METHOD FOR CONVERTING THERMAL ENERGY INTO MECHANICAL WORK.

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for converting thermal energy into mechanical work with the following steps: supply of a hot heat transfer medium to a first working chamber of a first heat exchanger ( 1 a); isochoric heating of a first quantity of a working medium in a second working chamber of the first heat exchanger by the heat transfer medium; repeated performance of the following sub-steps: allowing the transfer flow of at least a partial quantity of the first quantity of the working medium from the second working chamber ( 3 a; 3 b) of the first heat exchanger or the preceding heat exchanger to a second working chamber ( 3 b; 3 c) of a further subsequent heat exchanger ( 1 b; 1 c); isochoric heating of the transferred partial quantity of the first quantity of a working medium in the second working chamber ( 3 b; 3 c) of the further subsequent heat exchanger ( 1 b; ; 1 c) by a heat transfer medium present in a first working chamber ( 2 b; 2 c) of the further subsequent heat exchanger ( 1 b; 1 c); connecting the second working chamber ( 3 c) of the further last heat exchanger ( 1 c) with a pneumo-hydraulic converter ( 17 ) and ejection of a hydraulic medium from the converter ( 17 ) by the pressure of the working medium. High efficiency with a high flexibility can thus be achieved. The present invention further relates to an apparatus for performing the method.