EP0447134A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Standing wave compressor
Assignee: Macrosonix Corp
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Filing: 1991-03-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-03-08
Abstract
Abstract A compressor for vapor-compression cooling systems, which exploits the properties of acoustic resonance in fluids for fluid compression, and provides a discharge pressure which can be varied during operation in response to changing operating conditions, thereby providing an oil-less compressor and reducing the compressor's energy consumption. The thermoacoustic properties of standing acoustic waves are exploited to provide a refrigerant subcooling system which is contained within the compressor. Refrigerant subcooling occurs when heat exchange is provided between the refrigerant and a heat pumping surface, which is exposed to the standing acoustic wave within the compressor. Acoustic energy can be provided by either a mechanical driver, or by direct exposure of the fluid to microwave and infrared energy, including solar energy. Inlets (4) and outlets (6) arranged along the chamber (2) provide for the intake and discharge of a fluid refrigerant, and can be provided with optional reed valve arrangements, so as to increase the compressor's compression ratio. The performance of the compressor can be optimised by a control circuit which holds the wavelength of the standing wave constant, by varying the driving frequency in response to changing operating conditions.
Inventors
- 👤 Corp. Macrosonix
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:49
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04F; F04F7/00; F02; F02G; F02G1/00; F02G1/04; F02G1/043; F02G1/0435; F04B; F04B17/00; F04B17/006; F25; F25B; F25B1/00; F25B1/02; F25B49/00; F25B49/02; F25B49/022; F02G2243/00; F02G2243/30; F02G2243/50; F02G2243/52; F02G2243/54; F02G2254/00; F02G2254/30; F02G2270/00; F02G2270/70; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S417/00; Y10S417/902; Y10S62/00; Y10S62/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A refrigerant compressor comprising: a chamber for holding a fluid refrigerant to be compressed, said chamber including at least one inlet and at least one outlet; and driving means for establishing a traveling wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, said driving means and said chamber converting the traveling wave into a standing wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, so that the fluid refrigerant is compressed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
29 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the standing wave in the fluid refrigerant has at least one pressure node and at least one pressure antinode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 2, wherein said at least one inlet of said chamber is located at said at least one pressure node, and said at least one outlet of said chamber is located at said at least one pressure antinode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A refrigerant compressor according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising rectifying means for allowing the fluid refrigerant to exit said chamber via said at least one outlet but for preventing the fluid from entering said chamber via said at least one outlet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 4, wherein said rectifying means comprises at least one reed valve.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
95 words
The refrigerant compressor of claim 1, wherein the standing wave in the fluid refrigerant has at least one pressure node and at least one pressure antinode, wherein each said at least one inlet is located at said at least one pressure antinode, and wherein each said at least one outlet is located at said at least one pressure antinode, said refrigerant compressor further comprising: inlet rectifying means for allowing the fluid refrigerant to enter but not exit said chamber; and outlet rectifying means for allowing the fluid refrigerant to exit but not enter said chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 6, wherein said inlet rectifying means comprises at least one reed valve, and said outlet rectifying means comprises at least one reed valve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
The refrigerant compressor according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said driving means comprises at least one ultrasonic driver which emits ultrasonic energy of time varying intensity, the ultrasonic energy of time varying intensity has an acoustic frequency which is higher than the acoustic frequency of the standing wave, the ultrasonic energy of time varying intensity is demodulated into pulses by the fluid refrigerant, and the pulses have a repetition rate which is equal to the acoustic frequency of the standing wave, so that the pulses drive the standing wave.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The refrigerant compressor according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said driving means comprises at least one ultrasonic driver, which emits ultrasonic energy having an acoustic frequency which is equal to the acoustic frequency of the standing wave.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A refrigerant compressor according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid refrigerant comprises a gaseous refrigerant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A refrigerant compressor according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said driving means comprises a linear motor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
A refrigerant compressor according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said driving means comprises a variable power acoustic driver, and wherein said refrigerant compressor further comprises control means for varying the power of said variable power acoustic driver based on changes in operating conditions, so that a discharge pressure is varied as a function of changing operating conditions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
A refrigerant compressor according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said chamber includes variable cross section means for varying the cross sectional area of said chamber in the direction of acoustic displacement, so that undesired acoustic resonances are prevented from forming in said chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 13, wherein the standing wave has pressure nodes and pressure antinodes, and wherein said variable cross section means further acts to increase a pressure differential which exists between the pressure nodes and the pressure antinodes of the standing wave.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
60 words
A compressor comprising: a chamber for holding a refrigerant to be compressed, said chamber including at least one inlet and at least one outlet; and driving means for applying electromagnetic energy to the refrigerant, said driving means and said chamber setting up a standing wave in the refrigerant in said chamber, so that the refrigerant in said chamber is compressed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
A compressor as set forth in claim 15, wherein the applied electromagnetic energy has a time varying intensity.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A compressor as set forth in claim 15, wherein the applied electromagnetic energy has a time constant intensity.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 15, wherein said driving means comprises a variable power driver to vary the average power of the electromagnetic energy, and wherein said refrigerant compressor further comprises control means for varying the average power of said variable power driver based on changes in operating conditions, so that a discharge pressure is varied as a function of changing operating conditions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
98 words
A vapor-compression cooling system comprising: a chamber for holding a fluid refrigerant to be compressed, said chamber including at least one inlet and at least one outlet; driving means for establishing a traveling wave in said fluid refrigerant in said chamber, said driving means and said chamber converting the traveling wave into a standing wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, so that the fluid refrigerant is compressed; a condenser coupled to said at least one outlet of said chamber; and an evaporator coupled to said condenser and to said at least one inlet of said chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
A vapor-compression cooling system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said driving means comprises a variable power acoustic driver, and wherein said vapor compression cooling system further comprises control means for varying the power of said variable power acoustic driver based on changes in operating conditions, so that a discharge pressure is varied as a function of changing operating conditions.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
150 words
A vapor-compression cooling method comprising the steps of: directing acoustic energy into a fluid refrigerant in a chamber having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; selecting a frequency for said acoustic energy to establish a standing acoustic wave in the fluid refrigerant in the chamber; condensing the compressed fluid refrigerant to produce a condensed fluid refrigerant which emits heat; reducing the pressure of the condensed fluid refrigerant to produce a reduced pressure fluid refrigerant which absorbs heat; and introducing the reduced pressure fluid refrigerant into the at least one inlet of the chamber, the pressure characteristics of the standing acoustic wave causing the reduced pressure fluid refrigerant to be drawn into the at least one inlet of the chamber, and causing the compressed fluid refrigerant to exit the chamber through the at least one outlet, so that the fluid refrigerant is moved through a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
47 words
A vapor-compression cooling method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said directing step comprises varying the power of the acoustic energy directed into the fluid refrigerant based on changes in operating conditions, so that a discharge pressure is varied as a function of changing operating conditions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
137 words
A refrigerant compressor comprising: a chamber for holding a fluid refrigerant to be compressed, said chamber including at least one inlet and at least one outlet; driving means for establishing a traveling wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, said driving means and said chamber converting the traveling wave into a standing wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, so that the fluid refrigerant is compressed, the standing wave producing a temperature differential along said chamber, so that a first portion of said chamber is at a temperature which is higher than a second portion of said chamber; and a heat exchanger coupled to said chamber adjacent said second portion of said chamber and carrying the fluid refrigerant, said heat exchanger providing thermal contact between the fluid refrigerant and said second portion of said chamber.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 23, further comprising a heat pumping surface positioned in said chamber and exposed to the standing wave existing within said chamber, wherein said heat pumping surface has first and second ends, wherein the second end of said heat pumping surface is adjacent the second portion of said chamber.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 24, further comprising an additional heat exchanger coupled to said chamber, for providing thermal contact between a heat sink and the first end of said heat pumping surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
58 words
A refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 23, wherein said driving means comprises a variable power acoustic driver, and wherein said refrigerant compressor further comprises control means for varying the power of said variable power acoustic driver based on changes in operating conditions, so that a discharge pressure is varied as a function of changing operating conditions.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
187 words
A vapor-compression cooling system comprising: a chamber for holding a fluid refrigerant to be compressed, said chamber including at least one inlet and at least one outlet; driving means for establishing a traveling wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, said driving means and said chamber converting the traveling wave into a standing wave in the fluid refrigerant in said chamber, so that the fluid refrigerant is compressed, the standing wave producing a temperature differential along said chamber, so that a first portion of said chamber is at a temperature which is higher than a second portion of said chamber; a refrigerant condenser coupled to said at least one outlet of said chamber; a heat exchanger coupled to said refrigerant condenser and to said chamber adjacent said second portion of said chamber, said heat exchanger providing thermal contact between the fluid refrigerant and the second portion of said chamber; and a refrigerant evaporator, coupled to said heat exchanger and said at least one inlet of said chamber, for evaporating the condensed refrigerant provided by said heat exchanger and for providing the evaporated refrigerant to said chamber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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