Abstract: A method for using a two-phase fluid includes separating the fluid into its two phases, oen of which is a hot gas containing energy in the form of latent heat, and one of which is a hot liquid containing energy in the form of sensible heat; converting sensible heat in the liquid to sensible heat in a working fluid for producing preheated working fluid; and transferring latent heat in the gas to the preheated working fluid for vaporizing the same at substantially constant temperature and pressure.

Abstract: A lighting system for display cases wherein a tubular housing for a lamp or lamps is secured to a display case frame in an unobtrusive manner and is rotatably adjustable to optimally direct emitted light.

Abstract: A piston engine having a piston (13) journalled in radial direction with respect to the direction of movement. The rotation-free piston (13) is centered by means of two pairs of dynamic groove bearings (41,43), (47,49) with respect to a cylinder axis (39). The piston engine is particularly suitable for use in cryo-coolers.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel well illumination device, comprising a pair of light sources and a resilient rod interconnecting the light sources in a spaced apart configuration. The resilient rod is capable of elastic deformation under a manual bending effort to bring the rod in a condition suitable to enter a wheel well of a vehicle. Discontinuance of the bending effort causes the rod to partially recover its original form, frictionally engaging the wheel well and retaining in place the light sources providing adequate lighting conditions.

Abstract: A fluid power engine is disclosed. A pair of axially aligned and opposed combustion pistons oscillate in a pair of opposed cylinders. The pistons are connected to each other by a common axial shaft. A fluid power piston is adapted to the shaft and oscillates in a fluid cylinder. Upon oscillating action of the combustion pistons, the fluid power piston oscillates to produce fluid power. By means of a fluid power return assembly, a portion of the fluid power produced is returned to the fluid power piston to urge the combustion pistons in their return directions after their respective firing strokes. The fluid power return assembly includes a spool valve that is actuated by means of physical contact with the combustion pistons.

Abstract: An energy conserving engine particularly for heavy power requirements in freight movers and power plants, consists of an Otto cycle Diesel engine modified to receive superheated water injection for steam operation. The waste energy resulting from heat due to fossil fuel combustion is utilized in a series of counterflow heat exchangers that are temperature and pressure monitored, and valved for computer control of the heat transfer rates, providing superheated water at the proper temperature and pressure for steam operation of the engine. The computer defaults to fossil fuel operation of the engine when superheated water and steam operation conditions do not exist in the counterflow heat exchangers.

Abstract: An illumination panel, which comprises an optical fiber sheet formed by arranging a plurality of optical fibers having a core-sheath structure, which has one end optically connected to a light source and a light-leaking portion on at least one surface thereof, a surface panel arranged on the front surface side of the optical fiber sheet, and a reflecting layer arranged on the back surface side of the optical fiber sheet, wherein the light-leaking portion is formed of a plurality of flaws extending to the core of the optical fiber from the sheath thereof, the light-leaking width of the light-leaking portion increases toward the side far from the light source from the side near to the light source, the presence density of the flaws increases toward the side far from the light source from the side near to the light source, and the depth of the flaws increases toward the side far from the light source from the side near to the light source, whereby the entire illumination surface is uniformly illuminated.

Abstract: A variable frequency control for a hydraulic percussion actuator includes a piston bore and a valve bore. A piston is axially disposed within the piston bore, while a valve is axially disposed within the valve bore. A first piston biasing member biases the piston in a first direction while a second piston biasing member, which overcomes the bias of the first piston biasing member to move the piston in a second direction. A first valve biasing pin biases the valve in a third direction while a second valve biasing pin overcomes the bias of the first valve biasing pin to move the valve in a fourth direction. A hydraulic valve actuator displaces the second valve biasing pin when the piston is extended in the second direction, and a piston actuator activates the second piston biasing pin when the valve is extended in the fourth direction. A valve response member controls the time required for the valve to be displaced in said fourth direction upon actuation of said valve actuating member.

Abstract: A mechanochemical engine cpaable of desalinating sea water or brackish water by the conversion of mechanical work to chemical work, which comprises: a) a housing containing an elastomeric material capable of being stretched, to thereby allow salt-diminished water to move into the elastomeric material, while substantially repelling solvated salt ions from entry thereto, b) means for stretching and relaxing said elastomeric material in said housing, in connection with said elastomeric material; and c) means for uptake of said sea water or brackish water into said housing, means for draining concentrated salt water from said housing, and means for draining desalinated water from said housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing a thermodynamic cycle which may be used to convert low temperature heat to electric power.

Abstract: A method and device for generating steam and electric power for the start-up and/or auxiliary operation of a steam power station include at least one start-up gas turbine, a generator driven by the start-up gas turbine for generating power, and a start-up or auxiliary steam generator being fed by condensate from a main circuit of the steam power station. The exhaust or exit gas from the start-up gas turbine is fed to the start-up or auxiliary steam generator and heating of the start-up or auxiliary steam generator is effected by waste heat in the exhaust or exit gas stream from the start-up gas turbine.

Abstract: A process and apparatus by means of which the premier vapor cycle, known as the Carnot cycle, can be approximated in practice, involve the application of novel energy-efficient, mixed phase, high volume-ratio fluid-handling machinery to a single-component working fluid that exists during certain processes as a mixture of fine droplets of saturated liquid in saturated vapor. This combination of fluid-handling machinery and the saturated mixed-phase working fluid enables the approximation of isentropic saturated liquid/vapor expansion and compression. These process approximations, in addition to isothermal heat addition and rejection, enable Carnot heat engine, refrigeration and heat pump cycles to be approximated.

Abstract: A binary cycle power recovery apparatus which comprises, in combination, a steam separator for separating steam from hot water, a hot water tank where hot water is produced by directly introducing the steam from the steam separator into water; a heating and evaporating means installed in the hot water tank for heating and evaporating a liquid working medium by the hot water in the tank, a turbine derived by the evaporated working medium from the heating and evaporating means, a condenser for condensing the gaseous working medium from the turbine, and a pump for circulating the condensed working medium from the condenser to the heating and evaporation means. The internal power for working the apparatus is reduced and the heat exchange efficiency is improved. As a result, the apparatus may be constructed in a small size adapted for use, for example, by a private administrator of a small hot spring hotel to recover electric power or cold heat source from waste steam which has heretofore been discarded.

Abstract: A piston (14) is slidably received in a chamber (10). The chamber is filled with an expandable medium (16), such as wax, that expands and contracts significantly as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state. A Peltier effect chip (20) selectively adds and removes heat energy from the chamber, hence the medium, to cause the medium to change phase. A temperature control (26) maintains the temperature of the medium substantially at the phase change temperature such that the addition of heat causes an isothermal melting (hence, expansion) and the removal of heat causes an isothermal solidification (hence, contraction). The chamber defines a plurality of thin branches (42) such that the heat is transferred more effectively.

Abstract: Cogeneration of at least electricity and refrigeration with low NO.sub.x combustion of fuel gas supplied at high pressure involves expanding the gas, after preheating, in a turbo-expander which drives a centrifugal compressor for the refrigerant vapor of a refrigeration system. The expanded fuel gas admixed with a limited amount of air is fed to a porous fiber burner to effect flameless combustion on the outer surface of the burner and yield a flue gas with a very low content of NO.sub.x and other pollutants. Combustion heat is used to produce high-pressure steam which is fed to a steam turbine that drives an electric generator. The flue gas can be passed through an absorption system for the recovery of carbon dioxide, part of the steam being utilized in the absorption system. When desired, recovered carbon dioxide can be liquefied with refrigeration produced by the cogeneration system.

Abstract: In a method and device for protecting against erosion and/or corrosion steam pipes of the high-pressure stage of a power and/or steam generation plant saturated steam turbine, at portions of its low-pressure stage and at heaters of the heat exchanger installation of the power and/or steam generation plant, the major part of the water contained in the offtakes and the wet steam outlets of the high-pressure stage is separated out by centrifugal means. A first fraction of the steam partly dried by this means is superheated and/or final dried and then fed into the portions of the low-pressure stage of the turbine and a complementary fraction of the partly dried steam is fed to the heaters. The first fraction and the complementary fraction of the steam are dried together by centrifugal means after which the complementary fraction is final dried by centrifugal means.

Abstract: A variable frequency control for a hydraulic percussion actuator includes a piston bore and a valve bore. A piston is axially disposed within the piston bore, while a valve is axially disposed within the valve bore. A first piston biasing member biases the piston in a first direction while a second piston biasing member, which overcomes the bias of the first piston biasing member to move the piston in a second direction. A first valve biasing pin biases the valve in a third direction while a second valve biasing pin overcomes the bias of the first valve biasing pin to move the valve in a fourth direction. A hydraulic valve actuator displaces the second valve biasing pin when the piston is extended in the second direction, and a piston actuator activates the second piston biasing pin when the valve is extended in the fourth direction. A valve response member controls the time required for the valve to be displaced in said fourth direction upon actuation of said valve actuating member.

Abstract: Spent geothermal fluid from a geothermal power plant comprises geothermal vapor in the form of steam and non-condensable gases, and geothermal liquid in the form of mineral-rich brines. A silencer, which receives the spent geothermal fluid, includes a chamber for receiving the spent fluid and which has a lower outlet from which the brine flows. The chamber has an upper outlet through which the geothermal vapor flows. A heat exchanger is connected to the upper outlet, the heat exchanger having a first portion for receiving the geothermal vapor and the second portion containing a working fluid that is vaporized by the heat contained in the geothermal vapor. As a result, the cooled geothermal vapor produces a low pH condensate and non-condensable gases in the first portion. The brines exiting the silencer through the lower outlet are combined with the low pH condensate and with the non-condensable gases to form waste fluid which may be disposed of by injection into a reinjection well.

Abstract: A heat motor includes a chamber containing a thermally expansible material and an electrical heating element within the expansible material, wherein the expansible material is interposed between all significant surfaces of the electrical heating element and walls of the heat motor defining the chamber. Electrical leads for the electrical heating element extend out of the chamber through a glass plug mounted in a bottom wall of the heat motor. The bottom wall is connected to a side wall of the heat motor by crimping the side wall under the bottom wall to form a flange and to compress an elastomeric seal between the bottom wall and a shoulder of the heat body above the bottom wall. In one embodiment, the electrical heating element includes electrically conducting plates which receive the electrical leads in a plug-in connection.

Abstract: A steam turbine system having a steam chest coupled in operating relationship to a steam turbine includes apparatus for controlled heating of the steam chest to reduce thermal stresses. A throttle valve is connected in a steam flow path between a steam source and the steam chest for regulating the flow of steam over a predetermined range of steam flow rates. A temperature sensor is coupled to the steam chest for providing signals indicative of the temperature of the steam chest. A steam leak-off line coupled to the steam chest includes a flow control valve for regulating the flow of steam from the steam chest through the leak-off line, and a controller is coupled in a controlling relationship to the throttle valve and the flow control valve for controlling the flow of steam into and out of the steam chest to effect a controlled warming of the steam chest. The controller is connected to receive the signals from the temperature sensor and is responsive to the signals for controlling warming of the steam chest.