Title: Resonant gas-expansion engine with hydraulic energy conversion

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Abstract: An illustrative system is disclosed for use as a rotary-drive engine, utilizing combustible fuel and a hydraulic system of energy conversion. An engine block defines a pair of expansion cylinders (combustion chambers) and an associated concentric pair of hydraulic chambers. The chambers matingly receive unitary piston structures for phase-opposed reciprocal movement. The hydraulic working chambers communicate with each other and can exhaust high pressure fluid through a control valve structure for drive power. Exhausted fluid is replaced in volume by low-pressure spent fluid. The body of the fluid contained in the hydraulic working chambers along with the piston means and springs connected to the engine block define an oscillatory system which is resonant at the operating frequency. That consideration, along with the absence of lateral loads on the pistons, results in relatively high efficiency. In the system, as disclosed, fluid under pressure is delivered from the hydraulic working chambers through a control valve to actuate a turbine in accordance with the immediate power demand. The supply and combustion of the fuel to provide power strokes is controlled in accordance with power demand and is synchronized with the current displacement of the piston means at the frequency of mechanical resonance. Thus, a reciprocating expansion motive system, e.g. internal combustion engine, is disclosed with low energy losses from inertial and lateral forces due to maintaining mechanical resonance which results in improved efficiency as for converting fuel into hydraulic energy. As disclosed herein, the hydraulic energy is employed to drive a turbine.


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