Patent ID: 9267462
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: F01K,F03G

Claim Text:
1. A fluid expansion engine, comprising: a first primary pressurized vessel having a first end, a second end, a first heat exchanger inlet on the first end, and a first heat exchanger outlet on the second end of the first primary pressurized vessel; a second primary pressurized vessel having a first end, a second end, a second heat exchanger inlet on the first end and a second heat exchanger outlet on the second end of the second primary pressurized vessel; a conduit system connecting the first and second primary pressurized vessels; a working fluid disposed in the first and second primary pressurized vessels and in the conduit system, the working fluid being a liquid, the first and second primary pressurized vessels and the conduit system being air-free and gas-free; a first heat exchanger coil extending between the first heat exchanger inlet and the first heat exchanger outlet inside the first primary pressurized vessel for cyclically heating and cooling the liquid contained in the first primary pressurized vessel; a second heat exchanger extending between the second heat exchanger inlet and the second heat exchanger outlet inside the second primary pressurized vessel for cyclically heating and cooling the liquid contained in the second primary pressurized vessel; a first four-way valve connected between the heat exchanger inlets of the first primary pressurized vessel and the second primary pressurized vessel; a second four-way valve connected between the heat exchanger outlets of the first primary pressurized vessel and the second primary pressurized vessel; means for actuating the first and second four-way valves, wherein the liquid contained by the first and second primary pressurized vessels is reciprocally heated and cooled without changing phase; and means for extracting work done by the first and second primary pressurized vessels during the reciprocal heating and cooling of the liquid contained therein.