Patent ID: 7870735

Claim:
An apparatus for generating power or torque comprising: a first heat exchanger for heating a first heat transfer medium in a first form from a first temperature to a second higher temperature to provide an increased pressure gas, the first heat transfer medium being an expandable gas which has a boiling point below the freezing point of water; a first mechanical device configured to use the increased pressure gas to provide mechanical energy to one or more primary components, wherein the first mechanical device produces a spent gas; one or more additional mechanical devices configured to use the increased pressure gas to provide mechanical energy to one or more secondary components, wherein the one or more additional mechanical devices produce spent gas; a plurality of conduits including a main conduit that initially receives the high pressure as from the first heat exchanger to direct the as in parallel to the mechanical devices and further conduits that are operably associated with the main conduit and that are sized and configured to direct the increased pressure gas to both the mechanical device and the one or more additional mechanical devices; a pressure regulator associated with the main conduit for controlling the pressure of the increased pressure gas directed to the mechanical device and the one or more additional mechanical devices; and a conversion device operably associated with at least one of the first mechanical device and the one or more additional mechanical device, wherein the conversion device converts the spent gas to the first form for re-use.