Low-speed compression and expansion device with mechanical liquid piston

Abstract

The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor (1) includes a liquid cylinder (8) through which a hydraulic piston (10) is translated, pivoting around an inclined shaft (9). The hydraulic piston (10) is firmly fixed to a connecting rod (11) connected to the crank (26) of a crankshaft (24). The axis of rotation of the crankshaft (24) is parallel to the inclined shaft (9). Meanwhile, a piston guide means (23) keeps the connecting rod (11) and the hydraulic piston (10) parallel to the liquid cylinder (8). These connecting rod (11) and hydraulic piston (10) form a variable hydraulic volume (12) filled with working fluid (13) that communicates with a gas and liquid reservoir (14) containing a heat exchange and storage means (16). The reservoir (14) and the liquid (13) form a variable pneumatic volume (2) through which a working gas (5) is compressed or expanded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor.

[0002] In many fields of human activities such as industry, agriculture, or transportation, and also in the residential or commercial fields, various compressors are used to compress gas, especially to generate heat or cold by a heat pump.

[0003] Whether this is related to the generation of compressed air required for a machine or method, or to ensuring the operation of a heat pump for heating or air conditioning, the efficiency of the compressor is a determining factor that greatly affects energy consumption.

[0004] In most applications, the heat generated during gas compression constitutes irrecoverable energy loss. In such applications, the ideal compressor would be an isothermal compressor. That is, this isothermal compressor releases the heat generated from the compression of the gas when the heat is generated in order to minimize the work required for the compression.

[0005] However, in practice, it is impossible to produce a complete isothermal compressor, and in order to transfer the heat generated from the compression of the gas, there must be a temperature difference between the gas and the heat absorption well when the heat is generated.

[0006] However, it is possible to shift to isothermal compression by using heat removal means located in the center of the gas. The means exposes the largest possible heat exchange surface to the gas and realizes a turbulent flow motion that is advantageous for convective heat exchange with respect to the gas. This is done by confining any heat dissipation by radiation within a closed chamber and leaving the time for heat exchange.

[0007] However, quasi-isothermal compression cannot avoid the non-thermodynamic energy loss that needs to be minimized and is not sufficient to guarantee high efficiency for the compressor.

[0008] Among these non-thermodynamic energy losses, mechanical losses occur due to friction in the compressor itself or friction related to its auxiliary equipment, and pressure losses, also called "load losses," occur in the compressor's flaps or either the inlet and outlet valves, or in the conduits connecting the compressor to the compressed gas consumption point, or possible sealing losses occur inside or outside the compressor.

[0009] Within the scope of environmental transitions, heat pumps incorporating gas compressors play a significant role because they can heat and air-condition buildings at a lower energy cost by extracting renewable heat from the environment.

[0010] Due to global warming and evolving lifestyles, building air conditioning alone already consumes over 10 percent of the world's electricity. This burden is expected to increase significantly, both proportionally and quantitatively, over the next few years, to the point where the efficiency of heat pumps represents a major energy challenge.

[0011] The same applies to building heating, which itself consumes more than 20 percent of the world's primary energy, and is expected to become heavily reliant on the most effective low-temperature heat pumps in the coming decades.

[0012] The principle of heat pumps currently used worldwide is primarily based on the phase change of a refrigerant fluid from vapor to liquid, or vice versa, and the saturated vapor pressure of the refrigerant is matched to the target heating or cooling temperature range and the pressure that the equipment can handle.

[0013] Phase change cooling cycles utilize latent heat from the evaporation or condensation of a refrigerant fluid by adjusting the pressure and temperature of the fluid. As a result, the fluid evaporates or condenses, which has the advantage of a high heat density or refrigerant power density.

[0014] Given current technology, and considering the economic, technical, and physical limitations, as well as the constraints in producing heat pumps, the phase-change cooling cycle remains far from the most efficient.

[0015] However, not all cooling cycles rely on changes in the state of a specially prepared refrigerant fluid.

[0016] For example, the Brayton-Joule cycle, also known as the Bell-Coleman cycle, provides gas compression and isentropic expansion without a change of state, followed by heat transfer by the gas to a low-temperature environment at a constant pressure after compression, and followed by heat removal by the gas to a cooling chamber, also at a constant pressure, after expansion.

[0017] However, the actual efficiency of the Bell-Coleman cycle remains low, and in practice, the coefficient of performance is only slightly greater than 1, and often less than 1. This is in contrast to state change and refrigerant fluid heat pumps, where the coefficient of performance can reach 4, or even 5, relative to 1, meaning that for every energy unit input, up to 4-5 energy units are recovered in the form of heat or refrigerant.

[0018] The Bell-Coleman cycle, due to its low practical energy efficiency, is primarily used only when compressed air is naturally available. This is possible in airplanes and certain trains.

[0019] In contrast to Bell-Coleman cycle heat pumps, refrigerant fluid and change-of-state heat pumps are widely used for heating or air conditioning buildings due to their high efficiency.

[0020] However, the efficiency of refrigerant fluid heat pumps remains far below the ideal Carnot efficiency. The ideal Carnot efficiency exhibits a performance factor greater than 20, using the temperature difference typically employed for measurement, while the best heat pumps currently on the market achieve a performance factor of 5.

[0021] However, the ideal Carnot efficiency is merely an indicator of the theoretically achievable maximum efficiency, as it does not take into account the necessary temperature difference for heat exchange to occur, nor the mechanical and practical constraints required to produce a heat pump.

[0022] However, due to energy scarcity and the associated climatic and ecological challenges, there are significant advantages to maximizing the efficiency coefficient of heat pumps used to generate heating, air conditioning, or cooling, bringing it as close as possible to the ideal Carnot efficiency.

[0023] Provided that a suitable and efficient compression and expansion machine is available, it is actually possible to approach the ideal efficiency of the Carnot cycle.

[0024] To achieve this objective, the compressor of the machine needs to compress the gas in two consecutive steps.

[0025] The first step consists of adiabatic compression carried out until the temperature of the gas is sufficiently high, so that the gas can transfer heat to, for example, a heating circuit in a building. The second step, on the other hand, is isothermal compression, during which the temperature reached by the gas at the end of the adiabatic compression is preserved by gradually transferring the heat generated by the isothermal compression to the heating circuit for the remainder of the compression of the gas, and this state is preserved until the gas is pumped out of the compressor.

[0026] Next, the expander of the machine needs to expand the pre-compressed gas in two consecutive steps, following a process that is the reverse of the process described above.

[0027] The first step consists of an adiabatic expansion that is carried out until the temperature of the gas becomes sufficiently low, so that the gas can extract heat, for example, in the external environment of the building. On the other hand, the second step is an isothermal expansion, during which the temperature that the gas has reached at the end of the adiabatic expansion is preserved by gradually extracting the heat necessary to maintain that temperature from the surrounding environment during the remainder of the expansion of the gas and during the remainder of the isothermal expansion, and this state is preserved until the pumping of the gas outside the expansion machine of the gas.

[0028] One of the advantages of such a heat pump is that it no longer depends on a polluting, toxic, or flammable refrigerant fluid, some of which are ozone-depleting or cause a strong greenhouse effect.

[0029] No longer relying on a refrigerant fluid has greater importance than the regulations that stipulate the prohibition of refrigerant fluids with a global warming potential of more than 150 times that of carbon dioxide from 2030.

[0030] These regulatory provisions will reduce the number of refrigerant fluids that can be used in conventional heat pumps, have a great impact on the technology of the pumps, and may even increase the cost of the pumps.

[0031] The most promising alternative to the refrigerant fluids currently used in conventional heat pumps is carbon dioxide, which is a non-polluting gas. Although the global warming potential of carbon dioxide is low, it has the main drawback of a high operating pressure exceeding 100 atmospheres, which makes it more difficult to ensure the sealing and safety of the equipment.

[0032] Therefore, it is understood that there is an advantage in reproducing as faithfully as possible the ideal cycle of Sadi Carnot's heat pump by producing a quasi-isothermal compressor and a volumetric expander that use a fluid that remains in a gaseous state throughout the cycle.

[0033] This path is only possible by imposing a stable set temperature on the gas during compression or isothermal expansion. This can be achieved with a medium that directly stores heat during compression in the expansion chamber, and the medium is associated with means for transferring the heat during the compression phase or means for transferring the heat during the expansion phase.

[0034] Some designs describe near-isothermal compressors or expanders that have means for storing, taking in, or releasing heat.

[0035] This is, for example, the case of a quasi-isothermal machine described in British Patent No. 2534244, which has a downward-oriented piston having a heat absorption and return structure, the piston compressing a gas in a variable volume at the bottom where a constant fluid volume exists.

[0036] According to the invention of British Patent No. 2534244, the piston compresses or expands the gas, while simultaneously cooling or heating the gas by bringing it into contact with a heat absorption and return structure. The structure may consist of a metal sheet, which exchanges heat with the gas when outside the liquid; however, when immersed in the liquid, it exchanges heat with the liquid.

[0037] According to the invention of British Patent No. 2534244, the liquid remains virtually stationary, in contrast to a liquid piston compressor. With this liquid piston compressor, the liquid is, conversely, movable, meaning that the liquid does not decelerate too far away from Earth's gravity without causing cavitation and fluctuations of the liquid.

[0038] In contrast, the invention of British Patent No. 2534244 makes it possible to manufacture a compressor or high-speed rotary expander without moving a liquid, thereby having the advantage of giving the compressor or expander a high volumetric power density.

[0039] It should be noted that the specific configuration of British Patent No. 2534244 proposes a relatively conventional rod and crank system for operating a piston that carries a heat absorption and return structure.

[0040] Another approach, as provided by Chinese Patent No. 111734604, involves moving a liquid using a piston that translates within a cylinder, which immerses a static heat sink, in contrast to British Patent No. 2534244.

[0041] Numerous publications, such as Chinese Patent No. 111734605, also describe liquid pistons that alternately pass gas and liquid through a porous medium or a heat storage and return system.

[0042] This technological approach has been employed in various research programs specifically for energy storage systems in the form of compressed air, particularly those intended to store renewable energy generated by offshore wind turbines.

[0043] From most of these devices, the resulting compression or expansion efficiency, regardless of its properties, largely depends on the total heat exchange surface between the gas, liquid, and heat absorption and return structures, but also on the time remaining for such exchange to occur.

[0044] Therefore, in order to be advantageous for such exchange, it is preferable to produce a low-speed rotary compressor or expander, but this comes at the cost of a smaller volumetric output.

[0045] In addition to the time remaining for heat exchange to occur, the advantage of low-speed rotary compressors or expanders is that they leave time for gas transfer to occur, limiting pressure loss at the inlet and outlet ports of the compressor and expander.

[0046] In fact, when these compressors or expanders rotate slowly, their actual thermodynamic pressure-volume diagrams are not significantly deformed by the gas transfer, thus approaching the ideal theoretical diagram. Consequently, the actual efficiency of the heat pump integrating these compressors and expanders approaches the maximum theoretical efficiency attainable according to an ideal Carnot cycle.

[0047] In fact, the inertial force that degrades the performance of control flaps and valves, which are responsible for transferring gas inside and outside the compressor or expander, is generated to a greater or lesser extent by the square of the rotational speed of the compressor or expander.

[0048] This results in a delay in the opening / closing of the flap and valve, which affects the effectiveness of the thermodynamic cycle.

[0049] Therefore, as described above, a low-speed single-phase heat pump that compresses and expands gas according to the Carnot cycle initially occupies a larger volume than a conventional equivalent, its refrigerant fluid continuously transitions from a gaseous state to a liquid state and vice versa, and its compressor operates at high speed.

[0050] The problem with low-speed rotary compressors and expanders is that, at the same output, the mechanical components that make them up are subjected to greater forces than the components that make up a high-speed rotary equivalent machine, and the resulting larger dimensions of these components, due to these forces, cause high energy loss due to friction.

[0051] In addition to the large size of the component, the slow rotation speed of the compressor or expander makes it undesirable to establish a fluid lubrication system at the pivotal connections between the component, for example, at the friction interface of the piston in the cylinder, or between the piston and the rod, between the rod and the crankshaft, and between the crankshaft and the casing.

[0052] Therefore, it is highly advantageous to implement a liquid piston, coupled with heat exchange, storage, return, loading, and unloading means, by a low-speed machine with very high mechanical efficiency that allows for a sufficiently long time to maximize the effectiveness of heat exchange on the one hand and minimize energy loss in gas transfer on the other.

[0053] Such a configuration makes it possible to produce high-energy performance heat pumps that achieve efficiency close to that of an ideal Carnot cycle, which is closer to an ideal Carnot cycle and operates with a refrigerant fluid that undergoes a change of state than its conventional counterparts, such as those that require only atmospheric air and water to operate.

[0054] For example, if such a configuration can be obtained, and the performance coefficient of the best refrigerant fluid heat pump on the market is approximately 5 under the same measurement conditions and the same ambient environment, it would be possible to obtain a performance coefficient of approximately 7.

[0055] However, as mentioned above, in order to obtain such an efficiency difference, it is necessary to generate quasi-isothermal compression and expansion by ensuring that the heat exchange during the compression and expansion works to the greatest extent possible, by minimizing losses due to transfer, losses due to internal or external gas leakage, and by minimizing losses due to friction.

[0056] For example, the performance coefficient of a Carnot cycle single-phase heat pump is necessarily very sensitive to the energy efficiency of its mechanical transmission device, considering the need to compress a larger volume of gas than the corresponding device for a refrigerant fluid that undergoes a change in state. If this efficiency is insufficient, it results in the Carnot cycle single-phase heat pump having a lower efficiency than its corresponding device.

[0057] In fact, because a Carnot cycle single-phase heat pump needs to compress a larger amount of gas than its counterparts that use refrigerant fluids with phase changes, the performance coefficient of such a single-phase heat pump largely depends on the energy efficiency of its mechanical transmission system for gas compression and expansion.

[0058] If the efficiency is insufficient, the single-phase heat pump will have a lower coefficient of performance than a heat pump using the same refrigerant fluid.

[0059] This sensitivity to the mechanical efficiency of compression and expansion in a Carnot cycle single-phase heat pump increases, for example, when a performance factor greater than 5 is targeted.

[0060] For example, a single-phase Carnot cycle heat pump that achieves a thermal output of 10 kilowatts with a performance coefficient of 5 requires an external energy input of 2 kilowatts in the form of mechanical work.

[0061] If the mechanical efficiency of the single-phase heat pump is not very good and it generates a mechanical loss of 1 kilowatt, the performance coefficient of the pump will decrease from 5 to 3.3, and the energy costs for the owner of the pump will increase by 50 percent.

[0062] In this case, the single-phase heat pump loses all or almost all of its advantages compared to a conventional equivalent machine using a refrigerant fluid that undergoes a change in state.

[0063] This is why the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention provides an innovative configuration with extremely high mechanical and volumetric efficiencies combined with effective heat exchange and flow, thereby giving the resulting Carnot cycle single-phase heat pump a significantly higher coefficient of performance than conventional equivalents of refrigerant fluids with phase changes.

[0064] Therefore, mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressors are primarily provided to produce, on the one hand, highly energy-efficient compressors and / or expanders that can be used in any field of activity, and on the other hand, high-performance coefficient heat pumps.

[0065] The heat pump, in particular, arises from the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. This heat pump achieves a performance coefficient higher than that of conventional refrigerant fluid heat pumps involving phase changes, and therefore, the pump according to the present invention reduces the energy required to generate heat or cold air, all other things being equal. Its thermodynamic efficiency is close to that of an ideal Carnot cycle, which cannot be surpassed. Therefore, there is little incentive to replace this heat pump with another design through further efficiency improvements. This heat pump does not rely on any refrigerant fluid that is harmful to health or the environment, and the pump can operate on, for example, atmospheric air or nitrogen, thus avoiding any regulations or safety restrictions regarding the handling, storage, or recycling of refrigerant fluids. • Its operating temperature range is very wide because the pump is completely independent of any refrigerant fluid, and it can operate in heating or air conditioning mode in any region of the world without compromising its efficiency. In particular, the pump is of such a simple design that it can be produced in a technically reasonable factory in virtually every country in the world, by assembling low-cost components that can be easily produced or are widely available on the market. • Due to its simple mechanical design, this pump does not require advanced technical skills and can be reliably maintained at a lower cost. This allows any qualified plumber / heating technician to easily and achievably construct heating and HVAC networks that integrate seamlessly into a building and its surrounding environment, without requiring approvals or certifications related to the handling of gases that pose health and environmental hazards. • Its robust mechanism gives the pump a service life of several decades, or even over a century, provided that only a few parts are replaced, without degrading its operation or efficiency. Such a service life constitutes an additional environmental advantage for the pump compared to conventional refrigerant fluid heat pumps when the entire service life of the pump, including manufacturing and recycling, is analyzed. This heat pump is quiet and generates minimal noise pollution, making it suitable for integration into buildings. • This arrangement, by using a motor fan with low rotational speed, low energy consumption, and low noise radiation, allows for the exposure of a large heat exchange surface with the surrounding environment at a lower cost. Its manufacturing process does not require rare or strategic materials, nor does it require highly technical know-how or expertise.

[0066] It is understood that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention can be advantageously utilized in relation to heat pumps, compressors and gas expanders and any other applications with similar designs and principles.

[0067] Other features of the present invention are described in the specification and secondary claims that depend directly or indirectly on the main claims.

[0068] A mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor that defines a variable pneumatic volume forming a compressor or expander, wherein a working gas can enter the volume through an inlet port or exit the volume through an outlet port, and this mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor is A liquid cylinder, which is perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder and can pivot directly or indirectly about an inclined axis fixed to a stationary frame, A hydraulic piston, which translates in a sealed manner within the liquid cylinder and, together with the liquid cylinder, forms a variable hydraulic volume in which the working fluid is completely or partially filled, A gas and liquid reservoir connected to a variable hydraulic volume by a connecting conduit, wherein, by this connection, the reservoir is mainly or completely filled with working fluid when the variable hydraulic volume is at its minimum, and partially or completely filled with working gas when the variable hydraulic volume is at its maximum, and the change in the absolute volume of working gas contained in the variable hydraulic volume is, on the one hand, approximately equal to the change in the absolute volume of working fluid contained in the variable hydraulic volume, forming the variable hydraulic volume on the one hand, and on the other hand, approximately equal to the change in the absolute volume of working fluid contained in the variable hydraulic volume, A heat exchange and storage means housed within a gas and liquid reservoir, wherein the means can exchange heat with a working gas or working fluid on the one hand, and can temporarily store all or part of the heat on the other hand, Heat transfer or transfer means for directly or indirectly taking in or transferring heat to heat exchange and storage means, and / or working fluid and / or working gas, wherein the taken-in heat is then transferred to a heating means, or the transferred heat is previously taken in by a cooling means, and the heating means and the cooling means are located outside the gas and liquid reservoirs, and the heat transfer or transfer means • A filling means that allows or blocks the passage of working gas from the intake plenum through the inlet port to the gas and liquid reservoirs, • Discharge means for allowing or blocking the passage of working gas from gas and liquid reservoirs through outlet ports to pressurized plenum, A connecting rod, the first rod end of which is firmly fixed to a hydraulic piston, wherein the rod is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston, • A piston guide means that maintains the hydraulic piston and connecting rod parallel to the cylinder, regardless of the position of the piston within the cylinder. A crankshaft having at least one shaft bearing that can rotate about an axis parallel to the inclined axis, and into which the second rod end of the connecting rod articulates with at least one crank, • At least one drive motor that rotates the crankshaft directly or indirectly, It comprises a kinetic energy storage means directly or indirectly connected to the crankshaft.

[0069] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention includes an inclined shaft which is a tubular ball joint terminating a liquid cylinder, the interior of which forms a communicating conduit in whole or in part, and the ball joint can pivot in a sealed manner within a female ball joint housing fixed to gas and liquid reservoirs.

[0070] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a tubular ball joint receiving a ball joint shaft parallel to an inclined shaft at its center, the shaft articulating around a ball joint bridle that is directly or indirectly fixed to gas and liquid reservoirs.

[0071] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a ball joint bridle, which is connected to gas and liquid reservoirs using an articulated bridle connection that allows the bridle to rotate around it.

[0072] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a liquid cylinder and gas and liquid reservoirs, which form a rigid assembly that pivots around an inclined axis.

[0073] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a heat exchange and storage means, the heat exchange and storage means being composed of a porous medium having a plurality of pores through which working fluid and working gas alternately enter and exit.

[0074] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with heat transfer and intake means consisting of a working fluid circulation section, which exits from a liquid cylinder or from a gas and liquid reservoir via a liquid outlet conduit, transfers heat to a heating means or takes in heat to a cooling means, and then returns to the cylinder or reservoir via a liquid inlet conduit.

[0075] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a heat transfer or heat transfer means, the heat transfer or heat transfer means comprising at least one heat exchanger conduit housed in a gas and liquid reservoir, in which a heat transfer fluid circulates, and this fluid transports the heat taken in or transferred by the heat exchange and storage means and / or the working fluid and / or working gas to a cooling means or heating means via a heat transfer conduit.

[0076] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a heat exchange and storage means consisting of at least one liquid spray nozzle supplied by a liquid spray pump, the nozzle capable of atomizing the working fluid into fine droplets within the internal volume of the gas and liquid reservoirs.

[0077] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an inclined shaft, which is fixed to a stationary frame and consists of a rolling track on which a rolling surface, directly or indirectly fixed to a liquid cylinder, can roll, and a rolling track gear whose reference circle coincides with the contact line between the rolling track and the rolling surface, and which is fixed to the stationary frame and engages with a rolling surface gear, directly or indirectly fixed to the liquid cylinder.

[0078] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a piston guide means, which consists of a sliding pivot connection portion formed between the outer cylindrical surface of a connecting rod and a sliding ring that is securely connected to a liquid cylinder using a ring carrier structure.

[0079] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a piston guide means consisting of a guide skirt provided around a hydraulic piston, the skirt being able to translate within the cylinder with a small clearance.

[0080] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a filling means and / or discharge means comprising at least one compressor flap and / or at least one controlled compressor valve. However, during operation, the working gas is discharged from the gas and liquid reservoir via a pressurized plenum at a pressure higher than the pressure pre-introduced into the reservoir via an intake plenum, while a heat transfer or transfer means transfers heat to a heating means such that a variable pneumatic volume forms the compressor.

[0081] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a filling means and / or discharge means comprising at least one controlled expansion valve. However, during operation, the working gas is discharged from the gas and liquid reservoir via a pressurized plenum at a pressure lower than the pressure pre-introduced into the reservoir via an intake plenum, while a heat transfer or transfer means takes heat into a cooling means such that a variable pneumatic volume forms the expander.

[0082] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a compressor's feed plenum connected to the expansion's intake plenum by a high-pressure gas conduit, so that the working gas pumped through the compressor's feed plenum is introduced into the expansion through the expansion's intake plenum, and the compressor's crankshaft is directly or indirectly connected to the expansion's crankshaft, so that the compressor and the expansion engage to form a heat pump.

[0083] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a high-pressure gas conduit connected to at least one high-pressure gas reservoir.

[0084] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an intake plenum of the compressor and a feed plenum of the expander, which are in communication through low-pressure gas reservoirs, each connected by a low-pressure gas conduit.

[0085] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an intake plenum and a pressurized plenum located above the gas and liquid reservoir, and since the gas and liquid reservoir itself is located above the liquid cylinder, due to Earth's gravity, the working gas always first exits the gas and liquid reservoir through the pressurized plenum, and the working fluid always first enters the reservoir through the intake plenum.

[0086] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an inclined shaft consisting of a hollow cylindrical shaft having at least one opening radial space, the cylindrical shaft being positioned above the gas and liquid reservoirs, while the intake plenum and / or pressurizing plenum surround the cylindrical shaft and are connected to an annular gas collector including an opening radial space, so that the working gas can circulate between the inside of the hollow cylindrical shaft and the intake plenum and / or pressurizing plenum via the opening radial space and the annular gas collector.

[0087] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a kinetic energy storage means consisting of a low-speed inertia flywheel rotatably fixed on the crankshaft on the one hand and on the other hand to a ring gear, wherein a drive motor rotates the ring gear using at least one ring drive pinion, the reference diameter of the ring drive pinion being smaller than the reference circle diameter of the ring, and the ring and pinion forming a high gear meshing system. However, a high-speed inertia flywheel is rotatably fixed directly or indirectly to the ring drive pinion.

[0088] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a liquid spray pump consisting of a pump cylinder provided in and / or in an extension of the liquid cylinder, wherein the pump piston is moved by a hydraulic piston and / or liquid cylinder and can translate within the pump cylinder.

[0089] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a pump piston having a starting contact needle, the pump piston is moved using the contact needle, and the piston is returned to the ending contact portion by a piston return mass.

[0090] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a pump piston that is moved using a movable spring.

[0091] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with an overflow pump that transfers a small amount of working fluid from the overflow reservoir to the gas and liquid reservoir and / or liquid cylinder when each crankshaft rotates.

[0092] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with an overflow reservoir that communicates with a pressurized plenum, wherein the working gas pressure in the reservoir is close to or equal to the working gas pressure in the plenum.

[0093] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an overflow pump, which includes a pump blind cylinder on which the overflow pump piston can translate in a sealed manner, and the overflow pump piston and the cylinder form a variable overflow pump volume, which, when the variable overflow pump volume increases, is filled with working fluid from an overflow reservoir via at least one overflow pump suction flap, and when it decreases, is pumped via a pressure valve to a gas and liquid reservoir and / or liquid cylinder.

[0094] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an overflow pump piston, which is a two-piece stepped piston, the two-piece stepped piston comprising a large-diameter body having a large cross-section surface that forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume, the stepped piston also comprising a smaller-diameter body opposite the axial direction of the large-cross-section surface, which can be sealed and translated into the working cylinder, the internal volume of the working cylinder being connected directly or indirectly to the internal volume of the liquid cylinder, the smaller-diameter body having a small cross-section surface to which the pressure in the liquid cylinder is exerted, the stepped piston also providing a surface having an average cross-section at the joint between the large-diameter body and the smaller-diameter body to which the pressure in the reservoir is exerted, the stepped piston contact portion fixing the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume, and the two-piece piston return spring tends to repel the two-piece stepped piston in the direction of its large-cross-section surface.

[0095] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a pressure valve, which has a valve actuator piston that can be sealed and translated within a valve actuator cylinder. The piston has, firstly, a valve operating axial surface that communicates with an overflow reservoir and is subjected to the pressure in the reservoir, and which can lift the overflow flap of the overflow flap seat when the valve actuator piston is moved in the direction of the surface, thereby having the effect of communicating the variable overflow pump volume with the gas and liquid reservoir and / or liquid cylinder via the overflow flap; and secondly, a liquid cylinder side axial surface that communicates with the liquid cylinder and is subjected to the pressure in the cylinder, and which can contact the liquid cylinder side contact when the valve actuator piston is moved in the direction of the liquid cylinder side axial surface. However, the actuating piston return spring tends to repel the valve actuating piston in the direction of its valve actuating axis, and the overflow flap return spring tends to return the overflow flap to a state in contact with the overflow flap seat with which it engages, and the force generated by the actuating piston return spring is greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring.

[0096] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises an overflow pump piston, which is a two-piece stepped piston, the two-piece stepped piston having a large diameter body having a large cross-section surface that is connected to an overflow reservoir and receives the pressure in the reservoir, the stepped piston also includes a small diameter body on the opposite side of the axial direction of the large cross-section surface that can be sealed and translated into an operating cylinder, the internal volume of the operating cylinder being connected directly or indirectly to the internal volume of the liquid cylinder, the small diameter body having a small cross-section surface that is subjected to the pressure in the liquid cylinder, and at the joint between the large diameter body and the small diameter body having a surface having an average cross-section where the small diameter body appears, the surface forming one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume, the stepped piston contact portion fixing the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume, and the two-piece piston return spring tends to repel the two-piece stepped piston in the direction of its surface having the small cross-section.

[0097] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention is equipped with a pressure valve, which has a valve actuator piston that can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuator cylinder. The piston has, firstly, a valve operating axial surface that communicates with the liquid cylinder and is subjected to the pressure within the cylinder, and which can lift the overflow flap of the overflow flap seat when the valve actuator piston is moved in the direction of the surface, thereby having the effect of communicating the variable overflow pump volume with the gas and liquid reservoir and / or liquid cylinder via the overflow flap; and secondly, a reservoir-side axial surface that communicates with the overflow reservoir and is subjected to the pressure within the reservoir, and which can contact the overflow reservoir-side contact portion when the valve actuator piston is moved in the direction of the reservoir-side axial surface. However, the actuating piston return spring tends to repel the valve actuator piston in the direction of its valve operating axis, and the overflow flap return spring tends to return the overflow flap to a state in contact with the overflow flap seat with which it engages, and the force generated by the actuating piston return spring is greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring.

[0098] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention includes a counterbalancing means provided entirely or partially as an alternative to a piston guide means to tilt the liquid cylinder during the rotation of the crankshaft.

[0099] The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comprises a counterbalancing means consisting on the one hand a counterbalancing mass body and on the other hand a counterbalancing column that is parallel to the inclined axis of the liquid cylinder and articulated around a column axis fixed to a stationary frame. However, the counterbalancing column, together with the cylinder, forms a pivot-sliding joint and constitutes an imbalance that counteracts the imbalance of the cylinder. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0100] The following description relates to the attached drawings, which are given as non-limiting examples and will best enable you to understand the present invention, its features, and the advantages it may offer. [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a specific configuration of a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention, wherein the inclined axis of the liquid cylinder is a tubular ball joint, the interior of which forms a communicating conduit, either entirely or partially, and which can pivot in a sealed manner within a female ball joint housing fixed to the gas and liquid reservoirs. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention, in which the liquid cylinder and the gas and liquid reservoirs form a rigid assembly that pivots around an inclined axis. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a rigid assembly, which is a modified example of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention, and the overflow pump is coupled to the gas and liquid reservoirs. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the rigid assembly, excluding the overflow pump. [Figure 5] This is a pressure-volume diagram of the thermodynamic cycle of a heat pump, which consists of a compressor and an expander, each of which is a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a three-dimensional assembly drawing of a heat pump, viewed from the front, consisting of a compressor and an expander, each of which is a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the heat pump as seen from the rear. [Figure 8] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the heat pump. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of the surrounding environment and auxiliary equipment of a heat pump consisting of a compressor and an expander, each of which is a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. [Figure 10]This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid spray pump of a compressor formed from a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. The pump piston of the spray pump is moved within the pump cylinder by a hydraulic piston, and the pump piston is in the process of drawing in working fluid under the influence of a piston return mass. The pump suction flap of the pump piston is shown in an enlarged view in the inset. [Figure 11] The following figure 10 shows the pump piston coming into contact with the end of its suction movement, and the schematic cross-sectional view shows what happens when the hydraulic piston of the compressor in the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention finishes its downward movement and begins its upward movement. [Figure 12] Following Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the events that occur when the hydraulic piston of the compressor in the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention comes into contact again with the starting contact needle of the pump piston, causing the pump piston to push back the working fluid that was drawn into the liquid spray nozzle via the pump pressure flap in Figure 10. The pump pressure flap is shown enlarged in the inset. [Figure 13] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid spray pump of an expander formed from a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention, wherein the pump piston is moved within the pump cylinder by a hydraulic piston and a moving spring, and the pump piston is in the process of drawing in working fluid through a pump suction flap of the pump cylinder, which is shown enlarged in the inset. [Figure 14] The schematic cross-sectional view shows an event that occurs after Figure 13, when the pump piston is brought into contact with the end of its suction movement, but the hydraulic piston of the expander in the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention continues its upward movement by compressing the moving spring, and has not yet started its downward movement. [Figure 15] Following Figure 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing what happens when the hydraulic piston of the expander in the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention begins its downward movement, which has the effect of releasing the compression of the moving spring, and the pump piston remains in contact with the end of its upward movement contact point. [Figure 16] Following Figure 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the events that occur when the hydraulic piston of the expander in the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention drives the pump piston during its movement, and the pump piston pumps the working fluid that was drawn into the liquid spray nozzle via the pump pressure flap in Figure 13. The pump pressure flap is shown enlarged in the inset. [Figure 17] This is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of an overflow pump and an overflow reservoir provided in a compressor formed from a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an overflow pump for a compressor formed from a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. The pressure in the overflow reservoir of the pump is greater than the pressure in the liquid cylinder, and this has the effect of filling the variable overflow pump volume with working fluid from the overflow reservoir. [Figure 19] Following Figure 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing what happens when the pressure in the overflow reservoir of the compressor overflow pump formed from the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention becomes substantially equal to the pressure in the liquid cylinder, thereby allowing the two-piece piston return spring to move the overflow pump piston and discharge the working fluid pre-filled into the variable overflow pump volume into the liquid cylinder. [Figure 20] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overflow pump of an expander formed from a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention. The pressure in the overflow reservoir of the pump is lower than the pressure in the liquid cylinder, and this has the effect of filling the variable overflow pump volume with working fluid from the overflow reservoir. [Figure 21]Following Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing what happens when the pressure in the overflow reservoir of the expander overflow pump formed from the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention becomes substantially equal to the pressure in the liquid cylinder, thereby allowing the two-piece piston return spring to move the overflow pump piston and discharge the working fluid pre-filled into the variable overflow pump volume into the liquid cylinder. [Figure 22] This is a side view of a modified example of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention, in which the liquid cylinder and the gas and liquid reservoirs form a rigid assembly, which pivots around an inclined axis composed of rolling tracks fixed to a stationary frame, on which rolling surfaces fixed to the gas and liquid reservoirs can roll, and these rolling tracks are connected to a rack and pinion, which engages with a rolling surface gear connected to the rolling surface. [Figure 23] This is a side view of a modified example of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to the present invention, in which the counterbalancing means engages with the piston guide means to tilt the rigid assembly formed from the liquid cylinder and the gas and liquid reservoir during the rotation of the crankshaft, and the counterbalancing means is composed of a counterbalancing column, and the counterbalancing mass body forms an imbalance that counteracts the imbalance of the assembly. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0101] Figures 1 to 23 show a mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, various details of its components, modifications thereof, and auxiliary equipment thereof.

[0102] In particular, as can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 8, and Figures 10 to 16, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 defines a variable pneumatic volume 2 that forms a compressor 3 or expander 4, and the working gas 5 can enter the volume 2 through the inlet port 6 or exit the volume 2 through the outlet port 7.

[0103] Figures 1-4, 6-8, 10-16, and 22 and 23 show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention comprises a liquid cylinder 8. The liquid cylinder 8 can pivot directly or indirectly about an inclined shaft 9, which is perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder 8 and fixed to a stationary frame 40, and the shaft 9 can move relative to the frame 40 according to the inclination of the liquid cylinder 8, according to a pivot mechanism provided in the cylinder 8. Advantageously, the liquid cylinder 8 can receive an insulating layer 59 to avoid heat exchange with the surrounding environment.

[0104] The inclined shaft 9 can accommodate at least one roller bearing 105, or at least one ball bearing or needle roller bearing known in itself, as shown in particular in Figures 4 and 6 to 8. It should be noted that the stationary frame 40 can be fixed or installed in the floor of, for example, a residential, commercial, or industrial building 121.

[0105] As can be seen in Figures 1 to 4, Figure 8, and Figures 10 to 16, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention comprises a hydraulic piston 10 that translates in a sealed manner within the liquid cylinder 8 and, together with the liquid cylinder 8, can form a variable hydraulic volume 12 in which the working fluid 13 is completely or partially filled.

[0106] It should be noted that, since the maximum acceleration or deceleration that the hydraulic piston 10 experiences between its midpoint and its high neutral position preferably remains less than Earth's gravity, the working fluid 13 always remains in complete contact with the piston 10, and no cavitation or excessive mixing of the working gas 5 and the working fluid 13 occurs.

[0107] In Figures 1 to 3, Figure 8, and Figures 10 to 16, it should be noted that the hydraulic piston 10 may, advantageously, include at least one seal 51, which may be an O-ring, lip seal, composite seal, or of any type known to those skilled in the art, and which seal 51 prevents the working fluid 13 from leaking between the piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8.

[0108] Instead of the seal 51, at least one notched or continuous metal segment can form a seal between the hydraulic piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8, and the working fluid 13 may consist of, for example, pure water, or glycol may be added to lower the freezing temperature of the water.

[0109] Figures 1 to 3, 8, and 10 to 16 show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention is equipped with a gas and liquid reservoir 14 connected to a variable hydraulic volume 12 by a communicating conduit 15. The reservoir 14 is mainly or completely filled with working fluid 13 when the variable hydraulic volume 12 is at its minimum, and partially or completely filled with working gas 5 when the variable hydraulic volume 12 is at its maximum. It is also shown that the change in the absolute amount of working gas 5 contained in the variable hydraulic volume 2 is, on the one hand, equivalent to the change in the absolute amount of working fluid 13 contained in the variable hydraulic volume 12, according to the principle of a communicating container.

[0110] It should be noted that, advantageously, the gas and liquid reservoir 14 can receive external insulation to prevent heat from being exchanged with the surrounding environment.

[0111] Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 8 to 16 show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention also includes a heat exchange and storage means 16 housed in a gas and liquid reservoir 14, which can, on the one hand, exchange heat with the working gas 5 or working fluid 13, and on the other hand, can temporarily store all or part of the heat.

[0112] Similarly, Figures 1 to 4 and 8 to 16 show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention is equipped with heat transfer or heat transfer means 17 that directly or indirectly take in or transfer heat to a heat exchange and storage means 16 and / or working fluid 13 and / or working gas 5, the taken in heat which is then transferred to a heating means 18, or the transferred heat which is previously taken in by a cooling means 19, the heating means 18 and the cooling means 19 located outside the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and can take the form of an air-water, soil-water, or water-water exchanger 107 located outside 122, according to the principles commonly used in underfloor heating and cooling 106 installed in commercial or residential buildings 121, fan coil units known in themselves, or air-heat or geothermal heat pumps.

[0113] As can be seen in Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 10 to 16, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention also includes a filling means 20 that allows or blocks the passage of working gas 5 from the intake plenum 21 through the inlet port 6 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0114] Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 10 to 16 also show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention is equipped with a discharge means 22, which allows or blocks the passage of the working gas 5 from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 to the pressurized plenum 62 via the outlet port 7.

[0115] In Figures 1 to 4, 6 to 8, 10 to 16, and 22 and 23, it should be noted that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention includes a connecting rod 11, the first end of which is firmly fixed to the hydraulic piston 10, and the rod 11 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston 10.

[0116] As is clear from Figures 1 to 3, Figure 8, and Figures 10 to 16, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention includes a piston guide means 23 that maintains the hydraulic piston 10 and the connecting rod 11 parallel to the cylinder 8, regardless of the position of the piston 10 within the cylinder 8.

[0117] Figures 1 and 2, Figures 6 to 9, and Figures 22 and 23 also show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention comprises a crankshaft 24 or eccentric shaft known in itself, the shaft being rotatable about an axis parallel to the inclined shaft 9 within at least one shaft bearing 25 and having at least one crank 26 around which a second rod end 30 of a connecting rod 11 is articulated.

[0118] It should also be noted that, advantageously, the drawings show that the crankshaft 24 can rotate within the shaft bearing 25, and / or the second rod end 30 can be articulated around the crank 26 using a roller bearing 105, ball bearing, or needle roller bearing, which are known in themselves.

[0119] Figures 1, 2, 6, 22, and 23 also show that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention also comprises at least one drive motor 27 that directly or indirectly rotates the crankshaft 24. The motor 27 may be electric, thermal with internal or external combustion, hydraulic, pneumatic, or any other type known to those skilled in the art.

[0120] Finally, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 22, and 23, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention also includes a kinetic energy storage means 28 directly or indirectly connected to the crankshaft 24.

[0121] As shown in Figure 1, according to a modified version of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, the inclined shaft 9 can be a tubular ball joint 111 terminating the liquid cylinder 8, the interior of which forms a communicating conduit 15, and the ball joint 111 can pivot in a sealed manner within a female ball joint housing 123 fixed to the gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0122] Furthermore, it should be noted that this configuration is reversible, meaning that the tubular ball joint 111 can terminate the gas and liquid reservoir 14, while the female ball joint housing 123 can be fixed to the liquid cylinder 8.

[0123] Furthermore, it should be noted that the inner diameter of the liquid cylinder 8 can be advantageously set to be less than or equal to the outer diameter of the tubular ball joint 111 that forms a seal with the female ball joint housing 123, thereby avoiding the pressure inside the liquid cylinder 8 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14 exerting a force on the liquid cylinder 8 that tends to move it away from the gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0124] Furthermore, it should be noted that in Figure 1, the female ball joint housing 123 can receive a seal 51 made of a wear-resistant material such as polytetrafluoroethylene filled with anti-friction particles at the equatorial portion of the tubular ball joint 111.

[0125] As further shown in Figure 1, the female ball joint housing 123 can receive a notched circular pad 127 made of bronze or an anti-friction material such as "Teflon," and the notch in the pad 127 allows it to be fitted around the tubular ball joint 111.

[0126] According to a modified example of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention shown in Figure 1, the tubular ball joint 111 can receive a ball joint shaft 124 at its center, which is parallel to the inclined shaft 9, and the shaft 124 is articulated around a ball joint bridle 125 which is directly or indirectly fixed to the gas and liquid reservoir 14, so that the center of the ball joint shaft 124 and the center of the inclined shaft 9 coincide.

[0127] Note that the ball joint bridle 125 maintains a constant distance between the liquid cylinder 8 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14, and that the bridle 125 engages with a notched circular pad 127 that holds the tubular ball joint 111 in the center of the female ball joint housing 123.

[0128] Furthermore, it should be noted that the fixing of the ball joint shaft 124 and the tubular ball joint 111 preferably needs to have a compact and hydrodynamic shape that is advantageous in that it provides low resistance to the passage of the working fluid 13 circulating between the liquid cylinder 8 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0129] Furthermore, it should be noted that the ball joint shaft 124 can be a simple pivot connection, a cardan connection, or a ball joint connection.

[0130] Furthermore, according to a modified embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention shown in Figure 1, the ball joint bridle 125 can be connected to the gas and liquid reservoir 14 using an articulated bridle connection 126 that allows the bridle 125 to rotate around it.

[0131] Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, and 10-16 show that, according to another modification of one embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, the liquid cylinder 8 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14 can form a rigid assembly 31 that pivots around an inclined shaft 9, and the communicating conduit 15 in this case consists of a joining zone included between the cylinder 8 and the reservoir 14 and does not necessarily have to have the same diameter as the reservoir 14.

[0132] It should be noted that, according to this modification, the flexible conduit can advantageously connect the intake plenum 21 and / or the pressurized plenum 62 to, for example, a high-pressure gas reservoir 58 or a low-pressure gas reservoir 60, or connect the gas and liquid reservoir 14 to a heating means 18 and / or a cooling means 19.

[0133] As shown in Figures 10 to 16, the heat exchange and storage means 16 can be composed of a porous medium 32 having a plurality of pores 33 through which the working fluid 13 and working gas 5 alternately enter and exit.

[0134] As an example, the porous medium 32 can be made of porous ceramic, ceramic structure or metal structure, or a metal straw made of copper or aluminum.

[0135] Furthermore, Figures 10 to 16 show that the heat transfer or heat transfer means 17 can be composed of a circulating portion of the working fluid 13. This portion exits from the liquid cylinder 8 or from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 via the liquid outlet conduit 34, transfers heat to the heating means 18, or takes heat into the cooling means 19, and then returns to the cylinder 8 or reservoir 14 via the liquid inlet conduit 35.

[0136] In this case, it should be noted that a circulating solenoid valve (not shown) can adjust the flow rate of the working fluid 13 entering the liquid outlet conduit 34 and the liquid inlet conduit 35.

[0137] As another modification of one embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, Figures 1 to 4, 8 and 9, and 17 show that the heat transfer or heat intake means 17 can consist of at least one heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​housed in a gas and liquid reservoir 14, in which a heat transfer fluid 37 circulates, and this fluid transports the heat taken in or transferred from the heat exchange and storage means 16 and / or the working fluid 13 and / or the working gas 5 to a cooling means 19 or heating means 18 via a heat transport conduit 38.

[0138] In this case, it should be noted that the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​can itself form the heat exchange and storage means 16.

[0139] For example, the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​may take the form of a copper or aluminum pipe winding 109, while the portion of the heat transport conduit 38 that is located between the gas and liquid reservoir 14 on the one hand and the cooling means 19 or heating means 18 on the other hand is covered with an insulating material.

[0140] The coils or layers that can make up the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​can be maintained relative to each other in predetermined positions within the gas and liquid reservoir 14 by a retaining plate or separation baffle 110, which can constitute a chicane and / or passage restrictor, and it should be noted that this restrictor generates a jet of the working fluid 13 and / or working gas 5 as it passes through the restrictor.

[0141] Furthermore, the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​can receive external fins that increase the contact surface with the working fluid 13 or working gas 5.

[0142] Figures 1 to 4, 8, and 10 to 16 show that, according to a specific configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, the heat exchange and storage means 16 can consist of at least one liquid spray nozzle 71 supplied by a liquid spray pump 72, the nozzle 71 being able to atomize the working fluid 13 into fine droplets within the internal volume of the gas and liquid reservoir 14, and the number, position, and orientation of the nozzle 71 are not limited, so that the atomized working fluid 13 is positioned to expose a large heat exchange surface to the working gas 5, while the driving speed of the gas 5 by the liquid 13 is also shown to work as favorably as possible for heat exchange between the gas 5 and the liquid 13.

[0143] It should be noted that the liquid spray pump 72 may have one or more pistons and may be a gear pump, a turbine pump, or of any type known to those skilled in the art, and may be housed inside or outside the gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0144] The liquid spray pump 72 can be configured, for example, by a piston moved directly or indirectly by a cam rotated by a crankshaft 24, the profile of which is calculated such that atomization of the working fluid 13 begins with an appropriate angular moment for rotating the shaft 24, over an angular duration, and according to an optimal law of intensity change.

[0145] Preferably, the liquid spray pump 72 draws the working fluid 13 into the liquid cylinder 8 and / or gas and liquid reservoir 14 before pumping the liquid 13 through the liquid spray nozzle 71, so that the pressure difference between the suction and pumping of the pump 72 is minimized.

[0146] Figure 22 shows that, according to another modification of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, the inclined shaft 9 may consist of a rolling track 41 fixed to a stationary frame 40, on which a rolling surface 42 fixed directly or indirectly to a liquid cylinder 8 may roll, and a rolling track gear 43 or rack and pinion fixed to the stationary frame 40 and engaging with a rolling surface gear 45 or rack and pinion fixed directly or indirectly to the liquid cylinder 8, the rolling track gear 43 or rack and pinion having a reference circle 44 that coincides with the contact line between the rolling track 41 and the rolling surface 42.

[0147] This particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention makes it possible to limit frictional losses in the inclined shaft 9 while synchronizing the angular positioning of the liquid cylinder 8 with respect to the stationary frame 40.

[0148] In this case, it should be noted that a retaining flange can be provided that is fixed to the liquid cylinder 8 and can contact the stationary frame 40 if the pressure inside the cylinder 8 is insufficient to maintain the rolling track 41 in contact with the rolling surface 42.

[0149] It should be noted that, according to the geometric shapes adopted for the rolling surface 42 and the rolling track 43, the inclined shaft 9 of the liquid cylinder 8 can move relative to the stationary frame 40 by rotation, in accordance with the infinite kinematic laws.

[0150] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, Figures 6 to 8, Figures 10 to 16, and Figures 22 and 23, the piston guide means 23 of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention can consist of a sliding pivot connection portion 47 formed between the outer cylindrical surface 48 of the connecting rod 11 and a sliding ring 49 that is firmly connected to the liquid cylinder 8 using a ring carrier structure 50. The ring carrier structure 50 can constitute a lubricant reservoir containing a lubricant, according to a complementary modification of one embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, the lubricant having the role of lubricating the sliding ring 49 on the one hand and one or more seals 51 that the hydraulic piston 10 may contain around it on the other hand.

[0151] It should be noted that, in order to ensure that the lubricant is properly distributed to all components requiring lubrication, a lubricant sprinkler or injector may be provided to atomize the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir.

[0152] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, Figure 8, and Figures 10 to 16, the piston guide means 23 can consist of a guide skirt 57 provided around the hydraulic piston 10, and the skirt 57 can translate within the cylinder 8 with a small clearance to center the piston 10 within the cylinder 8, regardless of the axial position of the piston 10 within the cylinder 8.

[0153] Furthermore, Figures 1 to 4 and 10 to 12 show that the filling means 20 and / or discharge means 22 may consist of at least one compressor flap 52 and / or at least one controlled compressor valve 53. However, during operation, the working gas 5 is discharged from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 via the pressurized plenum 62 at a pressure higher than the pressure pre-introduced into the reservoir 14 via the intake plenum 21, while the heat transfer or transfer means 17 transfers heat to the heating means 18 so that the variable pneumatic volume 2 forms the compressor 3.

[0154] It should be noted that the heating means 18 may consist of, for example, underfloor heating installed in a commercial or residential building 121, a fan coil unit known in itself, or an air-water, air-soil, or water-water exchanger installed externally 122, according to the principles commonly used in air-heat or geothermal heat pumps.

[0155] It should be noted that the compressor flap 52, regardless of type, may be formed from a single strip or contact portion that is returned to a spring-sealed seat, or from a valve assisted by at least one pressure switch or an electromechanical actuator that engages with a pressure sensor coupled to the computer 120.

[0156] Figures 13 to 16 show that the filling means 20 and / or discharge means 22 can consist of at least one controlled expansion valve 54. However, during operation, the working gas 5 is discharged from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 via the pressurized plenum 62 at a pressure lower than the pressure pre-introduced into the reservoir 14 via the intake plenum 21, while the heat transfer or transfer means 17 takes heat into the cooling means 19 so that the variable pneumatic volume 2 forms the expander 4.

[0157] It should be noted that the cooling means 19 may consist of, for example, underfloor cooling provided in a commercial or residential building 121, a fan coil unit known in itself, or an air-water, air-soil, or water-water exchanger provided externally 122, according to the principles commonly employed in air-heat or geothermal heat pumps.

[0158] According to a modified example of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention shown in Figures 6 to 9, the pressurized plenum 62 of the compressor 3 can be connected to the intake plenum 21 of the expander 4 by a high-pressure gas conduit 56, so that the working gas 5 pressurized through the pressurized plenum 62 of the compressor 3 is introduced into the expander 4 via the intake plenum 21 of the expander 4, and the crankshaft 24 of the compressor 3 is directly or indirectly connected to the crankshaft 24 of the expander 4, and the compressor 3 and the expander 4 engage to form a heat pump cycle similar to Carnot's heat pump cycle, namely, quasi-adiabatic compression followed by quasi-isothermal compression performed in the compressor 3, then quasi-adiabatic expansion followed by quasi-isothermal expansion performed in the expander 4.

[0159] According to this particular embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 of the present invention, the crankshaft 24 of the compressor 3 and the crankshaft 24 of the expander 4 can form only one single identical crankshaft 24 including at least two cranks 26, one of which is for the compressor 3 and the other is for the expander 4.

[0160] Alternatively, the crankshaft 24 of the compressor 3 may be indirectly connected to the crankshaft 24 of the expander 4 by mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic transmission means, or by any other transmission means.

[0161] Advantageously, the angular position of the crank 26 of the compressor 3 on the crankshaft 24 relative to the angular position of the crank 26 of the expander 4 can be calculated such that the resistive torque exerted by the compressor 3 on the crankshaft 24 is compensated as much as possible by the motor torque exerted by the expander 4 on the shaft 24. Note that the drive motor 27 will either receive the maximum motor torque or the lowest possible resistance.

[0162] Figure 9 also shows that the high-pressure gas conduit 56 can be connected to at least one high-pressure gas reservoir 58 capable of storing a high-temperature, high-pressure working gas 5, and that the high-pressure gas conduit 56 and / or high-pressure gas reservoir 58 are advantageously insulated from their external environment by an insulating layer 59.

[0163] Furthermore, Figure 9 shows that the intake plenum 21 of the compressor 3 and the pressurized plenum 62 of the expander 4 can communicate via a low-pressure gas reservoir 60, which is connected by a low-pressure gas conduit 61, and the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 can store a working gas 5 at low temperature and relatively low pressure. The low-pressure gas conduit 61 and / or the reservoir 60 can be advantageously thermally exposed to the surrounding environment in which the cooling means 19 itself is exposed, and furthermore, a low-pressure gas heating exchanger 39 can be formed in whole or in part to transfer heat to the working gas 5 to the surrounding environment.

[0164] Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, the circulating turbine 46 can circulate the working gas 5 contained in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 within the low-pressure gas heating exchanger 39 of the reservoir 60, while at least one motor fan 108 passes atmospheric air from the surrounding environment to which the cooling means 19 is exposed into the exchanger 39.

[0165] Advantageously, the pressure in the low-pressure reservoir 60 can be greater than atmospheric pressure, allowing the heat pump 55 to be made more compact.

[0166] Advantageously, as long as the heat pump 55 formed by the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention has a low-pressure gas reservoir 60, the working gas 5 can consist of any element or molecule such as pure nitrogen, helium, argon, or carbon dioxide, unlike atmospheric air, and it should be noted that the element or molecule is selected according to its chemical reactivity, its thermodynamic properties, and in particular its ability to work favorably in heat exchange with the working fluid 13 and the heat exchange and storage means 16.

[0167] This also makes it possible to prevent corrosion and microbial growth of the components constituting the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention.

[0168] It should be noted that if the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 and the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 are insulated from the external environment, they can form a totally enclosed volume that stores energy in the form of pressure and / or heat together with the heat pump 55, while this energy is not converted into useful heat or cold air, thereby contributing to the high efficiency of the pump 55.

[0169] In Figures 1-4, 6-8, 10-16, and 22 and 23, it should be noted that the intake plenum 21 and the pressurized plenum 62 can be advantageously positioned above the gas and liquid reservoir 14, and since the gas and liquid reservoir 14 is itself positioned above the liquid cylinder 8, due to Earth's gravity, the working gas 5 always exits the gas and liquid reservoir 14 first via the pressurized plenum 62, and the working fluid 13 always enters the reservoir 14 first via the intake plenum, and even if the liquid 13 can contain the gas 5 in a specific proportion in the form of dissolved or bubbly gases, the working fluid 13 always remains mostly below the working gas 5 in the rigid assembly 31.

[0170] According to a specific modification of one embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention shown in Figures 2-4, 6-8, and 10-16, the inclined shaft 9 can consist of a hollow cylindrical shaft 63 having at least one opening radial space 64, the cylindrical shaft 63 being positioned above the gas and liquid reservoir 14, while the intake plenum 21 and / or pressurized plenum 62 surround the cylindrical shaft 63 and are connected to an annular gas collector 65 including the opening radial space 64, so that the working gas 5 can circulate between the inside of the hollow cylindrical shaft 63 and the intake plenum 21 and / or pressurized plenum 62 via the opening radial space 64 and the annular gas collector 65.

[0171] It should be noted that the rotating shaft seal can be advantageously positioned on both sides of the opening radial space 64 and axially at the boundary between the hollow cylindrical shaft 63 and the annular gas collector 65, and that the seal forms a seal for the working gas 5 between the shaft 63 and the collector 65.

[0172] In a particular embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, shown in detail in Figure 6, the kinetic energy storage means 28 may consist of a low-speed inertia flywheel 66 rotatably fixed on the one hand to a crankshaft 24 and on the other hand to a ring gear 67 rotated by a drive motor 27 using at least one ring drive pinion 68, wherein the reference diameter of the ring drive pinion 68 is smaller than the reference circle diameter of the ring 67, and the ring 67 and the pinion 68 form a high gear meshing system 69, but the high-speed inertia flywheel 70 is rotatably fixed directly or indirectly to the ring drive pinion 68.

[0173] According to this particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 of the present invention, the instantaneous torque fluctuations imposed on the crankshaft 24 by the compression or expansion of the working gas 5 in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 are mainly absorbed by the inertia of the low-speed inertia flywheel 66 and the high-speed inertia flywheel 70, so that the torque resisting or driving the drive motor 27 is smoothed, and therefore the motor 27 mainly receives only the average resistance torque necessary to maintain the crankshaft 24 at a constant rotation.

[0174] It should be noted that the high-speed inertia flywheel 70 can be optionally confined within a vacuum casing.

[0175] In this case, power transmission between the flywheel 70 and the ring drive pinion 68 can be performed by non-contact magnetic coupling.

[0176] Furthermore, to facilitate the rotation of the assembly consisting of the low-speed inertia flywheel 66 and the crankshaft 24, the drive motor 27 can be rotatably and securely fixed to the high-speed inertia flywheel 70, but it should be noted that a disengageable coupler can be inserted on the one hand between the assembly formed by the motor 27 and the flywheel 70 and on the other hand between the ring drive pinion 68, and the coupler can be magnetic, hydraulic, or any other type.

[0177] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 6, 9, 22, and 23, the high gear meshing system 69 can be advantageously inserted between the drive motor 27 and the ring drive pinion 68.

[0178] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, and Figures 10 to 16, the liquid spray pump 72 can consist of a pump cylinder 73 provided inside and / or within an extension of the liquid cylinder 8, and a pump piston 74 that is moved by the hydraulic piston 10 and / or the liquid cylinder 8 and can be translated into the pump cylinder 73.

[0179] It should be noted that the pump cylinder 73 can be directly or indirectly fixed to the liquid cylinder 8, or the gas and liquid reservoir 14, or the hydraulic piston 10, and the same applies to the pump piston 74.

[0180] In particular, in Figures 10 to 16, it should be noted that, as a non-limiting example, the liquid spray pump 72 may include at least one pump suction flap 79 and at least one pump pressure flap 80, and that the flaps 79 and 80 may be fixed to either the pump cylinder 73 or the pump piston 74.

[0181] Furthermore, it should be noted that the pump cylinder 73 may include a discharge port in its longitudinal direction, and that this discharge port may increase or decrease the pumping pressure of the working fluid 13 by the liquid spray pump 72 according to the relative position of the pump piston 74 within the pump cylinder 73.

[0182] In Figures 10 to 12, the pump piston 74 may have a starting contact needle 77, which is used to move the pump piston 74, and the piston 74 is returned to the ending contact portion 78 by a piston return mass 76 or a piston return spring (not shown).

[0183] This particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention is such that the movement of the pump piston 74 is shorter than the movement of the hydraulic piston 10, for example, that the liquid spray nozzle 71 atomizes the working fluid 13 in the internal volume of the gas and liquid reservoir 14 only when the hydraulic piston 10 has reached near its high neutral position.

[0184] Figures 13 to 16 show that the pump piston 74 can be moved using a moving spring 81, which allows the change in distance between the pump piston 74 and the pump cylinder 73 to be separated from the change in distance between the liquid cylinder 8 and the hydraulic piston 10.

[0185] This particular configuration can also be employed to maintain a relatively constant pressure within the pump cylinder 73 regardless of the rotational speed of the crankshaft 24.

[0186] Figures 3, 6, 7, and 17-21 show that, with each rotation of the crankshaft 24, the overflow pump 82 can transfer a small amount of working fluid 13 from the overflow reservoir 83 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and / or the liquid cylinder 8.

[0187] Therefore, when the hydraulic piston 10 moves back and forth within the liquid cylinder 8 and the variable hydraulic volume 12 is at its minimum, the gas and liquid reservoir 14 is completely filled with the working fluid 13, and the small amount of working fluid 13 introduced into the gas and liquid reservoir 14 by the overflow pump 82 overflows with each rotation of the crankshaft 24 in the reservoir 14 and returns to the overflow reservoir 83 via the outlet port 7 and the pressurized plenum 62.

[0188] This particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention allows all of the working gas 5 contained in the variable pneumatic volume 2 to be discharged from the volume 2 when the variable hydraulic volume 12 is at its minimum, thereby achieving an infinite volume ratio and a volumetric efficiency close to 100 percent in the volume 2.

[0189] As shown in Figure 3, the overflow reservoir 83 can communicate with the pressurized plenum 62, and the working gas pressure 5 in the reservoir 83 is close to or the same as the working gas pressure in the plenum 62. On the other hand, since the reservoir 83 is located below the pressurized plenum 62, the working fluid 13 that overflows from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 through the outlet port 7 and the pressurized plenum 62 naturally returns to the overflow reservoir 83 due to Earth's gravity.

[0190] In Figures 17 to 21, the overflow pump 82 includes a pump blind cylinder 84 in which the overflow pump piston 85 can translate in a sealed manner. The overflow pump piston 85 and the cylinder 84 form a variable overflow pump volume 86. When the variable overflow pump volume 86 increases, it is filled with working fluid 13 from the overflow reservoir 83 via at least one overflow pump suction flap 87. When it decreases, it is pumped through a pressure valve 88 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and / or liquid cylinder 8.

[0191] It should be noted that the pump blind cylinder 84 may or may not be assembled; that is, it may be made from a single piece, or it may receive a cylinder head that closes the end opposite to the end blocked by the overflow pump piston 85.

[0192] In Figures 17 to 19, the overflow pump piston 85 can be a two-part stepped piston 89 including a large-diameter body 93 having a large cross-section surface 90 that forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume 86, the stepped piston 89 also including a small-diameter body 94 on the axial opposite side of the large cross-section surface 90 that can be sealed and translated into the operating cylinder 92, the internal volume of the operating cylinder 92 being connected directly or indirectly to the internal volume of the liquid cylinder 8, and the small-diameter body 94 is the pressure inside the liquid cylinder 8 The stepped piston 89 has a surface 91 with a small cross-section to which force is applied, and at the joint between the large-diameter body 93 and the small-diameter body 94, it also provides a surface 95 with an average cross-section where the small-diameter body 94 appears, the small-diameter body 94 is connected to the overflow reservoir 83 and receives the pressure in the reservoir 83, while the stepped piston contact portion 117 fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume 86, and it should be noted that the two-piece piston return spring 96 tends to repel the two-piece stepped piston 89 in the direction of the surface 90 with a large cross-section.

[0193] In Figures 17 to 19, the pressure valve 88 is a valve actuator piston 97 that can be sealed and translated within the valve actuator cylinder 98, the piston 97 having, firstly, a valve operating axial surface 99 that communicates with the overflow reservoir 83 and is subjected to the pressure in the reservoir 83, the surface 99 which can lift the overflow flap 100 of the overflow flap seat 104 when the valve actuator piston 97 is moved in the direction of the surface 99, the surface 99 which has the effect of communicating the variable overflow pump volume 86 with the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and / or liquid cylinder 8 via the overflow flap 100, and secondly, the liquid cylinder 8 or the liquid cylinder communicating with the gas and liquid reservoir 14 The valve actuator piston 97 has a side axial surface 102 which, when pressure is applied within the cylinder 8 and the valve actuator piston 97 is moved in the direction of the liquid cylinder side axial surface 102, can come into contact with the liquid cylinder side contact portion 118. It should also be noted that the actuating piston return spring 103 tends to repel the valve actuator piston 97 in the direction of its valve actuating axial surface 99, and the overflow flap return spring 128 tends to return the overflow flap 100 in contact with the overflow flap seat 104 with which it engages, and the force generated by the actuating piston return spring 103 is greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring 128.

[0194] As an alternative example not shown, the pressure valve 88 may have a cylindrical sliding portion on its outer surface which is provided with a sliding recess, the sliding portion being able to move within a sliding cylinder, the sliding cylinder having an intake space connected to a variable overflow pump volume 86 and a relief space connected to a gas and liquid reservoir 14 or a liquid cylinder 8, on the other hand, depending on the axial position of the cylindrical sliding portion within the sliding cylinder, the sliding recess may or may not be able to connect the intake space to the relief space, the cylindrical sliding portion 97 having a reservoir-side axial surface that communicates with the overflow reservoir 83 and is subjected to the pressure in the reservoir 83, and a liquid cylinder-side axial surface that communicates with the liquid cylinder 8 or gas and liquid reservoir 14 and is subjected to the pressure in the cylinder 8 or the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and can contact the liquid cylinder-side sliding contact portion. However, the sliding return spring tends to repel the cylindrical sliding portion in the direction of its reservoir-side axial surface, up to the reservoir-side sliding contact portion that, when the sliding portion reaches it, connects the intake space to the relief space via the sliding recess.

[0195] In Figures 20 and 21, the overflow pump piston 85 may be a two-piece stepped piston 89 including a large-diameter body 93 having a large cross-section surface 90 that receives the pressure in the reservoir 83, and the stepped piston 89 also includes a small-diameter body 94 on the axial opposite side of the large cross-section surface 90 that can be sealed and translated into the operating cylinder 92, the internal volume of the operating cylinder 92 being connected directly or indirectly to the internal volume of the liquid cylinder 8, and the small-diameter body 94 is the liquid cylinder The stepped piston 89 has a surface 91 with a small cross-section to which pressure is applied within the 8, and at the joint between the large-diameter body 93 and the small-diameter body 94, it also provides a surface 95 with an average cross-section where the small-diameter body 94 appears, and this surface 95 forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume 86, while the stepped piston contact portion 117 fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume 86, and the two-piece piston return spring 96 is shown to tend to repel the two-piece stepped piston 89 in the direction of the surface 91 with the small cross-section.

[0196] Furthermore, in Figures 20 and 21, the pressure valve 88 has a valve actuator piston 97 that can be silently translated within the valve actuator cylinder 98. The piston 97 is shown to have, firstly, a valve operating axial surface 99 that communicates with the liquid cylinder 8 and is subjected to the pressure within the cylinder 8, and when the valve actuator piston 97 is moved in the direction of the surface 99, the overflow flap 100 of the overflow flap seat 104 can be lifted, thereby having the effect of communicating the variable overflow pump volume 86 with the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and / or liquid cylinder 8 via the overflow flap 100; and secondly, a reservoir-side axial surface 101 that communicates with the overflow reservoir 83 and is subjected to the pressure within the reservoir 83, and can contact the overflow reservoir-side contact portion 130 when the valve actuator piston 97 is moved in the direction of the reservoir-side axial surface 101. However, the actuating piston return spring 103 tends to repel the valve actuator piston 97 in the direction of its valve operating axis plane 99, and the overflow flap return spring 128 tends to return the overflow flap 100 to a state in contact with the overflow flap seat 104 with which it engages, and the force generated by the actuating piston return spring 103 is greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring 128.

[0197] As an alternative example not shown, the pressure valve 88 may have a cylindrical sliding portion on its outer surface which is provided with a sliding recess, the sliding portion being able to move within a sliding cylinder, the sliding cylinder having an intake space connected to a variable overflow pump volume 86 and a relief space connected to a gas and liquid reservoir 14 or a liquid cylinder 8, on the other hand, depending on the axial position of the cylindrical sliding portion within the sliding cylinder, the sliding recess may or may not be able to connect the intake space to the relief space, the cylindrical sliding portion having a reservoir-side axial surface that communicates with the overflow reservoir 83 and is subjected to the pressure in the reservoir 83 and can abut against the reservoir-side sliding contact portion, and a liquid cylinder-side axial surface that communicates with the liquid cylinder 8 or gas and liquid reservoir 14 and is subjected to the pressure in the cylinder 8. However, the sliding return spring tends to repel the cylindrical sliding portion in the direction of its axial surface on the liquid cylinder side, up to the sliding contact portion on the liquid cylinder side that, when the sliding portion reaches it, connects the intake space to the relief space via the sliding recess.

[0198] According to a particular embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention shown in Figure 23, the counterbalancing means 112 is provided all or partially as a substitute for the piston guide means 23 to tilt the liquid cylinder 8 during the rotation of the crankshaft 24, thereby reducing, and even neutralizing, the radial force exerted on the guide means 23 by the tilt of the cylinder 8 due to the mass of the cylinder 8 and the Earth's gravity.

[0199] According to this particular configuration, the counterbalancing means 112 can consist of a counterbalancing column 113, which on the one hand has a counterbalancing mass body 116 and on the other hand is articulated around a column axis 114 that is parallel to the inclined axis 9 of the liquid cylinder 8 and fixed to the stationary frame 40. However, the counterbalancing column 113 together with the cylinder 8 forms a pivot-sliding joint 115 that constitutes an imbalance to counteract the imbalance of the cylinder 8, and the pivot-sliding joint 115 can consist of an axis that emerges from the outer surface of the liquid cylinder 8, as shown in Figure 23, which receives a bearing that can move within the elongated cavity of the counterbalancing column 113.

[0200] It should be noted that, according to a particular embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, the counterbalance support 113 can receive a counterbalance mass 116, and its weight and / or position can be variable.

[0201] Alternatively, the counterbalancing means 112 can consist of any type of rotational drive and synchronization mechanism for the liquid cylinder 8, or a mechanism having an elastic connection, and it should be noted that the mechanism having an elastic connection itself tends to reduce, or even neutralize, the radial force exerted on the piston guide means 23 by the mass of the cylinder 8 and the tilt of the cylinder 8 due to Earth's gravity.

[0202] Operation of the invention The operation of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention can be easily understood by considering Figures 1 to 23.

[0203] The purpose of the expansion compressor 1 is, in particular, to create a variable air pressure volume 2. Within the variable air pressure volume 2, the heat exchange between the working gas 5, which may be atmospheric air, and the working fluid 13, which may be water, is maximized during the compression or expansion of the gas 5. Therefore, the working fluid 13, which is as isothermal as possible during such compression or expansion and has a high volumetric heat capacity, primarily imposes its temperature on the working gas 5, which has a lower volumetric heat capacity.

[0204] Therefore, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, Figures 10 to 12, and Figures 22 and 23, when the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention forms a compressor 3, the working gas 5 is compressed within a variable air pressure volume 2.

[0205] In this case, the pressure and temperature of the gas 5 first rise until they reach the temperature of the working fluid 13 contained in the liquid cylinder 8 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14. Once this temperature level is reached, the gas 5 continues to be compressed, and its pressure increases. However, the heat generated by the compression of the gas 5 is transferred to the liquid 13 as the heat is generated, until the compression of the gas 5 ends at a near isothermal state.

[0206] Conversely, as shown in Figures 13 to 16, when the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention forms the expander 4, the working gas 5 expands within the variable air pressure volume 2.

[0207] In this alternative case, the pressure and temperature of the gas 5 first decrease until it reaches the temperature of the working fluid 13 contained in the liquid cylinder 8 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14. Once this temperature level is reached, the gas 5 continues to expand and its pressure decreases. However, its temperature is permanently maintained near the temperature of the working fluid 13, and the working fluid 13 transfers heat to the gas 5 so that its expansion ends at a near isothermal state.

[0208] Therefore, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, 10 to 12, 22 and 23, and 13 to 16, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention can form a compressor 3 or an expander 4, and the gas and liquid reservoir 14 in which the variable air pressure volume 2 is formed exchanges heat with the working gas 5 or working fluid 13 and houses a heat exchange and storage means 16 provided for temporarily storing all or part of the heat before the heat is transferred to the heating means 18 via the heat transfer or transfer means 17 as shown in Figure 9, or after the heat has been transferred from the cooling means 19 via the transfer or transfer means 17, also as shown in Figure 9.

[0209] As shown in Figure 9, in non-limiting examples, the heating means 18 may consist of a heating and cooling underfloor 106 installed in the building 121, while the cooling means 19 may take the form of an air-water exchanger 107 located outside 122 of the building 121.

[0210] In addition to being advantageous for heat exchange between the working gas 5 and the working fluid 13 during the compression or expansion of the gas 5, the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention minimizes energy loss due to friction. This energy loss due to friction is undesirable because it reduces the efficiency of the compressor 3 or expander 4 formed by the expansion compressor 1.

[0211] Therefore, in contrast to the conventional rod and crank systems found in commercially available compressors and alternative thermal motors, the hydraulic piston 10 of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention translates in a sealed manner within the liquid cylinder 8, forming a variable hydraulic volume 12 together with the liquid cylinder 8. This is done without being subjected to significantly high radial forces.

[0212] For example, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, this result is obtained by the pivoting of the liquid cylinder 8 around an inclined axis 9 fixed to a stationary frame 40, which is perpendicular to the axis of the liquid cylinder 8. However, the hydraulic piston 10 and its connecting rod 11 are maintained parallel to the liquid cylinder 8 by piston guide means 23 fixed to the cylinder 8, regardless of the position of the piston 10 within the cylinder 8.

[0213] As can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, 6 to 8, 10 to 16, and 22 and 23, the piston guide means 23 can be composed of a sliding pivot connection portion 47 formed between the outer cylindrical surface 48 of the connecting rod 11 and the sliding ring 49 which is firmly connected to the liquid cylinder 8 using the ring carrier structure 50.

[0214] Therefore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, Figures 6 to 8, and Figures 22 and 23, the crank 26, around which the second rod end 30 of the connecting rod 11 is articulated, always remains approximately within the axis of the liquid cylinder 8.

[0215] According to this particular configuration, which is unique to the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 of the present invention, in contrast to the most common rod and crank systems, the axial force exerted by the pressure of the working gas 5 through the working fluid 13 on the hydraulic piston 10 is no longer converted by radial forces other than those exerted by the piston 10 on the liquid cylinder 8.

[0216] In fact, the low rotational speed of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 is not advantageous for establishing a fluid lubrication system between the hydraulic piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8; therefore, a high relative speed between the piston 10 and the cylinder 8 is required to establish such a system.

[0217] Furthermore, if the working fluid interfering between the hydraulic piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8 is water, it is undesirable to establish a hydrodynamic bearing capacity system at the boundary between the piston 10 and the cylinder 8 because water has low viscosity and low lubricity.

[0218] This particular feature of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1, which consists of eliminating any radial force exerted on the liquid cylinder 8 by the hydraulic piston 10, is especially important in giving any heat pump 55 formed from the compressor 3 and expander 4 according to the present invention higher efficiency and coefficient of performance than that of conventional heat pumps that operate a refrigerant fluid.

[0219] It should be noted that, in order to always minimize energy loss due to friction, in Figures 1 to 3, 6 to 8, and 22 and 23, all pivotal connections of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1, whether relating to the inclined shaft 9, shaft bearing 25, or crank 26, are provided with roller bearings 105, which are known to be known.

[0220] Since the actual coefficient of friction of the roller bearing 105 is very low, the pivot connection dissipates very little energy and has little adverse effect on the energy efficiency of any heat pump 55 composed of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention.

[0221] Another objective of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention is to minimize energy loss due to working gas leakage 5, which reduces the actual efficiency of the compressor 3 or expander 4 formed by the expansion compressor 1.

[0222] In this regard, it should be noted that the hydraulic piston 10 forms a seal inside itself with the liquid cylinder 8 through which the hydraulic piston 10 translates, and this seal is applied to the working fluid 13 rather than the working gas 5 itself, and the working gas 5 always remains above the working fluid 13 due to its low density, Earth's gravity, and the low rotational speed of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1.

[0223] From this particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, it can be concluded that the seal formed by the hydraulic piston 10 with the liquid cylinder 8 prevents only the possible leakage of the working fluid 13 and not the leakage of the working gas 5, and that the volumetric flow rate of such possible leakage is greatly limited by the high density and viscosity of the liquid 13, in this case and in a non-limiting example, water.

[0224] Furthermore, it should be noted that the seal pressed between the hydraulic piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8 is more achievable than when the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 rotates slowly.

[0225] In fact, the low rotational speed of the expansion compressor 1 means a low relative linear velocity between the hydraulic piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8, which makes it possible to equip the hydraulic piston 10 with a flexible continuous seal 51 consisting of, for example, an elastomer O-ring that lies flat on the inner wall of the liquid cylinder 8 and a friction ring made of polytetrafluoroethylene filled with anti-friction particles, the material of which is particularly wear-resistant.

[0226] It should be noted that, advantageously, the working fluid 13 can be formed from a mixture of glycol and water, which, in addition to lowering the freezing temperature of the water and preventing it from freezing, can also contribute to improving the durability of the seal 51, limiting energy loss due to friction generated by the seal 51, and, if necessary, reducing the possibility of leakage of the working fluid 13 at the contact boundary between the hydraulic piston 10 and the liquid cylinder 8.

[0227] It should be noted that, in order to ensure that the working fluid 13 remains in complete contact with the hydraulic piston 10 at all times and that cavitation or excessive mixing does not occur between the working gas 5 and the working fluid 13, the maximum acceleration or deceleration between the midpoint of the hydraulic piston 10 and its high neutral position must remain less than the force of Earth's gravity.

[0228] In this regard, the rotational speed of the crankshaft 24 must remain low, and as an unrestricted example, it is fixed at 40 revolutions per minute.

[0229] This low speed necessitates the addition of a kinetic energy storage means 28 to the crankshaft 24. According to an example of an embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, Figures 6 to 8, and Figures 22 and 23, this kinetic energy storage means 28 consists of a low-speed inertia flywheel 66, which is rotatably fixed on the crankshaft 24 on one side and on a gear 67 rotated by a drive motor 27 using a high-efficiency ring-driven pinion 68 on the other side, wherein the reference circle diameter of the ring-driven pinion 68 is smaller than the reference circle diameter of the ring 67, and the ring 67 and the pinion 68 form a high gear meshing system 69.

[0230] Furthermore, it should be noted that in Figure 6, the high-speed inertia flywheel 70 can be advantageously provided by being rotatably fixed to the ring drive pinion 68.

[0231] According to this particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 of the present invention, the instantaneous torque fluctuations imposed on the crankshaft 24 by the compression or expansion of the working gas 5 in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 are mainly absorbed by the inertia of the low-speed inertia flywheel 66 and the high-speed inertia flywheel 70, so that the torque resisting or driving the drive motor 27 is smoothed, and therefore the motor 27 mainly receives the average resistive torque necessary to maintain the crankshaft 24 at a constant rotation.

[0232] In addition to avoiding cavitation or overmixing between the working gas 5 and the working fluid 13, the low rotational speed of 40 revolutions per minute imposed on the crankshaft 24 leaves ample time for the transfer of the working gas 5 to the filling means 20 or discharge means 22 of the compressor 3 and expander 4.

[0233] In fact, in addition to the time remaining for heat exchange to occur in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 between the working gas 5 and / or working fluid 13 on the one hand and the heat exchange and storage means 16 on the other, the advantage of the low rotation speed of the compressor 3 or expander 4 is that it leaves time for the transfer of the working gas 5 to occur so as to limit the pressure loss at the inlet port 6 and outlet port 7 of the compressor 3 or expander 4.

[0234] In fact, the filling means 20 that allows or blocks the passage of working gas 5 from the intake plenum 21 through the inlet port 6 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14, or the discharge means 22 that allows or blocks the passage of working gas 5 from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 through the outlet port 7 to the pressurized plenum 62, may consist of at least one compressor flap 52, at least one controlled compressor valve 53, or at least one controlled expansion valve 54, which may or may not be assisted by electrical means.

[0235] Furthermore, the strength of these components 52, 53, and 54 counteracts the motion of the inertial force generated by the square of the rotational speed of the crankshaft 24. In this regard, if the shaft 24 rotates, for example, only 40 revolutions per minute, the force is very low and no longer has a negative impact on the efficiency of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention.

[0236] As a result of the above, the actual pressure-volume thermodynamic diagram of the heat pump 55, which includes the compressor 3 and expander 4 formed from the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, is close to the diagram of an ideal Carnot cycle and is in practice as close as possible to the theory.

[0237] The low rotational speed of the crankshaft 24 also gives the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention a service life of several decades, or even centuries, subject to the replacement of several parts that are subject to deterioration over time, such as the seal 51 of the hydraulic piston 10.

[0238] To continue describing the operation of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 6 to 9, in this case, the compressor 3 and expander 4 formed from the low-speed expansion compressor 1 engage to form a heat pump 55 that executes a refrigerant cycle close to an ideal Carnot cycle.

[0239] In this regard, please note that in Figures 6 to 9, the pressurized plenum 62 of the compressor 3 is connected to the suction plenum 21 of the expander 4 by a high-pressure gas conduit 56. Therefore, the working gas 5 pressurized through the pressurized plenum 62 of the compressor 3 is introduced into the expander 4 via the suction plenum 21 of the expander 4, and the crankshaft 24 of the compressor 3 is connected to the crankshaft 24 of the expander 4.

[0240] In Figure 9, it can be noted that, as a non-limiting example, the high-pressure gas conduit 56 is connected to a high-pressure gas reservoir 58 that can store working gas 5 having a temperature of 40 Celsius and a pressure of 46 bar in absolute pressure.

[0241] In this regard, as shown in Figure 9, the high-pressure gas conduit 56 and the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 can be advantageously covered with an insulating layer 59 that prevents any unnecessary heat dissipation from the heat pump 55 to the external environment.

[0242] Furthermore, please note that in Figure 9, the intake plenum 21 of the compressor 3 and the pressurized plenum 62 of the expander 4 are connected via a low-pressure gas reservoir 60, which is connected by a low-pressure gas conduit 61.

[0243] As a non-limiting example, the pressure and temperature of the working gas 5 contained in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 are 1.5 bar absolute pressure and 2 degrees Celsius, respectively.

[0244] As a more non-limiting example, as shown in Figure 9, in this case the heating means 18 consists of a heating and cooling underfloor 106 through which a heat transfer fluid 37 circulates, the heat transfer fluid 37 transports heat from the compressor 3 to the underfloor 106, and the fluid 37 enters the underfloor 106 at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, so the underfloor 106 maintains a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius inside the residential building 121. Meanwhile, the cooling means 19 is located outside 122 of the building 121 and is formed by an air-water exchanger 107 through which atmospheric air is passed via two motor fans 108, the heat transfer fluid 37 circulates within the exchanger 107 and transports heat from the exchanger 107 to the expander 4, the fluid 37 enters the exchanger 107 at a temperature of 2 degrees Celsius, and the outside temperature of the building 121 is assumed to be 7 degrees Celsius.

[0245] With respect to Figures 6 to 8, the travel distance of the hydraulic piston 10 of the compressor 3 and expander 4 is 400 millimeters, while the inner diameter of the liquid cylinder 8 of the compressor 3 and expander 4 is 410 millimeters. Therefore, it is also assumed that the piston 10 and cylinder 8 form a variable hydraulic volume 12 of 51.5 liters.

[0246] Figure 5 shows a theoretical pressure-volume diagram, not necessarily scaled, as performed by the heat pump 55 described above. The upper diagram is performed by the compressor 3, and the lower diagram is performed by the expander 4. The two diagrams are virtually connected by dotted arrows to reconstruct the diagram of the heat pump Carnot cycle.

[0247] With respect to the figure of compressor 3, i.e., the upper figure of Figure 5, the cross section AB forms an adiabatic compression that allows the initial temperature T1 of the working gas 5 to rise from 2 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius, the latter temperature being indicated by T2.

[0248] In this case, the pressure of working gas 5 will change from 1.5 bar to 2.4 bar.

[0249] The hydraulic piston 10 of the compressor 3 continues to move to its high neutral position, and the cross section BC forms isothermal compression, during which the pressure of the working gas 5 changes from 2.4 bar to 46 bar. However, the temperature T2 of the gas 5 remains constant at 40 degrees Celsius, and the gas 5 transfers its heat Q1 to the working fluid 13 and the heat exchange and storage means 16 as the heat is generated.

[0250] Cross section CD corresponds to the transfer of the working gas 5 from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the compressor 3 to the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 shown in Figure 9, with the temperature and pressure of the gas 5 being 40 degrees Celsius and 46 bar, respectively.

[0251] The transfer is carried out continuously via the compressor flap 52 at the outlet port 7 of the compressor 3, its pressurized plenum 62, and the high-pressure gas conduit 56.

[0252] The cross-sectional view DE of the compressor 3 shows the rapid drop in pressure that occurs in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the compressor 3 when the compressor flap 52 at the outlet port 7 of the compressor 3 is closed, and immediately afterward the compressor flap 52 at the inlet port 6 is opened.

[0253] The cross-section EA corresponds to the intake by the compressor 3 of the working gas 5 that comes in a continuous manner from the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 shown in Figure 9, through the low-pressure gas conduit 61, the intake plenum 21, and the compressor flap 52 of the inlet port 6 of the compressor 3.

[0254] With respect to the diagram of the expander 4, i.e., the lower diagram of Figure 5, the cross section FG corresponds to the transfer of the working gas 5 from the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the expander 4, and the temperature T2 and pressure of the gas 5 are 40 degrees Celsius and 46 bar, respectively.

[0255] The cross section GH undergoes adiabatic expansion, which reduces the initial temperature T2 of the working gas 5 from 40 degrees Celsius to 2 degrees Celsius, the latter temperature being indicated by T1. However, at the same time, the pressure transitions from 46 bar to approximately 29 bar.

[0256] Next, the cross section HI undergoes isothermal expansion as the pressure of the working gas 5 transitions from 29 bar to 1.5 bar in absolute pressure. However, the temperature T1 of the gas 5 remains constant at 2 degrees Celsius, and the gas 5 maintains its temperature near 2 degrees Celsius by removing heat Q2 in the working fluid 13 and the heat exchange and storage means 16.

[0257] The cross-section IJ in Figure 5 corresponds to the pumping of the working gas 5 contained in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the expander 4 to the low-pressure gas reservoir 60. The gas 5 is continuously circulated to the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 via a controlled expander valve 54 that forms the discharge means 22 of the outlet port 7 of the expander 4, then via the pressurized plenum 62 of the expander 4, and finally via a low-pressure gas conduit 61 that connects the expander 4 to the low-pressure gas reservoir 60.

[0258] The cross-sectional area JF of the pressure-volume diagram of the expander 4 itself shows a rapid increase in pressure within the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the expander 4 when the controlled expander valve 54, which forms the discharge means 22 of the outlet port 7 of the expander 4, is closed. However, immediately afterward, the controlled expander valve 54, which forms the filling means 20 of the inlet port 6 of the expander 4, opens, and the expander 4 enters a new cycle.

[0259] Therefore, the two pressure-volume diagrams shown in Figure 5 work together to reconfigure the heat pump Carnot cycle with the working gas 5, which remains unchanged in state, with the compressor 3 performing the high-temperature portion of the cycle and the expander 4 performing the low-temperature portion.

[0260] When heat Q1 and heat Q2 are completely removed, the heating power of the heat pump 55 described above is approximately 17 kilowatts for a performance coefficient greater than 8.

[0261] As shown in Figures 1-3, 6-8, and 22 and 23, when the losses due to friction caused by the different pivot connections, which consist of low-friction roller bearings 105, are subtracted, the performance coefficient of the heat pump 55 drops to approximately 7.7.

[0262] If the cooling means 19 consists of an air-water exchanger 107 as shown in Figure 9, and the cumulative power consumed by the motor fan 108 to force heat exchange between atmospheric air and water circulating within the exchanger 107 is 500 watts, the performance coefficient of the heat pump 55 drops to 6.3.

[0263] As can be understood from these observations, any advantages of the particular mechanical configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention are understood. In fact, all other conditions being equal, the expansion compressor 1 has a conventional linkage mechanism that engages with a fixed liquid cylinder, and even if the rod / crank ratio is 4, i.e., has a particularly bulky rod of 840 millimeters in length, the coefficient of performance of the resulting heat pump will drop to about 4, rather than 6.3, which is attainable with the particular mechanical configuration of the low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention.

[0264] Such performance coefficients are not sufficiently distinguishable from those of conventional heat pumps and cannot justify the technological change. This is especially true because such Carnot cycle heat pumps using gas without phase change are likely to be much heavier, larger, and bulkier than their conventional counterparts.

[0265] The sole advantage of replacing refrigerant fluids like hydrofluorocarbons with atmospheric air is not sufficient to justify the technological change, as the carbon dioxide supplied by replacing these fluids in the near future will remain environmentally acceptable.

[0266] However, instead of the currently achievable performance factor of 4, a performance factor of approximately 6 represents a 33 percent energy saving while providing the same service, which is highly beneficial at both energy and economic levels, as well as environmental levels.

[0267] However, this performance coefficient is only attainable by the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, provided that the heat exchanges Q1 and Q2 shown in the pressure-volume diagram of Figure 5 occur with high efficiency.

[0268] Therefore, Figures 1 to 4, 8 and 9, and 17 show that the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​housed in the gas and liquid reservoirs 14 of the compressor 3 and expander 4 consists of, for example, copper tube windings 109 through which a heat transfer fluid 37 circulates, and can constitute both a heat exchange and storage means 16 and a heat transfer and suction means 17.

[0269] According to this particular configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 of the present invention, the heat exchanger conduit 36 ​​takes in or transfers heat to the working fluid 13 and working gas 5, and the heat transfer fluid 37 circulating within the conduit 36 ​​then transfers the heat from the cooling means 19 or the heating means 18.

[0270] In Figures 3 and 4, the coils formed by the copper tube windings 109 are held in place relative to each other by the separation baffle 110, and it should be noted that the separation baffle 110 may optionally have external fins added to increase the contact surface with the working fluid 13 or working gas 5 of the heat exchanger conduit 36.

[0271] Furthermore, when the hydraulic piston 10 is in its low neutral position and the variable air pressure volume 2 is at its maximum, the working gas 5 is exposed in contact with the copper tube winding 109 and its optional external fins, but when the piston 10 is in its high neutral position and the variable air pressure volume 2 is at its minimum, the winding 109 is immersed in the working fluid 13.

[0272] In FIGS. 1 to 4, 8, and 10 to 16, the upper part of the gas and liquid reservoir 14 receives the liquid spray nozzle 71, which atomizes the working liquid 13 into fine droplets within the internal volume of the reservoir 14. Thus, the liquid 13, particularly during the isothermal compression stage corresponding to the curve section B - C of the pressure - volume diagram in FIG. 5 with respect to the compressor 3, and during the expansion stage corresponding to the curve section H - I of the diagram with respect to the expander 4, is shown to form additional heat exchange and storage means 16 for removing heat or transferring heat to the working gas 5.

[0273] This specific configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low - speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention enables maximizing the heat exchange between the working gas 5 and the working liquid 13.

[0274] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, 8, and 10 to 16, the liquid spray nozzle 71 is supplied with the working liquid 13 by a liquid spray pump 72, which consists of a pump cylinder 73 housing a pump piston 74 moved by a hydraulic piston 10.

[0275] The operation of the liquid spray pump 72 of the compressor 3 according to a specific embodiment of the pump 72 is detailed in FIGS. 10 to 12, while the operation of the liquid spray pump 72 of the expander 4 according to a specific embodiment of the pump 72 is detailed in FIGS. 13 to 16. The details of the operation are apparent to those skilled in the art considering the figures.

[0276] In FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, it should be noted that the pressure - feed plenums 62 of the compressor 3 and the expander 4 formed from the mechanical liquid piston low - speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention communicate with an overflow reservoir 83 and include an overflow pump 82 at its lower part.

[0277] According to this specific configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low - speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention, during each rotation of the crankshaft 24, the overflow pump 82 transfers a small amount of the working liquid 13 from the overflow reservoir 83 to the liquid cylinder 8 of the compressor 3 or, in some cases, to the liquid cylinder 8 of the expander 4.

[0278] This particular configuration ensures that when the hydraulic piston 10 moves back and forth within the liquid cylinder 8 and the variable hydraulic volume 12 is at its minimum, the gas and liquid reservoir 14 is completely filled with the working fluid 13, and a small amount of working fluid 13 introduced into the gas and liquid reservoir 14 by the overflow pump 82 overflows with each rotation of the crankshaft 24 in the reservoir 14 and returns to the overflow reservoir 83 via the outlet port 7 and the pressurized plenum 62.

[0279] This particular embodiment of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention allows all of the working gas 5 contained in the variable pneumatic volume 2 to be actually discharged from the volume 2 when the variable hydraulic volume 12 is at its minimum, thereby achieving an infinite volume ratio and a volumetric efficiency close to 100 percent in the variable pneumatic volume 2.

[0280] As can be easily inferred from Figures 3, 6, and 7, regardless of whether this relates to the compressor 3 or the expander 4, the working gas pressure 5 in the overflow reservoir 83 is similar to the working gas pressure in the pressurized plenum 62.

[0281] Figures 3, 6, and 7 show that because the overflow reservoir 83 is located below the pressurized plenum 62, the working fluid 13 that overflows from the gas and liquid reservoir 14 through the outlet port 7 and pressurized plenum 62 naturally returns to the overflow reservoir 83 due to Earth's gravity.

[0282] The overflow pump 82 is shown in Figures 17 to 19 and, as a result, can be supplied to the compressor 3 according to a specific configuration of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention.

[0283] As can be seen in Figures 17 to 19, the overflow pump piston 85 is a two-piece stepped piston 89, which includes a body with a large diameter 93 having a large cross-section surface 90, which forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume 86.

[0284] Figures 17 to 19 show that the stepped piston 89 also includes a small-diameter body 94 that can be sealed and translated into the operating cylinder 92 on the axial opposite side of the large-section surface 90, the internal volume of the operating cylinder 92 is connected to the internal volumes of the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and the liquid cylinder 8, and the small-diameter body 94 has a surface 91 with a small cross-section to which the pressure inside the cylinder 8 is exerted, the pressure of which is referred to as P2 in Figures 18 and 19.

[0285] Furthermore, in Figures 17 to 19, the stepped piston 89 has a surface 95 at the joint between the large-diameter portion 93 and the small-diameter portion 94, where the small-diameter portion 94 appears. This surface 95 is connected to the overflow reservoir 83 and receives the pressure within the reservoir 83, as referenced by P1 in Figures 18 and 19. On the other hand, the stepped piston contact portion 117 fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume 86, and the two-piece piston return spring 96 tends to repel the two-piece stepped piston 89 in the direction of its surface 90, which has a large cross-section.

[0286] Therefore, as can be easily understood from Figure 18, when the pressure P2 in the liquid cylinder 8 is lower than the pressure P1 in the overflow reservoir 83, the two-piece stepped piston 89 is kept flat on the stepped piston contact portion 117, while the two-piece piston return spring 96 is compressed by the force generated by the pressure difference P1-P2 exerted across the entire surface of the small cross-section surface 91, and the pressure valve 88 is closed.

[0287] When the hydraulic piston 10 of the compressor 3 reaches a high neutral position, the pressure P2 in the liquid cylinder 8 becomes substantially equal to the pressure P1 in the overflow reservoir 83, and there is no longer any force acting on the surface 91 with a small cross-section, and the two-piece piston return spring 96 repels the two-piece stepped piston 89, as shown in Figure 19, which has the effect of discharging the working fluid 13 from the variable overflow pump volume 86 to the liquid cylinder 8 via the open pressure valve 88, and the actual energy consumption of transferring the liquid 13 from the volume 86 to the cylinder 8 is very low.

[0288] As the hydraulic piston 10 of the compressor 3, corresponding to cross-section DE in the pressure-volume diagram of Figure 5, begins to descend again, the pressure valve 88 is calculated to close immediately, while the pressure P2 in the liquid cylinder 8 becomes lower than the pressure P1 in the overflow reservoir 83.

[0289] Following the compression of the two-piece piston return spring 96 by the two-piece stepped piston 89, the two-piece stepped piston 89 moves under the influence of a pressure difference P1-P2 acting on a surface 91 having a small cross-section, and at the same time, the variable overflow pump volume 86 increases, into which a new amount of working fluid 13 from the overflow reservoir 83 is taken in via the overflow pump suction flap 87.

[0290] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the pressure valve 88 has a valve actuator piston 97 that can be silently translated within the valve actuator cylinder 98.

[0291] The piston 97 communicates with the overflow reservoir 83 and has a valve operating axial surface 99 to which the pressure P1 in the reservoir 83 is applied.

[0292] As can be seen in Figure 19, the axial surface 99 comes into contact with the overflow flap 100 when the valve actuator piston 97 is moved in the direction of the surface 99, and can lift the overflow flap 100 from the overflow flap seat 104.

[0293] In this case, considering the specific positions of the overflow pump 82 shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, the variable overflow pump volume 86 communicates with the gas and liquid reservoir 14 via the overflow flap 100.

[0294] Also, in FIGS. 18 and 19, the valve actuator piston 97 also communicates with the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and has a liquid cylinder side axial direction surface 102 on which the pressure P2 in the reservoir 14 and in the liquid cylinder 8 acts. As shown in FIG. 18, it should be noted that when the valve actuator piston 97 is moved in the direction of the liquid cylinder side axial direction surface 102, it can contact the liquid cylinder side contact portion 118.

[0295] In FIGS. 18 and 19, the working piston return spring 103 tends to repel the valve actuator piston 97 in the direction of its valve operating axial direction surface 99, and the overflow flap return spring 128 tends to return the overflow flap 100 in contact with the overflow flap seat 104 with which it engages.

[0296] As can be easily inferred from FIGS. 18 and 19, the force generated by the working piston return spring 103 needs to be greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring 128 so that the pressure pump 88 can operate.

[0297] Therefore, as can be easily understood from FIGS. 18 and 19, when the pressure P2 in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and in the liquid cylinder 8 is lower than the pressure P1 in the overflow reservoir 83, the liquid cylinder side axial direction surface 102 of the valve actuator piston 97 is maintained flat on the liquid cylinder side contact portion 118, while the working piston return spring 103 is compressed by the force generated by the pressure difference P1 - P2 between the pressure exerted on the valve operating axial direction surface 99 and the pressure exerted on the liquid cylinder side axial direction surface 102.

[0298] In this case, the overflow flap 100 is placed on its overflow flap sheet 104, and the working fluid 13 cannot circulate between the variable overflow pump volume 86 and the liquid cylinder 8.

[0299] When the hydraulic piston 10 of the compressor 3 reaches a high neutral position, the pressure P2 in the liquid cylinder 8 becomes substantially equal to the pressure P1 in the overflow reservoir 83, and the pressure exerted on the valve operating axial surface 99 becomes equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid cylinder side axial surface 102.

[0300] In this situation, the actuating piston return spring 103 repels the valve actuator piston 97 in the direction of the overflow flap 100 until the valve operating axial surface 99 contacts the flap 100, and then lifts the overflow flap 100 from its overflow flap seat 104 until the flap 100 reaches the maximum flap opening contact portion 131.

[0301] When the overflow flap 100 is moved away from its overflow flap seat 104, the two-piece stepped piston 89 moves under the action of its two-piece piston return spring 96, allowing the working fluid 13 to be discharged from the variable overflow pump volume 86 into the gas and liquid reservoir 14.

[0302] As the hydraulic piston 10 of the compressor 3 begins to descend again, corresponding to cross-section DE in the pressure-volume diagram of Figure 5, the pressure P2 in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 and the liquid cylinder 8 becomes lower than the pressure P1 in the overflow reservoir 83.

[0303] Compression of the operating piston return spring 103 by the valve actuator piston 97 occurs therefrom, and the valve actuator piston 97 moves under the influence of the pressure difference P1-P2 between the pressure exerted on its valve operating axial surface 99 and the pressure exerted on its liquid cylinder side axial surface 102, and the piston 97 causes the overflow flap return spring 128 to return the overflow flap 100 to a state in contact with its overflow flap seat 104.

[0304] In Figures 20 and 21, the overflow pump 82 of the expander 4 operates on the same principle as described above, the difference being that the transfer of the working fluid 13 from the overflow reservoir 83 to the liquid cylinder 8 occurs when the hydraulic piston 10 reaches its lower neutral position, rather than when it reaches its higher neutral position.

[0305] This is due to the fact that the cycles of the compressor 3 occur, on average, at a pressure lower than the pressure in the pressurized plenum 62 of the compressor 3, while the cycles of the expander 4 occur, on average, at a pressure higher than the pressure in the pressurized plenum 62 of the expander 4.

[0306] Therefore, in order to be able to fill the variable overflow pump volume 86, the operation of the compressor 3's overflow pump 82 with respect to the pressure difference is preferably reversed with respect to the operation of the expander 4's overflow pump 82 with respect to the pressure difference.

[0307] As can be easily inferred from Figure 9, the heat pump 55 is controlled primarily by adjusting the rotational speed of the crankshaft 24 and by adapting the laws of motion of the controlled expansion valves 54, each of which is operated to open and / or close by a valve actuator 119, the speed and the control of the actuators 119 being guaranteed by the computer 120.

[0308] In fact, assuming all conditions are equal, the output of the heat pump 55 is proportional to the rotational speed of its crankshaft 24, which is a first adjustment that allows the computer 120 to adjust the output.

[0309] However, in addition to the rotational speed of the crankshaft 24, the more or less delayed and more or less time-staggered rise of the controlled expansion valve 54 makes it possible to adjust the pressure in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 relative to the pressure in the high-pressure gas reservoir 58.

[0310] This adjustment is crucial because the pressure difference in question determines the amount of heat generated by the heat pump 55 during each rotation of the crankshaft 24.

[0311] This adjustment is made, for example, by having the expander 4 transfer less working gas 5 from the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14 between cross sections FG in the diagram of the expander 4 in Figure 5 than the compressor 3 transfers between cross sections CD in the diagram. This has the effect of increasing the pressure in the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 while lowering the pressure in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60.

[0312] In contrast, if the expander 4 transfers more working gas 5 from the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 to the gas and liquid reservoir 14 between the cross sections FG in the diagram of the expander 4 in Figure 5 than the compressor 3 transfers between the cross sections CD in the diagram, the pressure in the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 will decrease, but the pressure in the low-pressure gas reservoir 60 will increase.

[0313] Advantageously, it should be noted that the controlled expansion valve 54 can behave like both a valve and a flap; that is, in addition to being operated to open by their valve actuators 119, the controlled expansion valve 54 can also be opened under the influence of a pressure difference.

[0314] In this regard, the valve 54 is preferably an autoclave. That is, for most of the time of the thermodynamic cycle of the expander 4, the pressure difference between the intake plenum 21 of the expander 4 and the gas and liquid reservoir 14, or the pressure difference between the pressurized plenum 62 of the expander 4 and the reservoir 14, tends to keep the valve 54 flat on its seat, which can be made of, for example, an elastomer O-ring or polymer O-ring housed in a recess.

[0315] However, if the pressure in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the expander 4 becomes greater than the pressure in the suction plenum 21 of the expander 4, the controlled expander valve 54 can open without intervention from its valve actuator 119.

[0316] The same applies to the controlled expander valve 54, which communicates with the pressurized plenum 62 of the expander 4 via the outlet port 7, and which can open without intervention from its valve actuator 119 when the pressure in the plenum 62 becomes greater than the pressure in the gas and liquid reservoir 14 of the expander 4.

[0317] As can be easily inferred from Figure 9, when the heating and cooling underfloor 106 located inside the building 121 forms a heating means 18 connected to the heat transfer or transfer means 17 of the compressor 3, and the air-water exchanger 107 located outside the building 121 122 constitutes a cooling means 19 connected to the heat transfer or transfer means 17 of the expander 4, the heat pump 55 can operate in "heating" mode.

[0318] When the heat pump 55 operates in "air conditioning" mode, the heating and cooling underfloor area 106 located inside the building 121 forms a cooling means 19 connected to the heat transfer or transfer means 17 of the expander 4, while the air-water exchanger 107 located outside the building 121 122 constitutes a cooling means 19 connected to the heat transfer or transfer means 17 of the compressor 3.

[0319] The mode can be easily changed by using one or more manual or electric valves, of any type, to reverse the heat transfer conduit 38, which is initially connected to the compressor 3, but is then connected to the expander 4, and vice versa.

[0320] It should be noted that the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 and the heat pump 55 produced therefrom according to the present invention may be equipped with a variety of other electrical equipment and accessories, in addition to the different components and accessories shown in Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 6 to 23, such as pressure and / or temperature sensors, a frequency variator for adjusting the power supply to the electric drive motor 27, at least one angle coder and / or passage detection sensor that returns to the computer 120, speed and / or angular position of the crankshaft 24, one or more pumps and / or compressors and / or valves, purges, safety elements for personnel, pressure limiters or release valves, or any other equipment known to those skilled in the art, enabling the transfer of working gas 5 or working fluid 13 from an external source to or between the high-pressure gas reservoir 58 or low-pressure gas reservoir 60.

[0321] The heat pump 55 formed from the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention may also have an insulating layer 59 over all the necessary components, and the insulating layer 59 may take the form of flexible or rigid insulating foam or insulating wool, bricks, plates, or a screen that reflects radiation of any nature, regardless of the properties of the layer 59.

[0322] The insulating layer 59 can insulate the heat pump 55 and its components from the external environment of the pump 55 and / or from the high-temperature compressor 3 and the lower-temperature expander 4.

[0323] The heat pump 55 can also receive a soundproof envelope, and its stationary frame 40 can be placed on the floor using vibration-damping elastic studs.

[0324] The applications of the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor 1 according to the present invention are not limited to those described herein, and furthermore, the above description is given merely as an example and does not limit the field of the invention in any way. It is important to understand that replacing the described details of execution with any other equivalent does not depart from the field of the invention.

Claims

1. A mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor (1) defines a variable pneumatic volume (2) that forms a compressor (3) or an expander (4), wherein a working gas (5) can enter the volume (2) via an input port (6) or exit the volume (2) via an outlet port (7), and the mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor (1) - A liquid cylinder (8) which is perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder (8) and can pivot directly or indirectly about an inclined axis (9) fixed to a stationary frame (40), A hydraulic piston (10) moves in a sealed manner within the liquid cylinder (8) and together with the liquid cylinder (8) can form a variable hydraulic volume (12) in which the working fluid (13) is completely or partially filled, - A gas and liquid reservoir (14) connected to the variable hydraulic volume (12) by a connecting conduit (15), wherein, by this connection, the reservoir (14) is mainly or completely filled with working fluid (13) when the variable hydraulic volume (12) is at its minimum, and partially or completely filled with working gas (5) when the variable hydraulic volume (12) is at its maximum, and the change in the absolute volume of the working gas (5) contained in the variable air pressure volume (2) is, on the one hand, approximately equal to the change in the absolute volume of the working fluid (13) contained in the variable hydraulic volume (12), which in turn forms the variable air pressure volume (2). - A heat exchange and storage means (16) housed within the gas and liquid reservoir (14), wherein the means (16) can exchange heat with the working gas (5) or the working fluid (13) on the one hand, and can temporarily store all or part of the heat on the other hand, - A heat transfer or transfer means (17) that directly or indirectly takes in or transfers heat to the heat exchange and storage means (16) and / or the working fluid (13) and / or the working gas (5), wherein the taken-in heat is then transferred to a heating means (18), or the transferred heat is previously taken in by a cooling means (19), and the heating means (18) and the cooling means (19) are located outside the gas and liquid reservoir (14) and the heat transfer or transfer means (17), - A filling means (20) that allows or blocks the passage of the working gas (5) from the intake plenum (21) through the inlet port (6) to the gas and liquid reservoir (14), - Discharge means (22) that allows or blocks the passage of the working gas (5) from the gas and liquid reservoir (14) to the pressurized plenum (62) via the outlet port (7), - A connecting rod (11) whose first rod end (29) is firmly fixed to the hydraulic piston (10), wherein the rod (11) is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston (10), - A piston guide means (23) that maintains the hydraulic piston (10) and the connecting rod (11) parallel to the cylinder (8), regardless of the position of the piston (10) within the cylinder (8), A crankshaft (24) having at least one crank (26) that can rotate about an axis parallel to the inclined axis (9) in at least one shaft bearing (25), and to which the second rod end (30) of the connecting rod (11) is articulated, - At least one drive motor (27) that directly or indirectly rotates the crankshaft (24), A mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor (1) comprising: a kinetic energy storage means (28) directly or indirectly connected to the crankshaft (24).

2. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined shaft (9) is a tubular ball joint (111) terminating the liquid cylinder (8), the interior of which forms the communication conduit (15) in whole or in part, and the ball joint (111) can pivot in a sealed manner within a female ball joint housing (123) fixed to the gas and liquid reservoir (14).

3. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 2, characterized in that the tubular ball joint (111) receives a ball joint shaft (124) at its center which is parallel to the inclined shaft (9), and the shaft (124) is articulated around a ball joint bridle (125) which is directly or indirectly fixed to the gas and liquid reservoir (14).

4. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 3, characterized in that the ball joint bridle (125) is connected to the gas and liquid reservoir (14) using an articulated bridle connection (126) on which the bridle (125) can rotate.

5. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid cylinder (8) and the gas and liquid reservoir (14) form a rigid assembly (31) that pivots around the inclined shaft (9).

6. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchange and storage means (16) is composed of a porous medium (32) having a plurality of pores (33) through which the working fluid (13) and the working gas (5) alternately enter and exit.

7. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer or transfer means (17) is composed of a circulating portion of the working fluid (13), and the portion exits from the liquid cylinder (8) or the gas and liquid reservoir (14) via a liquid outlet conduit (34), transfers heat to the heating means (18), or takes heat into the cooling means (19), and then returns to the cylinder (8) or the reservoir (14) via a liquid inlet conduit (35).

8. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat transfer or transfer means (17) is comprised of at least one heat exchanger conduit (36) housed in the gas and liquid reservoir (14), a heat transfer fluid (37) circulates within the heat exchanger conduit (36), and the heat transfer fluid transports the heat taken in or transferred by the heat exchange and storage means (16) and / or the working fluid (13) and / or the working gas (5) to the cooling means (19) or the heating means (18) via a heat transport conduit (38).

9. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchange and storage means (16) is comprised of at least one liquid spray nozzle (71) supplied by a liquid spray pump (72), and the nozzle (71) is capable of atomizing the working fluid (13) into fine droplets within the internal volume of the gas and liquid reservoir (14).

10. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined shaft (9) is fixed to the stationary frame (40) and comprises a rolling track (41) on which a rolling surface (42) fixed directly or indirectly to the liquid cylinder (8) can roll, and a rolling track gear (43) whose reference circle (44) coincides with the contact line between the rolling track (41) fixed to the stationary frame (40) and the rolling surface (42), and which engages with a rolling surface gear (45) fixed directly or indirectly to the liquid cylinder (8).

11. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the piston guide means (23) is composed of a sliding pivot connection portion (47) formed between the outer cylindrical surface (48) of the connecting rod (11) and a sliding ring (49) that is firmly connected to the liquid cylinder (8) using a ring carrier structure (50).

12. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the piston guide means (23) is composed of a guide skirt (57) provided around the hydraulic piston (10), and the skirt (57) can be translated within the cylinder (8) with a small clearance.

13. The filling means (20) and / or the discharge means (22) comprises at least one compressor flap (52) and / or at least one controlled compressor valve (53), wherein during operation, the working gas (5) is discharged from the gas and liquid reservoir (14) via the pressurizing plenum (62) at a pressure higher than the pressure pre-introduced into the reservoir (14) via the intake plenum (21), while the heat transfer or transfer means (17) transfers heat to the heating means (18) such that the variable pneumatic volume (2) forms a compressor (3), as described in claim 1.

14. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, wherein the filling means (20) and / or the discharge means (22) comprises at least one controlled expansion valve (54), and during operation, the working gas (5) is discharged from the gas and liquid reservoir (14) via the pressurizing plenum (62) at a pressure lower than the pressure pre-introduced into the reservoir (14) via the intake plenum (21), while the heat transfer or transfer means (17) transfers heat to the cooling means (19) such that the variable air pressure volume (2) forms an expander (4).

15. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claims 13 and 14, characterized in that the pressurized plenum (62) of the compressor (3) is connected to the suction plenum (21) of the expander (4) by a high-pressure gas conduit (56), so that the working gas (5) pressurized through the pressurized plenum (62) of the compressor (3) is introduced into the expander (4) via the suction plenum (21) of the expander (4), the crankshaft (24) of the compressor (3) is directly or indirectly connected to the crankshaft (24) of the expander (4), and the compressor (3) and the expander (4) engage to form a heat pump (55).

16. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 15, characterized in that the high-pressure gas conduit (56) is connected to at least one high-pressure gas reservoir (58).

17. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 15, characterized in that the intake plenum (21) of the compressor (3) and the pressurized plenum (62) of the expander (4) are in communication via low-pressure gas reservoirs (60) which are connected to each other by low-pressure gas conduits (61).

18. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the intake plenum (21) and the pressurizing plenum (62) are located above the gas and liquid reservoir (14), and the gas and liquid reservoir itself is located above the liquid cylinder (8), so that, due to Earth's gravity, the working gas (5) always exits the gas and liquid reservoir (14) first through the pressurizing plenum (62), and the working fluid (13) always enters the reservoir (14) first through the intake plenum.

19. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 5, characterized in that the inclined shaft (9) is composed of a hollow cylindrical shaft (63) having at least one opening radial space (64), the cylindrical shaft (63) is positioned above the gas and liquid reservoir (14), while the intake plenum (21) and / or the pressurizing plenum (62) surround the cylindrical shaft (63) and are connected to an annular gas collector (65) including the opening radial space (64), so that the working gas (5) can circulate between the inside of the hollow cylindrical shaft (63) and the intake plenum (21) and / or the pressurizing plenum (62) via the opening radial space (64) and the annular gas collector (65).

20. The kinetic energy storage means (28) comprises a low-speed inertia flywheel (66) rotatably fixed on the crankshaft (24) on one side and on a ring gear (67) rotated by the drive motor (27) using at least one ring drive pinion (68) on the other side, wherein the reference diameter of the ring drive pinion (68) is smaller than the reference circle diameter of the ring (67), and the ring (67) and the pinion (68) form a high gear meshing system (69), and the high-speed inertia flywheel (70) is rotatably fixed to the ring drive pinion (68) directly or indirectly, as described in claim 1.

21. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 9, characterized in that the liquid spray pump (72) is composed of a pump cylinder (73) provided in the liquid cylinder (8) and / or in an extension of the cylinder (8), and the pump piston (74) moved by the hydraulic piston (10) and / or the liquid cylinder (8) can be translated within the pump cylinder (73).

22. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 21, characterized in that the pump piston (74) is provided with a movement start contact needle (77), the pump piston (74) is moved using the movement start contact needle, and the piston (74) is returned to the movement end contact portion (78) by a piston return mass body (76).

23. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 21, characterized in that the pump piston (74) is moved using a movable spring (81).

24. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that, during each rotation of the crankshaft (24), the overflow pump (82) transfers a small amount of working fluid (13) from the overflow reservoir (83) to the gas and liquid reservoir (14) and / or the liquid cylinder (8).

25. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 24, characterized in that the overflow reservoir (83) is in communication with the pressurized plenum (62), and the working gas pressure (5) in the reservoir (83) is close to or the same as the working gas pressure (5) in the plenum (62).

26. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 24, characterized in that the overflow pump (82) includes a pump blind cylinder (84) on which an overflow pump piston (85) can translate in a sealed manner, the overflow pump piston (85) and the cylinder (84) form a variable overflow pump volume (86), and when the variable overflow pump volume (86) increases, it is filled with working fluid (13) from the overflow reservoir (83) via at least one overflow pump suction flap (87), and when it decreases, it is pumped the liquid (13) to the gas and liquid reservoir (14) and / or the liquid cylinder (8) via a pressure valve (88).

27. The overflow pump piston (85) is a two-part stepped piston (89) including a large-diameter body (93) having a large cross-section surface (90) that forms one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume (86), the stepped piston (89) also includes a small-diameter body (94) on the axial opposite side of the large-cross-section surface (90) that can be sealed and translated into the operating cylinder (92), the internal volume of the operating cylinder (92) being connected directly or indirectly to the internal volume of the liquid cylinder (8), and the small-diameter body (94) having a small cross-section surface (91) to which the pressure in the liquid cylinder (8) is exerted. The stepped piston (89) also provides a surface (95) having an average cross-section on which the smaller diameter body (94) appears at the joint between the larger diameter body (93) and the smaller diameter body (94), the smaller diameter body (94) is connected to the overflow reservoir (83) and receives the pressure in the reservoir (83), while the stepped piston contact portion (117) fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume (86), and the two-piece piston return spring (96) tends to repel the two-piece stepped piston (89) in the direction of the surface (90) having a large cross-section, as described in claim 26.

28. The pressure valve (88) is a valve actuator piston (97) that can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuator cylinder (98), the valve actuator piston (97) first has a valve operating axial surface (99) that communicates with the overflow reservoir (83) and is subjected to the pressure in the reservoir (83), the surface (99) can lift the overflow flap (100) from the overflow flap seat (104) when the valve actuator piston (97) is moved in the direction of the surface (99), the surface (99) has the effect of communicating the variable overflow pump volume (86) with the gas and liquid reservoir (14) and / or the liquid cylinder (8) via the overflow flap (100), and second has a liquid cylinder side axial surface (102) that communicates with the liquid cylinder (8), A mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 27, wherein the valve actuator piston (97) has a liquid cylinder side axial surface (102) that can contact a liquid cylinder side contact portion (118) when pressure is applied in the cylinder (8) and the valve actuator piston (97) is moved in the direction of the liquid cylinder side axial surface (102), the actuation piston return spring (103) tends to repel the valve actuator piston (97) in the direction of its valve actuation axial surface (99), and the overflow flap return spring (128) tends to return the overflow flap (100) in contact with the overflow flap seat (104) with which it engages, and the force generated by the actuation piston return spring (103) is greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring (128).

29. The overflow pump piston (85) is a two-piece stepped piston (89) including a large-diameter body (93) having a large cross-section surface (90) that is subjected to the pressure in the reservoir (83), and the stepped piston (89) also includes a small-diameter body (94) on the axial opposite side of the large-cross-section surface (90) that can be sealed and translated into the operating cylinder (92), the internal volume of the operating cylinder (92) being connected directly or indirectly to the internal volume of the liquid cylinder (8), and the small-diameter body (94) having a small cross-section that is subjected to the pressure in the liquid cylinder (8). The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 26, characterized in that it has a surface (91), and the stepped piston (89) also provides a surface (95) having an average cross-section where the smaller diameter body (94) appears at the joint between the larger diameter body (93) and the smaller diameter body (94), the surface (95) forming one of the walls of the variable overflow pump volume (86), while the stepped piston contact portion (117) fixes the maximum volume of the variable overflow pump volume (86), and the two-piece piston return spring (96) tends to repel the two-piece stepped piston (89) in the direction of the surface (91) having the smaller cross-section.

30. The pressure valve (88) is a valve actuator piston (97) that can translate in a sealed manner within a valve actuator cylinder (98), the valve actuator piston (97) first has a valve operating axial surface (99) that communicates with the liquid cylinder (8) and is subjected to the pressure within the cylinder (8), the surface (99) can lift the overflow flap (100) from the overflow flap seat (104) when the valve actuator piston (97) is moved in the direction of the surface (99), the surface (99) has the effect of communicating the variable overflow pump volume (86) with the gas and liquid reservoir (14) and / or the liquid cylinder (8) via the overflow flap (100), and second has a reservoir-side axial surface (101) that communicates with the overflow reservoir (83), A mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 29, comprising a valve actuator piston (97) having a reservoir-side axial surface (101) that can contact an overflow reservoir-side contact portion (130) when pressure is applied in the reservoir (83) and the valve actuator piston (97) is moved in the direction of the reservoir-side axial surface (101), wherein an operating piston return spring (103) tends to repel the valve actuator piston (97) in the direction of its valve operating axial surface (99), and an overflow flap return spring (128) tends to return the overflow flap (100) in contact with the overflow flap seat (104) with which it engages, characterized in that the force generated by the operating piston return spring (103) is greater than the force generated by the overflow flap return spring (128).

31. The mechanical liquid piston low-speed expansion compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the counterbalancing means (112) is provided entirely or partially as a substitute for the piston guide means (23) to tilt the liquid cylinder (8) while the crankshaft (24) is rotating.

32. The counterbalancing means (112) comprises, on the one hand, a counterbalancing mass (116), and on the other hand, a counterbalancing support (113) that is parallel to the inclination axis (9) of the liquid cylinder (8) and articulated around a support axis (114) fixed to the stationary frame (40), wherein the counterbalancing support (113), together with the cylinder (8), forms a pivot-sliding joint (115) and constitutes an imbalance that counteracts the imbalance of the cylinder (8), as described in claim 31.

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