Patent ID: 8631652

Claim:
A heat engine system configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy, the heat engine system comprising: a source of thermal energy provided by a temperature difference between a heat source having a first temperature and a heat sink having a second temperature that is lower than said first temperature; a heat engine disposed in thermal relationship with said heat sink and configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy, wherein said heat engine includes an element formed from a first shape memory alloy having a crystallographic phase changeable from martensite to austenite at a first transformation temperature to thereby dimensionally contract at a localized region in response to said heat source and from austenite to martensite to thereby dimensionally expand at another localized region in response to said heat sink, wherein said element is configured in a continuous loop; and a start-up mechanism configured for inducing initial movement of said element in a desired operational direction to thereby start said heat engine, wherein said start-up mechanism includes an isolator configured for isolating said element from said heat source, and further wherein said isolator is translatable with respect to said heat source to thereby expose said element to said heat source.