摘要 |
A fluid-displacer engine which utilizes the thermodynamic Stirling cycle to extract energy from an external thermal gradient is disclosed. A working gas is disposed in each of two adjacent cylinders and is cycled from a hot region to a cold region of the respective cylinders by movement of a hot displacer fluid and a cold displacer fluid. Alternate heating and cooling of the working gas in each chamber causes the displacer fluid to flow from one cylinder to the other which, in turn allows one of the working gasses to expand and compresses the other. The flow of displacer fluids can be optimally controlled by the use of control valves. Energy can be extracted from the flow of the displacer fluids by the use of turbines in the displacer fluid flow paths.
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