High efficiency heat engine - with gas and steam of different k-factors as working medium (SW 13.3.78)

摘要

Mechanical power is developed in a heat engine which uses as the working medium a gas to which a vapour with a lower ratio of the specific heats at constant pressure and at constant volume (k-factor) than that of the gas is added. The pref. gas is argon or helium (k=1.66) and the preferred vapour is steam (k=1.30). The gas is made to absorb the heat of condensation of the steam by condensation in isothermal expansion. The efficiency of the engine is raised thereby to 75%, compared with max. 37% in the Sterling or Diesel processes.