ENERGY CONVERSION APPARATUS INCLUDING A GAS COMPRESSOR

PCT No. PCT/DE84/00216 Sec. 371 Date Jun. 18, 1986 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 18, 1986 PCT Filed Oct. 19, 1984 PCT Pub. No. WO86/02408 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 24, 1986.The compressor compresses a high pressure fluid such as gas or steam in a working chamber provided with a thermo-regenerator connected in parallel. Said fluid is alternatingly brought to a high temperature in the warm portion of the chamber by means of a heat supply and is taken down to a reduced temperature in the cold portion of the chamber by means of a refrigerator. The cold portion communicates with a fluid separator comprised of two chambers which are sealingly separated by means of a piston or an elastic membrane. The chamber of the fluid separator connected with the cold portion of the working chamber forms together with the latter a primary circuit of the compressor which uses as working fluid helium, hydrogen or an overheated steam of a condensable fluid. The second chamber is connected with two pressurized containers through two return valves with opposite passage and wherein the working fluid (liquid, gas-oil mixture) is stored at two different pressures. Said pressure differential generated by those periodic pressure changes in the primary circuit is transformed into mechanical work in an expansion motor of the secondary circuit. The pressures of the working fluid of the secondary circuit may be adapted substantially as desired to the optimum pressures of the motor by means of a three chamber separator with differential piston. The displacement piston enabling to obtain a periodic circulation in the regenerator is driven by the expansion motor and a crank-shaft.