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US 10,533,810 B2Granted
Near-isothermal compressor/expander
AssigneeOther Lab, LLC
InventorsPeter Lynn, Saul Griffith, Vincent Domenic Romanin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One aspect includes an isothermal compressor that includes an isothermal body, an isothermal cavity defined by the isothermal body, a compressible membrane heat exchanger disposed within the isothermal cavity that defines at least one first fluid chamber, and an actuating assembly configured to compress the membrane heat exchanger. A further aspect includes an isothermal engine that includes the isothermal compressor.
Claims14
An isothermal compressor comprising:
- an isothermal body;
- an isothermal cavity defined by the isothermal body containing an incompressible fluid sealed therein;
- a compressible membrane heat exchanger disposed within the isothermal cavity, the compressible membrane heat exchanger having an elongated fluid chamber disposed within a sheet portion and containing a second fluid, with the chamber extending from both sides of the isothermal body;
- and
- an actuating assembly configured to compress the membrane heat exchanger.
2 more elements
An isothermal compressor comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a compression cavity defined by the cylinder, the compression cavity defining a volume with at least a portion of the volume filled with a liquid;
- a membrane heat exchanger disposed within the compression cavity, with an inlet/outlet port of the membrane heat exchanger extending through the cylinder, the membrane heat exchanger comprising a compressible bladder that includes a chamber with an end that communicates with the inlet/outlet port;
- a piston disposed within and configured to translate within the cylinder to increase and decrease the volume of the compression cavity, the piston driven by a con-rod that is coupled to a rotating crank, the piston having a flat top face that engages the liquid within the cavity;
- wherein the isothermal compressor is configured to assume a non-compressed configuration where a compressible gas is present in the chamber of the membrane heat exchanger;
- where the isothermal compressor is configured to transition to a compressed configuration where the membrane heat exchanger is compressed via the piston reducing the volume of the of the compression cavity such that the liquid within the compression cavity compresses the membrane heat exchanger, the compression of the membrane heat exchanger generating heat in the compressible gas in the chamber of the heat exchanger such that heat is transferred through the membrane heat exchanger from the gas to the liquid within the compression cavity, such that the gas remains at near the same temperature as the fluid within the compression cavity, thereby achieving at least near-isothermal compression.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.