Splitter valve in a heat regenerative engine

Abstract

In a heat regenerative engine that uses water as both the working fluid and the lubricant, water is pumped through a single line of a coil that wraps around a cylinder exhaust port, causing the water to be preheated by steam exhausted from the cylinder. The preheated water is then directed through multiple branch lines in a steam generator to produce high pressure super heated steam. A splitter valve at the juncture of the single line and multiple branch lines equalizes the flow among the multiple branch lines. A “Y” junction within the splitter valve minimizes turbulence as the flow of water and steam is directed into the multiple branch lines. Flow control restrictors in the splitter valve allow unimpeded flow of fluid and steam towards the steam generator through each of the branch lines, while allowing any incremental over-pressure in any one branch line to “bleed” back to a branch line(s) bearing a lesser amount of pressure, thereby equalizing flow through the multiple branch lines.

1 . A valve device for use at the juncture of a single steam line and multiple branch steam lines through which liquid and steam flow, said valve device comprising: 
 a main body;    an inlet on said main body for connection to the single steam line;    a plurality of outlets on said main body, each of said plurality of outlets being structured and disposed for connection to a respective one of the multiple branch steam lines;    a junction within said main body and between said inlet and said plurality of outlets for directing the flow of liquid and steam entering said inlet to each of said plurality of outlets; and    flow control restrictors for allowing unimpeded flow of fluid and steam into each of the multiple branch steam lines and said flow control restrictors being structured and disposed for equalizing pressure and flow of steam through the multiple branch steam lines.    
   
   
       2 . The valve device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said junction is structured and disposed to minimize turbulence as the flow of liquid and steam is directed to said plurality of outlets.  
   
   
       3 . The valve device as recited in  claim 2  wherein said flow control restrictors include ball check valves between said junction and said plurality of outlets for preventing back-flow of steam from over-pressure into the single steam line.  
   
   
       4 . The valve device as recited in  claim 3  wherein said flow control restrictors include over-pressure valves for releasing the over-pressure in any of said multiple branch steam lines.  
   
   
       5 . A valve device for use at the juncture of a single steam line and multiple branch steam lines through which liquid and steam flow, said valve device comprising: 
 a main body;    an inlet on said main body for connection to the single steam line;    a plurality of outlets on said main body, each of said plurality of outlets being structured and disposed for connection to a respective one of the multiple branch steam lines;    a junction within said main body and between said inlet and said plurality of outlets for directing the flow of liquid and steam entering said inlet to each of said plurality of outlets;    flow control restrictors for allowing unimpeded flow of fluid and steam into each of the multiple branch steam lines and said flow control restrictors being structured and disposed for preventing back-flow of steam into the single steam line; and    over-pressure valves for releasing over-pressure in any of the multiple branch steam lines.    
   
   
       6 . The valve device as recited in  claim 5  wherein said junction is structured and disposed to minimize turbulence as the flow of liquid and steam is directed to said plurality of outlets.  
   
   
       7 . The valve device as recited in  claim 6  wherein said flow control restrictors include ball check valves.