09/07/2025
Time for an update on the next invention.
(By the way if you need a read on the difficulty of inventing something, read "The Next Great Thing" by Shelton).
Decades ago, I started on the concept of a closed cycle hot air engine that used a rotary displacer instead of an oscillating displacer. I wanted to remove the oscillating power piston and put the drive on the same shaft as the displacer, so the single moving part could be made in one casting. The aim was threefold; lower manufacturing cost, greater reliability so lower maintenance cost, and also less vibration which not only aided product longevity but also reduced the noise signature. So, with no oscillating parts, no electronics, no explosions, no exhaust valves opening under pressure, and the ability for either direct drive or via an electrical generator, this engine can well ultimately compete with the Gotland Class Submarine AIP units. When I approached Saab (the owners of Kockums where the Gotland submarines are built) decades ago, they expressed no real interest, Honda were interested but could not justify more new technology and referred me to Ford who whilst owning many Stirling Engine patents, are just sitting on them. I had an epiphany while on holiday recently and overcame the biggest problem, being the rotational drive component. With this now sorted, proof of concept is starting.
Personally, I will be happy to have done something successfully that no-one else has successfully done before. I think the ultimate value of this engine to a product development company is around USD500,000 but I am open to discussions.
The engine is called the Yyes Engine and the configuration should be known as the Infinity Configuration as it is not Alpha, Beta , nor Gamma. To find out more about Hot Air Engines in general, have a look at Stirling Engines on Wiki