Auxiliary water pump

Claim 2

In an external continuous combustion engine, a cooling system for said engine, comprising: a. circuit means for positively conveying a cooling fluid between a heat absorbing zone and a heat extraction zone, said circuit means having a fluid passage, b. primary pumping means driven by said engine for moving said fluid through said fluid passage during normal operation of said engine, said primary means permitting fluid flow therethrough when deactivated, and c. auxiliary means for moving said cooling fluid along said passage when said primary means is deactivated, said auxiliary means having a projection normally extending into said passageway during all conditions of flow through said passage, said projection having a shaft driven for rotation about the shaft axis and having at least one fluid moving member supported on said shaft for limited free rotation about an axis transverse to said shaft whereby said fluid moving member may free wheel with fluid flow when said primary means is active and positively move said fluid in response to said shaft being driven when said primary means is deactivated.

Claim 3

The apparatus as in claim 1, in which said transverse axis carries at least one fluid moving member on opposite sides of said shaft, each of said fluid moving members being free to align with fluid flow when said flow is driven by said primary means and effective to align transverse to said flow for imparting fluid movement when said fluid moving members are posItively rotated by said shaft.

Claim 4

The apparatus as in claim 1, in which the engine has an internal closed circuit for heat exchange, and heat sensitive flexible engine components exposed to said closed circuit, said heat absorbing zone being arranged to affect cooling of heat sensitive flexible engine components.

Claim 5

In a Stirling engine having at least one driving piston exposed to the force of an enclosed gas which is thermally cycled, a driven member and a rod connecting said driving piston and driven member, a flexible seal about said connecting rod for dividing said enclosed gas from the driven member, an apparatus combination, comprising: a. a cooling circuit having a passage surrounding said seal for effectively maintaining a predetermined maximum temperature of said seal, b. first pumping means for normally driving a cooling fluid through said passageway when said engine is operating, said pump being normally and continuously disposed in the circuit for said passage, and c. auxiliary means for driving said coolant flow through said passage when said engine and said first pumping means is inactive, said auxiliary means having at least one fluid moving member disposed continuously in said passage, said fluid moving member being carried on said auxiliary pumping means in a manner for aligning with the flow of said fluid when said first pumping means is operative and for positively disaligning with fluid flow to impart a positive force to said fluid when said first means is inactive.

Claim 6

In a Stirling engine having at least one driving piston exposed to the force of an enclosed gas which is thermally cycled, a driven member and a rod connecting said driving piston and driven member, a flexible seal about said connecting rod for dividing said enclosed gas from the driven member, an apparatus combination, comprising: a. a cooling circuit having a passage surrounding said seal for effectively maintaining a predetermined maximum temperature of said seal, b. first pumping means for normally driving a cooling fluid through said passageway when said engine is operating, said pump being normally and continuously disposed in the circuit for said passage, and c. auxiliary means for driving said coolant flow through said passage when said engine and said first pumping means is inactive, said auxiliary means having at least one fluid moving member disposed continuously in said passage, said fluid moving member being carried on said auxiliary pumping means in a manner for aligning with the flow of said fluid when said first pumping means is operative and for positively disaligning with fluid flow to impart a positive force to said fluid when said first means is inactive.

Claim 7

The apparatus combination as in claim 4, in which said circuit has a fluid entrance header, a fluid exit header, and a plurality of passageways connecting said headers and surrounding said seals for providing temperature protection, said auxiliary means being located in said passage downstream in said circuit from said exit header.

Claim 8

The apparatus combination as in claim 1, in which the auxiliary means comprises a selectively rotatable shaft provided with a stop thereon, said shaft rigidly carrying a cross member for rotary movement therewith, said fluid moving member being pivotally carried on said cross member for limited free rotation, said fluid moving member having an extension effective to engage said stop on said shaft after experiencing a predetermined degree of rotation about said arm for providing limitation of said free rotation.

Claim 9

The apparatus combination as in claim 6, in which said stop is defined by a recess in said shaft, said recess providing a surface laying in a plane including said shaft axis, said surface serving as said stop.

Claim 10

The apparatus combination as in claim 4, in which said first pumping means is driven by said engine and said auxiliary means has an independent source of electrical energy for operating an electric motor to rotate the shaft of said auxiliary means.

Claim 11

The system as in claim 1, in which said fluid moving member normally moves between two positions, one position normally aligned with fluid flow coincident with the axis of said shaft, and a position less than 90* from said first position.

Claim 12

The system as in claim 1, in which said limited rotation of said fluid moving member about said transverse axis is provided by cooperation between an extension of said member and a stop on said shaft, said extension being arranged to contact said stop upon reaching a predetermined degree of rotation about said transverse axis.

Claim 13

The system as in claim 1, in which the passage is curvilinear and said shaft is arranged to extend into said curvilinear passage in a manner to carry said transverse axis coincident with a radius of said curvilinear passage.

Claim 14

For use in a Stirling engine having at least one driving piston exposed to the force of an enclosed gas which is thermally cycled, a driven member and a rod connecting said driving piston and driven member, and having a flexible seal about said connecting rod for dividing said enclosed gas from the driven member, and having a cooling circuit witH a passage surrounding said seal for effectively maintaining a predetermined maximum temperature of said seal during engine operation, an auxiliary fluid pump for maintaining said temperature after engine shut down, comprising: a. a rotatable shaft extending into said passage, b. electrical means for rotating said shaft about the longitudinal axis of said shaft, c. an arm carried at and extending across the extremity of said shaft and transverse to the shaft axis, and d. at least one fluid moving member journalled on said arm for limited rotation transverse to said shaft, said member being rotatably movable in response to flow created by said engine to align with said flow, said member being rotatably movable in response to rotation of said shaft and to the reaction force of fluid in said passage to extend transverse to said shaft for imparting thrust to said fluid in said passage, the member having an extension effective to engage said shaft to limit rotatable movement in response to rotation of said shaft so that said member assumes an optimum position for imparting thrust to said fluid.

Claim 15

For use in a Stirling engine having at least one driving piston exposed to the force of an enclosed gas which is thermally cycled, a driven member and a rod connecting said driving piston and driven member, and having a flexible seal about said connecting rod for dividing said enclosed gas from the driven member, and having a cooling circuit witH a passage surrounding said seal for effectively maintaining a predetermined maximum temperature of said seal during engine operation, an auxiliary fluid pump for maintaining said temperature after engine shut down, comprising: a. a rotatable shaft extending into said passage, b. electrical means for rotating said shaft about the longitudinal axis of said shaft, c. an arm carried at and extending across the extremity of said shaft and transverse to the shaft axis, and d. at least one fluid moving member journalled on said arm for limited rotation transverse to said shaft, said member being rotatably movable in response to flow created by said engine to align with said flow, said member being rotatably movable in response to rotation of said shaft and to the reaction force of fluid in said passage to extend transverse to said shaft for imparting thrust to said fluid in said passage, the member having an extension effective to engage said shaft to limit rotatable movement in response to rotation of said shaft so that said member assumes an optimum position for imparting thrust to said fluid.