically or electrically conductive
fluids of the present invention, which move through a magnetic
field to extract energy from the engine.
[0010] Goldshtik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,369 discloses an engine
employing a rotating liquid, which pertains to stabilizing fluid
surfaces in a liquid piston engine. In that instance, the
instability of the fluid surface is a significant limiting factor
in employing the liquid pistons. This particular patent employs
mechanical valves and pumps and fails to mention any electrically
or electronically conductive liquids, nor the benefits in the
elimination of the additional mechanical parts which is facilitated
through the use of the conductive liquids.
[0011] Gerstmann, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,195 disclose a liquid
piston heat-actuated heat pump and methods of operating the latter,
wherein a Stirling cycle is employed, which utilizes mechanical
motion initiated by a phenomenon in which liquid pistons can become
self-oscillating through appropriate design thereof at a
sufficiently large enough temperature differential between hot and
cool sides. This patent discloses standard compression and
expansion of gases to transfer heat and does not in any manner
pertain to the use of electrically or electronically conductive
liquids in the operation of liquid pistons.
[0012] Cutler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,122 discloses a liquid piston
heat pump using a Stirling cycle and wherein motion of a mechanical
nature is initiated by a phenomenon in which liquid pistons can
become self-oscillating in a manner similar to the Gerstmann, et
al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,196. Again, there is no disclosure of
utilizing an electrically or electronically conductive liquid to
activate liquid pistons in a manner analogous to the present
invention.
[0013] Finally, European Patent Application No. EP 1022453 A1
discloses a system for the combined generation of power and heat
purpose of heating through the intermediary of a hot air engine in
order to generate mechanical energy. Although a liquid
piston-equipped hot air engine is employed in this publication,
there is no disclosure of the unique use of electrically or
electronically conductive fluids to operate the liquid pistons,
which would provide for elimination of an impeller and other
mechanical components for implementing fluid motion. This is
completely distinct from the present inventive concept.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to the
provision of a method and a system, which replaces a more general
liquid employed in connection with liquid pistons with an
electronically conductive liquid. Hereby, as the liquid is pushed
out of a cylinder, it passes through a magnetic field generating an
electric current, and there is no need to provide a turbine which
will extract energy from the engine. In the use of an external
combustion engine, for example, such as a Stirling engine, this
would result in an engine with no moving mechanical components and
would provide an extremely high degree of reliability during
operation, while being of an extremely simple construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0015] Reference may now be made to the following detailed
description of an embodiment of the present invention, taken in
conjunction with the accompany single drawing FIGURE, showing the
inventive concept as applied to a Stirling engine, wherein the
drawing FIGURE does not represent a complete engine, but a
schematic thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Referring now, more specifically, to the single drawing
FIGURE, there is diagrammatically illustrated an electronically or
electrically conductive liquid piston engine 10, generally in the
form of a Stirling engine, wherein heat from a suitable heat source
12 is applied to preferably into the upper portion 14 of a hot
cylinder 16, and whereby the heat is removed from a cold cylinder
18. The lower portion 20 of the hot cylinder 16 and the lower
portion of the cold cylinder are filled with an electronically or
electrically conductive liquid 22. Thus, when a major portion of
the liquid 22 is primarily present in the cold cylinder 16, gas 24,
which is filled into a duct 26 connecting the respective upper ends
28, 30 of the hot and cold cylinders 16, 18 is primarily positioned
into the upper region 14 of the hot cylinder 16. The heat present
therein from the heat source 12 causes the gas 24 to be heated and
expand, whereby the expanded gas pushes against an electrically or
electronically conductive liquid 32, which is contained in a
magneto-hydrodynamic generator 34, which communicates with the duct
26 between the hot and cold cylinders 16,18 by means of a duct 36
extending from at one side 38 thereof. This duct 36 is also filled
with the gas 24 from the hot and cold cylinders 16, 18. As the
heated expanding gas 24 pushes against the liquid 32 in the
magneto-hydrodynamic generator 34, and the expansion phase thereof
is completed, liquid 22 is pumped from the lower portion 40 of cold
cylinder 18 through duct 42 towards the hot cylinder 16 in the
direction of arrow A by means of a magneto-hydrodynamic pump 44,
which is interposed in the duct 42 communicating between the two
lower end portions of the respective hot and cold cylinders. This
causes the gas 24 to flow through duct 26 mostly into the cold
cylinder 18 from the hot cylinder 16, wherein the cooling gas
volume shrinks and the liquid 22 is drawn back into the system
through the shrinkage of the gas in the upper duct 36 communicating
with the main gas duct 26 between the hot cylinder 16 and the cold
cylinder 18.
[0017] The magneto-hydrodynamic pump 44, which is arranged in the
duct 42 extending between the lower ends of the hot and cold
cylinders, and which is essentially of a known structure, consists
of a pump with no moving components.
[0018] In an electric motor (not shown) comprising a constituent of
pump 44, a conductor is set in motion by passing an electrical
current through the conductor in a direction perpendicular to a
magnetic field. The direction of the conductor is perpendicular to
both the magnetic field and a direction of the electric current. In
this instance, the conductor is the liquid 22. Thus, by changing
the direction of the electrical current, it is possible to pump the
liquid 22 from the hot cylinder 16 to the cold cylinder 18, and
conversely from the cold cylinder 18 to the heat cylinder 16.
However, other methods can be employed in order to accomplish the
pumping of the electrically or electronically conductive liquid 22,
using electromagnetic principles. For instance, the so-called
Einstein refrigerators utilize several different concepts, as is
known in the technology.
[0019] Reverting to the magneto hydrodynamic generator 34, the
structure thereof is essentially the reverse that of the
magneto-hydrodynamic pump 44, and whereby a conductor is moved
through a magnetic field perpendicular to the flux lines of the
field, so as to cause an electrical current in the conductor to
flow perpendicular to both the direction of the conductor and the
flux lines of the magnetic field. Thus, the energy that is put into
the engine 10 as heat from the heat source 12 is removed as work or
energy from the engine in the form of electricity at the magneto
hydrodynamic generator 34.
[0020] The foregoing, in effect, provides for an extremely simple
and efficient manner of converting heat into electrical energy, and
resultingly into work, without the use of any mechanical components
or moving mechanical parts.
[0021] While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other
changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that
the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details
described and illustrated but fall within the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *