Abstract:
A thermo-driven engine includes cylinders and at least one hydraulic motor. Each cylinder contains an air chamber and a hydraulic chamber therein. A piston is disposed between both chambers. The air chamber is intermittently heated to create pressure difference in the air chamber of the cylinder to force the piston moving to the hydraulic chamber, thus to drive the hydraulic motor for continuously generating power.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (a) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a thermo-driven engine, and more particularly, to one that has air chambers of cylinders intermittently heated for the air therein to create pressure difference to force pistons to move to hydraulic chambers thus to compress hydraulic liquid to drive a hydraulic motor for continuously generating power for utilization.  
         [0003]     (b) Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Whereas there are many power sources available in the market, most of them operate by combusting petrol-chemical fuels including gasoline and diesel. An automobile or motorcycle is driven by power generated by combusting gasoline in the engine. Though the combustion of petrol-chemical fuel provides a convenient source to output power, exhaust created in the course of combustion is blamed for polluting the environment while it is prevented from an easy access to the fuel due to the energy crisis in the world. The consumption of petrol-chemical fuel is not ideal as the source for power output.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermo-driven engine that continuously generates power by effectively converting thermal energy into kinetics to drive a hydraulic motor without loss from heat exchange or lost pressure while promoting a consistent pressure output.  
         [0006]     To achieve the purpose, the present invention comprises N cylinders including a first cylinder and a last cylinder wherein N refers to a positive integral and is not less than two. Each cylinder contains a pair of an air chamber and a hydraulic chamber with a piston disposed between both chambers. The air chamber contains a gaseous substance and the hydraulic chamber contains a liquid substance. The hydraulic chamber is provided with an inlet and an outlet.  
         [0007]     One or a plurality of heat exchanger is disposed in relation to the air chamber of the cylinder and one heat exchanger is disposed in relation to the air chamber of the first cylinder.  
         [0008]     2×N pipelines are provided with each pipeline disposed with a control valve and the control valve may be a one-way control to deliver the liquid substance.  
         [0009]     One or a plurality of hydraulic motor containing an output shaft is disposed with an inlet and an outlet. When only one hydraulic motor is provided, it serves at the same time as the first and the last hydraulic motor; and when multiple hydraulic motors are provided, a first one and a last one are defined.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, both the inlet and the outlet of the hydraulic chamber of each cylinder are respectively connected to the pipelines to separately import or export the liquid substance; meanwhile, both the inlet and the outlet of the hydraulic motor are respectively connected to the pipelines to separately import or export the liquid substance with the outlet of the hydraulic chamber of the first cylinder connected to the inlet of the first hydraulic motor and the outlet of the last hydraulic motor connected to the inlet of the hydraulic chamber of the first cylinder by the pipelines.  
         [0011]     The present invention provides the following advantages: 
        1. High efficiency in converting thermal energy into kinetics without heat exchange loss and lost pressure;        
 
         [0013]     2. Promoted consistent pressure output; and  
         [0014]     3. The driven hydraulic motor continuously generates power to create acceleration from pressure output when provided with proper linkage. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing a construction of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing a construction of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing an operation status of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing a construction of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing a construction of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing a construction of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a thermo-driven engine of the present invention comprises N cylinders ( 1 ) including a first cylinder ( 1 A) and a last cylinder ( 1 B) wherein N refers to a positive integral and is not less than 2. It is to be noted that all the cylinders including the first cylinder ( 1 A) through the last cylinder ( 1 B) are identical. The cylinder ( 1 ) includes a body ( 10 ) containing a pair of an air chamber ( 11 ) and a hydraulic chamber ( 12 ). A piston ( 13 ) is disposed between the air chamber ( 11 ) and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 ). The air chamber ( 11 ) contains a gaseous substance (not illustrated). The hydraulic chamber ( 12 ) contains a liquid substance (L), and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 ) is disposed with an inlet ( 121 ) and an outlet ( 122 ).  
         [0022]     One or a plurality of heat exchanger ( 2 ) is disposed in relation to the air chamber ( 11 ) of the cylinder ( 1 ), and as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an air chamber ( 11 A) of the first chamber ( 1 A) is disposed with the heat exchanger ( 2 ).  
         [0023]     2×N pipelines ( 3 ) are provided with each pipeline ( 3 ) disposed with a control valve ( 31 ). The control valve ( 31 ) may be a one-way valve to deliver the liquid substance (L).  
         [0024]     One or a plurality of a hydraulic motor ( 4 ) disposed with an inlet ( 41 ), outlet ( 42 ), and an output shaft ( 43 ). When multiple hydraulic motors ( 4 ) are provided, they include two hydraulic motors respectively designated as the first and the last hydraulic motors (not illustrated); or if only one hydraulic motor ( 4 ) is provided, the first hydraulic motor is also the last one.  
         [0025]     Accordingly, both the inlet ( 121 ) and the outlet ( 122 ) of the hydraulic chamber ( 12 ) of each cylinder ( 1 ) are respectively connected with the pipelines ( 3 ) to separately import or export the liquid substance (L). Both the inlet ( 41 ) and the outlet ( 42 ) of the hydraulic motor ( 4 ) are also respectively connected with the pipelines ( 3 ) to separately import or export the liquid substance (L). An outlet ( 122 A) of a first hydraulic chamber ( 12 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A) is connected with the pipeline ( 3 ) to the inlet ( 41 ) of the first hydraulic motor ( 4 ) and the outlet ( 42 ) of the first hydraulic motor ( 4 ) is connected with the pipeline ( 3 ) to export the liquid substance (L) into the next cylinder ( 1 ) or the hydraulic motor ( 4 ) until it reaches the outlet ( 42 ) of the last hydraulic motor ( 4 ) where connected to an inlet ( 121 A) of the hydraulic chamber ( 12 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A).  
         [0026]     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the first cylinder ( 1 A) with its body ( 10 A) containing the air chamber ( 11 A) and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 A). A piston ( 13 A) is disposed between the air chamber ( 11 A) and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 A). The air chamber ( 11 A) contains a gaseous substance (not illustrated) and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 A) containing the liquid substance (L) is separately provided with the outlet ( 121 A) connected to a first hydraulic pipeline ( 3 A) and the inlet ( 122 A) connected to a second hydraulic pipeline ( 3 B). The first hydraulic pipeline ( 3 A) is disposed with a one-way valve ( 31 A).  
         [0027]     The heat exchanger ( 2 ) is disposed in relation to the air chamber ( 11 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A).  
         [0028]     A first hydraulic motor ( 4 A) is disposed with an inlet ( 41 A) and an outlet ( 42 A) with the former connected through the first hydraulic pipeline ( 3 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A). An output shaft ( 43 A) is disposed to the first hydraulic motor ( 4 A).  
         [0029]     A second hydraulic motor ( 4 B) is disposed with an inlet ( 41 B) and an outlet ( 42 B) with the latter connected through the second hydraulic pipeline ( 3 B) of the first cylinder ( 1 A). The second hydraulic motor ( 4 B) is disposed with an output shaft ( 43 B).  
         [0030]     The second cylinder ( 1 B) is connected through both the hydraulic motors ( 4 A,  4 B). The second cylinder ( 1 B) has a body ( 10 B) containing an air chamber ( 11 B) and a hydraulic chamber ( 12 B). A piston ( 13 B) is disposed between the air chamber ( 11 B) and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 B). The air chamber ( 11 B) contains a gaseous substance and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 B) contains the liquid substance (L). An inlet ( 121 B) is disposed to the hydraulic chamber ( 12 B) to connect through a third hydraulic pipeline ( 3 C) and the outlet ( 42 A) of the first hydraulic motor ( 4 A) while an outlet ( 122 B) is disposed to the hydraulic chamber ( 12 B) to connect through a fourth hydraulic pipeline ( 3 D) and the inlet ( 41 B) of the second hydraulic motor ( 4 B). A one-way valve ( 31 D) is disposed to the fourth hydraulic pipeline ( 3 D).  
         [0031]     In operation of the present invention as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the heat exchanger ( 2 ) is heated up and thus the air chamber ( 11 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A) is heated up accordingly. The gaseous substance in the air chamber ( 11 A) expands due to the heat to force the piston ( 13 A) to drive the liquid substance (L) in the hydraulic chamber ( 12 A) to flow in one direction through the first hydraulic pipeline ( 3 A), the first hydraulic motor ( 4 A), the third hydraulic pipeline ( 3 C), and the hydraulic chamber ( 12 B) of the second cylinder ( 1 B) while turning around the output shaft ( 43 A) of the first hydraulic motor ( 4 A). Meanwhile, the piston ( 13 B) of the second cylinder ( 1 B) forces the gaseous substance in the air chamber ( 11 B) to reduce and accumulate pressure until a balance state of the pressure is reached between both air chambers ( 11 A,  11 B). Once the heating to the heat exchanger ( 2 ) is stopped, the air temperature in the air chamber ( 11 A) starts to drop and the gaseous substance also starts to reduce to allow the pressure in the air chamber ( 11 B) of the second cylinder ( 1 B) to force its piston ( 13 B) to push back the liquid substance (L). The liquid substance (L) starts to flow in one direction through the fourth hydraulic pipeline ( 3 D), the second hydraulic motor ( 4 B), the second hydraulic pipeline ( 3 B) to return to the hydraulic chamber ( 12 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A) while causing the output shaft ( 43 B) of the second hydraulic motor ( 4 B) to turn around for output. Accordingly, the heat exchanger ( 2 ) reciprocally and intermittently heats up the air chamber ( 11 A) of the first cylinder ( 1 A) for both the first and the second hydraulic motors ( 4 A,  4 B) to alternatively output.  
         [0032]     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a second preferred embodiment of the present invention differs from the first preferred embodiment in that only one hydraulic motor ( 4 ) is mounted. Therefore, multiple one-way valves ( 31 A,  31 B,  31 C,  31 D) are respectively provided to the first, the second, the third, and the fourth pipelines ( 3 A,  3 B,  3 C,  3 D) with the fourth hydraulic pipeline ( 3 D) connected back to the inlet ( 41 ) of the hydraulic motor ( 4 ); the outlet ( 42 ) of the hydraulic motor ( 4 ) is connected through the second hydraulic pipeline ( 3 B); and the heat exchanger ( 2 A) is connected to a controller ( 21 A) to control the intermittent heating in the process similar to that of the first preferred embodiment.  
         [0033]     A third preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , differs from the second preferred embodiment in that there is only one access ( 123 A′) disposed to a hydraulic chamber ( 12 A′) of a first cylinder ( 1 A′) and there is only one access ( 123 B′) disposed to a second cylinder ( 1 B′). Two heat exchangers ( 2 B,  2 B′) are used. A controller ( 21 B) is connected with a switch ( 22 B) to intermittently control the heating to an air chamber ( 11 A′) of the first cylinder ( 1 A′) and an air chamber ( 11 B′) of the second cylinder ( 1 B′).  
         [0034]     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention differs the third preferred embodiment in that a controller ( 21 C) controlling two heat exchangers ( 2 C,  2 C′) is connected to a heat dissipation controller ( 21 C′) for the heat dissipation controller ( 21 C′) to further control two fans ( 23 C,  23 C′) disposed respectively in relation to the air chamber ( 11 A′) and the air chamber ( 11 B′) of the first cylinder ( 1 A′) and the second cylinder ( 1 B′).