Pressure exchanger apparatus

Claim 1

ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT INVENTION HEAT PUMP APPARATUS INCLUDES A PRESSURE EXCHANGER HAVING CELLS FOR THE COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION OF AT LEAST ONE FLUID, THE CELLS HAVING OPEN ENDS, MEANS DEFINING COMMON END-WALL AT EACH END OF THE CELLS, EACH END-WALL HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PORTS THEREIN, A SERIES OF DUCTS COMMUNICATING WITH THE CELLS THROUGH THE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PORTS IN THE END-WALL MEANS FOR CAUSING RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN THE CELLS AND THE END-WALLS THE SERIES OF DUCTS INCLUDING IN SUCCESSION IN THE DIRECTION OF RELATIVE MOTION OF THE CELLS, AN INLET DUCT FOR ADMITTING LOW-TEMPERATURE FLUID TO THE CELLS THROUGH THE OTHER ONE OF SAID ENDWALLS, AN INLET DUCT FOR ADMITTING COOLED HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID TO THE CELLS, THE OPENING EDGE OF THE PORT OF WHICH IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THE CLOSING EDGE OF THE PORT COMMUNICATING WITH THE DUCT FOR ADMITING HIGH-TEMPERATURE COMPRESSED FLUID TO THE CELLS, A SECOND OUTLET DUCT FOR LEADING HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID DERIVED FROM THE FIRST-MENTIONED INLET DUCT FROM THE CELLS, THE OPENING EDGE OF THE PORT OF WHICH IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THE CLOSING EDGE OF THE PORT COMMUNICATING WITH THE FIRST OUTLET DUCT AN OUTLET DUCT FOR LEADING COOLED LOW-PRESSED FLUID FROM THE CELLS THROUGH A PORT IN THE SAID OTHER END-WALL AND AN OUTLET DUCT FOR LEADING FLUID FROM THE CELLS, WHICH FLUID IS DERIVED FROM THE INLET DUCT FOR ADMITTING HIGH-PRESSURE HIGH-TEMPERATURE FLUID TO THE CELLS AND THE OPENING EDGE OF THE PORT THROUGH WHICH THE OUTLET DUCT COMMUNICATES WITH THE CELLS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CLOSING EDGE OF THE PORT WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE DUCT LEADING COOLED LOW-PRESSURE FROM THE CELLS, DUCTING FORMING A FIRST CLOSED CIRCUIT BETWEEN THE SECOND OUTLET DUCT AND THE INLET DUCT FOR ADMITTING HIGH-PRESSURE HIGH-TEMPERATURE FLUID TO THE CELLS AND A SECOND CLOSED CIRCUIT BETWEEN THE FIRST OUTLET DUCT AND THE INLET DUCT FOR ADMITTING COOLED HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID TO THE CELLS A COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN THE FIRST-NAMED CLOSED CIRCUIT, A HEAT-EXCHANGER IN THE SECOND-NAMED CLOSED CIRCUIT, AND A FURTHER HEAT-EXCHANGER THE HOT PASS OF WHICH COMMUNCATES WITH THE DUCT FOR LEADING FLUID FROM THE CELLS WITH FLUID IS DERIVED FROM THE INLET DUCT FOR ADMITTING HIGH-PRESSURE HIGH-TEMPERATURE FLUID TO THE CELLS AND THE COLD PASS OF WHICH HEAT-EXCHANGER IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE COLD PASS OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED HEAT-EXCHANGER.