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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7805934 | Displacer motion control within air engines Methods and apparatus are disclosed for generating power. A thermodynamic air engine is configured to convert heat provided in the form of a temperature differential to mechanical energy. The thermodynamic air engine has a working fluid and a displacer adapted to mo... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7329959 | Micro power generator and apparatus for producing reciprocating movement There is provided a micro power generator enhanced in efficiency and power generation output, and having an increased temperature range for operation. The micro power generator comprises: a high-temperature heat source; a low-temperature heat source; an enclosed bod... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7318506 | Free piston engine with linear power generator system A free piston engine with a linear power generation system with a variable stroke piston and improved construction and control is provided. The free piston engine includes a single double-ended piston located within a cylinder having opposed combustion chambers posi... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7304398 | Spring activated energy transducer generating A/C electricity from natural forces-frictionless magnetic plate A spring activated energy transducer is provided. The energy transducer of the current invention generates alternating current (A/C) electricity from abundant external natural forces. The energy transducer is comprised of an upper part and a lower part. The upper pa... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7214045 | Spherical fluid machine with flow control mechanism A rotary fluid machine, such as a pump or motor, is provided with a fluid flow control mechanism that allows the flow of fluid to be easily and precisely controlled. The device has a housing with a spherical interior in which primary and secondary vanes rotate, with... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7200994 | Free piston stirling engine control A control system for a Stirling engine including the use of a synchronous power converter (“SPC”) which is connected to the terminals of the alternator in a linear alternator/FPSE power system. According to the teachings of the present invention, the attached SP... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7171810 | Stirling engine with hydraulic output A heat engine has a region within which a working fluid travels and an hydraulic fluid provided in a reservoir and the output from the heat engine drives the movement of the hydraulic fluid. ... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7165407 | Methods for operating a pulse tube cryocooler system with mean pressure variations A method for operating a pulse tube cryocooler system wherein in the event the mean pressure of the working gas within the fixed volume of the cryocooler undergoes a change, the operation of the system is kept from severe degradation by changing the frequency of the... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7141988 | Capacitive position sensor and sensing methodology A simple and robust variable coaxial capacitive sensor and detection method for monitoring the position of a rapidly reciprocating member such as a piston or displacer in a free piston Stirling engine. The coaxial capacitor of the present invention in a preferred em... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7081699 | Thermoacoustic piezoelectric generator A thermoacoustic generator includes a housing with a thermoacoustic core supported in the housing. The core is operable to introduce acoustical power into the housing to thereby oscillate the pressure of the gas in the housing at a frequency. A piezoelectric alterna... | 07/25/2006 |
| 6979911 | Method and apparatus for solar power conversion A solar power conversion system using a plurality of engines to convert solar energy to electrical energy. The plurality of engines are supported adjacent to a housing having a single thermal cavity. The cavity is provided with solar energy from a solar collector. E... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6968688 | Two-cycle hot-gas engine A two-cycle hot-gas engine comprising an expansion piston in a heatable cylinder member and a compression piston in a coolable cylinder member. The expansion piston and the compression piston are disposed along a common axis. ... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6952921 | Heater head assembly system and method A heater head assembly is provided with potential advantages of low assembly and integration requirements. A significant portion of the heater head assembly is formed or machined as a single piece of material to reduce assembly demands. The heater head assembly has ... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6931848 | Stirling engine having platelet heat exchanging elements The present invention provides heat exchanging elements for use in Stirling engines. According to the present invention, the heat exchanging elements are made from muliple platelets that are stacked and joined together. The use of platelets to make heat exchanging e... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6933629 | Active balance system and vibration balanced machine An active balance system is provided for counterbalancing vibrations of an axially reciprocating machine. The balance system includes a support member, a flexure assembly, a counterbalance mass, and a linear motor or an actuator. The support member is configured for... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6442935 | Driving system for machinery, such as a motor, compressor etc. A driving system (13) comprises a housing (10) having spherical hollow space (11), a rotatable main shaft (14), a driving means (16) and a piston construction (15). The piston construction (15) is rockable about a first rocking axis (15a) in a rectilinear... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6253550 | Folded guide link stirling engine A folded linkage for coupling a crankshaft and a piston undergoing reciprocating linear motion along a longitudinal axis. The folded linkage has a guide link with a first end coupled to the piston. A connecting rod couples the distal end of the guide link... | 07/03/2001 |
| 5875863 | Power system for extending the effective range of hybrid electric vehicles The power system for extending the effective range of an electrical vehicle including a non-polluting power generating mechanism for recharging the battery system during vehicle use and providing sufficient electrical energy to an electric motor for const... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5813235 | Resonantly coupled -stirling cooler A resonantly coupled -Stirling cooler has hot and cold variable-volume chambers, a regenerator, and a driver for maintaining reciprocating gas displacement between the chambers. Only the hot side of the cooler is driven; the cold side responds pass... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5782084 | Variable displacement and dwell drive for stirling engine A Stirling cycle engine and drive mechanism therefor which may be configured in a Beta, Alpha or Gamma configuration for providing increased power output. The drive mechanism provides a dwell of the displacer piston at its top and/or bottom dead center po... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5735128 | Cryogenic refrigerator drive A drive for driving a displacer in a cryogenic refrigerator includes a rotatable cam having a cam surface. The cam is rotatable about a pivot point with a cam follower contacting the cam surface. Rotational motion of the cam is converted into reciprocatin... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5442913 | Stirling cycle system driving device A stirling cycle system driving device comprises a circumference cam having a circumferential guiding groove formed in the outer peripheral surface thereof, a piston rod and a displacer rod respectively having a wheel guided along said circumferential gui... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5329768 | Magnoelectric resonance engine The present invention relates to a magnetoelectric resonance engine combining in its construction and operation an Alpha-type Stirling cycle thermal machine and a magnetoelectric resonance mechanism having a broad application to both electric generators a... | 07/19/1994 |
| 4998460 | Piston engine A piston engine comprising a piston movable in a recriprocating manner in a cylinder, while during operation a wedge-shaped gap is present between piston and cylinder. The piston divides the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, which commun... | 03/12/1991 |
| 4938025 | Power conversion machine having pistons which are moved in a turning movement in a spherical housing A power conversion machine which is provided with a spherical housing (10) with piston construction (36,37) having two-double-acting pistons (36) turnable about a first axis (x--x) cooperating with a partition plate (40) tiltable about a second axis (z--z... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4873826 | Control scheme for power modulation of a free piston Stirling engine The present invention relates to a control scheme for power modulation of a free-piston Stirling engine-linear alternator power generator system. The present invention includes connecting an autotransformer in series with a tuning capacitance between a li... | 10/17/1989 |
| 4824149 | Generator set The aim of the invention is to improve upon conventional electricity generator sets consisting of a driven generator with relatively complex couplings and possibly a gear box transmission between the crank shaft and the generator. In accordance with the i... | 04/25/1989 |
| 4745749 | Solar powered free-piston stirling engine A Stirling engine design which is solar powered is disclosed. A solar receiver converts solar radiation to thermal energy, which is stored in a storage chamber. The engine includes a displacer chamber with a displacer piston which divides the chamber into... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4723410 | Safety improvements in high pressure thermal machines In a stirling cycle machine a shell means enclosing the machine body for maintaining a substantially sealed atmosphere about the machine body. A diffuser arranged between the machine body and the outer shell for diffusing a shock wave traveling towards th... | 02/09/1988 |
| 4664685 | Linear drive motor control in a cryogenic refrigerator In a Stirling cryogenic refrigerator, the movement of the displacer is monitored by sensing the back EMF in the displacer drive coil throughout displacer stroke. The back EMF signal is applied through a feedback circuit to control the phase relationship o... | 05/12/1987 |
| 4649283 | Multi-phase linear alternator driven by free-piston Stirling engine A linear alternator capable of delivering multi-phase power and yet being driven by a free piston Stirling engine. The alternator has a permanent magnet mounted to the power piston of the free piston Stirling engine and an armature coil member mounted rad... | 03/10/1987 |
| 4642988 | Solar powered free-piston Stirling engine A Stirling engine design which is solar powered is disclosed. A solar receiver converts solar radiation to thermal energy, which is stored in a storage chamber. The engine includes a displacer chamber with a displacer piston which divides the chamber into... | 02/17/1987 |
| 4638633 | External combustion engines A Stirling type thermal engine is disclosed in which the engine is sealed within an outer shell enclosure which maintains the engine components in an axially compressed state to thereby simplifying construction of the engine while maintaining a sealed atm... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4631922 | Heat engine In the case of a heat engine, in particular a Stirling engine, comprising a displacement piston and a working piston which are coupled together in a housing sealed in a leak-proof manner against the outside so that they can oscillate in a linear direction... | 12/30/1986 |
| 4567726 | Externally excited resonant free piston Stirling engine thermal amplifier system and method of operation and control therefor An externally excited resonant free piston Stirling engine thermal amplifier system which is over damped at all load levels and will not freely oscillate and wherein the displacer/piston system of the Stirling engine is externally driven by a separate dri... | 02/04/1986 |
| 4511805 | Convertor for thermal energy into electrical energy using Stirling motor and integral electrical generator The present invention relates to external combustion engines and more precisely to motors using the Stirling cycle designed to directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy. In accordance with the invention, this transformation is carried out inside ... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4489554 | Variable cycle stirling engine and gas leakage control system therefor An improved thermal engine of the type having a displacer body movable between the hot end and the cold end of a chamber for subjecting a fluid within that chamber to a thermodynamic cycle and having a work piston driven by the fluid for deriving a useful... | 12/25/1984 |
| 4458489 | Resonant free-piston Stirling engine having virtual rod displacer and linear electrodynamic machine control of displacer drive/damping A new and improved resonant free-piston Stirling engine and method of operation employing a novel virtual rod displacer is described. A rod is secured to and reciprocally moves with the displacer within the Stirling engine and has a rod piston area formed... | 07/10/1984 |
| 4439985 | Power transmission for a Stirling hot gas engine An improved transmission from linear power to rotary power in a Stirling heat engine having at least one cylinder with power and displacement pistons linearly operable therein. The power and displacement piston shafts are each interconnected to a common d... | 04/03/1984 |
| 4434617 | Start-up and control method and apparatus for resonant free piston Stirling engine A resonant free-piston Stirling engine having a new and improved start-up and control method and system. A displacer linear electrodynamic machine is provided having an armature secured to and movable with the displacer and having a stator supported by th... | 03/06/1984 |
