Patent ID: 8109086
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: F01K

Abstract:
1. An external combustion engine provided with: a main container in which a working fluid is sealed flowable in a liquid phase state, a heater heating part of the liquid phase state working fluid in the main container to make it vaporize, a cooler cooling steam of the working fluid heated and vaporized by the heater so as to make it liquefy, an output part converting displacement of the liquid part of the working fluid caused by a change of volume of the steam into mechanical energy and outputting the energy, an auxiliary container communicated with the main container through a venturi means and having a liquid sealed inside it, an auxiliary heater heating the liquid in the auxiliary container to make it vaporize, a storage container communicated with the auxiliary container and storing said liquid, and means for draining liquid in the auxiliary container into the storage container when the internal pressure of the auxiliary container becomes a first predetermined pressure or more; wherein the auxiliary container further comprises a low temperature part having a temperature lower than the boiling point of the liquid and a high temperature part having a temperature higher than the low temperature part temperature and lower than a temperature of the heater, and the auxiliary container is configured so that an internal pressure thereof is maintained at the same pressure as the saturated steam pressure of the liquid at the high temperature part temperature, and wherein the first predetermined pressure is set to be the saturated steam pressure at which the high temperature part temperature rises beyond a normally envisioned temperature.