Patent ID: 6952924

Claim:
A Rankine cycle apparatus including a closed working medium circulation circuit, which comprises: an evaporator for heating and thereby converting a pressurized liquid-phase working medium into a gaseous-phase working medium; an expander for converting heat energy of the gaseous-phase working medium into mechanical energy; a condenser for cooling and thereby converting the gaseous-phase working medium, discharged from an outlet port of said expander, back to the liquid phase; a sealed tank for storing the liquid-phase working medium discharged by said condenser; a supply pump for supplying the liquid-phase working medium, in a re-pressurized condition, from said sealed tank to said evaporator; collection means for collecting a portion of the working medium having exited out of the working medium circulation circuit; an open tank for storing the portion of the working medium supplied from said collection means; and liquid-phase working medium returning means for returning the liquid-phase working medium, stored in said open tank, to any point of a section of the working medium circulation circuit which extends from the outlet portion of said expander, via said condenser, to a suction port of said supply pump.