Patent ID: 10422557

Abstract:
A heat pump, the heat pump having a first end and a second end and further comprising: a working fluid and a chamber to contain said working fluid, the chamber having a first end and a second end corresponding to the first and second ends of the pump, one wall of the chamber acting as a heat exchanger between the chamber and a first heat transfer medium and one wall of the chamber, which may or may not be the same wall as the first mentioned one wall, acting as a heat exchanger between the chamber and a second heat transfer medium. The first heat transfer medium is located at a position between the first end of the pump and an intermediate portion defined at a position between the first and second ends of the heat pump, the first heat transfer medium operationally has a temperature T at the end nearest the intermediate portion, and operationally has a temperature higher than temperature T at the end located nearest the first end of the pump. The second heat transfer medium is located at a position between the intermediate portion and the second end of the pump, and has a temperature T′ at the end nearest the intermediate portion in operation of the heat pump, and a temperature lower than T′ at the end nearest the second end of the pump in operation of the heat pump, the second heat transfer medium operationally has a lower average temperature than the first heat transfer medium. The chamber has at least one moveable wall, one said moveable wall being driven by an external energy source and being configured to adjust the volume of the chamber, and one said moveable wall, which may or may not be the same wall as the first mentioned one said movable wall, being arranged to be driven by an external energy source and being capable of adjusting the shape of the chamber while keeping the volume of the chamber constant. The driven movements of the at least one moveable wall producing a repeating cycle including the following phases: a first phase in which the volume of the chamber is decreased; a second phase in which the shape of the chamber can be altered without a change in chamber volume so that a greater volume of the working fluid is at the second end of the chamber than is at the first end of the chamber; a third phase in which the volume of the chamber is increased; and a fourth phase in which the shape of the chamber can be altered without a change in chamber volume so that a greater volume of the working fluid is at the first end of the chamber than is at the second end of the chamber; this cycle causing a net flow of heat into the first heat transfer medium from the working fluid, and causing a net flow of heat from the second heat transfer medium into the working fluid. A heat engine, the heat engine having a first end and a second end and further comprising: a working fluid and a chamber to contain said working fluid, the chamber having a first end and a second end corresponding to the first and second ends of the engine, one wall of the chamber acting as a heat exchanger between the chamber and a first heat transfer medium and one wall of the chamber, which may or may not be the same as the first mentioned one wall, acting as a heat exchanger between the chamber and a second heat transfer medium. The first “neat transfer medium is located at a position between the first end of the engine and an intermediate portion defined at a position located between the first and second ends of the heat engine, the first heat transfer medium has a temperature TA at the end nearest the first end of the engine in operation of the heat engine, and a temperature lower than TA at the end nearest the intermediate portion in operation of the heat engine. The second heat transfer medium is located at a position between the intermediate portion and the second end of the engine, and has a temperature TB at the end nearest the second end of the engine in operation of the heat engine, and a temperature higher than TB at the end nearest the intermediate portion in operation of the heat engine, TB being colder than TA, and the second heat transfer medium operationally having a lower average temperature than the first heat transfer medium. The chamber has at least one moveable wall, one said moveable wall being configured to allow changes in the volume of the chamber, and one said moveable wall, which may or may not be the same wall as the first one said movable wall, being configured to allow adjustment of the shape of the chamber while keeping the volume of the chamber constant. The heat engine is configured to allow a net flow of heat energy from the first heat transfer medium into the working fluid and a net flow of heat energy from the working fluid into the second heat transfer medium to cause variations in the pressure of the working fluid of the chamber, forcing the at least one movable wall to move in a repeating cycle including the following phases: a first phase in which the volume of the chamber is decreased; a second phase in which the shape of the chamber can be altered without a change in chamber volume so that a greater volume of the working fluid is at the first end of the chamber than is at the second end of the chamber; a third phase in which the volume of the chamber is increased; and a fourth phase in which the shape of the chamber can be altered without a change in chamber volume so that a greater volume of the working fluid is at the second end of the chamber than is at the first end of the chamber; the movement cycle being a usable source of mechanical motion during operation of the engine.