Patent ID: 9541027
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: F02G,Y02T

Claim:
1. A method for recovering waste heat from a system, the system including an engine and a heat recovery apparatus, the heat recovery apparatus including a cold cylinder, a first piston disposed in the cold cylinder, a hot cylinder, a second piston disposed in the hot cylinder, and a regenerator, wherein the first piston and the second piston are in fluid communication with one another via the regenerator, the method comprising: transferring heat at a first temperature from the engine to the regenerator; transferring heat at a second temperature from the engine to the hot cylinder, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature; converting the heat at the first temperature and the heat at the second temperature into mechanical energy through motion of the first piston and the second piston; and storing the mechanical energy within an energy storage mechanism, wherein the energy storage mechanism is a hydraulic fluid accumulator.