HYDRIDE DISPLACER

Discussion on Stirling or "hot air" engines (all types)
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fullofhotair
Posts: 265
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:28 am

HYDRIDE DISPLACER

Post by fullofhotair »

The displacer is a sealed hollow cylinder (a can) full of loose hydride wool. The hydride works as a compressor on the hydrogen working fluid. There are two one way valves, one on top and one on the bottom. When the cylinder is moving into the cold side the vacuum in the cylinder pulls the one way valve open on top. hydrogen is pulled into the hydride lowering the pressure on the cold side, reducing resistance of the expanding hot side. As the displacer moves down it heats up increasing the internal pressure shoving the one way valve on the bottom open. This would increase the pressure on the hot side. The displacer would have to be close fitting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydride_compressor
http://youtu.be/d0bt1RGJsJY
Geoff V
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:49 am

Re: HYDRIDE DISPLACER

Post by Geoff V »

Fullofhotair

I've read and reread your proposal and am clearly missing something.

The two, one way valves, in which direction do they allow flow?

If they both work in one direction, how does the working gas reciprocate from one end on the displacer to the other, as it is a close fit?

If the valves work in opposite directions how does the gas within the displacer not become evacuated or evacuate the engine depending on their orientation?

How does the internal volume of the displacer not become dead volume and dramatically reduce the pressure swing?

What causes the displacer to change its temperature so quickly?

Mystified.

GeoffV
fullofhotair
Posts: 265
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:28 am

Re: HYDRIDE DISPLACER

Post by fullofhotair »

Geoff v

Your right, a poor design. what if you had a tube running through the side of the displacer. A valve could be opened or closed by catches on the vessels interior wall, as the displacer mores by them. This could equalize the pressure when needed on both sides of the displacer.
From what I can make out Halide cycles rapidly when heated or cooled to absorb or desorb hydrogen. The engine in the video has a piston so it must be moving from the hot to the cold side to turn the generator. The two engines could be tuned to synchronize RPM. The question is, would this make a more powerful engine? Why aren't heat engines combined? The most efficient external heat engine has to loose heat which another engine can use.
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