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US 4,984,432 AGranted
Ericsson cycle machine
OwnerJohn A. Coreyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An Ericsson cycle machine is disclosed which can be used for refrigeration, liquefaction of nitrogen or as an engine. The invention includes a liquid ring compressor linked to a liquid ring expander by a gas loop that includes a recuperator. As a refrigeration unit, the liquid ring in the compressor is channeled through a heat exchanger to reject waste heat and liquid is tapped from the expander liquid ring and used as a refrigerant.
Claims31
A refrigeration system comprising:
- a liquid-ring compressor having a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a liquid-ring expander having a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a recuperator having a first connector means which connects the compressor gas outlet to the expander gas inlet and a second connector means which connects the compressor gas inlet to the expander gas outlet, said recuperator including means whereby heat can be transferred between said first connector means and said second connector means;
- a first heat exchanger comprising a connector means connecting said compressor liquid outlet to the compressor liquid inlet, said connector means being in contact with a heat transferring means whereby heat can be transferred from said connector means to said heat transferring means;
- a second heat exchanger comprising a connector means connecting said expander liquid outlet to the expander liquid inlet, said connector means being in contact with a heat transferring means whereby heat can be transferred from said heat transferring means to said connector means;
- and
- at least one motor means operatively connected to said expander and said compressor for driving said compressor and said expander.
4 more elements
A reverse-Ericsson system comprising:
- a liquid-ring compressor having a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a liquid-ring expander having a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a recuperator having a first connector means which connects the compressor gas outlet to the expander gas inlet and a second connector means which connects the compressor gas inlet to the expander gas outlet, said recuperator including means whereby heat can be transferred from said first connector means to said second connector means;
- and
- at least one motor means operatively connected to said expander and said compressor for driving said compressor and said expander,
- whereby heat can be rejected from the system by a liquid exiting the compressor liquid outlet and heat can be added to the system by a liquid entering the expander liquid inlet.
3 more elements
A heat engine comprising:
- a fluid-ring compressor having a fluid outlet, a fluid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a fluid-ring expander having a fluid outlet, a fluid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a recuperator having a first connector means which connects the compressor gas outlet to the expander gas inlet and a second connector means which connects the compressor gas inlet to the expander gas outlet, said recuperator or recuperator including means whereby heat can be transferred from said first connector means to said second connector means;
- a first heat exchanger having a connector means connecting said compressor fluid outlet to the compressor fluid inlet, said connector means being in contact with a heat transferring means whereby heat can be transferred from said connector means to said heat transferring means;
- a second heat exchanger having a connector means connecting said expander fluid outlet to the expander fluid inlet, said connector means being in contact with a heat transferring means whereby heat can be transferred from said heat transferring means to said connector means;
- and
- at least one shaft means operatively connected to said expander and said compressor for rotatably connecting a compressor rotor to a rotor housed within said expander,
- whereby heat entering the engine from the second heat exchanger provides the energy to turn the expanded and the compressor.
5 more elements
A heat engine comprising:
- a liquid-ring compressor having a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a liquid-ring expander having a liquid outlet, a liquid inlet, a gas outlet and a gas inlet;
- a recuperator having a first connector means which connects the compressor gas outlet to the expander gas inlet and a second connector means which connects the compressor gas inlet to the expander gas outlet, said recuperator including means whereby heat can be transferred from said first connector means to said second connector means:
- and
- whereby heat can be rejected from the system by a liquid exiting the compressor liquid outlet and heat can be added to the system by a liquid entering the expander liquid inlet.
2 more elements
A method of removing heat energy comprising:
- providing a compressor means and an expander means with at least one of said compressor means or expander means having a liquid piston means;
- connecting the compressor means and expander means with a gas loop for the transferring of energy from one to the other;
- operatively connecting a heat exchanger means to the compressor means whereby heat energy can be rejected from said heat exchanger means;
- operatively connecting a heat exchanger means to the expander means whereby heat energy can be accepted into said heat exchanger means associated with the expander;
- and then
- operating said compressor means and said expander means whereby heat energy can be removed from an area by being accepted into said heat exchanger means connected to said expander means and said energy can then be rejected into another area via the heat exchanger means connected to the compressor means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.