Patent · US Active

Two piston, concentric cylinder, alpha free piston Stirling machine

US8857173B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by
0References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 23, 2012
Grant dateOct 14, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF02G2243/24
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A two piston, free piston, alpha Stirling cycle machine has a compression piston with a cylindrical bore that is coaxial with the cylinders in which the pistons reciprocate. An expansion piston sealingly extends into both an expansion cylinder and into the cylindrical bore in the compression piston. The expansion piston has the same diameter within both the expansion cylinder and the cylindrical bore. A spring, preferably a gas spring, drivingly connects the pistons. The reciprocation of the expansion piston varies only the volume of the expansion space and the reciprocation of the compression piston varies only the volume of the compression space. The spring that drivingly connects the pistons allows the two pistons to be properly phased without a mechanical linkage so that they can operate in a thermodynamically effective phase over a range of strokes.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.