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A compressor-expander having a vaned rotor eccentrically mounted in a cylindrical chamber to define a series of compartments which vary in volume through volumetric stages which are maximum, convergent, minimum and divergent. The compressor-expander has an associated heat exchanger connected to heat

A compressor-expander having a vaned rotor eccentrically mounted in a cylindrical chamber to define a series of compartments which vary in volume through volumetric stages which are maximum, convergent, minimum and divergent. The compressor-expander has an associated heat exchanger connected to heat exchanger ports at the convergent and divergent stages and spaced inlet and outlet ports at the maximum stage. Means are provided for inducing, or blowing, warm air through the successively presented compartments at the maximum stage to achieve a scavenged discharge of cool air to recharge each compartment with warm air. Preferably the flow is induced by a high pressure jet which entrains air in the air stream to produce an amplified flow, the compressed air being bled from the cold end of the heat exchanger. A valve is interposed in the bleed line to coordinate the rate of bleed either manually or automatically with the rotor speed or the operating conditions, primarily pressure, existing in the heat exchanger. Where the rotor speed is subject to variation over wide limits, as in automotive usage, a relief type valve may be used. Alternatively, a blower is used to induce air flow, the blower being driven from the rotor shaft. As a still further alternative the blower may be separately driven and the air stream controllingly throttled to vary the rate of discharge of air into the cooled space. In any event, the rate of flow of warm air in the scavenging stream may exceed the rate of production of cold air in the rotor compartments so that air is discharged into the cooled space at a tempered, more comfortable level. A thermostat in the space, or in the air stream which cools the space, acts correctively to control the flow of air in the stream or to control the speed at which time rotor is driven thereby to control BTU rate.

대표청구항 ▼

In an air conditioning unit for cooling a space, the combination comprising, a frame having an enclosed cylindrical chamber, a cylindrical rotor mounted in said frame for rotation about the central axis of said rotor, said central axis of rotation being eccentric relative to said cylindrical chamber

In an air conditioning unit for cooling a space, the combination comprising, a frame having an enclosed cylindrical chamber, a cylindrical rotor mounted in said frame for rotation about the central axis of said rotor, said central axis of rotation being eccentric relative to said cylindrical chamber, means for driving the rotor, vanes spaced about the rotor periphery and having their outer edges extending into functional engagement with the wall of said chamber to define a series of compartments which vary in volume upon rotor rotation through volumetric stages which are (a) maximum, (b) convergent, (c) minimum, and (d) divergent, the frame having inlet and outlet ports leading to said cylindrical chamber arranged at substantially equal radii and spaced for simultaneous communication with successively presented compartments at the maximum stage, means including an air pump for inducing flow of warm air through the inlet port to charge each successively presented compartment with warm air while blowing out cold air from such compartment through the outlet port substantially independently of centrifugal force, the frame having peripherally spaced heat exchanger ports near the final and initial limits of the convergent and divergent stages, respectively, a heat exchanger connected between the heat exchanger ports, the heat exchanger ports and rotor axis being so located that a smaller volume of air is defined between adjacent vanes at cut-off at the initial limit of the divergent stage than at cut-off at the final limit of the convergent stage, so that the warm air introduced through the inlet poRt is (1) compressed accompanied by increase in temperature through the convergent stage, (2) discharged to the heat exchanger, (3) pumped through the heat exchanger at substantially constant pressure, (4) reintroduced as cooled compressed air, (5) expanded and cooled through the divergent stage, and (6) scavenged as cold air through the outlet port, and conduit means for conducting cold air from said outlet port to the space to be cooled.