Abstract:
An improved internal combustion engine of the four-stroke variable volume type operates by refraining from introducing substantial fuel into the working medium during the compression stroke until substantially maximum pressure of the working medium has been reached and utilizing at least one of the following processes: (a) causing combustion of fuel under substantially constant volume conditions; and (b) causing the power stroke to provide a larger volume to combustion products than the compression stroke provides to the working medium. Related methods are also provided.
Abstract:
An internal combustion engine includes in one aspect a source of a pressurized working medium and an expander. The expander has a housing and a piston, movably mounted within and with respect to the housing, to perform one of rotation and reciprocation, each complete rotation or reciprocation defining at least a part of a cycle of the engine. The expander also includes a septum, mounted within the housing and movable with respect to the housing and the piston so as to define in conjunction therewith, over first and second angular ranges of the cycle, a working chamber that is isolated from an intake port and an exhaust port. Combustion occurs at least over the first angular range of the cycle to provide heat to the working medium and so as to increase its pressure. The working chamber over a second angular range of the cycle expands in volume while the piston receives, from the working medium as a result of its increased pressure, a force relative to the housing that causes motion of the piston relative to the housing.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for producing frozen dough which can be directly transferred from freezer to oven without a proofing or thawing step. The process comprises mixing the dough ingredients, forming gas nucleation sites, exercising the dough by subjecting to cycles of pressure differentials and freezing the dough. The frozen product can be transferred directly from the freezer to an oven for baking.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for producing frozen dough which can be directly transferred from freezer to oven without a proofing or thawing step. The process comprises mixing the dough ingredients, forming gas nucleation sites, exercising the dough by subjecting to cycles of pressure differentials and freezing the dough. The frozen product can be transferred directly from the freezer to an oven for baking.
Abstract:
The invention is a battery containing at least one electrochemical cell having a sealing plate with a pressure relief vent, the sealing plate being part of an electrical circuit between one of the electrodes and the corresponding terminal under normal conditions but capable of changing shape to break the circuit without the cell venting when the temperature of the sealing plate rises to a predetermined level and then returning to its original shape to reestablish the broken circuit when the sealing plate temperature returns to a normal level.
Abstract:
An energy storage device, such as a battery or supercapacitor, that includes at least two electrodes, at least one of the electrodes includes an electrically conducting substrate having a layer of energy accumulating redox polymer complex compound of transition metal having at least two different degrees of oxidation, which polymer complex compound is formed of stacked transition metal complex monomers. The stacked transition metal complex monomers have a planar structure with the deviation from the plane of no greater than 0.1 nm and a branched system of conjugated &pgr;-bonds. The polymer complex compound of transition metal can be formed as a polymer metal complex with substituted tetra-dentate Schiff's base. The layer thickness of redox polymer is within the range 1 nm-20 &mgr;m.
Abstract:
A power plant includes a high temperature fuel cell, a volume expansion heat engine producing mechanical energy, and a combustion chamber coupled to receive from said fuel cell at least a portion of unconsumed fuel and apply high pressure combusted gases to the engine. A reformer can feed fuel to said fuel cell. A distributor distributes fuel cell exhaust fuel selectively to the reformer and the combustion chamber and varies the ratio of exhaust fuel fed to the reformer and combustion chamber in accordance with predetermined power desired from said fuel cell and engine.
Abstract:
A pivot assembly for mounting a pivot arm on a housing includes in a first embodiment thereof a pair of spaced mounting walls which extend inwardly in the housing adjacent opposite side extremities of a pivot opening therein and a pivot shaft on the pivot arm. The mounting walls have open notches therein which open outwardly through the pivot opening for receiving the pivot shaft therein, and the mounting walls and the pivot arm have retaining members thereon which cooperate to retain the pivot shaft in the notches. In a second embodiment the pivot assembly includes a concave mounting seat, a pivot arm having a pivot shaft which is received in mating engagement in the mounting seat and a retaining member having a convex retaining face thereon which is received in mating engagement with a corresponding concave pivot face on the pivot member for retaining the pivot shaft in the mounting seat.
Abstract:
A walking device employs a linkage mechanism to drive a vehicle on skis supporting it. The linkage mechanism, of which Peaucellier's mechanism is a special case, is caused to raise the skis when a motor drives linkages to raise one of its pivot axes. During that portion of the cycle in which a given ski supports the vehicle, a locking mechanism locks its movable axis against movement, and the weight of the vehicle is thereby not transmitted to the motor.
Abstract:
A rotary engine has a cycloid rotor and a sealing grid including a face seal that rotates with the rotor, and including other seals that do not rotate with the rotor. As the rotor rotates within a housing, the rotor, housing and seal grid form at least one working chamber between them, the chamber undergoing a change from initial volume V1 to V2, which is less than V1, thus compressing a working medium, and subsequently expanding to volume V3, which may be larger than V1, such that the chamber volume is a smooth and continuous function of rotor's rotational angle.