Abstract: The present invention provides a stirling engine, which is capable of reducing a frictional loss and eliminating possibility of deterioration of a heat exchanger due to lubricant oil applied to piston rings and the like. The stirling engine includes cylinders (22,32), pistons (21,31) reciprocating inside the cylinder while keeping an air-tight condition between the piston and the cylinder by means of a gas bearing (48), and an linear approximation mechanism (50) coupled directly or indirectly to the piston and disposed so that the piston may make approximately linear motion when the piston reciprocates inside the cylinder. The stirling engine has a piston engine which is in a ringless (i.e., without piston rings) and oilless (i.e., without lubricant oil) state so as to reduce the frictional loss and to prevent the deterioration of the heat exchanger by the lubricant oil.

Abstract: An operating gas circulation type internal combustion engine that uses argon as the operating gas, for example, and includes a hydrogen and oxygen supply portion, an argon supply amount regulating portion, and an electric control unit. The electric control unit determines the amount of hydrogen and oxygen to be supplied to a combustion chamber based on a required torque, which is the torque required of the internal combustion engine, and supplies the determined amounts of hydrogen and oxygen to the combustion chamber using the hydrogen supply portion and the oxygen supply portion. Further, the electric control unit determines an amount of operating gas to be supplied to the combustion chamber according to the required torque, and controls the argon supply amount regulating portion such that the determined amount of operating gas is supplied to the combustion chamber.

Abstract: In a Stirling engine, a casing houses therein component elements of the Stirling engine, including a high-temperature-side cylinder, a high-temperature-side piston, a connecting rod, a crankshaft, etc. A pressure control device determines whether the pressure of the gas charged in the casing has declined. If the pressure of the gas has declined, the pressure control device drives a pump to pressurize the gas charged in the casing.

Abstract: A piston apparatus which configures an air bearing by introducing a compressed working media into an inside of a piston, and ejecting the working media from plural holes arranged on a circumferential portion of the piston into a clearance between the piston and the cylinder, which prevents a back-flow of the working media in the piston to a working space, and which readily secures reliability and longevity is provided.

Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery apparatus includes: an exhaust heat recovery unit that produces motive power by recovering thermal energy from exhaust gas discharged from a heat engine; an electric generator that is driven by the exhaust heat recovery unit; a first power transmission-switching device that switches between connection and disconnection between the heat engine and the exhaust heat recovery unit; and a second power transmission-switching device that switches between connection and disconnection between the exhaust heat recovery unit and the electric generator, wherein the heat engine or the electric generator is selectively connected to the exhaust heat recovery unit, depending on the operational status of the heat engine. The exhaust heat recovery apparatus makes it possible to effectively use surplus motive power produced by an exhaust heat recovery unit.

Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery apparatus includes: an exhaust heat recovery unit that produces motive power by recovering thermal energy from exhaust heat, wherein the produced motive power is combined with motive power produced by a heat engine and is output together therewith; an auxiliary that is driven by at least the exhaust heat recovery unit; and a power transmission-switching device that is provided between the heat engine and the exhaust heat recovery unit, the same power transmission-switching device being provided between the heat engine and the auxiliary, and that cuts off the connection between the heat engine and the exhaust heat recovery unit when there is no request to drive the heat engine. Thus, it becomes possible to effectively use the surplus motive power produced by the exhaust heat recovery unit when there is no request to drive the heat engine.

Abstract: Provided is an exhaust heat recovery apparatus that includes: an exhaust heat recovery unit that recovers thermal energy from exhaust gas discharged from a heat engine; and a power transmission-switching device that cuts off the connection between an output shaft of the heat engine and an output shaft of the exhaust heat recovery unit when the heat engine is started. With the exhaust heat recovery apparatus, the reduction in the power output from the heat engine, from which exhaust heat is recovered, is suppressed when the exhaust heat of the heat engine is recovered.

Abstract: An approximate straight-line mechanism that is connected to the connecting portion connecting the piston and the connecting rod regulates the movement of the connecting portion such that it moves in an approximately straight line along the axial center line of the cylinder. In one aspect, the engaging ends of multiple nearly-straight links, as well as the engaging end of the nearly-straight link that engages with the connecting portion connecting the piston and the connecting rod, constitute a single-side-support construction that enables the nearly-straight links to be rotatably connected while engaging from a prescribed direction.

Abstract: A Stirling engine includes at least a first cylinder and a second cylinder arranged in serial, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a radiator, a regenerator, and a heater. At least a part of the heat exchanger is formed in a curved shape so as to connect between the first cylinder and the second cylinder. The heater is formed in a curved shape so as to connect between the first cylinder and the second cylinder. The radiator and the regenerator are linearly formed along the direction of extension of the cylinder.

Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery apparatus includes a first piston; a second piston; a first cylinder in which the first piston reciprocates; a second cylinder in which the second piston reciprocates; and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a heater that is independently shiftable with respect to at least one of the first cylinder and the second cylinder, and has one end portion arranged at a side of the first cylinder and receiving heat from heat medium, a regenerator that is arranged at a side of another end portion of the heater, and a cooler that has one end portion arranged at a side of the regenerator and another end portion arranged at a side of the second cylinder.

Abstract: A piston reciprocating in a cylinder includes a piston top portion receiving pressure from working fluid in the cylinder; a skirt portion opposed to an inner surface of the cylinder; an accumulation chamber partition which is provided in an inner space of the skirt portion in non-contact manner as a structure independent from the skirt portion, partitions the inner space of the skirt portion, and forms an accumulation chamber into which gas in a working space in the cylinder is introduced; and a gas discharging hole which is provided in the skirt portion, and discharges gas in the accumulation chamber to form a gas bearing between the cylinder and the piston.

Abstract: A heat energy recovery apparatus includes a compressor; a heat exchanger; an expander; a working gas exhaust pipe which leads the working gas compressed by the compressor to the heat exchanger; a working gas exhaust path generally parallel to a direction of the thermal expansion of the heat exchanger; an extending unit extensible in the same direction as that of the thermal expansion when the heat exchanger expands thermally and tensile stress occurs in the working gas exhaust path with the thermal expansion of the heat exchanger; and a shrinking unit shrinkable in the same direction as that of the thermal expansion when the heat exchanger expands thermally and compressive stress occurs in the working gas exhaust path with the thermal expansion of the heat exchanger.

Abstract: The present invention provides a stirling engine, which is capable of reducing a frictional loss and eliminating possibility of deterioration of a heat exchanger due to lubricant oil applied to piston rings and the like. The stirling engine includes cylinders (22,32), pistons (21,31) reciprocating inside the cylinder while keeping an air-tight condition between the piston and the cylinder by means of a gas bearing (48), and an linear approximation mechanism (50) coupled directly or indirectly to the piston and disposed so that the piston may make approximately linear motion when the piston reciprocates inside the cylinder. The stirling engine has a piston engine which is in a ringless (i.e., without piston rings) and oilless (i.e., without lubricant oil) state so as to reduce the frictional loss and to prevent the deterioration of the heat exchanger by the lubricant oil.

Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery apparatus (functioning as a Stirling engine), which is installed in, for example, an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and an exhaust passage of factory exhaust heat as restraining reduction in exhaust heat recovery efficiency, is installed in a device installing surface formed in the heat medium passage so that the device installing surface and a heater connecting side end surface of a high temperature side cylinder become parallel and the device installing surface and a cooler connecting side end surface of a low temperature side cylinder become parallel. The high temperature side cylinder is arranged at an upstream side of a direction of exhaust flow. The low temperature side cylinder is arranged at a downstream side of the high temperature side cylinder.

Abstract: A stirling engine includes a flow path that communicates a working space of the stirling engine and outside of the stirling engine. A working gas is supplied from the outside of the stirling engine to the working space via the flow path based on a differential pressure of the working space and the outside of the stirling engine.

Abstract: A stirling engine includes a flow path which communicates a working space of the stirling engine and a crankcase of the stirling engine. An output of the stirling engine is controlled so that the output lowers when a pressure inside the working space is higher than a pressure in the crankcase, with a transfer of a fluid in the working space to the crankcase via the flow path thereby causing a decrease in the pressure of the working space.

Abstract: An approximate straight-line mechanism that is connected to the connecting portion connecting the piston and the connecting rod regulates the movement of the connecting portion such that it moves in an approximately straight line along the axial center line of the cylinder. In one aspect, the engaging ends of multiple nearly-straight links, as well as the engaging end of the nearly-straight link that engages with the connecting portion connecting the piston and the connecting rod, constitute a single-side-support construction that enables the nearly-straight links to be rotatably connected while engaging from a prescribed direction.

Abstract: A Stirling engine includes at least a first cylinder and a second cylinder arranged in serial, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a radiator, a regenerator, and a heater. At least a part of the heat exchanger is formed in a curved shape so as to connect between the first cylinder and the second cylinder. The heater is formed in a curved shape so as to connect between the first cylinder and the second cylinder. The radiator and the regenerator are linearly formed along the direction of extension of the cylinder.

Abstract: An excess voltage applied to a piezoelectric element is detected and controlled to improve durability and reliability of the piezoelectric element. A fuel injection control device for an internal combustion engine in which a power source voltage is boosted by a dc-dc converter and the so-boosted output voltage is supplied via a first choke coil and a first thyristor to a piezoelectric element for charging the piezoelectric element, the electric charge of which is subsequently discharged via a second thyristor and a second choke coil. The fuel injection control device includes a positive voltage detection unit for detecting an excess voltage arranged between the first choke coil and the first thyristor and a positive voltage control unit controlled by an output signal of the positive voltage detection unit and adapted for shorting both ends of the first choke coil. The current through the first thyristor is cutoff to prevent the excess voltage from being applied to the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: Piezoelectric element used in a fuel injection value is to be improved in its response to expansion and contraction, while the supply of an excess energy to the piezoelectric element is to be controlled. In a fuel injection control device in which an output voltage of the dc-dc converter is applied to a piezoelectric element via a choke coil and a thyristor, a current detection unit is provided between the dc-dc converter and the thyristor. A measured value of the electric charge, as found by integrating a charging current flowing through the current detection unit is compared by a comparator to a command value of electrical charges as found by processing the dc-dc converter output voltage. The results of comparison are supplied to a latch unit so as to be latched at the timing of a peak value of the charging current.