Abstract: A one way valve includes a valve housing. A valve compartment is located with the valve housing. An inlet and an outlet port are mounted in the valve housing to provide communication with the valve compartment. The inlet port has an inner cylindrical portion extending into the valve compartment. A cup shaped valve cap is movably mounted on the inner portion of the inlet port between two positions. One in which orifices in the inner portion of the inlet port are uncovered to open the valve, and a second position in which the free edge of the valve cap engages a seal mounted in the valve compartment and surrounding the inner portion of the inlet port to close the valve. When the valve is closed the inner portion of the inlet port is completely enclosed within the valve cap. Movement of the valve cap to open the valve is limited by the cap engaging a portion of the outlet port which projects into the valve compartment.

Abstract: A thermally powered engine which obtains energy from a closed heat transfer loop. The engine has two power cylinders. A piston is reciprocally mounted within each cylinder and divides the interior space of each cylinder into two portions. A piston rod is affixed to each piston and extends through the upper closed end of each cylinder. A flexible diaphragm is mounted in the lower portion of each cylinder and with the lower closed end of the cylinder forms a power chamber. A fluid fills the upper portion of both cylinders. A passageway between the cylinders permits the fluid to act as a free piston causing the piston of the cylinder in its exhaust stroke to force refrigerant from its power chamber to the condenser of the heat transfer loop. Refrigerant from the evaporator of the transfer loop flowing into a power chamber forces the piston upward during the pistons power stroke. Valves regulate the flow of refrigerant into and out of the power chambers of each of the power cylinders.

Abstract: A thermally powered heat transfer system which sequentially displaces thermal energy from the highest temperature heat source through two or more high temperature heat transfer loops to a heat sink. The system includes two or more two chamber compressors, with the high temperature chamber of each compressor being included in a high temperature heat transfer loop, there being a high temperature heat transfer loop for each compressor. The low temperature chamber of each compressor is included in one or more low temperature heat transfer loops. The source of heat for the evaporator heat exchanger of each high temperature heat transfer loop except one being heat from the condenser heat exchanger of another high temperature loop. The heat exchangers for the low temperature heat transfer loops being interchangeable depending on the mode of operation at any given time.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for transferring heat. A pair of closed loop heat transfer loops each includes a refrigerant, a condenser to remove heat from the refrigerant, and an evaporator which adds heat to the refrigerant from its associated heat source. Each loop also includes a chamber of a compressor which has a free piston common to both chambers. One of the chambers is located above the other so that in one of the two cycles of operation, thermal energy from a heat source of the loop including the upper chamber evaporates liquified refrigerant collected in a collector of the loop in the previous cycle of operation which vapor together with gravity acting on the free piston cause the piston to compress vaporized refrigerant of the other loop in the lower chamber. This compressed refrigerant is condensed by loss of heat to an associated heat sink and is collected in the collector of its loop.

Abstract: A thermally powered heat transfer system consisting of two closed heat transfer loops which share a compressor which is alternately powered by the refrigerants of the two loops. This system is powered by two heat sources having different temperatures of which the lower temperature heat source may be the heat within a structure to be cooled. An evaporator of the first loop located within the structure to be cooled is charged with a low boiling point refrigerant while an evaporator of the second loop is heated by a higher temperature heat source and is charged with a higher boiling point refrigerant. The heat sinks of the loops are at temperatures between those of the two heat sources. Controls are activated at the completion of each compressor stroke, or cycle, to alternately open and close valves which regulate vapor and liquid flows to cause the compressor to act with compressive force upon one or the other refrigerant vapor during each cycle of operation of the system to effect useful heat transfer.

Abstract: Temperature induced density differences between two connected columns of a fluid establish a pressure differential which is converted into kinetic energy for driving a power generating unit responsive to fluid flow.