Patent ID: 6931852

Claim:
A steam engine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy at an output portion, comprising: a fluid container for flowably containing fluid; a heater for heating the fluid contained in the fluid container; a cooler for cooling a vaporized portion of the fluid that was vaporized by being heated by the heater, the cooler being disposed below the heater in a direction of gravity's acceleration; wherein an expansion pressure of the vaporized portion of the fluid displaces a flowing liquid portion of the fluid to output the mechanical energy, and the cooler cools and liquefies the vaporized portion of the fluid to displace the flowing liquid portion of the fluid contained in the fluid container with self-excited vibration; exciting means disposed proximate to the heater, the exciting means applying a periodical exciting force to the fluid contained in the fluid container; and a piston that is actuated by the expansion pressure of the vaporized portion of the fluid.