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The apparatus has a cooling arrangement with an expander/compressor system, condenser and evaporator primarily for air conditioning. An external heat source is provided for transfer of heat to the expander housing. For example, this heating medium is an electrical heat source in thermal contact with

The apparatus has a cooling arrangement with an expander/compressor system, condenser and evaporator primarily for air conditioning. An external heat source is provided for transfer of heat to the expander housing. For example, this heating medium is an electrical heat source in thermal contact with the outer side of the expander housing. Alternatively, the expander is provided inside an externally heated liquid buffer tank.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for cooling, comprising means for transport of fluid through a heating cyclean external heat source for heating the fluid in the heating cyclean expander with an expander housing having an inner side facing a first expander turbine inside the expander housing, and the expander housin

1. An apparatus for cooling, comprising means for transport of fluid through a heating cyclean external heat source for heating the fluid in the heating cyclean expander with an expander housing having an inner side facing a first expander turbine inside the expander housing, and the expander housing having an opposite outer side, the expander having an expander inlet connected to the heating cycle for receiving fluid in a gas phase heated by the external heat source to drive the expander by expanding the fluid,a compressor with a compressor housing having an inner side facing a first compressor turbine inside the compressor housing, and the compressor housing having an opposite outer side, the compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, the compressor being driven by the expander for compressing working fluid from a low pressure compressor inlet gas to a high pressure compressor outlet gas,a condenser for condensing at least one of the working fluid from the expander and the fluid from the compressor by energy transfer in a heat exchanger to a second fluid of lower temperature,an evaporator for evaporating the working fluid from the condenser by energy transfer from a third fluid in a further heat exchanger and for creating a desired cooling effect in the third fluid, wherein the external heat source is provided in thermal connection with liquid in a liquid buffer tank, and wherein the expander is provided inside the liquid buffer tank for transferring of heat to the expander housing by thermal contact of the liquid with the outer side of the expander housing. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein also the compressor is provided inside the liquid buffer tank with the liquid being in thermal contact with the outer side of the compressor housing for transfer of heat to the compressor housing. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further has a first heat exchanger provided inside the buffer tank in thermal contact with the liquid in the buffer tank and with a fluid connection to the expander inlet for providing heat from the liquid in the buffer tank to the fluid in the heating cycle. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein first heat exchanger also has a fluid connection to the compressor outlet for transfer of heat from the high pressure compressor outlet gas to the fluid in the heating cycle. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an external heat source comprises an electrical heater connected to the first heat exchanger for heating the fluid in the heating cycle upstream of the expander inlet. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the expander turbine is a first expander turbine and the compressor turbine is a first compressor turbine, and wherein the first expander turbine is mechanically connected to the first compressor turbine for driving the first compressor turbine synchronous with the first expander turbine. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus comprises a further expander and a further compressor with a second expander turbine and second compressor turbine, respectively, the second turbines being mechanically connected for mutually synchronous rotation thereof independently of the rotation of the first expander and compressor turbines, wherein the first expander has an outlet with an expander fluid connection to an inlet of the further expander, and an outlet of the further compressor has a compressor fluid connection to the inlet of the compressor. 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, comprising a further evaporator for evaporating working fluid before it enters the first compressor, wherein the further evaporator has a fluid connection to the compressor fluid connection for adding the fluid from the further evaporator to the fluid from the outlet of the further compressor. 9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating cycle has a first fluid connection to the liquid in the liquid buffer tank for receiving working fluid from the liquid in the liquid buffer tank upstream of the expander inlet. 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the heating cycle comprises a second fluid connection to the liquid buffer tank downstream of the expander outlet for delivering working fluid back to the liquid in the liquid buffer tank, wherein the heating cycle comprises a further heat exchanger outside the liquid buffer tank, the heat exchanger being—on the one side—connected to the liquid buffer tank via the second fluid connection, and the heat exchanger having—on the other side—a further fluid connection to the compressor outlet for heat transfer from the working fluid from the compressor outlet to the working fluid of the heating cycle before it re-enters the liquid buffer tank. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus includes a first condenser for condensing the working fluid from the expander outlet and a second condenser for condensing the working fluid from the compressor outlet, wherein the further heat exchanger is provided downstream of the first condenser and upstream of the second condenser. 12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external heat source comprises a solar heating panel with a fluid connection to the liquid tank for providing the heated liquid from the solar panel to the tank or wherein the solar panel has a liquid connection to a heat exchanger inside the liquid tank for transfer of heat from the fluid of the solar heating panel to the liquid in the liquid tank. 13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external heat source comprises rest-heat from a combustion engine or heat from exhaust gas from a combustion engine or both. 14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the combustion engine is a motor of a vehicle for propulsion of the vehicle. 15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the expander comprises a turbine connected to a generator for driving the generator to produce electrical power, wherein the generator is electrically connected to an electrical motor for propulsion of the vehicle.