slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump

Abstract

SLOW-ACTING LIQUID-COOLED PISTON HEAT PUMP The slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump (1) comprises a blind liquid cylinder (8) in which a double-acting hydraulic piston (10) moves. The piston (10) is integral with a connecting rod (11) linked to connecting rod actuating means (144). The piston (10) and the cylinder (8) together form a hydraulic variable volume compressor (12) which communicates with a compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14) containing heat exchange and storage means (16) to form a compressor (3). The pump also comprises a hydraulic variable volume expansion valve (134) which communicates with an expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir (137) containing expansion valve heat exchange and storage means (139) to form an expansion valve (4). (See Figure 6 for abbreviations.)

Description

Title of the invention: Slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump

[0001] The present invention relates to a slow-acting, reversible, mechanical-liquid piston heat pump, the main purpose of which is to air-condition and heat residential, commercial, or industrial buildings.

[0002] In the context of the ecological transition, heat pumps occupy a strategic place because they can heat buildings at a lower energy cost by extracting renewable heat from the environment.

[0003] Building heating alone absorbs more than twenty percent of the world's primary energy, and that is why the market for low-temperature heat pumps, the most efficient, is set to grow strongly in the coming years, but also that of high-temperature heat pumps, better suited to the renovation of old buildings which remain the majority.

[0004] As global warming worsens and lifestyles change, air conditioning in buildings already consumes more than ten percent of the electricity produced in the world.

[0005] This share is destined to grow significantly both in proportion and in volume, to the point that the efficiency of reversible heat pumps represents a major energy and economic challenge.

[0006] The principle of heat pumps currently used in the world is based mainly on the change of state, from vapor to liquid or vice versa, of a refrigerant fluid whose saturated vapor pressure is adapted to the target heating or cooling temperature range, and to the pressures that the installations can withstand.

[0007] Refrigeration cycles with a change of state, or phase, have the advantage of a high density of heating or cooling power because they exploit the latent heat of evaporation or condensation of a refrigerant by modulating the pressure and temperature of said fluid so that it evaporates or condenses at the opportune time.

[0008] In the current state of the art and technology and taking into account the economic, technological, physical, and manufacturing constraints of heat pumps, refrigeration cycles with change of state remain by far the most efficient.

[0009] However, not all refrigeration cycles use the change of state of a specially formulated refrigerant fluid.

[0010] For example, the Brayton-Joule cycle, also called the Bell-Coleman cycle, is based on the isentropic compression and expansion of a gas without change of state, with, after said compression, transfer of heat by said gas to a colder environment at constant pressure and with, after said expansion, removal of heat by said gas from an enclosure to be cooled, also at constant pressure.

[0011] However, the practical efficiency of the Bell-Coleman cycle remains low, with in practice a coefficient of performance barely above one and often even below one, unlike heat pumps with phase change and refrigerant fluid, whose coefficient of performance can reach four, or even five to one, which means that for one unit of energy invested, up to four to five units of energy are recovered in the form of heat or cooling.

[0012] Due to its low practical energy efficiency, the Bell-Coleman cycle is mainly used only when compressed air is naturally available, which may be the case in airplanes and on board some trains.

[0013] Unlike Bell-Coleman cycle heat pumps, due to their high efficiency, refrigerant and phase change heat pumps are widely used for heating or cooling buildings.

[0014] And yet, the efficiency of refrigerant heat pumps remains far below the ideal Carnot efficiency which, taking into account the temperature differences usually used to carry out measurements, would give a coefficient of performance greater than twenty while the best heat pumps currently on the market deliver a coefficient of performance of five.

[0015] But the ideal Carnot efficiency is only an indicator of the maximum theoretically achievable efficiency because it does not take into account the temperature differences necessary for heat exchange to take place, nor the mechanical and practical constraints of manufacturing heat pumps.

[0016] Obviously, there would be an important advantage, due to the scarcity of energy and the climatic and ecological issues related to said energy, in maximizing the efficiency coefficient of heat pumps used to produce heating, air conditioning or even refrigeration, as close as possible to the ideal Carnot efficiency.

[0017] Subject to having a high energy efficiency compression and expansion machine, it would indeed be possible to approach the efficiency of the ideal Carnot cycle by using a fluid remaining entirely in the gaseous state, that is to say without a change of state.

[0018] To achieve this objective, the compressor of said machine must compress a gas in two successive stages.

[0019] The first step consists of an adiabatic compression which occurs until the temperature of said gas is sufficiently high for it to release heat, for example, to a building heating circuit, while the second step is an isothermal compression during which the temperature reached by said gas at the end of adiabatic compression is maintained during the rest of the compression of said gas, gradually transferring to said heating circuit the heat produced by said isothermal compression, and this until the discharge of said gas from said compressor.

[0020] Next, the regulator of said machine must expand the gas which has been previously compressed according to the reverse process to that which has just been described, also in two successive steps.

[0021] The first stage consists of an adiabatic expansion which occurs until the temperature of said gas is sufficiently low for it to absorb heat, for example, from the environment outside said building, while the second stage is an isothermal expansion during which the temperature reached by said gas at the end of the adiabatic expansion is maintained during the rest of the expansion of said gas, absorbing heat from said environment as needed to maintain said temperature during the rest of said isothermal expansion, and this until the gas is discharged from said expansion valve.

[0022] One of the advantages of such a heat pump is that it no longer requires the use of polluting, toxic or combustible refrigerants, some of which destroy the ozone layer or produce a powerful greenhouse effect.

[0023] No longer depending on refrigerants is of even greater importance as European regulations, as well as those of many countries, plan to ban refrigerants whose global warming potential is greater than or equal to one hundred and fifty times that of carbon dioxide from the year two thousand and thirty.

[0024] These regulatory provisions will reduce the number of refrigerants that can be used in conventional heat pumps, and will significantly impact the technology of said pumps, and may even increase the cost price of said pumps.

[0025] The most likely substitute for the refrigerants currently used in conventional heat pumps is carbon dioxide, which is a non-polluting gas with a low specific global warming potential, but whose main disadvantage is high operating pressures of more than one hundred atmospheres, which makes the sealing and safety of the installations more difficult to guarantee.

[0026] Other fluids considered are propane, which remains a flammable gas, or ammonia, which is corrosive and toxic.

[0027] It is therefore clear why it is so important to reproduce as faithfully as possible the ideal heat pump cycle of Sadi Carnot, by using a quasi-isothermal volumetric compressor and expansion valve that employ a fluid which remains in a gaseous state during the entirety of said cycle.

[0028] This method is only possible by imposing a stable setpoint temperature on the gas during its isothermal compression or expansion, which can be achieved with a medium that stores heat directly in a compression or expansion chamber, said medium being associated with means that export said heat during the compression phase, or that import said heat during the expansion phase.

[0029] Several concepts are based on single-phase compressors or expansion valves, close to isothermal, incorporating means of heat storage and import or export.

[0030] This is the case, for example, of the quasi-isothermal machine described in patent GB2534244, said machine comprising a piston which is oriented downwards and which has a structure for absorbing and releasing heat, said piston compressing a gas in a variable volume in the bottom of which resides a constant volume of fluid.

[0031] According to the invention of patent GB2534244, said piston compresses or expands said gas while forcing the latter to cool down or heat up in contact with the heat absorption and release structure, said structure being able to be made of metal sheets which, when they are out of the liquid, exchange heat with the gas, while when they are immersed in said liquid, they exchange heat with the latter.

[0032] According to the invention of patent GB2534244, the liquid remains approximately immobile unlike liquid piston compressors in which the liquid is on the contrary mobile, which implies that said liquid should not be subjected to decelerations too great than that of terrestrial gravity under penalty of causing cavitation and panic of said liquid.

[0033] On the contrary, the invention of patent GB2534244 thus makes it possible to manufacture a high-speed rotating compressor or expansion valve without driving the liquid in motion, which has the advantage of giving said compressor or expansion valve a high volumetric power density.

[0034] It is noted that the particular configuration of patent GB2534244 proposes a relatively classic connecting rod and crank system to actuate the piston carrying the heat absorption and restitution structure.

[0035] Another approach consists of moving a liquid by means of a piston which translates in a cylinder as provided for in patent CN111734604, said liquid, contrary to patent GB2534244, submerging a static heat sink.

[0036] Similar to patent CN111734604, many publications also report liquid pistons that alternately force a gas and a liquid through a porous medium or a heat accumulation and release system.

[0037] This technical approach is notably adopted by various research programs dedicated to energy storage systems in the form of compressed air, for example intended to accumulate renewable energy produced by offshore wind turbines.

[0038] It appears from most of these devices that the compression or expansion efficiency depends strongly on the total heat exchange surface between the gas, the liquid and the heat absorption and release structures of whatever nature, but also on the time allowed for said exchanges to take place.

[0039] To promote these exchanges, it is therefore preferable to produce compressors or expansion valves with slow rotation, this in return for a lower volumetric power.

[0040] Besides the time allowed for heat exchange to occur, the advantage of slow-rotating compressors or expanders is that they allow time for the transfer of gases to take place, so as to limit pressure losses at the inlet and outlet ports of said compressors and expanders.

[0041] Indeed, if the latter rotate slowly, their effective thermodynamic pressure-volume diagram will be close to the ideal theoretical diagram because less distorted by the transfer of gases, and the practical efficiency of a heat pump integrating said compressors and expansion valves will be closer to the maximum theoretical efficiency accessible according to the ideal Carnot cycle.

[0042] Because indeed, the inertial forces which reduce the performance of the pilot valves and flaps responsible for transferring gases into or out of a compressor or an expansion valve evolve more or less with the square of the rotation speed of said compressor or said expansion valve.

[0043] This results in a delay in the opening and / or closing of said valves and flaps which impairs the efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle.

[0044] As a consequence of the above, a slow-rotating single-phase heat pump which compresses and expands a gas according to the Carnot cycle will a priori occupy more volume than its conventional equivalent in which the refrigerant passes successively from the gaseous state to the liquid state and vice versa, and in which the compressor operates at high speed.

[0045] The problem with slow-rotating compressors and expansion valves is that, at the same power, the mechanical parts that make them up are subjected to higher stresses than those that make up their faster equivalent, and that the large dimensions of said parts resulting from said stresses generate high energy losses by friction.

[0046] Besides the large size of said parts, the disadvantage of the slow rotation of said compressors or expansion valves is that it is unfavorable to the establishment of a hydrodynamic lubrication regime between said parts, whether for example at the friction interface of a piston in a cylinder, or at the pivot joints between said piston and a connecting rod, between said connecting rod and the crank of a crankshaft, and between the latter and a crankcase.

[0047] It would therefore be very advantageous to implement liquid pistons coupled with means of heat exchange, storage, restitution, import and export, by means of slow machines with very high mechanical efficiency which leave a sufficiently long time on the one hand, for heat exchanges to maximize their efficiency, and on the other hand, for the transfer of gases to minimize energy losses.

[0048] Such a configuration would make it possible to produce high energy performance heat pumps, delivering an efficiency closer to that of the ideal Carnot cycle than their conventional counterparts which operate a refrigerant with a change of state, and requiring, for example, only atmospheric air and water to operate.

[0049] For example, it would be possible to obtain from said configuration a coefficient of performance of the order of seven, whereas in the same measurement conditions and in the same environment the coefficient of performance of the best refrigerant heat pump on the market would be of the order of five.

[0050] But, as previously described, to obtain such a performance difference, it is necessary to carry out almost isothermal compression and expansion by promoting the maximum heat exchange during said compression and said expansion, limiting as much as possible the losses by transfer, the losses by internal or external gas leaks, and limiting as much as possible the losses by friction.

[0051] For example, the coefficient of performance of a single-phase Carnot cycle heat pump, given its need to compress a larger quantity of gas than its counterpart with a refrigerant with a change of state, is necessarily very sensitive to the energy efficiency of its mechanical transmission device, said efficiency, if insufficient, resulting in said single-phase Carnot cycle heat pump having a lower efficiency than its said counterpart.

[0052] Indeed, since a single-phase Carnot cycle heat pump has to compress a larger quantity of gas than its phase-change refrigerant counterpart, the coefficient of performance of said single-phase heat pump is very dependent on the energy efficiency of its mechanical transmission device for gas compression and expansion.

[0053] If said efficiency is insufficient, said single-phase heat pump will have a lower coefficient of performance than its refrigerant-based counterpart.

[0054] This sensitivity to the mechanical efficiency of compression and expansion of a single-phase Carnot cycle heat pump is all the greater when, for example, a coefficient of performance greater than five is targeted.

[0055] For example, a single-phase Carnot cycle heat pump which delivers ten kilowatts of thermal power with a coefficient of performance of five, requires an external energy input of two kilowatts in the form of mechanical work.

[0056] If the mechanical efficiency of said single-phase heat pump is poor and results in a mechanical loss of one kilowatt, the coefficient of performance of said pump drops from five to three point three, and the energy bill of the owner of said pump increases by fifty percent.

[0057] In this case, the single-phase heat pump loses all or almost all of its interest compared to its conventional equivalent with a refrigerant that changes state.

[0058] This is why the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention provides for an innovative configuration with very high mechanical and volumetric efficiency, coupled with efficient heat exchanges and flows, so as to give, in particular to the resulting single-phase Carnot cycle heat pumps, a significantly higher coefficient of performance than that of their conventional equivalent with phase-change refrigerant.

[0059] Thus, the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention is mainly intended for producing high coefficient of performance heat pumps.

[0060] In particular, a heat pump is derived from the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention: • Which delivers a higher coefficient of performance than conventional heat pumps with phase-change refrigerant, said pump according to the invention thus reducing, all other things being equal, the energy required for the production of heat or cold; • Whose thermodynamic efficiency is close to that of the ideal Carnot cycle which is by definition unsurpassable, to the point that in all likelihood, the replacement of said heat pump by another concept can hardly be motivated by a further improvement in efficiency; • Which does not use any flammable, corrosive, or harmful refrigerant, the said pump being able to operate for example with atmospheric air or nitrogen and to escape any regulatory or safety constraints relating to the handling, storage or recycling of refrigerants; • Whose operating temperature range is very wide due to the fact that said pump is not dependent on any refrigerant whatsoever, said pump being able to operate in heating or cooling mode in any region of the world without prejudice to its yield; • Of simple design, to the point that said pump can be produced in virtually every country in the world in workshops with a modest technical level, in particular by assembling low-cost components that are easily manufactured or widely available on the market; • Whose simple mechanical configuration allows for maintenance without great technical skill, and at a lower cost; • Which allows any qualified plumber-heating engineer to easily and affordably create a heating and air conditioning network that integrates easily into buildings and the environment of said buildings, without requiring approval or certification related to the handling of gases hazardous to health and the environment; • Whose robust mechanism gives it a lifespan which can reach, subject to the replacement of minor parts, several decades without deterioration of either the operation or the performance of said pump, such a lifespan constituting an additional advantage of said pump for the environment compared with conventional heat pumps with refrigerant fluid when analyzing the entire life cycle of said pumps, including manufacturing and recycling; • Which is silent and can be integrated into buildings while producing minimal noise; • Whose arrangement allows large heat exchange surfaces to be exposed to the environment at a lower cost, by using low-speed, low-energy-consumption, low-noise motor fans; • Whose manufacture requires neither rare or strategic materials, nor high-tech know-how and knowledge;

[0061] It is understood that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention is intended, in addition to heat pumps, for any other application similar in its concept and principle which could advantageously take advantage of the particular characteristics and functionalities of said mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention.

[0062] The other features of the present invention have been described in the description and in the secondary claims directly or indirectly dependent on the main claim.

[0063] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump comprising a compressor in which a pneumatic variable compressor volume is formed, and an expansion valve in which a pneumatic variable expansion volume is formed, Each said volume, comprising on the one hand an inlet port through which a working gas can enter and on the other hand an outlet port through which said gas can exit, includes • At least one blind liquid cylinder which is formed of one or more coaxial cylindrical sections, which is directly or indirectly attached to a static frame, of which at least two ends are each sealed by a cylinder termination, and in which at least one double-acting hydraulic piston comprising one or more coaxial sealed discs can translate in a sealed manner, said piston having, on the one hand, at least one axial piston face on the compressor side which forms with said cylinder and a sealed cylinder termination a hydraulic variable volume of compressor, and on the other hand, at least one axial piston face on the expansion valve side which forms with said cylinder and another sealed cylinder termination a hydraulic variable volume of expansion valve, both said hydraulic variable volumes being wholly or partly filled with a working liquid; • A compressor gas and liquid reservoir which is connected to the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor by a communication conduit, such that said reservoir fills mostly or totally with working liquid when the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor is minimal, said reservoir fills partially or totally with working gas when the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor is maximal, the variation in the volume of the working gas contained in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir defining, on the one hand, the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor and being, on the other hand, approximately equal to the variation in the volume of the working liquid contained in the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor; • A regulator gas and liquid reservoir which is connected to the regulator hydraulic variable volume by a communication conduit, such that said reservoir fills mostly or totally with working liquid when the regulator hydraulic variable volume is minimal, said reservoir fills partially or totally with working gas when the regulator hydraulic variable volume is maximal, the variation in the volume of the working gas contained in the regulator gas and liquid reservoir defining, on the one hand, the regulator pneumatic variable volume and being, on the other hand, approximately equal to the variation in the volume of the working liquid contained in the regulator hydraulic variable volume; Compressor heat exchange and accumulation means housed in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir, said means being able to mainly take heat from the working gas contained in said reservoir and temporarily store said heat, before transferring it to the working liquid also contained in said reservoir; Expansion valve heat exchange and accumulation means housed in the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir, said means being able to mainly take heat from the working liquid contained in said reservoir and temporarily store said heat, before transferring it to the working gas also contained in said reservoir; Heat export means located inside and / or outside the compressor gas and liquid tank, said means taking heat directly or indirectly from the compressor heat exchange and accumulation means on the one hand, and / or from the working liquid and / or working gas contained in whole or in part in said tank on the other hand, said heat being subsequently transferred to heating means external to the compressor gas and liquid tank; Heat import means located inside and / or outside the regulator gas and liquid tank, said means directly or indirectly supplying heat to the regulator heat exchange and accumulation means on the one hand, and / or to the working liquid and / or working gas contained in whole or in part in said tank on the other hand, said heat having been previously taken from cooling means external to the regulator gas and liquid tank; Compressor filling means that permit or prohibit the passage of working gas from a compressor inlet plenum to the compressor gas and liquid reservoir via the compressor inlet port; Compressor draining means that permit or prohibit the passage of working gas from the compressor gas and liquid tank to a compressor discharge plenum via the compressor outlet port; Regulator filling means that permit or prohibit the passage of working gas from a regulator inlet plenum to the regulator gas and liquid reservoir via the regulator inlet port; Regulator discharge means which permit or prohibit the passage of working gas from the regulator gas and liquid reservoir to a regulator discharge plenum via the regulator outlet port; • A connecting rod which is integral with the double-acting hydraulic piston, which passes in a sealed manner through at least one of the ends of the blind liquid cylinder, and which is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of said piston and of the blind liquid cylinder; • Piston guiding means which keep the hydraulic piston and connecting rod parallel to the blind liquid cylinder, regardless of the position of said piston in said cylinder; • Means of actuation of connecting rod through which a drive motor imparts to the connecting rod an alternating longitudinal translational motion parallel to the axis of the blind liquid cylinder; • Means of storing mechanical energy which are directly or indirectly connected to the means of actuating the connecting rod and / or to the connecting rod itself, said means of storage being able to alternately take and give mechanical energy to said actuating means and / or to said rod.

[0064] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises connecting rod actuation means consisting of a crankshaft which is oriented perpendicularly to the blind liquid cylinder, and which can rotate in at least one shaft bearing which is directly or indirectly integral with the static frame, said crankshaft having at least one crank around which is articulated a connecting rod head of an actuating connecting rod, the latter also having a connecting rod foot which is articulated with the connecting rod, the latter passing in a sealed manner through at least one of the sealed cylinder terminations.

[0065] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a connecting rod foot which is articulated with the connecting rod by means of a connecting bracket which is integral with said rod.

[0066] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a connecting arm which includes an arm yoke which is traversed by an arm axis which is perpendicular to the connecting rod and around which are articulated on the one hand, a connecting rod foot bearing which includes the connecting rod foot, and at least one arm roller which rolls on at least one arm bearing track which is parallel to the blind liquid cylinder, and which is directly or indirectly integral with said cylinder.

[0067] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a double-acting hydraulic piston consisting of two coaxial sealed discs that are axially sufficiently far apart from each other to leave a portion of the blind liquid cylinder not swept by said piston.

[0068] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes compressor heat exchange and accumulation means and / or expansion valve heat exchange and accumulation means which are made of a porous medium which has porosities into which working liquid and working gas alternately enter and exit.

[0069] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes heat export means which consist of a circulating portion of the working liquid which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor and / or the compressor gas and liquid reservoir via a liquid outlet conduit and then returns to said volume and / or to said reservoir via a liquid inlet conduit, this after having directly or indirectly transferred heat to the heating means.

[0070] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a circulating portion of the working fluid which transfers heat to the heating means via a secondary heating heat exchanger.

[0071] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes heat import means which consist of a circulating portion of the working liquid which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the expansion valve and / or the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir via a liquid outlet conduit to return to said volume and / or to said reservoir via a liquid inlet conduit, this after having directly or indirectly taken heat from the cooling means.

[0072] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes a circulating portion of the working fluid which takes heat from the cooling means via a secondary cooling heat exchanger.

[0073] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes heat export means which consist of at least one heat exchanger duct housed in the compressor gas and liquid tank and in which circulates a heat transfer fluid which exports heat taken from the compressor heat exchange and accumulation means on the one hand, and / or from the working liquid and / or working gas contained in the compressor gas and liquid tank on the other hand, to the heating means, via heat transport ducts.

[0074] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes heat import means consisting of at least one heat exchanger duct housed in the expansion valve's gas and liquid reservoir and through which circulates a heat transfer fluid that imports heat from the cooling means to the heat exchange and accumulation means of the expansion valve on the one hand, and / or the working liquid and / or the working gas contained in the compressor gas and liquid tank on the other hand, via heat transport ducts.

[0075] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes compressor heat exchange and accumulation means which consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle supplied by a liquid spray pump, said nozzle being able to atomize working liquid into fine droplets in the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir.

[0076] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes means for exchanging and storing expansion valve heat which consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle supplied by a liquid spray pump, said nozzle being able to atomize working liquid into fine droplets in the internal volume of the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir.

[0077] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes compressor heat exchange and accumulation means which consist of a rotary liquid atomizer comprising a rotating atomizing cylinder pierced with radial atomizing orifices, an atomizer motor driving said cylinder in rapid rotation so that the latter draws working liquid into its axial end by centrifugal effect and / or by means of a pumping turbine, and radially discharges said liquid in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir, via the radial atomizing orifices.

[0078] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes expansion valve heat exchange and accumulation means which consist of a rotary liquid atomizer comprising a rotating atomizing cylinder pierced with radial atomizing orifices, an atomizer motor driving said cylinder in rapid rotation so that the latter draws working liquid into its axial end by centrifugal effect and / or by means of a pumping turbine, and radially discharges said liquid in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir, via the radial atomizing orifices.

[0079] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises piston guiding means consisting of a sliding pivot joint formed between an external cylindrical surface of the connecting rod and a guide orifice that is integrally connected to the liquid cylinder one-eyed.

[0080] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes piston guiding means which consist of a guide skirt arranged around the periphery of the double-acting hydraulic piston, said skirt being able to translate with little play in the blind liquid cylinder.

[0081] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes compressor filling means and / or compressor draining means which consist of at least one compressor valve and / or at least one piloted compressor valve, while in operation, the working gas is expelled from the compressor gas and liquid reservoir via the compressor discharge plenum under a pressure greater than that under which it was previously introduced into said reservoir via the compressor inlet plenum.

[0082] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes means for filling the expansion valve and / or means for emptying the expansion valve which consist of at least one pilot-operated expansion valve while in operation, the working gas is expelled from the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir via the expansion valve discharge plenum under a pressure lower than that under which it was previously introduced into said reservoir via the expansion valve inlet plenum.

[0083] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a compressor discharge plenum which is connected to the expansion valve inlet plenum by a high-pressure gas line such that the working gas exiting the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor via said compressor discharge plenum is introduced into the pneumatic variable volume of the expansion valve via said expansion valve inlet plenum, while the expansion valve discharge plenum is connected to the compressor inlet plenum by a low-pressure gas line such that the working gas exiting the pneumatic variable volume of the expansion valve via said expansion valve discharge plenum is introduced into the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor via said compressor inlet plenum.

[0084] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes a high-pressure gas conduit which communicates with at least one high-pressure gas reservoir.

[0085] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes a low-pressure gas conduit which communicates with at least one low-pressure gas reservoir.

[0086] The slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a working gas that circulates in the high-pressure gas duct pressure which gives up its heat to the working gas which flows in the low pressure gas duct via a regeneration heat exchanger.

[0087] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a compressor inlet plenum and a compressor outlet plenum which are located in the upper part of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir, the latter being itself positioned above the blind liquid cylinder, so that, under the effect of Earth's gravity, the working gas always exits said reservoir in the first place via said outlet plenum, and the working liquid always enters said reservoir in the first place via said inlet plenum.

[0088] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises an expansion valve inlet plenum and an expansion valve outlet plenum which are located in the upper part of the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir, the latter being itself positioned above the blind liquid cylinder, so that, under the effect of Earth's gravity, the working gas always exits said reservoir in the first place via said outlet plenum, and the working liquid always enters said reservoir in the first place via said inlet plenum.

[0089] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes mechanical energy storage means which consist of a flywheel made rotationally fixed to the crankshaft by a transmission multiplier.

[0090] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a crankshaft which includes a toothed ring which the drive motor drives in rotation through at least one ring drive pinion whose pitch diameter is smaller than that of said ring, the latter and said pinion forming a multiplication gear system.

[0091] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes an overflow pump that can transfer working fluid from an overflow tank to and directly or indirectly, the compressor gas and fluid tank and / or the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor and / or the communication line that connects said tank to said variable volume, said overflow tank communicating with the compressor discharge plenum so that the working gas pressure in said tank is close to or the same as that in said plenum.

[0092] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes an overflow pump that can transfer liquid from work from an overflow tank to and directly or indirectly, the regulator gas and liquid tank and / or the regulator hydraulic variable volume and / or the communication conduit which connects said tank to said variable volume, said overflow tank communicating with the regulator discharge plenum so that the working gas pressure which prevails in said tank is close to or identical to that which prevails in said plenum.

[0093] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention includes an overflow pump which includes a blind pump cylinder in which an overflow pump piston can translate in a sealed manner, the latter and said cylinder forming a variable overflow pump volume which, when it increases, fills with working liquid from the overflow tank via at least one overflow pump inlet valve and which, when it decreases, discharges said liquid successively via a discharge valve and a discharge conduit.

[0094] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises an overflow pump piston which is a two-body stepped piston comprising a large-diameter body having a large-section face which forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume, said stepped piston also comprising, axially opposite the large-section face, a small-diameter body which can translate in a sealed manner in an actuation cylinder whose internal volume is connected directly or indirectly to the discharge conduit, said small-diameter body having a small-section face on which the pressure prevailing in the discharge conduit is exerted, said stepped piston also offering, at the junction between the large-diameter body and the small-diameter body, a medium-section face from which the small-diameter body emerges, which is connected to the overflow tank,and which is subjected to the pressure prevailing in said reservoir, while a stepped piston stop fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume and a double-body piston return spring tends to push the double-body stepped piston towards its larger cross-section face.

[0095] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a discharge valve which includes a valve actuating piston that can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuating cylinder and which has, firstly, an axial valve actuating face which communicates with the overflow tank and on which the pressure prevailing in said tank is exerted, said face being able to lift an overflow valve from an overflow valve seat when the valve actuating piston moves towards said face, which has the effect of connecting the volume variable overflow pump with the discharge conduit, and secondly, an axial face on the discharge conduit side which communicates with the discharge conduit, on which the pressure prevailing in said conduit is exerted, and which can come into contact with a stop on the discharge conduit side when the valve actuating piston moves in the direction of said axial face on the discharge conduit side, while an actuating piston return spring tends to push the valve actuating piston back towards its axial valve actuating face, and an overflow valve return spring tends to bring the overflow valve back into contact with the overflow valve seat with which it cooperates, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring being greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring.

[0096] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises an overflow pump piston which is a two-body stepped piston comprising a large-diameter body having a large-section face connected to the overflow tank and subjected to the pressure in said tank, said stepped piston also comprising, axially opposite the large-section face, a small-diameter body which can translate in a sealed manner within an actuation cylinder whose internal volume is connected directly or indirectly to the discharge conduit, said small-diameter body having a small-section face on which the pressure in the discharge conduit is exerted, said stepped piston also offering, at the junction between the large-diameter body and the small-diameter body,a medium-section face from which emerges the small-diameter body, said face forming one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume, while a stepped piston stop fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume and a double-body piston return spring tends to push the double-body stepped piston towards its small-section face.

[0097] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a discharge valve which includes a valve actuating piston that can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuating cylinder and which has, firstly, an axial valve actuating face that communicates with the discharge conduit and on which the pressure prevailing in said conduit is exerted, said face being able to lift an overflow valve from an overflow valve seat when the valve actuating piston moves towards said face, thereby connecting the variable overflow pump volume with the discharge conduit, and secondly, an axial face on the reservoir side that communicates with the overflow reservoir, on which the pressure prevailing in said reservoir is exerted, and which can enter into contact with a stop on the overflow tank side when the valve actuating piston moves in the direction of said axial face on the tank side, while an actuating piston return spring tends to push the valve actuating piston back towards its axial valve actuating face, and an overflow valve return spring tends to bring the overflow valve back into contact with the overflow valve seat with which it cooperates, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring being greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring.

[0098] The slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention comprises a double-acting hydraulic piston which includes at least two coaxial sealed discs, each of which has a low-pressure axial piston face which communicates with the low-pressure gas duct.

[0099] The following description, with reference to the attached drawings given by way of non-limiting examples, will allow for a better understanding of the invention, its features, and the advantages it is likely to provide:

[0100] [Fig-1] is a pressure-volume diagram of the thermodynamic cycle performed by the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention when said pump is not equipped with a regeneration heat exchanger.

[0101] [Fig.2] is a pressure-volume diagram of the thermodynamic cycle executed by the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention when said pump is equipped with a regeneration heat exchanger.

[0102] [Fig.3] is a schematic cross-sectional view of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention, the blind liquid cylinder of which is formed of two coaxial cylindrical sections, each of which houses a coaxial sealed disc of the double-acting hydraulic piston, and the connecting rod of which is connected to the connecting rod actuation means by the end of said rod, while a partitioned thermo-insulating enclosure separates the compressor, the connecting rod actuation means, the drive motor and the mechanical energy storage means on the one hand, from the expansion valve on the other hand, said enclosure also thermally separating said heat pump from the external environment.

[0103] [Fig.4] is a schematic cross-sectional view of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention, the blind liquid cylinder of which is formed of two coaxial cylindrical sections, each of which houses a coaxial sealed disc of the double-acting hydraulic piston, and the connecting rod of which is articulated with the connecting rod actuation means approximately in the middle of its length.

[0104] [Fig. 5] is a schematic cross-sectional view of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention, the blind liquid cylinder of which is formed of a single cylindrical section which houses a double-acting hydraulic piston which includes a single coaxial sealed disc, the connecting rod being connected to the connecting rod actuation means by its end while the heat export means consist of a circulating portion of the working fluid which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor and the heat import means consist of a circulating portion of the working fluid which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the expansion valve, the expansion valve heat exchange and accumulation means and the expansion valve heat exchange and accumulation means being made up of a rotating liquid atomizer.

[0105] [Fig.6] is a schematic cross-sectional view of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention and according to the variant shown in [Fig.5], except that the blind liquid cylinder houses a double-acting hydraulic piston which includes two coaxial sealed discs, each of which has a low-pressure axial piston face which communicates with the low-pressure gas duct, and which includes a secondary heating heat exchanger and a secondary cooling heat exchanger made of a copper pipe winding.

[0106] [Fig.7] is a three-dimensional view of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention and according to the variant shown in [Fig.6], with the difference in particular that the inlet ports and outlet ports are reversed.

[0107] [Fig.8] is a three-dimensional view of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention and according to the variant shown in [Fig.7] in particular the blind liquid cylinder, the compressor gas and liquid tank and the expansion valve gas and liquid tank are cut to show the contents.

[0108] [Fig.9] is a three-dimensional view of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention and according to the variant shown in [Fig.7], viewed from the other side, so as to make the compressor overflow pump and the expansion valve pump clearly visible.

[0109] [Fig. 10] is a three-dimensional view of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention and according to the variant shown in [Fig.9], shown from another angle of view.

[0110] [Fig. 11] is an exploded three-dimensional view of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention and according to the variant shown in [Fig. 7],

[0111] [Fig. 12] is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of an overflow pump as it may be provided for the compressor of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump according to the invention.

[0112] [Fig. 13] is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overflow pump shown in [Fig. 12] of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention, the pressure prevailing in the overflow tank of said pump being greater than the pressure prevailing in the discharge conduit of said pump, which has the effect of filling the variable volume of the overflow pump with working liquid from said overflow tank.

[0113] [Fig. 14] is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows what happens after [Fig. 13] when the pressure in the overflow tank of the overflow pump becomes substantially equal to the pressure in the discharge conduit of said pump, which enables the twin-body piston return spring to move the overflow pump piston to expel the working fluid previously admitted into the variable volume of the overflow pump to said discharge conduit.

[0114] [Fig. 15] is a schematic cross-sectional view of an overflow pump such as may be provided for the expansion valve of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to the invention, the pressure prevailing in the overflow tank of said pump being lower than the pressure prevailing in the discharge conduit of said pump, which has the effect of filling the variable volume of the overflow pump with working fluid from said overflow tank.

[0115] [Fig. 16] is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows what happens after [Fig. 15] when the pressure in the overflow tank of the overflow pump becomes substantially equal to the pressure in the discharge conduit of said pump, which enables the twin-body piston return spring to move the overflow pump piston to expel the working fluid previously admitted into the variable volume of the overflow pump to said discharge conduit.

[0116] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

[0117] Figures 1 to 16 show the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, various details of its components, its variants, and its accessories.

[0118] As can be seen in figures 3 to 11, the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention comprises a compressor 3 in which a pneumatic variable volume of compressor 2 is formed, and an expansion valve 4 in which a pneumatic variable volume of expansion valve 136 is formed.

[0119] Each said volume 2, 136 comprises on the one hand, an inlet port 6 through which a working gas 5 can enter and on the other hand, an outlet port 7 through which said gas 5 can exit.

[0120] Furthermore, Figures 3 to 11 illustrate that the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention also comprises at least one cylinder blind liquid 8 which is formed of one or more coaxial cylindrical sections 63.

[0121] The blind liquid cylinder 8 is directly or indirectly attached to a static frame 40 and includes at least two ends which are each sealed by a cylinder sealing termination 135.

[0122] A double-acting hydraulic piston 10 shown in Figures 3 to 6 and in Figures 8 and 11 can translate in a sealed manner in the blind liquid cylinder 8, said piston 10 comprising one or more coaxial sealed discs 64 and having, on the one hand, at least one axial piston face on the compressor side 132 which forms with said cylinder 8 and a sealed cylinder termination 135 a hydraulic variable volume of compressor 12, and on the other hand, at least one axial piston face on the expansion valve side 133 which forms with said cylinder 8 and another sealed cylinder termination 135 a hydraulic variable volume of expansion valve 134, the two said hydraulic variable volumes 12, 133 being wholly or partly filled with a working liquid 13.

[0123] It is noted in figures 3 to 6 and in figures 8 and 11 that the coaxial sealed disc 64 may advantageously include at least one sealing gasket 51, whether the latter is toroidal, lip, composite, or of any type known to those skilled in the art, said gasket 51 preventing the working liquid 13 from leaking between said piston 10 and the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0124] Alternatively, in said sealing joint 51, at least one segment with a cut or continuous can form a seal between the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 and the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0125] The double-acting hydraulic piston 10 may also include an anti-friction guide ring 76 preferably made of an abrasion-resistant material such as polytetrafluoroethylene loaded with anti-friction particles such as graphite, said ring 76 guiding and centering said piston 10 in the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0126] By way of example, the working liquid 13 may consist of pure water, or of water with added glycol to lower the solidification temperature of said water.

[0127] It should be noted that the static frame 40 can be fixed or placed on the floor of a residential, commercial or industrial building 121, while the working gas 5 can be atmospheric air and be made up of any element or molecule such as pure nitrogen, helium, argon, or carbon dioxide, said element or molecule being chosen according to its chemical reactivity, its thermodynamic performance, and its ability to promote heat exchange in particular with the working liquid 13 and with the means of heat exchange and accumulation of compressor 16 and the means of heat exchange and accumulation of expansion valve 139.

[0128] This also helps to prevent corrosion of the internal components of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, and the development of microorganisms.

[0129] As shown in Figures 3 to 11, the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention also includes a compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 which is connected to the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 by a communication conduit 15, so that said reservoir 14 fills mostly or totally with working liquid 13 when the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 is minimal, said reservoir 14 fills partially or totally with working gas 5 when the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 is maximal.

[0130] The variation in the volume of the working gas 5 contained in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 defines, on the one hand, the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor 2 and is, on the other hand, approximately equal to the variation in the volume of the working liquid 13 contained in the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 according to the principle of communicating vessels.

[0131] In the same figures 3 to 11, it has also been shown that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention also includes a gas and liquid expansion tank 137 which is connected to the hydraulic variable volume expansion tank 134 by a communication conduit 15, so that said tank 137 is mostly or totally filled with working liquid 13 when the hydraulic variable volume expansion tank 134 is minimal, said tank 137 is partially or totally filled with working gas 5 when the hydraulic variable volume expansion tank 134 is maximal.

[0132] The variation in the volume of the working gas 5 contained in the gas and liquid reservoir of the regulator 137 defines, on the one hand, the pneumatic variable volume of the regulator 136 and is, on the other hand, approximately equal to the variation in the volume of the working liquid 13 contained in the hydraulic variable volume of the regulator 134.

[0133] It is noted that the maximum acceleration and deceleration to which the working liquid 13 contained in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 and the regulator gas and liquid tank 137 is subjected must preferably remain below that of Earth's gravity, so that said liquid 13 is not subjected to any cavitation phenomenon or excessive mixing with the working gas 5 which is also contained in said tanks 14, 137.

[0134] It is also noted that a passivator in the form of a perforated or folded sheet metal or a solid permeable or non-permeable structure may be provided in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 and / or the regulator gas and liquid tank 137, in order to avoid excessive turbulence of the working liquid 13 contained in said tanks 14, 137.

[0135] As can be seen in Figures 3 to 6 and in Figures 8 and 11, the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention further comprises compressor heat exchange and accumulation means 16 which are housed in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14, said means 16 being able mainly to take heat from the working gas 5 contained in said tank 14 and temporarily store said heat, this before transferring the latter to the working liquid 13 also contained in said tank 14.

[0136] In the same figures, it is noted that the heat pump 1 also includes means for heat exchange and accumulation of expansion valve 139 which are housed in the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137, said means 139 being able to mainly take heat from the working liquid 13 which is contained in said reservoir 137 and temporarily store said heat, this before releasing the latter to the working gas 5 which is also contained in said reservoir 137.

[0137] Particularly in Figures 3 to 6, it is noted that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention comprises heat export means 17 housed inside and / or outside the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14, said means 17 taking heat directly or indirectly from the compressor heat exchange and storage means 16 on the one hand, and / or from the working fluid 13 and / or the working gas 5 contained in whole or in part in said reservoir 14 on the other hand, said heat being then transferred to heating means 18 external to the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14, which may take the form of a radiant floor heating and cooling system 106 installed in a commercial or residential building 121, or a fan coil unit known per se, or an air-to-water heat exchanger 107 located outside 122 of said building 121,and through which atmospheric air is forced to pass through at least one motor-fan 108, ground-to-water or water-to-water installed outdoors 122, according to the principles ordinarily adopted for air-source or geothermal heat pumps.

[0138] Similarly, the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention comprises heat import means 138 housed inside and / or outside the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137, said means 138 directly or indirectly supplying heat to the expansion valve heat exchange and storage means 139 on the one hand, and / or to the working fluid 13 and / or the working gas 5 contained in whole or in part in said reservoir 137 on the other hand, said heat having been previously taken from cooling means 19 external to the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137, which may take the form of a radiant floor heating and cooling system 106 installed in a commercial or residential building 121, or a fan coil unit known per se, or an air-to-water or ground-to-water heat exchanger 107 or water-to-water system installed outdoors 122,according to the principles generally adopted for air-source or geothermal heat pumps.

[0139] It is noted in Figures 3 to 6 and in [Fig.8] that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention includes compressor filling means 20 which permit or prohibit the passage of working gas 5 from a compressor inlet plenum 21 to the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 via the compressor inlet port 6 3.

[0140] In the same figures, it is noted that said heat pump 1 also includes compressor draining means 22 which allow or prevent the passage of working gas 5 from the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 to a compressor discharge plenum 62 via the outlet port 7 of the compressor 3.

[0141] Still in figures 3 to 6 and in [Fig.8], it is noted that means for filling regulator 140 allow or prevent the passage of working gas 5 from a regulator inlet plenum 142 to the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137 via the inlet port 6 of the regulator 4.

[0142] The same figures also show that regulator draining means 141 permit or prohibit the passage of working gas 5 from the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137 to a regulator discharge plenum 143 via the outlet port 7 of the regulator 4.

[0143] In Figures 3 to 6 and in Figures 8 and 11, it has been shown that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention comprises a connecting rod 11 which is integral with the double-acting hydraulic piston 10, which passes in a sealed manner through at least one of the ends of the blind liquid cylinder 8, and which is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of said piston 10 and of the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0144] Figures 3 to 6 and [Fig.8] show that piston guiding means 23 keep the hydraulic piston 10 and the connecting rod 11 parallel to the blind liquid cylinder 8, regardless of the position of said piston 10 in said cylinder 8.

[0145] Figures 3 to 11 illustrate that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention also includes connecting rod actuation means 144 through which a drive motor 27 imparts to the connecting rod 11 a reciprocating longitudinal translational motion parallel to the axis of the blind liquid cylinder 8, said motor 27 being able to be electric, internal or external combustion thermal, hydraulic, pneumatic, or of any type known to those skilled in the art.

[0146] Figures 3 to 11 finally show that the piston heat pump 1 according to the invention also comprises mechanical energy storage means 28, inertial, pneumatic, electrical, gravitational, or of any known or future type, which are directly or indirectly connected to the connecting rod actuation means 144 and / or to the connecting rod 11 itself, said storage means 28 being able to alternately take and give mechanical energy to said actuation means 144 and / or to said rod 11.

[0147] In figures 3 to 11, it has been shown that according to a variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, the connecting rod actuation means 144 can consist of a crankshaft 24 which is oriented perpendicularly to the blind liquid cylinder 8, and which can rotate in at least one shaft bearing 25 which is directly or indirectly attached to the static frame 40.

[0148] According to said variant, the crankshaft 24 may have at least one crank 26 around which a connecting rod head 145 of an actuating connecting rod 165 is articulated, the latter also having a connecting rod foot 146 which is articulated with the connecting rod 11, the latter passing through at least one of the sealed cylinder terminations 135 in a sealed manner.

[0149] It is noted that the shaft bearing 25, the connecting rod head 145, and the connecting rod foot 146 can receive a roller bearing 105, a ball bearing or a needle bearing known per se.

[0150] In the context of the variant just described, it can be seen in figures 3 to 11 that the connecting rod foot 146 can articulate with the connecting rod 11 by means of a low-friction connecting bracket 147, which is integral with said rod 11.

[0151] In this case, the connecting arm 147 may include a connecting arm yoke 148 which is traversed by a connecting arm axis 155 which is perpendicular to the connecting rod 11 and around which are articulated on the one hand, a connecting rod foot bearing 149 which includes the connecting rod foot 146 and which may advantageously be made of a ball or roller bearing known per se, and at least one connecting arm roller 150 of ball or roller known per se which rolls on at least one connecting arm bearing track 41 which is parallel to the blind liquid cylinder 8, and which is directly or indirectly integral with said cylinder 8.

[0152] As a technological equivalent, the clevis can be integral with the actuating rod 146 in place of the connecting rod foot 146, while the connecting rod 11 can receive a bearing or a bushing.

[0153] It is noted that the radial forces to which the cross roller 150 is subjected are equal to a part of the axial force received by the actuating rod 165 when the latter is not perfectly parallel to the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0154] According to another variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 can consist of two coaxial sealed discs 64 which are axially sufficiently distant from each other to leave a portion of the blind liquid cylinder 8 not swept by said piston 10 as clearly shown in figures 6 and 8.

[0155] It has been shown in [Fig.3] that the means for heat exchange and accumulation of compressor 16 and / or the means for heat exchange and accumulation of expansion valve 139 can be made of a porous medium 32 which has porosities 33 into which working liquid 13 and working gas 5 enter and from which they alternately exit.

[0156] By way of example, said porous medium 32 may consist of porous ceramic, a ceramic or metal structure, or a metallic straw made of copper or aluminum.

[0157] As a variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6, the heat export means 17 may consist of a circulating portion of the working fluid 13 which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 and / or the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 via a liquid outlet duct 34 and then returns to said volume 12 and / or to said reservoir 14 via a liquid inlet duct 35, this after having directly or indirectly transferred heat to the heating means 18.

[0158] According to this last variant, the circulating part of the working liquid 13 can transfer heat to the heating means 18 via a secondary heating heat exchanger 153 which can be plate, tubular, or of any type known to those skilled in the art.

[0159] Similarly and as also shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6, the heat import means 138 can consist of a circulating portion of the working fluid 13 which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the expansion valve 134 and / or the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137 via a liquid outlet conduit 34 to return to said volume 134 and / or to said reservoir 137 via a liquid inlet conduit 35, this after having directly or indirectly taken heat from the cooling means 19.

[0160] In this case, the circulating part of the working liquid 13 can take heat from the cooling means 19 through a secondary cooling heat exchanger 154 which can be plate, tubular, or of any type known to those skilled in the art.

[0161] In [Fig.4] and according to another variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, it has been shown that the heat export means 17 can consist of at least one heat exchanger duct 36 housed in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 and in which circulates a heat transfer fluid 37 which exports heat taken from the compressor heat exchange and storage means 16 on the one hand, and / or from the working fluid 13 and / or from the working gas 5 contained in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 on the other hand, to the heating means 18, via heat transport ducts 38.

[0162] On the same [Fig.4], we see that similarly, the means of heat import 138 may consist of at least one heat exchanger duct 36 housed in the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137 and in which circulates a heat transfer fluid 37 which imports heat from the cooling means 19 to the expansion valve heat exchange and storage means 139 on the one hand, and / or the working fluid 13 and / or the working gas 5 contained in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 on the other hand, via heat transport ducts 38.

[0163] It is noted that the heat exchanger duct 36 can, as the case may be, form in itself the means for exchanging and storing heat of compressor 16 or the means for exchanging and storing heat of expansion valve 139.

[0164] By way of non-limiting example, the heat exchanger duct 36 may take the form of a coil of copper 109 or aluminum pipe, while the heat transport ducts 38 may be coated with thermal insulation.

[0165] It is noted that the coils or layers that can constitute the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​can be held in place in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 or in the expansion valve gas and liquid tank 137 and with respect to each other by retaining plates or by separation baffles which can constitute baffles and / or passage restrictions creating jets of working liquid 13 and / or working gas 5 when said liquid 13 and / or said gas 5 passes through said restrictions.

[0166] In addition, the heat exchanger duct 36 can receive external fins which increase its contact surface with the working liquid 13 or the working gas 5.

[0167] In [Fig.4], it has been shown that according to another variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, the means for exchanging and storing heat from compressor 16 can consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle 71 supplied by a liquid spray pump 72, said nozzle 71 being able to atomize working liquid 13 into fine droplets in the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0168] Still in [Fig.4], it is noted that similarly, the means for heat exchange and accumulation of regulator 139 can consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle 71 supplied by a liquid spray pump 72, said nozzle 71 being able to atomize working liquid 13 into fine droplets in the internal volume of the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137.

[0169] It is noted that, whether it is the compressor 3 or the expansion valve 4, the number, position, and orientation of the nozzles 71 are not limited and are provided so that the atomized working liquid 13 exposes the working gas 5 to a large developed surface area for heat exchange, while the entrainment speed of said gas 5 by said liquid 13 also promotes as much as possible the heat exchanges between said gas 5 and said liquid 13.

[0170] It is also noted that the liquid spray pump 72 may be one or more piston, gear, turbine or of a type known to those skilled in the art, and may be housed inside or outside the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 or the regulator gas and liquid tank 137.

[0171] The liquid spray pump 72 can for example consist of a piston which is directly or indirectly driven by a cam driven in rotation by the crankshaft 24, the profile of said cam being calculated so that the atomization of the working liquid 13 begins at the opportune angular moment of rotation of said shaft 24, and for an optimal angular duration and according to an optimal intensity variation law.

[0172] It is noted that preferably, the liquid spray pump 72 draws working liquid 13 from the same volume into which it discharges said liquid 13 via the liquid spray nozzle 71, so that the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of said pump 72 is minimal.

[0173] As a particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, it has been visibly shown in Figures 5, 6, 8 and 11 that the means for exchanging and storing heat from the compressor 16 can consist of a rotary liquid atomizer 158 which includes a rotary atomizing cylinder 159 pierced with radial atomizing orifices 160, an atomizer motor 161 driving said cylinder 159 in rapid rotation so that the latter draws in working liquid 13 at its axial end by centrifugal force and / or by means of a pumping turbine 162, and radially discharges said liquid 13 in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14, via the radial atomizing orifices 160.

[0174] Also in Figures 5, 6, 8 and 11, it has also been shown that the means for heat exchange and accumulation of the regulator 139 can consist of a rotary liquid atomizer 158 which includes a rotary atomizing cylinder 159 pierced with radial atomizing orifices 160, an atomizer motor 161 driving said cylinder 159 in rapid rotation so that the latter draws in working liquid 13 at its axial end by centrifugal effect and / or by means of a pumping turbine 162, and radially discharges said liquid 13 in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137, via the radial atomizing orifices 160.

[0175] As can be seen in Figures 5, 6 and 8, part of the working liquid 13 drawn in by the axial end of the rotating atomizing cylinder 159 can come from a suction sleeve 163 connected, as the case may be, either to a secondary heating heat exchanger 153 or to a secondary cooling heat exchanger 154.

[0176] This particular configuration of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention avoids the need for an additional circulator to circulate the working liquid 13 through said secondary exchangers 153, 154, and allows to increase the temperature difference between said liquid 13 and the working gas 5 at the time of atomization of said liquid 13 either in the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid tank 14, or in the internal volume of the expansion valve gas and liquid tank 137.

[0177] As can be seen in Figures 3 to 6 and in [Fig.8], the piston guiding means 23 can consist of a sliding pivot joint 47 formed between an external cylindrical surface 48 which presents the connecting rod 11 and a guide orifice 49 which is solidly connected to the blind liquid cylinder 8 via or not a ring-bearing structure.

[0178] In Figures 3 to 6 and in [Fig.8] and 11, it has been shown that the piston guiding means 23 can consist of a guide skirt 57 arranged on the periphery of the double-acting hydraulic piston 10, said skirt 57 being able to translate with little clearance in the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0179] Figures 3 to 6 and [Fig.8] illustrate that the compressor filling means 20 and / or the compressor draining means 22 can consist of at least one compressor valve 52 and / or at least one pilot-operated compressor valve 53, while in operation, the working gas 5 is expelled from the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 via the compressor discharge plenum 62 under a pressure greater than that under which it was previously introduced into said reservoir 14 via the compressor inlet plenum 21.

[0180] It is noted that the compressor valve 52 can be formed of a simple strip or contact piece returned to a sealed seat by a spring of any type, or be formed of a valve assisted by an electromechanical actuator which cooperates with at least one pressure switch or with a pressure sensor coupled to a computer 120.

[0181] It is also noted that a valve open-hold actuator 81 can be provided which prevents the closing of at least one compressor valve 52 to allow the start-up of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention.

[0182] In Figures 3 to 6 and in [Fig.8], it has been shown that the means for filling regulator 140 and / or the means for emptying regulator 141 can consist of at least one pilot-operated regulator valve 54, while in operation, the working gas 5 is expelled from the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137 via the regulator discharge plenum 143 under a pressure lower than that under which it was previously introduced into said reservoir 137 via the regulator inlet plenum 142.

[0183] It is noted that the outlet ports 7 of the compressor 3 and / or the expansion valve 4 can be to form a small working fluid reservoir 13 so that the compressor valves 52, the compressor pilot valve 53 and the expansion valve pilot valve 54 remain partially or totally immersed in working fluid 13 when they close.

[0184] As can be seen particularly in figures 3 to 6, the compressor discharge plenum 62 can be connected to the expansion valve inlet plenum 142 by a high-pressure gas line 56 so that the working gas 5 exiting the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor 2 via said compressor discharge plenum 62 is introduced into the pneumatic variable volume of the expansion valve 136 via said expansion valve inlet plenum 142, while the expansion valve discharge plenum 143 can be connected to the compressor inlet plenum 21 by a low-pressure gas line 61 so that the working gas 5 exiting the pneumatic variable volume of the expansion valve 136 via said expansion valve discharge plenum 143 is introduced into the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor 2 via said compressor inlet plenum 21.

[0185] In figures 3 to 6, it is clearly seen that the high-pressure gas conduit 56 can communicate with at least one high-pressure gas reservoir 58.

[0186] As an alternative shown in figures 3 to 6, the low-pressure gas conduit 61 can similarly communicate with at least one low-pressure gas reservoir 60.

[0187] It is noted that a regeneration heat exchanger 152 as shown in Figures 3 to 6 can constitute in itself all or part of the high pressure gas reservoir 58 and / or the low pressure gas reservoir 60, whereas according to a particular embodiment of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, the volume of said reservoirs 58, 60 can be adjusted by the intrusion of a solid or a liquid into said reservoirs 58, 60.

[0188] According to a variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention shown in figures 3 to 6, the working gas 5 which flows in the high-pressure gas duct 56 can transfer its heat to the working gas 5 which flows in the low-pressure gas duct 61 via a regeneration heat exchanger 152 preferably counter-current, said exchanger 152 being plate, tube, or of any type known to those skilled in the art.

[0189] It is noted that the internal volume of the regeneration heat exchanger 152 can in itself constitute a high-pressure gas reservoir 58 and / or a low-pressure gas reservoir 60.

[0190] As clearly illustrated in Figures 3 to 6, the compressor inlet plenum 21 and the compressor outlet plenum 62 can advantageously be located in the upper part of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14. the latter being itself positioned above the blind liquid cylinder 8, so that, under the effect of terrestrial gravity, the working gas 5 always exits said tank 14 in the first place via said discharge plenum 62, and that the working liquid 13 always enters said tank 14 in the first place via said intake plenum 21.

[0191] Thus, the working liquid 13 always remains essentially below the working gas 5 in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14, even if said liquid 13 may contain a certain proportion of said gas 5 dissolved or in the form of bubbles.

[0192] Similarly, Figures 3 to 6 illustrate that the regulator inlet plenum 142 and the regulator outlet plenum 143 can advantageously be located in the upper part of the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137, the latter being itself positioned above the blind liquid cylinder 8, so that, under the effect of Earth's gravity, the working gas 5 always exits said reservoir 137 in the first place via said outlet plenum 143, and the working liquid 13 always enters said reservoir 137 in the first place via said inlet plenum 142.

[0193] Thus, the working liquid 13 always remains essentially below the working gas 5 in the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137, even if said liquid 13 may contain a certain proportion of said gas 5 dissolved or in the form of bubbles.

[0194] As shown in Figures 3 to 11, the mechanical energy storage means 28 can consist of a flywheel 66 made rotationally fixed to the crankshaft 24 by a transmission multiplier 156 with gear, chain, belt, hydraulic, electric or any type known to those skilled in the art, so that said flywheel 66 rotates significantly faster than the crankshaft 24.

[0195] According to this particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, the instantaneous torque variations imposed on the crankshaft 24 by the compression or expansion of the working gas 5 in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 and in the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137 are mainly absorbed by the inertia of the flywheel 66, so that the torque which resists or drives the drive motor 27 is smoothed out, said motor 27 then being mainly subjected to only the average resisting torque necessary to maintain the crankshaft 24 in regular rotation.

[0196] It should be noted that the flywheel 66 can optionally be enclosed in a vacuum housing.

[0197] In this case, the transmission of power to said flywheel 66 can be carried out by contactless magnetic coupling.

[0198] It should also be noted that, to facilitate the rotation of the crankshaft 24, the drive motor 27 can be fixedly rotationally attached to the flywheel 66 however a disengageable coupler can be inserted between the assembly formed by said motor 27 and said flywheel 66 on the one hand, and the crankshaft 24 on the other hand, said coupler being able to be magnetic, hydraulic, or of any other type.

[0199] It has been shown in figures 3 to 11 that the crankshaft 24 can include a toothed ring 67 which the drive motor 27 drives in rotation via at least one ring drive pinion 68 whose pitch diameter is smaller than that of said ring 67, the latter 67 and said pinion 68 forming a multiplication gear system 69.

[0200] As a variant of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention shown in figures 5 to 11, an overflow pump 82 can transfer working fluid 13 from an overflow tank 83 to and directly or indirectly, the compressor gas and fluid tank 14 and / or the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 and / or the communication conduit 15 which connects said tank 14 to said variable volume 12, said overflow tank 83 communicating with the compressor discharge plenum 62 so that the working gas pressure 5 which prevails in said tank 83 is close to or identical to that which prevails in said plenum 62.

[0201] Advantageously, the overflow pump 82 can transfer a little working liquid 13 with each reciprocating longitudinal translation movement of the connecting rod 11.

[0202] Thus, when the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 makes back-and-forth movements in the blind liquid cylinder 8 and when the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12 is minimal, the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 is completely filled with working liquid 13, the small quantity of working liquid 13 introduced by the overflow pump 82 into the gas and liquid tank 14 overflowing at each turn of the crankshaft 24 of said tank 14 to return to the overflow tank 83 via the outlet port 7 and the discharge plenum 62 of the compressor.

[0203] This particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention allows the entire working gas 5 contained in the pneumatic variable volume of compressor 2 to be expelled from said volume 2 when the hydraulic variable volume of compressor 12 is minimal, which gives said volume 2 an infinite volumetric ratio, and a volumetric efficiency close to one hundred percent.

[0204] Similarly, and as shown in Figures 5 to 11, an overflow pump 82 can transfer working fluid 13 from an overflow tank 83 to, directly or indirectly, the regulator gas and fluid tank 137 and / or the regulator hydraulic variable volume 134 and / or the communication line 15 which connects said reservoir 137, said variable volume 134, said overflow reservoir 83 communicating with the pressure regulator discharge plenum 143 so that the working gas pressure 5 which reigns in said reservoir 83 is close to or identical to that which reigns in said plenum 143.

[0205] Advantageously and similarly to the case of the compressor 3, the overflow pump 82 transfers a little working liquid 13 with each reciprocating longitudinal translation movement of the connecting rod 11, and its effect is identical to that which it produces on the compressor 3.

[0206] Whether it is the compressor 3 or the expansion valve 4, the overflow tank 83 is advantageously located below the compressor discharge plenum 62 or the expansion valve discharge plenum 143 so that, due to Earth's gravity, the working fluid 13 which overflows from said tanks 14, 137 via the compressor discharge plenum 62 or the expansion valve discharge plenum 143 naturally returns to the corresponding overflow tank 83.

[0207] Whether it applies to the compressor 3 or the expansion valve 4, the overflow pump 82 may include a blind pump cylinder 84 in which an overflow pump piston 85 can move in a sealed manner, the latter and said cylinder 84 forming a variable overflow pump volume 86 which, when it increases, fills with working liquid 13 from the overflow tank 83 via at least one overflow pump inlet valve 87 and which, when it decreases, discharges said liquid 13 successively via a discharge valve 88 and a discharge conduit 157.

[0208] It is noted that the blind cylinder of the pump 84 may or may not be assembled, that is to say that it may be made of a single piece, or receive a cylinder head which closes the end opposite to that closed by the overflow pump piston 85.

[0209] As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the overflow pump piston 85 can be a two-body stepped piston 89 comprising a large-diameter body 93 having a large-section face 90 that forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume 86, said stepped piston 89 also comprising, axially opposite the large-section face 90, a small-diameter body 94 that can translate in a sealed manner within an actuating cylinder 92 whose internal volume is connected directly or indirectly to the discharge conduit 157, said small-diameter body 94 having a small-section face 91 on which the pressure in the discharge conduit 157 is exerted, said stepped piston 89 also providing, at the junction between the large-diameter body 93 and the small-diameter body 94, a medium-section face 95 from which the small-diameter body emerges 94, which is connected to the overflow tank 83,and which is subjected to the pressure prevailing in said reservoir 83, while a stepped piston stop 117 fixes the , maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume 86 and that a return spring of the double-body piston 96 tends to push the double-body stepped piston 89 towards its large section face 90.

[0210] In this case, the discharge valve 88 may include a valve actuating piston 97 which can translate in a sealed manner in a valve actuating cylinder 98 and which has, firstly, an axial valve actuating face 99 which communicates with the overflow tank 83 and on which the pressure prevailing in said tank 83 is exerted, said face 99 being able to lift an overflow valve 100 from an overflow valve seat 104 when the valve actuating piston 97 moves in the direction of said face 99, which has the effect of connecting the variable volume of the overflow pump 86 with the discharge conduit 157, and secondly, an axial face on the discharge conduit side 102 which communicates with the discharge conduit 157, on which the pressure prevailing in said conduit 157 is exerted,and which can come into contact with a stop on the discharge conduit side 118 when the valve actuator piston 97 moves in the direction of said axial face on the discharge conduit side 102, while an actuating piston return spring 103 tends to push the valve actuator piston 97 back towards its axial valve actuating face 99, and an overflow valve return spring 128 tends to return the overflow valve 100 to contact with the overflow valve seat 104 with which it cooperates, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring 103 being greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring 128.

[0211] As an alternative not shown, the discharge valve 88 may comprise a cylindrical spool on the external surface of which a spool groove is provided, said spool being able to translate in a sealed manner in a spool cylinder in which open an inlet port connected to the variable volume of the overflow pump 86, and an exhaust port which communicates with the discharge conduit 157, while depending on the axial position of the cylindrical spool in the spool cylinder, the spool groove may or may not connect the inlet port with the exhaust port, the cylindrical spool having an axial face on the tank side which communicates with the overflow tank 83 and on which the pressure prevailing in said tank 83 is exerted, and an axial face on the discharge conduit side which may rest on a spool stop on the discharge conduit side,which communicates with the discharge conduit 157 and on which the pressure prevailing in said conduit 157 is exerted, while a spool return spring tends to push the cylindrical spool towards its axial face on the tank side until a spool stop on the tank side which, when reached by said spool, connects the inlet port with the exhaust port, via the drawer groove.

[0212] As shown in Figures 15 and 16 and in the specific context of the pressure regulator 4, the overflow pump piston 85 can be a two-body stepped piston 89 comprising a large-diameter body 93 having a large-section face 90 connected to the overflow reservoir 83 and subjected to the pressure in said reservoir 83, said stepped piston 89 also comprising, axially opposite the large-section face 90, a small-diameter body 94 which can translate in a sealed manner within an actuating cylinder 92 whose internal volume is connected directly or indirectly to the discharge conduit 157, said small-diameter body 94 having a small-section face 91 on which the pressure in the discharge conduit 157 is exerted, said stepped piston 89 also offering, at the junction between the large-diameter body 93 and the small-diameter body 94,a medium-section face 95 from which emerges the small-diameter body 94, said face 95 forming one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume 86, while a stepped piston stop 117 fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume 86 and a double-body piston return spring 96 tends to push the double-body stepped piston 89 towards its small-section face 91.

[0213] In the latter case, the discharge valve 88 may include a valve actuating piston 97 which can translate in a sealed manner in a valve actuating cylinder 98 and which has, firstly, an axial valve actuating face 99 which communicates with the discharge conduit 157 and on which the pressure prevailing in said conduit 157 is exerted, said face 99 being able to lift an overflow valve 100 from an overflow valve seat 104 when the valve actuating piston 97 moves in the direction of said face 99, which has the effect of connecting the variable volume of the overflow pump 86 with the discharge conduit 157, and secondly, a tank-side axial face 101 which communicates with the overflow tank 83, on which the pressure prevailing in said tank 83 is exerted.and which can come into contact with a stop on the overflow tank side 130 when the valve actuator piston 97 moves in the direction of said axial face on the tank side 101, while an actuating piston return spring 103 tends to push the valve actuator piston 97 back towards its axial valve actuating face 99, and an overflow valve return spring 128 tends to bring the overflow valve 100 back into contact with the overflow valve seat 104 with which it cooperates, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring 103 being greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring 128.

[0214] As an alternative not shown, the discharge valve 88 may include a cylindrical spool on the external surface of which is provided a spool groove, said spool being able to translate in a spool cylinder in which open an inlet port connected to the variable volume of the overflow pump 86, and an exhaust port connected to the discharge conduit 157, while depending on the axial position of the cylindrical spool in the spool cylinder, the spool groove may or may not connect the inlet port with the exhaust port, the cylindrical spool having an axial face on the tank side which may rest on a spool stop on the tank side, which communicates with the overflow tank 83, and on which is exerted the pressure prevailing in said tank 83, and an axial face on the liquid cylinder side which communicates with the discharge conduit 157 and on which is exerted the pressure prevailing in said conduit 157,However, a valve return spring tends to push the cylindrical valve towards its axial face on the liquid cylinder side until it reaches a valve stop on the liquid cylinder side, which, when reached by said valve, connects the intake port to the exhaust port via the valve groove.

[0215] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, and in [Fig.8], the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 can comprise at least two coaxial sealed discs 64, each of which has a low-pressure side axial piston face 65 that communicates with the low-pressure gas conduit 61.

[0216] As an alternative, the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 may also include at least two coaxial sealed discs 64, each of which has an axial piston face on the high-pressure side not shown, which communicates with the high-pressure gas conduit 56.

[0217] OPERATION OF THE INVENTION:

[0218] The operation of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention can be easily understood from the view of Figures 1 to 16.

[0219] The objective of said heat pump 1 is in particular to constitute a pneumatic variable volume of compressor 2 and a pneumatic variable volume of expansion valve 136 in which the heat exchanges are maximized between a working gas 5, for example atmospheric air, and a working liquid 13, for example water, during the compression or expansion of said gas 5 and this, so that said compression or said expansion is as isothermal as possible, the working liquid 13 which has a high volumetric heat capacity imposing predominantly its temperature on the working gas 5 whose volumetric heat capacity is lower.

[0220] The pressure-volume schematic diagrams shown in [Fig. 1] illustrate the Carnot heat pump cycle performed by the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, and according to a particular embodiment of said pump 1, said cycle being operated in part by the compressor 3 with regard to the heat emission Q1, and partly by the expansion valve 4 with regard to the heat absorption Q2.

[0221] As can be easily understood, the upper diagram of [Fig. 1] is executed by the compressor 3, which is also shown in Figures 3 to 11, while the lower diagram of said [Fig. 1] is executed by the expansion valve 4, which is also shown in Figures 3 to 11, the two said diagrams being virtually linked on [Fig. 1] by dashed arrows in order to reconstruct the complete thermodynamic cycle of the heat pump.

[0222] The dashed arrows illustrate that the hot working gas 5 at temperature T2 discharged by the compressor 3 under high pressure via its compressor discharge plenum 62 is admitted by the expansion valve 4 via its expansion valve inlet plenum 142, while the cold working gas 5 at temperature T1 discharged by the expansion valve 4 at low pressure via its expansion valve discharge plenum 143 is admitted by the compressor via its compressor inlet plenum 21.

[0223] The heat pump cycle shown in [Fig.1] shows that the compressor 3 therefore admits cold working gas 5 at temperature T1 during its intake stroke EA.

[0224] Having done this, the compressor 3 operates an adiabatic compression AB of the working gas 5 to change the temperature of said gas 5 from cold T1 to hot T2.

[0225] Said adiabatic compression AB is followed by an isothermal compression BC during which the work supplied by the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 visible in figures 3 to 6 and in figures 8 and 11, is converted into heat Ql which is exported to the heating means 18 via the heat export means 17, said means 18, 17 being clearly visible in figures 3 to 6.

[0226] This is followed by the discharge CD of the working gas 5 compressed and hot at temperature T2 at the end of the compression stroke, followed by the admission EA of working gas 5 cold at temperature T1 and at low pressure from the expansion valve 4, said admission forming the starting point of a new compression cycle.

[0227] The regulator 4 admits working gas 5 compressed and hot at temperature T2 during its admission stroke FG.

[0228] This done, the expansion valve 4 operates an adiabatic expansion GH of the working gas 5 to change its temperature from hot T2 to cold T1 and to return to the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 part of the work consumed by said piston 10 during the adiabatic compression AB operated in the compressor 3.

[0229] Said adiabatic expansion GH is followed by an isothermal expansion HI during which the working gas 5 at cold temperature Tl continues to perform work on the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 visible in Figures 3 to 6 and in Figures 8 and 11, while maintaining the temperature of said gas 5 at value Tl by absorbing heat Q2 which is imported from the cooling means 19 via the heat import means 138, the said means 19, 138 being clearly visible in figures 3 to 6.

[0230] [The isothermal expansion stroke being completed, there follows the discharge LJ of the working gas 5 at low pressure and cold at temperature T1, followed by the admission FG of the compressed and hot working gas 5 at temperature T2 from the compressor 3, which forms the starting point of a new expansion cycle.

[0231] [Fig.2] shows a variant of the thermodynamic heat pump cycle shown in [Fig.1] and just described, said variant allowing a more relevant implementation of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention as shown in figures 3 to 16.

[0232] In [Fig.2], the adiabatic compression of the working gas 5 operated by the compressor 3 to go from the cold temperature T1 to the hot temperature T2 is replaced by the heat input Q3 to the working gas 5 admitted by the compressor 3 from the expansion valve 4, said input coming from the regeneration heat exchanger 152 shown in figures 3 to 6.

[0233] Thanks to said heat exchanger 152, the working gas 5 which flows in the high-pressure gas duct 56 gives its heat to the working gas 5 which flows in the low-pressure gas duct 61.

[0234] Thus, the working gas 5 admitted by the compressor 3 during its stroke DA is already hot at temperature T2, while the working gas 5 admitted by the expansion valve 4 during its stroke EF is already cold at temperature TL

[0235] It follows from this particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention that the entire compression and discharge stroke of the working gas 5 of the compressor 3 can be carried out isothermally, without prior heating of said gas 5 by adiabatic compression since said gas 5 is already at a hot temperature T2.

[0236] The AB stroke therefore forms from its start an isothermal compression during which the work supplied by the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 is entirely converted into heat Q1 exported to the heating means 18 via the heat export means 17, said means 18, 17 being represented in figures 3 to 6.

[0237] This is followed by the discharge BC of the working gas 5 compressed and hot at temperature T2 at the end of the compression stroke, followed by the admission DA of working gas 5 also hot at temperature T2 and at low pressure, from the expansion valve 4, said admission forming the starting point of a new compression cycle.

[0238] Similar to what occurs in compressor 3, the principle of [Fig. 2] also applies to the expansion valve 4, meaning that the entire expansion and discharge stroke of the working gas 5 of the expansion valve 4 can be carried out isothermally, without prior cooling of said gas 5 by adiabatic expansion, since said gas 5 is already at cold temperature Tl at the inlet of said regulator 4.

[0239] The stroke FG therefore forms from its start an isothermal expansion during which part of the work supplied by the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 during the compression AB is returned to it, this by maintaining the temperature of the working gas 5 at value Tl by supplying heat Q2 imported from the cooling means 19 via the heat import means 138.

[0240] This is followed by the discharge GH of the cold working gas 5 at temperature Tl and low pressure at the end of the expansion stroke, followed by the admission EF of the compressed and cold working gas 5 at temperature Tl from the compressor 3 via the regeneration heat exchanger 152, which forms the starting point of a new expansion cycle.

[0241] In addition to performing the thermodynamic cycles shown in Figures 1 and 2, the objective of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention is to meet the conditions necessary to obtain a significantly higher efficiency than that of conventional refrigerant gas heat pumps.

[0242] For this, the efficiency of the heat exchanges must be maximized, whether for example in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 and in the expansion valve gas and liquid tank 137 between the working gas 5 and the working liquid 13, in the regeneration heat exchanger 152 between the working gas 5 which flows in the high-pressure gas line 56 and that which flows in the low-pressure gas line 61, between the heat export means 17 and the heating means 18, or between the heat import means 138 and the cooling means 19.

[0243] To maximize the heat exchange between the working gas 5 and the working liquid 13, it has been shown in Figures 5, 6, 8, and 11 that the means for heat exchange and accumulation of compressor 16 can advantageously consist of a rotary liquid atomizer 158 which includes a rotating atomizing cylinder 159 pierced with radial atomizing orifices 160, an atomizer motor 161 driving said cylinder 159 in rapid rotation so that the latter draws in working liquid 13 at its axial end by centrifugal effect of said liquid 13, and by means of a pumping turbine 162.

[0244] Said rotary liquid atomizer 158 radially discharges working liquid 13 in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid tank 14, via the radial atomizing ports 160, and fills the space with a mixture of working gas 5 and moving droplets of working liquid 13.

[0245] The efficiency of the heat exchange depends in particular on the time spent on it, which explains why the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 is operated at a low frequency, for example at one Hertz for one round trip of the piston hy double-acting draulic 10 in the blind liquid cylinder 8, which also leaves all the time necessary for transfers to take place via the inlet port 6 and the outlet port 7 of the compressor 3 and the expansion valve 4 in order to limit losses by shunting of the working gas 5 when passing through said ports 6, 7.

[0246] This low actuation frequency justifies the use of a flywheel 66 rotating at high speed, for example at three thousand revolutions per minute, as shown in figures 3 to 11, the variations in instantaneous torque imposed on the crankshaft 24 by the compression or expansion of the working gas 5 in the compressor 3 and in the expansion valve 4 being mainly absorbed by the inertia of said flywheel 66, so that the torque which resists or drives the drive motor 27 is smoothed out, said motor 27 then being mainly subjected to the average resisting torque necessary to maintain the crankshaft 24 in regular rotation.

[0247] The said exchange efficiency also depends on the pressure and density of the working gas 5, which is why we will take here as an example a slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention whose low pressure found at the beginning of compression and end of expansion is fifty bars, and whose high pressure found at the end of compression and beginning of expansion is one hundred and twenty bars.

[0248] The low compression ratio of two point four referred to here and the high operating pressures of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, are favorable to a high compactness of said pump, and to a good regularity of heat power absorbed or emitted respectively by the expansion valve 4 and by the compressor 3 during their expansion or compression stroke.

[0249] The efficiency of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention also depends on the volumetric ratio of its compressor 3 and its expansion valve 4.

[0250] The higher the volumetric ratio, the higher the volumetric efficiency of said compressor 3 and said expansion valve 4, which explains among other things the choice of a liquid piston formed by the working liquid 13 with the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 and with the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137.

[0251] To benefit from a volumetric ratio close to infinity, as shown in Figures 5 to 16, the compressor 3 and the expansion valve 4 of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention each include an overflow pump 82 which ensures that a minimum of residual working gas 15 remains in the gas and liquid tanks 14, 137 at the end of the discharge stroke of said compressor 3 and said expansion valve 4.

[0252] Obtaining from the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 According to the invention, a breakthrough in efficiency compared to conventional refrigerant gas heat pumps also involves minimizing mechanical friction.

[0253] As can be seen in Figures 4 to 6 and in [Fig.8], regardless of the number of coaxial sealed discs 64 it comprises, the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 always has an axial piston face on the compressor side 132 exposed to the pressure in the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor 12, and an axial piston face on the regulator side 133 exposed to the pressure in the hydraulic variable volume of the regulator 134.

[0254] This particular configuration ensures that a minimum of effort is applied to the connecting rod actuation means 144 which in this case consist of a crankshaft 24 and an actuating rod 165.

[0255] Indeed, the connecting rod-crank system formed by said shaft 24 and said connecting rod 165 is subjected only to the difference between the force exerted on the connecting rod 11 by the axial face of the piston on the compressor side 132 and that exerted on said rod 11 by the axial face of the piston on the expansion valve side 133.

[0256] To minimize mechanical friction, generated by the operation of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention and according to the configurations of said pump 1 shown in figures 3 to 11, the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 is not subjected to any radial force despite the high axial forces to which it is subjected, resulting from a maximum pressure of, for example, one hundred and twenty bars according to this non-limiting example.

[0257] This is all the more necessary as the low translational speed of the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 in the blind liquid cylinder 8 does not favour the establishment of a hydrodynamic lubrication regime at the contact interface between said piston 10 and said cylinder 8.

[0258] This is all the more necessary if the working fluid which enters between the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 and the blind liquid cylinder 8 is water, the latter being low in viscosity and having limited lubricating properties, which is also unfavorable to the establishment of a hydrodynamic lift regime between said piston 10 and said cylinder 8.

[0259] To avoid subjecting the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 to any radial force, as seen in Figures 3 to 11, the connecting rod actuating means 144, through which the drive motor 27 imparts a reciprocating longitudinal translational motion to the connecting rod 11, advantageously consist of a crankshaft 24 having a crank 26 around which the connecting rod head 145 of an actuating connecting rod 165 is articulated, the latter also having a connecting rod foot 146 which is articulated around the connecting rod. 11 via a connecting hook 147.

[0260] As can be seen particularly in [Fig. 11], the cross yoke 148 is crossed by a cross axle 155 which is perpendicular to the connecting rod 11 and around which are articulated on the one hand, a connecting rod foot bearing 149 which includes the connecting rod foot 146 by means of a roller bearing 105, and two cross rollers 150 which each roll alternately on two cross bearing tracks 41 parallel to the blind liquid cylinder 8.

[0261] According to this particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, the radial forces resulting from the obliquity of the connecting rod 165 during the rotation of the crankshaft 24 are supported by the two roller cross rollers 150 positioned on either side of the cross yoke 148, which limits the friction losses resulting from said radial forces.

[0262] It will also be noted in figures 7 to 11 that the crankshaft 24 is also mounted on roller bearings 105, as is the shaft which supports the flywheel 66 and the shaft which supports, on the one hand, the rotor not visible in the figures of the drive motor 27, and on the other hand, the crown gear 68 attached to said rotor.

[0263] Since the effective coefficient of friction of the roller bearings 105 is very low, they dissipate little energy and have little negative impact on the energy efficiency of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention.

[0264] It will also be noted that the gears comprising the various crowns and pinions which form a transmission multiplier 156 between the flywheel 66 and the crankshaft 24 are advantageously precise and have a high transmission efficiency of more than ninety-nine percent.

[0265] It is also noted, for example in figures 6 and 8, that the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 comprises two coaxial sealed discs 64, each of which has a low-pressure axial piston face 65 which communicates with the low-pressure gas conduit 61.

[0266] This particular configuration greatly limits the friction of the sealing joints 51 comprising the two said coaxial sealing discs 64, because during the entire low-pressure transfer stroke of the compressor 3 and the expansion valve 4, said joints 51 are subjected to practically no pressure differential, which limits to a maximum the energy losses by friction produced by said joints 51, and maximizes their service life.

[0267] This limitation of the differential pressure applied to the sealing joints 51 of the two said coaxial sealing discs 64 also limits leakage of working fluid 13 at the level of said joints 51.

[0268] It is also noted that the two said coaxial sealed discs 64 are axially sufficiently distant from each other to leave a portion of the blind liquid cylinder 8 not swept by the double-acting hydraulic piston 10, which limits the heat exchange by conduction through the blind liquid cylinder 8 between the compressor 3 which is hot, and the expansion valve 4 which is cold.

[0269] To further limit said exchanges between the compressor 3 and the expansion valve 4, the space between the two coaxial sealed discs 64 can be occupied by an air passivator or an insulating mass not shown.

[0270] It can be seen in [Fig.3] that advantageously, a partitioned thermo-insulating enclosure 164 separates the compressor 3, the connecting rod actuation means 144, the drive motor 27 and the mechanical energy storage means 28 on the one hand, from the expansion valve 4 on the other hand, said enclosure 164 also thermally separating said heat pump 1 from its external environment.

[0271] It is understood that according to this particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, almost all of the heat emitted as friction or electromechanical energy losses generated by the compressor 3, the connecting rod actuation means 144, the drive motor 27 and the mechanical energy storage means 28 are reinjected into the heating means 18, in this case consisting of a heated-cooled floor 106.

[0272] Particularly in figures 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10, it is noted that the compressor discharge plenum 62 and the expansion valve discharge plenum 143 are each connected to an overflow tank 83, the lower part of which includes an overflow pump 82.

[0273] According to this particular configuration of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, at each turn of the crankshaft 24, the overflow pumps 82 transfer, as appropriate, a small quantity of working liquid 13 from their overflow tank 83 either to the compressor gas and liquid tank 14, or to the expansion valve gas and liquid tank 137.

[0274] Said configuration allows that, when the double-acting hydraulic piston 10 performs reciprocating movements in the blind liquid cylinder 8 and when the hydraulic variable volume of compressor 12 or the hydraulic variable volume of expansion valve 134 is minimal, the corresponding compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 or expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137 is fully filled with working liquid 13, the small quantity of working liquid 13 introduced by the corresponding overflow pump 82 into said gas and liquid reservoir 14, 137 overflowing at each turn of crankshaft 24 of said reservoir 14, 137 to return to the overflow reservoir 83 via the corresponding outlet port 7.

[0275] This particular embodiment of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention allows that the entire working gas 5 contained in the pneumatic variable volume of compressor 2 or the pneumatic variable volume of expansion valve 136 is properly expelled from said volume 2, 136 when the hydraulic variable volume of compressor 12 or the hydraulic variable volume of expansion valve 134 is minimal, which gives said pneumatic variable volume 2, 136 an infinite volumetric ratio, and a volumetric efficiency close to one hundred percent.

[0276] As can easily be deduced from Figures 5 to 11, the pressure of the working gas 5 contained in the overflow tank 83 of the compressor 3 is similar to that which prevails in the discharge plenum of the compressor 62, while the pressure of the working gas 5 contained in the overflow tank 83 of the expansion valve 4 is similar to that which prevails in the discharge plenum of the expansion valve 143.

[0277] Figures 5 to 11 show that the overflow tanks 83 are located below the discharge plenum 62, 143 with which they cooperate so that, under the effect of Earth's gravity, the working liquid 13 which overflows for example from the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 via the compressor discharge plenum 62 naturally returns to the corresponding overflow tank 83, the configuration being identical with regard to the expansion valve 3.

[0278] Figures 12 to 14 show the overflow pump 82 as it can be provided for the compressor 3, according to a particular configuration of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention.

[0279] As can be seen in the aforementioned figures 12 to 14, the overflow pump piston 85 is a two-body stepped piston 89 which includes a large diameter body 93 which has a large cross-section face 90, the latter forming one of the walls of a variable overflow pump volume 86.

[0280] Figures 12 to 14 show that said stepped piston 89 also includes, axially opposite the large section face 90, a small diameter body 94 which can translate in a sealed manner in an actuating cylinder 92 whose internal volume is connected directly or not to the discharge conduit 157, said small diameter body 94 having a small section face 91 on which is exerted the pressure which reigns in said conduit 157, said pressure being noted P2 in figures 13 and 14.

[0281] It is also noted in Figures 12 to 14 that said stepped piston 89 has, at the junction between the large-diameter body 93 and the small-diameter body 94, a medium-section face 95 from which the small-diameter body 94 emerges, said face 95 being connected to the overflow reservoir 83 and being subjected to the pressure prevailing in said reservoir 83, denoted PI in Figures 13 and 14, while a stepped piston stop 117 fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume 86 and a twin-body piston return spring 96 tends to push the twin-body stepped piston 89 towards its large section face 90.

[0282] Thus, and as can easily be understood from [Fig. 13], when the pressure P2 which reigns in the discharge conduit 157 is less than the pressure PI, which reigns in the overflow tank 83, the two-body stepped piston 89 is kept pressed against the step piston stop 117 while the two-body piston return spring 96 is compressed by the force produced by the pressure differential PI less P2 exerted on the entire surface of the small section face 91, the discharge valve 88 being closed.

[0283] When the pressure P2 which prevails in the pneumatic variable volume of compressor 2 and therefore in the discharge conduit 157 becomes substantially equal to the pressure PI which prevails in the overflow tank 83, there is no longer any force which is exerted on the small section face 91, and the return spring of the two-body piston 96 pushes back the two-body stepped piston 89 as shown in [Fig. 14], which has the effect of expelling working liquid 13 from the variable volume of the overflow pump 86 to the discharge conduit 157 via the open discharge valve 88, the effective energy consumption of the transfer of said liquid 13 from said volume 86 to said conduit 157 being very low.

[0284] When the pressure of the working gas 5 in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 drops abruptly, corresponding to section CD of the pressure-volume diagram of [Fig.2], the discharge valve 88 is calculated to close immediately when the pressure P2 in the discharge line 157 becomes lower than the pressure PI in the overflow tank 83.

[0285] This is followed by the compression of the return spring of the two-body piston 96 by the stepped two-body piston 89, the latter moving under the effect of the pressure differential PI less P2 which is exerted on the small section face 91 with in parallel, the increase of the variable volume of the overflow pump 86 into which a new charge of working liquid 13 is admitted from the overflow tank 83 and via the inlet valve of the overflow pump 87.

[0286] As can be seen in Figures 13 and 14, the discharge valve 88 includes a valve actuator piston 97 which can translate in a sealed manner in a valve actuator cylinder 98.

[0287] Said piston 97 has an axial valve actuating face 99 which communicates with the overflow tank 83 and on which is exerted the pressure PI prevailing in said tank 83.

[0288] As can be seen in [Fig. 14], said axial face 99 can come into contact with an overflow valve 100 to lift the latter from a valve seat edge 104 when the valve actuator piston 97 moves in the direction of said face 99.

[0289] In this case and taking into account the particular position of the overflow pump 82 shown in figures 7 to 10, the variable volume of the overflow pump 86 is put into communication with the discharge conduit 157 via said overflow valve 100.

[0290] It is also noted in figures 13 and 14 that the valve actuator piston 97 also has an axial face on the discharge conduit side 102 which communicates with the discharge conduit 157 and on which the pressure P2 prevailing in said conduit 157 is exerted, said face 102 being able to come into contact, as shown in [Fig.12], with a stop on the liquid cylinder side 118 when the valve actuator piston 97 moves in the direction of said axial face on the discharge conduit side 102.

[0291] In figures 13 and 14, it is noted that a return spring for the actuating piston 103 tends to push the valve actuator piston 97 towards its axial valve actuating face 99, and that a return spring for the overflow valve 128 tends to bring the overflow valve 100 back into contact with the overflow valve seat 104 with which it cooperates.

[0292] As can easily be deduced from Figures 13 and 14, in order for the discharge valve 88 to function, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring 103 must be greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring 128.

[0293] Thus, and as can easily be understood from Figures 13 and 14, when the pressure P2 in the discharge conduit 157 is less than the pressure PI in the overflow tank 83, the axial face on the discharge conduit side 102 of the valve actuator piston 97 is kept pressed against the stop on the liquid cylinder side 118 while the return spring of the actuating piston 103 is compressed by the force produced by the pressure differential PI less P2 between that exerted on the axial actuating face of the valve 99 and that exerted on the axial face on the discharge conduit side 102.

[0294] In this case, the overflow valve 100 rests on its overflow valve seat 104, and the working fluid 13 cannot flow between the variable overflow pump volume 86 and the discharge conduit 157.

[0295] When the pressure P2 which reigns in the pneumatic variable volume of compressor 2 and therefore in the discharge conduit 157 becomes substantially equal to the pressure PI which reigns in the overflow tank 83, the pressure which is exerted on the axial actuation face of valve 99 is equivalent to that which is exerted on the axial face on the discharge conduit side 102.

[0296] It follows from this situation that the return spring of the actuating piston 103 pushes the valve actuator piston 97 towards the overflow valve 100, until the axial valve actuation face 99 comes into contact with said valve 100 and then lifts the latter from its overflow valve seat 104 until said valve 100 reaches a maximum opening stop of valve 131.

[0297] With the overflow valve 100 away from its overflow valve seat 104, the two-body stepped piston 89 can move under the action of its two-body piston return spring 96, and expel working liquid 13 from the variable overflow pump volume 86 to the discharge conduit 157.

[0298] When the pressure of the working gas 5 in the compressor gas and liquid tank 14 drops abruptly, corresponding to section CD of the pressure-volume diagram of [Fig.2], the pressure P2 prevailing in the discharge conduit 157 becomes lower than the pressure PI prevailing in the overflow tank 83.

[0299] This situation results in the compression of the return spring of the actuating piston 103 by the valve actuator piston 97, the latter moving under the effect of the pressure differential PI less P2 between that which is exerted on its axial face of valve actuating 99 and that which is exerted on its axial face on the discharge conduit side 102, said piston 97 allowing the return spring of the overflow valve 128 to bring the overflow valve 100 back into contact with its overflow valve seat 104.

[0300] It can be seen in figures 15 and 16 that the overflow pump 82 of the regulator 4 is based on the same principles as those just described, with the difference that the transfer of working liquid 13 from the overflow tank 83 to the discharge conduit 157 takes place not when the pressure in the pneumatic variable volume of regulator 136 is high, one hundred and twenty bars according to this example, but on the contrary when said pressure is low, fifty bars again according to this example.

[0301] This is because the compressor cycle 3 operates on average at a lower pressure than that prevailing in the compressor discharge plenum 62, while the expansion valve cycle 4 operates on average at a higher pressure than that prevailing in the expansion valve discharge plenum 143.

[0302] Therefore, in order for the filling of the variable volume of the overflow pump 86 to take place, the operation with respect to pressure differences of the overflow pump 82 of the compressor 3 must be reversed with respect to that of the overflow pump 82 of the expansion valve 4.

[0303] As can easily be deduced from [Fig. 6], the power of the slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention can be adjusted either by varying the rotational speed of the crankshaft 24, or by playing on the compression ratio of compressor 3 and the expansion ratio of expansion valve 4.

[0304] This last method of adjusting the power of said pump 1 is carried out by adapting the lifting laws of the pilot-operated valves of the expansion valve 54, the latter each being actuated in opening and / or closing by a valve actuator 119.

[0305] Said control of the rotation speed of the crankshaft 24, of the compression ratio of the compressor 3, and of the expansion ratio of the expander 4, are ensured by a computer 120.

[0306] For indeed, all other things being equal, the power of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention is proportional to the rotation speed of its crankshaft 24, which is a first setting which allows the computer 120 to set said power.

[0307] But in addition to the rotation regime of its crankshaft 24, the more or less delayed and more or less spread lifting of the pilot-operated regulator valves 54 allows in particular the adjustment of the pressure which reigns in the low pressure gas reservoir 60 shown in figures 3 to 6, relative to that which reigns in the high pressure gas reservoir 58 also shown in figures 3 to 6.

[0308] This setting is of great importance because the pressure differential in question determines in particular the amount of heat produced by the heat pump 1 at each turn of the crankshaft 24.

[0309] This adjustment is achieved for example by transferring less working gas 5 from the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 to the gas and liquid reservoir of the regulator 137 to the regulator EF section of the diagram of said regulator 4 in [Fig.2], than is transferred by the compressor 3 during the BC section of said diagram, which has the effect of raising the pressure in the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 while lowering the pressure in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60.

[0310] If, on the contrary, the expansion valve 4 transfers more working gas 5 from the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 to the compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 during section EF of the diagram of said expansion valve 4 in [Fig.2], than the compressor 3 transfers during section BC of said diagram, the pressure in the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 decreases while the pressure in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 increases.

[0311] It will be noted advantageously that the pilot-operated valves of the regulator 54 can behave both as valves and as flappers, that is to say that they can open under the effect of a pressure differential, in addition to being actuated in opening by their valve actuator 119.

[0312] In this respect, said valves 54 are preferably autoclaves, that is to say that during the majority of the time of the thermodynamic cycle of the expansion valve 4, the difference in pressure between the regulator inlet plenum 142 and the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137, or that between the regulator outlet plenum 143 and said reservoir 137, tends to keep said valves 54 pressed against their seat, the latter being for example made of an elastomer or polymer O-ring housed in a groove.

[0313] If, on the other hand, the pressure prevailing in the gas and liquid reservoir of regulator 137 becomes greater than that prevailing in the inlet plenum of regulator 142, the pilot valve of regulator 54 can open without intervention of its valve actuator 119.

[0314] The same applies to the pilot-operated regulator valve 54 which communicates with the regulator discharge plenum 143 via its outlet port 7, said valve 54 being able to open without intervention of its valve actuator 119 if the pressure in said plenum 143 becomes greater than that in the regulator gas and liquid reservoir 137.

[0315] It can easily be deduced from Figures 3 to 6 that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention can operate in "heating" mode when the heated-cooled floor 106 placed inside a building 121 forms the heating means 18 which are connected to the heat export means 17, while the air-water exchanger 107 placed outside 122 of said building 121 constitutes the cooling means 19 which are connected to the heat import means 138.

[0316] If said heat pump 1 operates in "air conditioning" mode, the heated-cooled floor 106 placed inside said building 121 forms the cooling means 19 which are connected to the heat import means 138, while the air-water exchanger 107 placed outside 122 of said building 121 constitutes the heating means 18 which are connected to the heat export means 17.

[0317] The change of mode can easily be carried out by reversing the heat transport conduits 38 using one or more manual or motorized valves of any type, the said conduits 38 initially connected to the compressor 3 becoming connected to the expansion valve 4, and vice versa.

[0318] It should be noted that the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention may, in addition to the various components and accessories shown in Figures 3 to 16, include various other devices and accessories such as pressure and / or temperature sensors, a frequency converter for regulating the electrical supply to the electric drive motor 27 sequentially as a function of the crankshaft angle 24 or continuously, at least one angular encoder and / or a passage detection sensor that returns the speed and / or angular position of the crankshaft 24 to the computer 120, one or more pumps and / or compressors and / or valves for transferring working gas 5 or liquid from work 13 from external sources to the high pressure gas tank 58 or the low pressure gas tank 60 or between said tanks 58, 60 in particular to balance the glycol level in the water between that contained in the compressor 3 and that contained in the regulator 4, purges, safety elements for persons, pressure limiters or relief valves, or any other apparatus known to those skilled in the art.

[0319] For example, we will note in [Fig.6] a condensate tank 42 which collects the condensate at the outlet of the high-pressure gas line 56, after the working gas 5 exiting at high temperature from the compressor 3 has been cooled in the regeneration heat exchanger 152.

[0320] Said condensate tank 42 cooperates with a condensate return valve 31 controlled by the computer 120 to cyclically return the working fluid condensate 13 to the compressor gas and fluid tank 14 using pressure differences.

[0321] The slow-acting liquid-mechanical piston heat pump 1 according to the invention may also include a layer of thermal insulation on all necessary components, and regardless of the nature of said layer, which may take the form of flexible or rigid insulating foam or wool, insulating bricks, plates or screens that reflect radiation of any kind.

[0322] The thermal insulation layer can isolate said heat pump 1 and its components from the external environment and / or isolate the compressor 3, which is hot, from the expansion valve 4, which is colder.

[0323] Said heat pump 1 can also receive an acoustic insulation envelope, and its static frame 40 can rest on the ground by means of anti-vibration elastic pads.

[0324] It should also be noted that suspended droplet collectors made of steel wool or stainless steel may be provided in the compressor discharge plenum 62 and / or in the expansion valve discharge plenum 143.

[0325] It is understood that many architectures are applicable to the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention, with a vertical blind liquid cylinder 8, a compressor gas and liquid reservoir 14 and / or an expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir 137 remote and connected to the blind liquid cylinder 8 by a communication conduit 15 of any geometry and any length whatsoever.

[0326] It is also noted that several blind liquid cylinders 8 can cooperate, whose double-acting hydraulic pistons 10 are set in motion by common or non-common, phased or angularly offset, synchronized or not linking rod actuation means 144, said cylinders 8 being able to be juxtaposed, superimposed, mounted head to tail, in opposition or according to any relative position and orientation whatsoever.

[0327] The possibilities of the slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump 1 according to the invention are not limited to the applications just described and it should also be understood that the preceding description has been given only by way of example and that it does not in any way limit the scope of the said invention, which would not be exceeded by replacing the execution details described with any other equivalent.

Claims

Demands

1. Slow-acting mechanical-liquid piston heat pump (1) comprising a compressor (3) in which a pneumatically variable compressor volume (2) is formed, and an expansion valve (4) in which a pneumatically variable expansion valve volume (136) is formed, each said volume (2, 136) having on the one hand an inlet port (6) through which a working gas (5) can enter and on the other hand an outlet port (7) through which said gas (5) can exit, characterized in that it comprises: • At least one blind liquid cylinder (8) formed of one or more coaxial cylindrical sections (63), directly or indirectly attached to a static frame (40), at least two ends of which are each sealed by a cylinder termination (135), and in which at least one double-acting hydraulic piston (10) comprising one or more coaxial sealed discs (64) can move in a sealed manner, said piston (10) having, on the one hand, at least one axial piston face on the compressor side (132) which, together with said cylinder (8) and a cylinder termination (135), forms a hydraulic variable volume of compressor (12), and on the other hand, at least one axial piston face on the expansion valve side (133) which, together with said cylinder (8) and another sealed cylinder termination (135), forms a hydraulic variable volume of expansion valve (134), both said hydraulic variable volumes (12, 133) being wholly or partly filled with a working fluid (13); • A compressor gas and fluid reservoir (14) which is connected to the compressor hydraulic variable volume (12) by a communication conduit (15), such that said reservoir (14) fills mostly or totally with working fluid (13) when the compressor hydraulic variable volume (12) is minimal, said reservoir (14) fills partially or totally with working gas (5) when the compressor hydraulic variable volume (12) is maximal, the variation in the volume of the working gas (5) contained in the compressor gas and fluid reservoir (14) defining, on the one hand, the pneumatic variable volume of the compressor (12). pressor (2) and being, on the other hand, approximately equal to the variation in volume of the working liquid (13) contained in the hydraulic variable volume of compressor (12); A regulator gas and liquid reservoir (137) which is connected to the regulator hydraulic variable volume (134) by a communication conduit (15), such that said reservoir (137) is mostly or totally filled with working liquid (13) when the regulator hydraulic variable volume (134) is minimal, said reservoir (137) is partially or totally filled with working gas (5) when the regulator hydraulic variable volume (134) is maximal, the variation in the volume of the working gas (5) contained in the regulator gas and liquid reservoir (137) defining, on the one hand, the regulator pneumatic variable volume (136) and being, on the other hand, approximately equal to the variation in the volume of the working liquid (13) contained in the regulator hydraulic variable volume (134); Compressor heat exchange and accumulation means (16) which are housed in the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14), said means (16) being able mainly to take heat from the working gas (5) contained in said reservoir (14) and temporarily store said heat, before transferring the latter to the working liquid (13) also contained in said reservoir (14); Heat exchange and heat storage means (139) which are housed in the gas and liquid expansion tank (137), said means (139) being able mainly to take heat from the working liquid (13) contained in said tank (137) and temporarily store said heat, before transferring it to the working gas (5) also contained in said tank (137); Heat export means (17) housed inside and / or outside the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14), said means (17) taking heat directly or indirectly from the compressor heat exchange and storage means (16) on the one hand, and / or from the working liquid (13) and / or working gas (5) contained in whole or in part therein. reservoir (14) on the other hand, said heat being then transferred to heating means (18) external to the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14); Heat import means (138) housed inside and / or outside the regulator gas and liquid tank (137), said means (138) directly or indirectly supplying heat to the regulator heat exchange and accumulation means (139) on the one hand, and / or to the working liquid (13) and / or working gas (5) contained in whole or in part in said tank (137) on the other hand, said heat having been previously taken from cooling means (19) external to the regulator gas and liquid tank (137); Compressor filling means (20) which permit or prohibit the passage of working gas (5) from a compressor inlet plenum (21) to the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14) via the compressor inlet port (6) (3); Compressor draining means (22) which permit or prohibit the passage of working gas (5) from the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14) to a compressor discharge plenum (62) via the outlet port (7) of the compressor (3); Regulator filling means (140) which permit or prohibit the passage of working gas (5) from a regulator inlet plenum (142) to the regulator gas and liquid reservoir (137) via the regulator inlet port (6) (4); Regulator discharge means (141) which permit or prohibit the passage of working gas (5) from the regulator gas and liquid reservoir (137) to a regulator discharge plenum (143) via the outlet port (7) of the regulator (4); A connecting rod (11) which is integral with the double-acting hydraulic piston (10), which passes in a sealed manner through at least one of the ends of the blind liquid cylinder (8), and which is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of said piston (10) and of the blind liquid cylinder (8); Piston guiding means (23) that maintain the • Hydraulic piston (10) and connecting rod (11) parallel to the blind liquid cylinder (8), regardless of the position of said piston (10) in said cylinder (8); • Connecting rod actuating means (144) through which a drive motor (27) imparts to the connecting rod (11) a reciprocating longitudinal translational motion parallel to the axis of the blind liquid cylinder (8); • Mechanical energy storage means (28) which are directly or indirectly connected to the connecting rod actuating means (144) and / or to the connecting rod (11) itself, said storage means (28) being able to alternately take and give up mechanical energy to said actuating means (144) and / or to said rod (11).

2. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting rod actuation means (144) consist of a crankshaft (24) which is oriented perpendicularly to the blind liquid cylinder (8), and which can rotate in at least one shaft bearing (25) which is directly or indirectly integral with the static frame (40), said crankshaft (24) having at least one crank (26) around which is articulated a connecting rod head (145) of an actuating connecting rod (165), the latter also having a connecting rod foot (146) which is articulated with the connecting rod (11), the latter passing in a sealed manner through at least one of the sealed cylinder terminations (135).

3. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting rod foot (146) is articulated with the connecting rod (11) by means of a connecting bracket (147) which is integral with said rod (11).

4. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting rod (147) comprises a rod yoke (148) through which passes a rod axis (155) that is perpendicular to the connecting rod (11) and around which are articulated, on the one hand, a connecting rod foot bearing (149) comprising the connecting rod foot (146), and at least one rod roller (150) that rolls on at least one rod bearing raceway (41) that is parallel to the liquid cylinder one-eyed (8), and which is directly or indirectly connected to said cylinder (8).

5. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the double-acting hydraulic piston (10) consists of two coaxial sealed discs (64) which are axially sufficiently distant from each other to leave a portion of the blind liquid cylinder (8) not swept by said piston (10).

6. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor heat exchange and accumulation means (16) and / or the expansion valve heat exchange and accumulation means (139) are made of a porous medium (32) which has porosities (33) into which working liquid (13) and working gas (5) alternately enter and exit.

7. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat export means (17) consist of a circulating portion of the working fluid (13) which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor (12) and / or the compressor gas and fluid reservoir (14) via a liquid outlet conduit (34) and then returns to said volume (12) and / or to said reservoir (14) via a liquid inlet conduit (35), this after having directly or indirectly transferred heat to the heating means (18).

8. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 7, characterized in that the circulating part of the working fluid (13) transfers heat to the heating means (18) via a secondary heating heat exchanger (153).

9. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat import means (138) consist of a circulating portion of the working fluid (13) which exits the hydraulic variable volume of the expansion valve (134) and / or the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir (137) via a liquid outlet conduit (34) to return to said volume (134) and / or to said reservoir (137) via a liquid inlet conduit (35), this after having directly or indirectly taken heat from the cooling means (19).

10. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 9, characterized in that the circulating portion of the working fluid (13) absorbs heat from the cooling means (19) by via a secondary cooling heat exchanger (154).

11. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat export means (17) consist of at least one heat exchanger duct (36) housed in the compressor gas and liquid tank (14) and in which circulates a heat transfer fluid (37) which exports heat taken from the compressor heat exchange and storage means (16) on the one hand, and / or from the working fluid (13) and / or from the working gas (5) contained in the compressor gas and liquid tank (14) on the other hand, to the heating means (18), via heat transport ducts (38).

12. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 2, characterized in that the heat import means (138) consist of at least one heat exchanger duct (36) housed in the expansion valve gas and liquid tank (137) and in which circulates a heat transfer fluid (37) which imports heat from the cooling means (19) to the expansion valve heat exchange and storage means (139) on the one hand, and / or the working fluid (13) and / or the working gas (5) contained in the compressor gas and liquid tank (14) on the other hand, via heat transport ducts (38).

13. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor heat exchange and accumulation means (16) consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle (71) supplied by a liquid spray pump (72), said nozzle (71) being able to atomize working liquid (13) into fine droplets in the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14).

14. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchange and accumulation means of the expansion valve (139) consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle (71) supplied by a liquid spray pump (72), said nozzle (71) being able to atomize working liquid (13) into fine droplets in the internal volume of the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir (137).

15. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor heat exchange and accumulation means (16) consist of a rotating atomizer of liquid (158) which includes a rotating atomizing cylinder (159) pierced with radial atomizing orifices (160), an atomizer motor (161) driving said cylinder (159) in rapid rotation so that the latter draws in working liquid (13) at its axial end by centrifugal effect and / or by means of a pumping turbine (162), and radially discharges said liquid (13) in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14), via the radial atomizing orifices (160).

16. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchange and accumulation means of the expansion valve (139) consist of a rotary liquid atomizer (158) which includes a rotary atomizing cylinder (159) pierced with radial atomizing orifices (160), an atomizer motor (161) driving said cylinder (159) in rapid rotation so that the latter draws in working liquid (13) at its axial end by centrifugal effect and / or by means of a pumping turbine (162), and radially discharges said liquid (13) in the form of fine droplets into the internal volume of the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir (137), via the radial atomizing orifices (160).

17. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the piston guiding means (23) consist of a sliding pivot joint (47) formed between an external cylindrical surface (48) which is present in the connecting rod (11) and a guide orifice (49) which is solidly connected to the blind liquid cylinder (8).

18. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the piston guiding means (23) consist of a guide skirt (57) arranged on the periphery of the double-acting hydraulic piston (10), said skirt (57) being able to translate with little clearance in the blind liquid cylinder (8).

19. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor filling means (20) and / or the compressor draining means (22) consist of at least one compressor check valve (52) and / or at least one pilot-operated compressor valve (53), while in operation, the working gas (5) is expelled from the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14) via the compressor discharge plenum (62) at a pressure higher than that at which it was previously introduced into said reservoir (14) via the compressor inlet plenum (21).

20. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the expansion valve filling means (140) and / or the expansion valve emptying means (141) consist of at least one pilot-operated expansion valve (54) while in operation, the working gas (5) is expelled from the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir (137) via the expansion valve discharge plenum (143) under a pressure lower than that under which it was previously introduced into said reservoir (137) via the expansion valve inlet plenum (142).

21. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor discharge plenum (62) is connected to the expansion valve inlet plenum (142) by a high-pressure gas line (56) such that the working gas (5) exiting the compressor pneumatic variable volume (2) via said compressor discharge plenum (62) is introduced into the expansion valve pneumatic variable volume (136) via said expansion valve inlet plenum (142), while the expansion valve discharge plenum (143) is connected to the compressor inlet plenum (21) by a low-pressure gas line (61) such that the working gas (5) exiting the expansion valve pneumatic variable volume (136) via said expansion valve discharge plenum (143) is introduced into the compressor pneumatic variable volume (2) via said plenum compressor intake (21).

22. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 21, characterized in that the high-pressure gas conduit (56) communicates with at least one high-pressure gas reservoir (58).

23. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 21, characterized in that the low-pressure gas conduit (61) communicates with at least one low-pressure gas reservoir (60).

24. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 21, characterized in that the working gas (5) which flows in the high-pressure gas duct (56) transfers its heat to the working gas (5) which flows in the low-pressure gas duct (61) via a regeneration heat exchanger (152).

25. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor inlet plenum (21) and the compressor outlet plenum (62) are located in the part upper part of the compressor gas and liquid reservoir (14), the latter being itself positioned above the blind liquid cylinder (8), so that, under the effect of Earth's gravity, the working gas (5) always exits said reservoir (14) in the first place via said discharge plenum (62), and the working liquid (13) always enters said reservoir (14) in the first place via said inlet plenum (21).

26. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the expansion valve inlet plenum (142) and the expansion valve outlet plenum (143) are located in the upper part of the expansion valve gas and liquid reservoir (137), the latter being itself positioned above the blind liquid cylinder (8), so that, under the effect of Earth's gravity, the working gas (5) always exits said reservoir (137) in the first place via said outlet plenum (143), and the working liquid (13) always enters said reservoir (137) in the first place via said inlet plenum (142).

27. ​​Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 2, characterized in that the mechanical energy storage means (28) consist of a flywheel (66) made rotationally fixed to the crankshaft (24) by a transmission multiplier (156).

28. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 2, characterized in that the crankshaft (24) comprises a toothed ring (67) which the drive motor (27) drives in rotation by means of at least one ring drive pinion (68) whose pitch diameter is smaller than that of said ring (67), the latter (67) and said pinion (68) forming a multiplication gear system (69).

29. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that an overflow pump (82) can transfer working fluid (13) from an overflow tank (83) to and directly or indirectly, the compressor gas and fluid tank (14) and / or the hydraulic variable volume of the compressor (12) and / or the communication conduit (15) which connects said tank (14) to said variable volume (12), said overflow tank (83) communicating with the compressor discharge plenum (62) so that the working gas pressure (5) which prevails in said tank (83) is close to or identical to that which prevails in said plenum (62).

30. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 1, characterized in that an overflow pump (82) can transfer of the working liquid (13) from an overflow tank (83) to and directly or indirectly, the regulator gas and liquid tank (137) and / or the regulator hydraulic variable volume (134) and / or the communication conduit (15) which connects said tank (137) to said variable volume (134), said overflow tank (83) communicating with the regulator discharge plenum (143) so that the working gas pressure (5) which prevails in said tank (83) is close to or identical to that which prevails in said plenum (143).

31. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to any one of claims 29 or 30, characterized in that the overflow pump (82) comprises a blind pump cylinder (84) in which an overflow pump piston (85) can translate in a sealed manner, the latter and said cylinder (84) forming a variable overflow pump volume (86) which, when it increases, fills with working fluid (13) from the overflow tank (83) via at least one overflow pump inlet valve (87) and which, when it decreases, discharges said fluid (13) successively via a discharge valve (88) and a discharge conduit (157).

32. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claims 29 and 31, characterized in that the overflow pump piston (85) is a two-body stepped piston (89) comprising a large-diameter body (93) having a large-section face (90) that forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume (86), said stepped piston (89) also comprising, axially opposite the large-section face (90), a small-diameter body (94) that can translate in a sealed manner within an actuating cylinder (92) whose internal volume is connected directly or indirectly to the discharge conduit (157), said small-diameter body (94) having a small-section face (91) on which the pressure in the discharge conduit (157) is exerted, said stepped piston (89) also offering, at the junction between the large-diameter body (93) and the small-diameter body (94),a medium-section face (95) from which emerges the small-diameter body (94), which is connected to the overflow reservoir (83), and which is subjected to the pressure prevailing in said reservoir (83), while a stepped piston stop (117) fixes the maximum volume of the variable volume of the overflow pump (86) and a two-body piston return spring (96) tends to push the two-body stepped piston (89) towards its large-section face (90).

33. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 32, characterized in that the discharge valve (88) comprises a valve actuating piston (97) which can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuating cylinder (98) and which has, firstly, an axial valve actuating face (99) which communicates with the overflow tank (83) and on which the pressure prevailing in said tank (83) is exerted, said face (99) being able to lift an overflow valve (100) from an overflow valve seat (104) when the valve actuating piston (97) moves in the direction of said face (99), which has the effect of connecting the variable overflow pump volume (86) with the discharge conduit (157), and secondly, an axial face on the discharge conduit side (102) which communicates with the discharge conduit (157), on which is exerted the pressure prevailing in said conduit (157),and which can come into contact with a stop on the discharge conduit side (118) when the valve actuating piston (97) moves in the direction of said axial face on the discharge conduit side (102), while an actuating piston return spring (103) tends to push the valve actuating piston (97) back towards its axial valve actuating face (99), and an overflow valve return spring (128) tends to return the overflow valve (100) to contact with the overflow valve seat (104) with which it cooperates, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring (103) being greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring (128).

34. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claims 30 and 31, characterized in that the overflow pump piston (85) is a two-body stepped piston (89) comprising a large-diameter body (93) having a large-section face (90) connected to the overflow tank (83) and subjected to the pressure in said tank (83), said stepped piston (89) also comprising, axially opposite the large-section face (90), a small-diameter body (94) that can translate in a sealed manner within an actuating cylinder (92) whose internal volume is connected directly or indirectly to the discharge conduit (157), said small-diameter body (94) having a small-section face (91) on which the pressure in the discharge conduit (157) is exerted, said stepped piston (89) also offering, at the junction between the large diameter body (93) and the small diameter body (94), a medium section face (95) from which the small diameter body (94) emerges, said face (95) forming one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume (86), while a stepped piston stop (117) fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume (86) and a two-body piston return spring (96) tends to push the two-body stepped piston (89) towards its small section face (91).

35. A mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 34, characterized in that the discharge valve (88) comprises a valve actuating piston (97) which can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuating cylinder (98) and which has, firstly, an axial valve actuating face (99) which communicates with the discharge conduit (157) and on which the pressure prevailing in said conduit (157) is exerted, said face (99) being able to lift an overflow valve (100) from an overflow valve seat (104) when the valve actuating piston (97) moves in the direction of said face (99), which has the effect of connecting the variable overflow pump volume (86) with the discharge conduit (157), and secondly, a tank-side axial face (101) which communicates with the overflow tank (83), on which is exerted by the pressure prevailing in said reservoir (83),and which can come into contact with a stop on the overflow tank side (130) when the valve actuating piston (97) moves in the direction of said axial face on the tank side (101), while an actuating piston return spring (103) tends to push the valve actuating piston (97) back towards its axial valve actuating face (99), and an overflow valve return spring (128) tends to return the overflow valve (100) to contact with the overflow valve seat (104) with which it cooperates, the force produced by the actuating piston return spring (103) being greater than the force produced by the overflow valve return spring (128).

36. Mechanical-liquid piston heat pump according to claim 21, characterized in that the double-acting hydraulic piston (10) comprises at least two coaxial sealed discs (64) each of which has a low-pressure axial piston face (65) which communicates with the low-pressure gas conduit (61).

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