Patent ID: 7284373
Filing Date: 2007-10-23
Classification: F01B

Abstract:
1. A thermodynamic cycle heat engine comprising: a regenerator housing comprising first and second bi-directional regenerators, each said first and second bi-directional regenerator comprising a low pressure connection having a first volume and a high pressure connection having a second volume less than said first volume; a compression chamber connected to a first end of said regenerator housing; an expansion chamber connected to a second end of said regenerator housing and in fluid communication with said compression chamber via said first and second bi-directional regenerators, said first and second bi-directional regenerators, said compression chamber, and said expansion chamber forming a closed space for a working fluid; first and second compression rotors disposed within said compression chamber, said rotors forming at least one pair of compression spaces within said compression chamber; first and second expansion rotors disposed within said expansion chamber, said rotors forming at least one pair of expansion spaces within said expansion chamber; and, a gear train disposed within said regenerator housing and comprising a plurality of non-round gears, a center gear group, first and second outer gear groups substantially opposed with respect to said center gear group, and a power shaft, wherein said gear train is connected to said first and second compression and expansion rotors, said gear train is arranged to oscillatingly rotate said first and second compression rotors and said first and second expansion rotors to create cyclically varying volumes for said at least one pair of compression spaces and said at least one pair of expansion spaces, respectively, and to control said fluid communication between said compression and expansion chambers so that two thermodynamic cycles are completed by said engine for each rotation of said first and second compression and expansion rotors.