MECHANICAL ENERGY

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device and method for converting of thermal energy into mechanical energy using heat, including the heat of the environment, carrying out the converting of the thermal energy into mechanical energy in a thermo insulated medium.

PRIOR ART

DE 10 2009 057 613 Al discloses a method for extracting energy from a gas flow, e.g. carbon dioxide, which is a side product of different production processes. In this invention the mechanical energy is produced by driving a turbine by a gas flow with a higher pressure of 20 bars and a low temperature of -20°C. The heat of the functioning turbine is used to warm the compressed gas which usually is stored at high pressure and low temperature. The warmed compressed gas expands and creates the working flow driving the turbine. This document does not mention that the medium in which functions the appliance must be thermo insulated. Besides insofar this invention uses a carbon dioxide which is already compressed to a pressure of 80 bars and cooled to -70°C, this involves use of an additional energy to compress and cool the gas already used in the process.

US 3,842,333 disclose motor engines which are non-polluting to the environment and consist of a gas engine and an electro dynamic means comprising an alternator (generator of electricity). A cryogenic fluid (liquidified nitrogen) is passed though the electric drive and through the alternator, both devices being kept under very cold conditions; the cryogenic liquid is evaporated and the resulting gas is used to drive the gas engine which in turn drives the alternator to produce electricity stored in accumulator batteries and used for driving the electro engine. There is no mention in this document of a closed cycle of the cryogenic fluid. The motor engine according to this invention does not make use of the temperature conditions of the environment to extract energy but it constantly consumes energy to cool and liquidify the cryogenic fluid because the technical problem solved by this invention is not how to extract energy from the surrounding medium but how to make an engine which does not pollute the environment.

CH 1 228 797 discloses a gas turbine appliance consisting of two sequentially connected turbines with two compressors, between the turbines - a means for new heating of the working substance - gas dioxide by means of an external heating source means for condensing the gas working substance and a means for increasing the pressure of the gas working substance. The condensate is returned into the gas pipeline by means of a condensate line and is evaporated in the gas pipeline. This decreases the energy consumption of the compressors. However no working of the appliance in a thermo insulated medium is disclosed in this document. There is no disclosure as well neither of sequentially connected turbines with decreasing power, nor of sequentially connected evaporators with decreasing pressure. Besides the appliance according to this invention consumes continuously quite a big amount of energy from an external source for the heating of the working substance and for its condensation thereafter which is achieved by a heat exchange in a thermo insulated medium according to the present invention.

US 2008/0092542 Al discloses a method for generation of energy called "Graham energy". Generally the method consists in adding a turbine to a climatic installation with gas as working substance. The working substance is heated by the heat generated by a climatic installation, into a gas flow directed with high speed into a turbine through a nozzle. The turbine produces energy driving the compressor and/or generator. Thereafter the cooling gas is compressed to a liquid state in order to be recycled. The heat of the condensation process is returned back to the process to warm the cooling gas before it is directed into the turbine, thus closing the cycle of the process. It is stated in this document that the medium is hermetic insofar it does not allow escaping of the working gas C02 to the environment and the working substance is evaporated in a heat exchanger having the temperature of the surrounding medium. There is no mention of a thermo insulation of the appliance. Furthermore no sequence of converters of thermal energy with a decreasing power and no sequence of evaporators of working substance with decreasing pressure are mentioned. It should be noted that the method works only in combination with a climatic installation whose working process provides a continuous input of energy from an external source. However the present invention does not need to be combined with a climatic installation and does not need a constant intake of energy from an external source after the initial start because it makes use in a very high degree of the energy of the working substance in a thermo insulated medium.

US 8,276,384 B2 discloses a cryogenic engine with thermal energy of the surrounding medium and a constant pressure. Initially the liquid cryogenic fluid is evaporated to a gas at very low temperatures and fed to a device for gas compression which forms the working gas flow at a low temperature. The working gas flow is passed through a heat exchange with the temperature of the surrounding medium to an external chamber for increasing the temperature and volume of the working substance at a constant pressure and after that it is directed to the active chamber of a cylinder with a piston. The working substance is compressed in a condenser with a temperature of the surrounding medium. The cylinders and pistons (converters of thermal energy into mechanical energy) are not thermo insulated from each other as well as from the surrounding medium. This patent document does not mention a sequence of evaporators with a decreasing pressure, respectively converters of energy with a decreasing strength. Furthermore the compression and liquidifying of the working substance requires rather high and constant consumption of energy because it works in a non-insulated medium.

It is evident from the prior art that there is no technical solution aiming at the conversion of the thermal energy of the environment by means of a completely closed working cycle with a sequential arrangement of a number of converters of thermal energy into mechanical energy which has a high efficiency due to its functioning in a thermo insulated medium and does not need constantly an additional energy coming form an external source. Such a technical solution is the present invention.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device which makes use of the thermal energy of the environment converting it into mechanical energy in a thermo insulated working medium using as a working substance a liquidified gas, e.g. nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, carbon dioxide, air and the like whose boiling temperature is lower than the temperature of the surrounding medium. The device of the invention can be driven with the heat of any sources including the heat of the environment. When we use a standard heat source, it should heat the working substance to a temperature which is higher than its boiling temperature.

When the heat source is the surrounding medium, the device of the invention consists of a thermo insulated part - reference numeral 7 in Figure 1 , and a part which is not thermo insulated. The device uses a closed cycle of liquid working substance. The liquid working substance circulates through an external heat exchanger 9 and the thermo insulated part. The heat exchanger 9 is not thermo insulated so that it could exchange heat with the surrounding medium. In the thermo insulated part the working substance passes through a number of evaporators 3 and pumps 4. The pumps 4 drive the cycle of the liquid working substance setting the direction from an evaporator a (called hereinafter first evaporator) to evaporator b, from evaporator b to evaporator c....to evaporator x (called hereinafter last evaporator). From the last evaporator (x) the liquid working substance enters the heat exchanger 9. From the heat exchanger 9 the liquid working substance enters the first evaporator (a) and thus the cycle becomes closed. In the thermo insulated part there are a number of converters of thermal energy to mechanical energy (CTEME) 1 (Figure 1) connected with the evaporators 3. The pairs evaporator - CTEME are thermo insulated from each other as well. The evaporators 3 evaporate a working substance and CTEME 1 convert the thermal energy in mechanical energy driving the driving shaft 8 with a flywheel 11. CTEME are connected with the driving shaft by transmission boxes 20. In the thermo insulated part the working substance is divided into a liquid working substance and gaseous working substance. In the evaporators 3 are arranged heat exchangers 5 and 18 through which passes the gaseous working substance. In this manner both physical conditions of the working substance exchange heat with each other.

Thermal processes

Suppose the evaporators 3 and the external heat exchanger 9 both are filled with a liquidified working substance. The temperature of the liquid working substance in the evaporators decreases from the temperature of the surrounding medium in the first evaporator (a in Figure 1) to the boiling temperature of the working substance in the last evaporator (x in Figure 1). Let's accept that the temperature of the working substance in the external heat exchanger 9 is the same as the temperature of the surrounding medium. When we open the valve 2, the working substance begins to evaporate in the evaporators 3. This starts to drive the CTEME 1. CTEME 1 start to drive the driving shaft 8 and the shaft 8 starts to drive the pumps 4. The liquid working substance begins to circulate through the evaporators 3 and the external heat exchanger 9. The pumps set the direction of movement of the liquid working substance from the first evaporator to the last evaporator - from a to b, c, ..., x. Due to the evaporation of the liquid working substance 3 its temperature decreases with each further evaporator because the evaporators are thermo insulated. Together with the cooling off of the liquid working substance cool off as well the gases exiting the CTEME 1 , due to the heat exchange between them in the heat exchangers 5 and 18. Thus, with suitable load on the driving shaft, suitable output of the pumps and sufficient number of pairs of evaporators and CTEME we can maintain the temperature of the evaporators 3 to decrease from the temperature of the surrounding medium at the entrance of the first evaporator (a) to the boiling point in the last one (x). In Figure 1 is represented a device having 4 evaporators, 4 CTEME accordingly, but they could be more. At least there must be two evaporators with two CTEME - a warm and a cold part for each device. From the external heat exchanger 9 into the first evaporator (a) will enter a liquid working substance having the temperature of the surrounding medium. From the first evaporator into the second evaporator (b) will enter a cooler working substance as a result of the evaporation in the first evaporator (a). The temperature of the liquid working substance decreases with each further evaporator due to the evaporation in the previous evaporator.

The first evaporator (a) is filled with the warmest working substance, therefore the evaporating gases will have the highest pressure and the CTEME 1 connected with the first evaporator (a) must have the highest power. With each further evaporator the temperature of the liquid working substance (as accepted above) drops down to the boiling point of the working substance in the last evaporator x. Each further CTEME 1 will have smaller power. The sum of the powers of all CTEME 1 will give the power of the driving shaft 8.

Closing the cycle of the working substance

In the thermo insulated part the working substance is divided into a liquid working substance and a gaseous working substance. In order to close the cycle, we need to liquidity the gaseous working substance, to bring it back to its original condition, a liquid. The gaseous working substance will be liquidified by means of a compressor 6 and/or the low temperature of the last evaporator (x). The compressor 6 is connected with the driving shaft 8 by a transmission box 20 in such a manner that the compressor 6 is driven by the CTEME 1.

The compressor 6 compresses the gases in the heat exchanger 5 of the last evaporator (x) which is the cold part of the device of the invention. There the gaseous working substance will be liquidified under the pressure of the compressor and/or the low temperature of the evaporator. Through the pump 19 the liquidified gases are combined with the liquid working substance. For the unit to work, we will arrange heat exchangers 5 and 18 in all evaporators 3 through which pass the gases so that the liquid and the gaseous working substance exchange heat, the gases giving their heat to the liquid working substance. The heat of both physical conditions of the working substance is converted into mechanical energy by the CTEME. Thus, together with the cooling off of the liquid working substance with each evaporator will cool off the gaseous working substance due to the heat exchange between them. In the last evaporator (x) both the liquid working substance and the liquidified gases will have a temperature which is close to the boiling point. At the entrance of the device of the invention we will have a liquid working substance with the temperature of the surrounding medium, and at the exit - a liquid working substance having a temperature which is close to the boiling point of the working substance.

The power of the device in the ideal case will be:

P= cm(T _sur - T _boi |) wherein

c is the specific thermal capacity of the working substance

m is the mass of the entering (exiting) working substance for a given time

T _sur is the temperature of the surrounding medium

Tboii is the boiling temperature of the working substance.

Operation and importance of the pumps

The pumps perform only a mechanical work which is expressed in the circulation of the liquid working substance through the evaporators and the external heat exchanger. They do not perform a thermo dynamic work on the liquid working substance. The pumps are connected mechanically to the driving shaft, the output of the first and last pumps being equal. The pumps between the evaporators must have a decreasing output, bearing in mind that some quantity of the gas evaporates in each of the evaporators. The difference in their output at each of both sides of a particular evaporator must be as much as the quantity of the liquid substance evaporated from the evaporator. The purpose of the multitude of pumps is to set the pressure of each evaporator in accordance with the heat of the liquid working substance, depending on its sequential position in the sequence of evaporators with decreasing temperature. The obligatory arrangement of a pump upstream and downstream of the evaporator sets its pressure in view of the fact that the pressure in the evaporator works on both sides equally - in the direction of movement of the working substance in the pump on a first side, and in the opposite direction of the movement of the working substance in the pump on the other side of the evaporator, the small difference in the output of the pumps being ignored.

The heat exchange between both phases of the working substance can be accomplished in three manners:

- by heat exchangers for a gaseous working substance with low pressure 5;

- by heat exchangers for gaseous working substance with high pressure 18;

- by heat exchangers for a gaseous working substance with low pressure 5 and ones with high pressure 18.

Method of heat exchange with heat exchangers with low pressure 5

The method of heat exchange between the liquid working substance and the gaseous working substance with heat exchangers for low pressure of the gases consists in using a device comprising heat exchangers 5, valves 13, temperature sensors 12 arranged in the evaporators 3 and upstream of the heat exchangers 5, compressor 6 and an adjustable reducing valve 10 (Figure la). At the end of each heat exchanger 5 there is an adjustable valve 21.

The gas vapors exiting the CTEME 1 are conducted to the compressor. The vapors of the first CTEME pass through the heat exchanger 5 to the second evaporator 3. The gas from the first and second CTEME passes through the heat exchanger 5 of the third evaporator. Generally the gas exiting CTEME passes through the heat exchangers 5 of the next evaporators. Downstream of the last but one of the heat exchangers all collected gases plus the gas exiting the last but one and the last CTEME enter the compressor 6. Under its pressure they are liquidified in the heat exchanger of the last evaporator. After that through a pump 19 the liquid is combined with the liquid working substance circulating through the evaporators and the external heat exchanger. Thus the cycle is closed.

In accordance with the readings of the temperature sensors 12 reading the temperature of the gases upstream of the heat exchangers and the temperature sensors in the evaporators the adjustable valves 21 are adjusted in such a manner that the temperature of the gases exiting CTEME 1 is higher than the temperature of the evaporator to which these gases will flow. This is achieved by decreasing the output by means of the adjustable valves 21. Thus the gaseous working substance conveys its heat to the liquid working substance in each of the evaporators and the heat balance of the device is maintained - the temperature decreases with each further evaporator.

Heat exchange method with heat exchangers 18 of the gaseous working substance under pressure and a system for liquidifying of the gaseous working substance (SLGWS)

According to this method the gases from CTEME 1 are collected and made to enter the compressor 6 (Figure lb). It compresses them in the heat exchangers 18 and the entering gases are liquidified under the pressure and the low temperature in the heat exchanger 5 of the last evaporator (3x). For the most effective carrying out of this method we will use a system for liquidifying of the gaseous working substance (SLGWS).

Operation and significance of the system for liquidifying of the gaseous working substance (SLGWS)

SLGWS consists of heat exchangers for gaseous working substance under pressure 18 arranged in the evaporators 3 in the warm part of the device; a heat exchanger 5 arranged in the evaporator (3x) in the cold part of the device; a compressor 6; adjustable valves 21 arranged at the end of each heat exchanger; an adjustable reducing valve 10 arranged at the end of the heat exchanger in the evaporator (3x); valves 13; temperature sensors 12 arranged downstream of the compressor 6, in the evaporators and upstream of each heat exchanger 18. Gases collected from all CTEME 1 enter the compressor 6 without exchanging heat in the heat exchangers for low pressure 5. To this purpose we arrange by-pass pipes connected upstream and downstream of each heat exchanger 5, and valves 13 which are configured in such a manner that the gaseous working substance passes through the by-pass pipes and not through the heat exchangers as depicted in Figure lb. Thus the gaseous working substance is conveyed into the compressor 6. Under the pressure of the compressor 6 the temperature of the gaseous working substance is raised. In accordance with the readings of the temperature sensors arranged in the evaporators 3 downstream of the compressor 6 and upstream of the heat exchangers 18 and 5 we configure the valves 13 in such a manner that the gases enter the first heat exchanger, the temperature of the evaporator in which this heat exchanger is located being lower than the temperature of the incoming gases.

In Figure lb the gases flow into the heat exchanger of the first evaporator (3a). This configuration is conditional. From there the gases consecutively pass through all heat exchangers going forward along the chain of heat exchangers 18. In order to achieve the most effective operation we regulate in each moment of time the adjustable valves 21 in such a manner that the system includes a maximum number of heat exchangers 18 and the temperature of the gases when they enter each of the heat exchangers 18 is higher than the temperature of the evaporator in which is arranged this heat exchanger 18. This becomes possible with the decreasing of the output of each adjustable valve. Thus the compressed gaseous working substance exchanges heat with the liquid working substance, the gaseous working substance passing heat to the liquid working substance. In the last heat exchanger 5 the gases are liquidified under the pressure of the compressor and the low temperature of the evaporator (3x), and through a pump 19 the liquidified gaseous substance is united with the liquid working substance and in this manner the cycle becomes closed. In this manner we maintain the thermal balance of the device - the temperature decreases with each consequent evaporator.

Method of heat exchange between both physical conditions of the working substance in the thermo insulated part with heat exchangers 5 and heat exchangers 18

The method is carried out by a device comprising:

- Heat exchangers for low pressure of the gaseous working substance 5, and - Heat exchangers for gaseous working substance under pressure 18 with a system for liquidifying of the gaseous working substance (SLGWS).

The device can work so that the gaseous working substance exchanges heat with the liquid working substance first by means of the heat exchangers for low pressure 5 and after that, being compressed by the compressor 6, the gaseous working substance exchanges heat with the liquid working substance by means of the heat exchangers 18 (Figure 1).

For the best heat exchange between both physical conditions of the working substance the heat exchangers should be constructed like serpentines positioned in the evaporators.

Significance of the transmission boxes 20

The transmission boxes 20 connect mechanically the driving shaft 8 with:

- pumps 4 and 19,

- compressors 6 and 15

- CTEME 1

- Starting motor drive 24.

By means of the transmission boxes 20 we can change the rotation rate between the pumps, compressors, CTEME and the driving shaft. Thus we can control the power of the device of the invention. From the transmission boxes we can interrupt the mechanical connection of these elements with the driving shaft.

In Figure 1 the compressor 15, heat exchangers 16, expanding valve 17 and the pipes and valves connecting these elements represent a system for heat redistribution (SHR).

The system for heat redistribution (hereinafter SHR) serves to transfer heat from the location of liquidifying of the gaseous working substance - the evaporator x (cold part of the device of the invention) to previous evaporators (warm part of the device of the invention).

SHR consists of heat exchangers (in the shape of a serpentine arranged within the evaporator) 16 in Figure 1; a compressor 15 whose output can be regulated; an adjustable expanding valve 17; closing valves 13; adjustable valves 21. The compressor 15 is connected to the driving shaft 8 by the transmission box 20. By means of the transmission box 20 we can change the rotation rate of the compressor 15 with regard to the rotation rate of the driving shaft 8, SHR is loaded with working substance - gas with boiling temperature which is equal to or lower than the boiling temperature of the working substance of the device of the invention.

Operation and significance of the system for hear redistribution (SHR)

Due to the operation of the compressor 1 and expanding valve 17 arranged upstream of the heat exchanger 16 in the evaporator x SHR is divided into a part with a high pressure of the working substance in SHR and a part with low pressure of the working substance in the SHR.

The part with high pressure of the working substance includes all heat exchangers 16 arranged in the evaporators 3 of the device of the invention with the exception of the last evaporator - the warm part of the device of the invention. The part with low pressure of the working substance is the heat exchanger in the last evaporator x - the cold part of the device of the invention. In the part with high pressure the working substance is compressed as a result of the operation of the compressor 15. This leads to increasing of the temperature of the working substance. As a result of the heat exchange between the heat exchangers and the evaporators this heat is passed to the evaporators. In the part with low pressure (the heat exchanger in the last evaporator x) the working substance of SHR expands and takes heat away from the working substance of the device of the invention. Thus is achieved a heat transfer from the cold to the warm part of the device of the invention. In the warm part the heat is converted into mechanical energy. In accordance with the readings of the temperature sensors 12 arranged in the evaporators and of the sensor arranged downstream of the compressor 15, the system of valves conducts the compressed working substance in SHR to the heat exchangers located forward in the chain to the first evaporator with lower temperature than the temperature of the working substance of SHR downstream of the compressor 15. From there the working substance of SHR consecutively passes through the heat exchangers 16 of all evaporators located backward in the system through the expanding valve 17, from the expanding valve 17 into the heat exchanger 16 in the cold part, from the heat exchanger 16 into the compressor 15 and thus closing the cycle. The adjustable valves 21 of SHR must be regulated in any moment of the device's operation in such a manner that the working substance of SHR circulates through a maximum number of heat exchangers 16 in the warm part and at the point of entry of the working substance into each of these heat exchangers 16 the temperature of the working substance of SHR is higher than the temperature of the corresponding evaporator in which is located the particular heat exchanger 16. Thus the working substance of SHR passes heat to the working substance of the device of the invention in the warm part.

In Figure 1 the system is configured in such a manner that the working substance enters the evaporator (c) which is the third in the row counted from the warm part side. This configuration is conditional.

When as working substance of SHR is used a gas with a boiling point lower than the boiling point of the working substance of the device of the invention, we can achieve a temperature at the exit of the liquid working substance of the device of the invention which is lower than its boiling temperature. In this situation the compressor for liquidifying of the gaseous working substance 6 becomes abundant - the gases will be liquidified in the last heat exchanger due to the low temperature which is achieved with a suitable balance between all adjustable elements of the device and the load of the driving shaft. The abundant compressor 6 can be excluded from the system from its transmission box 20 (8). The converter of thermal energy into mechanical energy of the last evaporator also becomes abundant and must be switched off from its transmission box 20 (9) (Figure le). To this purpose in accordance with the readings of the temperature sensor in the cold part of the device (evaporator x) when the sensor detects a temperature which is lower than the boiling point of the working substance, a valve closes the flowing of the gases toward the compressor. Another valve opens the path for their direct conducting to the last heat exchanger. The mechanical connection of the compressor 6 also is interrupted from the corresponding transmission box 20 (8) as depicted in Figure le. CTEME discontinues its operation if we close the valve 2 and interrupt its mechanical connection with the driving shaft from the corresponding box 20 (9).

The power of the device of the invention with a SHR will be:

P = cm (T _sur - T _exit ) wherein

c is specific thermal capacity

m is the mass of the entering (exiting) working substance for a particular time

T _sur is the temperature of the surrounding medium

Texit is the temperature of the working substance at the exit.

Significance of SHR

The system for heat redistribution sets the power of the device of the invention. Changing the output of the compressor of SHR we can set a different power at a particular output of the pumps of the device of the invention. Greater output of the compressor of SHR means more heat transferred from the cold part of the device of the invention to the warm part of the device of the invention. This is a precondition for a greater load.

The power of the device of the invention is in a straight proportion to the difference between the temperature of the surrounding medium and the temperature at the exit of the device of the invention and the mass of the working substance circulating through the device of the invention and the external heat exchanger.Greater output of the pumps means greater mass and greater power accordingly. The other factor is the difference between the temperature of the working substance between the entrance - T _sur , and the exit of the device of the invention - T _ex j _t . T _sur depends on the nature and the capacity of the external heat exchanger. T _ex i _t is a subject to the balance between all adjustable elements of the device of the invention - the output of the pumps 4, the output of the compressors 6 and 15, the adjustment of the valves 21, the adjustment of the expanding valve 17, the adjustment of the reducing valve 10 and the load of the driving shaft. By means of SHR we maintain the desired temperature at the exit of the device of the invention.

SHR neutralizes the unavoidable thermal losses (in the case of using the heat of the surrounding medium - the losses of cold). Due to the unavoidable leak of heat through the thermo insulation the cold part (the last evaporator of the device of the invention) raises its temperature till it becomes equal to the temperature of the surrounding medium. This leads to decreasing of the power. SHR pumps out heat from the cold part to the warm part. In accordance with the readings of the temperature sensor in the last evaporator we need to adjust the output of the compressor of SHR in such a manner that it maintains a constant temperature of the last evaporator (3x). When the output of the compressor (15) increases, SHR will take more heat away from the evaporator (3x) and when its output decreases the SHR will take less heat away from the evaporator (3x). The heat is redistributed in the warm part of the device of the invention where it is converted into mechanical energy. Thus we neutralize the thermal losses.

In Figure la is represented one possible operating regime of the device of the invention with the heat exchangers 18 being switched off.

In Figure lb is represented one possible operating regime of the device of the invention with the heat exchangers 5 for heat exchange between both physical conditions of the working substance in the warm part of the device being switched off. We can close the valves 13 which prevent the gases of CTEME from passing through the heat exchangers 5. In this manner they will pass through the by-pass of each heat exchanger and the heat exchange between the liquid and gaseous working substance will be carried out only under the pressure of the compressor 6 in the heat exchangers 18.

In Figure 1 c is represented a device of the invention with turbines as CTEME. If the elements of the device (turbines, pipes, valves) are made of materials with a low thermo conductivity the device will be more effective.

In Figures Id and ldl is represented a device of the invention having cylinders with pistons as CTEME. The most effective device will be produced with elements (pistons, cylinders, valves, pipes) made of materials with a low thermo conductivity.

In Figure le is represented a device of the invention with corresponding transmission boxes 20 (8 and 9), compressor 6 and CTEME lx being switched off. Valve 2 of the evaporator 3x is also closed in order to allow the device of the invention to operate correctly in this operating regime.

In Figure If is represented a device of the invention with one possible operating regime in which the output of the pumps is decreased to such a degree that in the last evaporator (3x) the output is as high as the amount of the evaporated working substance therein. Thus the cycle is formed only by the liquid working substance moved by the pump 19. In Figure 1 g is represented one possible variation of the device of the invention wherein the first evaporator exchanges heat with the surrounding medium by means of a radiator 22. Thereafter the liquid working substance and the gaseous working substance enter the thermo insulated part of the device of the invention where the cycle is closed.

The power in this variation is:

P=cm(T _sur - T _exit ) + Q wherein

c is the specific thermal capacity of the working substance

m is the mass of the entering working substance for a particular time

T _sur is the temperature of the surrounding medium

T _exit is the temperature of the working substance at the exit

Q is the amount of heat in the evaporator through the radiator for a particular time.

In Figures lh and lhl is represented a method for starting a device of the invention when the temperature of the working substance of device of the invention in all evaporators (3) is equal to the temperature of the surrounding medium and the heat source for the operation of the device of the invention is the surrounding medium (environment).

When the working substance in all evaporators has the temperature of the surrounding medium at the start (the most probable condition) of the operation of the device of the invention, we will use an internal thermo insulated cycle of the working substance 23 and a starting motor drive 24 to adjust the temperature balance of the device of the invention. The best thermal balance is present when due to the temperature of the surrounding medium in the first evaporator (3 a) the temperature of the working substance decreases with each further evaporator up- to the boiling point of the working substance in the last evaporator (3x) - Figure lh.

In order to achieve this, we will start the device of the invention with the last two evaporators and CTEME (x) and (c) working as in Figure lh. Let all evaporators without the last two be with valves 2 closed and switched off from the transmission boxes 20. When the valves 2 of the last two evaporators 3 are opened, the starter 24 is switched on. The starter 24 rotates the compressor 15 which creates a temperature difference between both evaporators. Thus the working substance in the evaporator (c) is evaporated, sets the corresponding CTEME in motion and liquidifies in the heat exchanger 5x. Both CTEME perform work which is expressed in the cooling of the evaporator (x). The working substance of the device circulates through both evaporators driven by the working pumps 4b, 4c and 19 along a closed thermo insulated circle 23. The remaining pumps are switched off from the transmission boxes and do not operate. Thus by means of the starter 24 we can cool the last evaporator to the desired temperature - the boiling point of the working substance, bearing in mind that the working substance does not exchange heat with the surrounding medium. The heat of the evaporator is transformed into a mechanical energy by means of the starter 24.

When the last two evaporators are cooled due to the work done by their CTEME, we switch on from its transmission box the next evaporator, in the case of Figure lhl the evaporator (3b). The working substance continues to circulate in the thermo insulated cycle 23 moved by the pumps 4a, 4b, 4c and 19. When we achieve the desired temperature of the operating evaporators, we switch on the next evaporator in the sequence. Thus we set the desired temperature balance of the device - from a temperature of the surrounding medium in the first evaporator (a) to the boiling temperature of the working substance in the last evaporator (x). When we achieve the desired temperature balance, we switch off the starter 24 from its transmission box 20 (13), switch on the connection of the compressor 15 to the driving shaft from its corresponding transmission box 20 (11), close the valve to the thermo insulated circle 23 and switch on all pumps 4 from their transmission boxes (Figure 1). The working substance begins to circulate through the heat exchanger 9.

In Figure 2 is represented the device of the invention without the heat exchangers 5 for low pressure of the working substance. This is one possible variation of the device of the invention.

In Figure 3 is represented one variation of the device of the invention having a conventional heat source. The difference between both heat sources provides the possibility that the working substance has a boiling point that is higher than the temperature of the surrounding medium (e.g. H ₂ 0). In this variation a heater warms the working substance to a temperature that is higher than its boiling point. Furthermore the connections of the external heat exchanger with the device of the invention must be thermo insulated. In the most effective variation both the external heat exchanger and the heater are thermo insulated.

The power in the ideal case will be:

P= cm(T _heat - Tboii) c is the specific thermal capacity of the working substance;

m is the mass of the entering (exiting) working substance for a particular time;

T _h eat is the temperature of the working substance in the external heat exchanger

9;

T _bo ji is the boiling temperature of the working substance.

In Figure 4 is depicted a device of the invention having one evaporator and one CTEME. In this device the evaporator (x) is transformed such as to be a heat exchanger 25 through which passes a liquid working substance and this liquid working substance exchanges heat with the working substance of the SHR in the heat exchanger 16x. Furthermore the gaseous working substance exchanges heat with the working substance of the SHR by a heat exchanger 5. The power of the device of the invention is a question of a balance between the output of the pumps 4 and 19 and the output of the compressor 15 of the SHR.

In order to control the power of each device of the invention, we must control its adjustable elements in each moment of time during which operates the device, i.e.:

- control the output of the compressors 6 and 15 from the transmission boxes 20;

- control the valves 21, 10 and 17;

- control the output of the pumps 4 and 19 from the transmission boxes;

- switch the closing valves 13 and 2 to that they close to stop and open to allow the flowing of the working substances; interrupt the mechanical connection with the driving shaft 8 from the transmission boxes 20 of CTEME 1, compressor 6 and 15, pumps 4 and 19.

It should be born in mind that the embodiments set forth above are only exemplar, the depicted and discussed configurations can be changed without going out of the scope of the invention. Therefore the present invention should enjoy the broadest possible protection in accordance with the general principles of operation of the method and device of the invention and the skilled in the art will be able to apply these principles to other embodiments of the device of the invention and these embodiments should be encompassed too by its scope.