Liquid Piston Compressor With Quasi-Isothermal Gas Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compressors and heat pumps suffer from inefficiencies due to non-thermodynamic energy losses, mechanical friction, and the need for refrigerant fluids that are harmful to the environment, limiting their performance and compliance with regulatory standards.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical liquid piston slow expansion compressor design that utilizes a liquid piston system with heat exchange and accumulation means, allowing for quasi-isothermal compression and expansion, minimizing energy losses and eliminating the need for refrigerant fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional compressors are used to compress gases, then compression function is achieved, but non-thermodynamic energy losses occur due to mechanical friction and pressure losses
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the traditional mechanical compression mechanism (pistons, valves, seals) that causes friction losses. Instead, it uses a liquid-driven displacement mechanism where gas is compressed by the displacement of liquid in a closed chamber, removing the sources of mechanical friction while maintaining the compression function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies hydraulic principles by using liquid displacement to achieve gas compression. The liquid piston moves within a cylinder to compress the gas, leveraging the incompressibility and lubricating properties of liquid to eliminate mechanical friction and wear associated with traditional pneumatic compressors.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional refrigerant fluids are used in heat pumps, then heating and cooling functions are achieved, but environmental harm occurs due to harmful refrigerants
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the traditional approach of using harmful chemical refrigerants into a beneficial mechanical-physical system. By eliminating refrigerant fluids entirely and using a mechanical liquid piston system with heat exchange, it transforms a chemically harmful solution into an environmentally benign mechanical solution that achieves the same heating and cooling functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical-based refrigerant cycle with a mechanical-based compression and expansion system. Instead of relying on phase change of refrigerant fluids, it uses mechanical displacement of gas by a liquid piston combined with heat exchange to achieve heating and cooling, eliminating the need for harmful refrigerants.
3Quantity of substance
If state change refrigerating cycles are used, then high calorie density is achieved, but efficiency remains below ideal Carnot efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental operating parameters from phase-change-based temperature transitions to isothermal compression and expansion processes. By maintaining constant temperature during compression and expansion through heat exchange, it achieves operation closer to the ideal Carnot cycle, reducing efficiency losses while maintaining high calorie density through the liquid piston mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves high mechanical and volume efficiency, approaching the ideal Carnot cycle efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and eliminating environmental impact while being cost-effective and easy to maintain.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for quasi-isothermal compression and expansion
Implementation Method 2
allowing for quasi-isothermal compression and expansion
Implementation Method 3
Heat exchange and accumulation means housed in the gas and liquid reservoir, said means being able, on the one hand, to exchange heat with the working gas or with the working liquid
Implementation Method 4
Heat exchange and accumulation means housed in the gas and liquid reservoir, said means being able, on the one hand, to exchange heat with the working gas or with the working liquid, and on the other hand, temporarily store all or some of said heat
Implementation Method 5
A hydraulic piston which can sealingly translate in the liquid cylinder to form, with the latter, a variable hydraulic volume which is totally or partially filled with a working liquid
Implementation Method 6
A crankshaft which can rotate about an axis parallel to the tilt axis in at least one shaft bearing, and which has at least one crank around which a second rod end of the connecting rod articulates
Implementation Method 7
Heat export or input means which take or which transfer, directly or indirectly, heat to the heat exchange and accumulation means, and/or to the working liquid and/or to the working gas
Implementation Method 8
Heat export or input means which take or which transfer, directly or indirectly, heat to the heat exchange and accumulation means, and/or to the working liquid and/or to the working gas
Data Source
AI summary
The mechanical liquid piston slow expansion compressor (1) comprises a liquid cylinder (8) which pivots about a tilt axis (9) and into which a hydraulic piston (10) translates, which is fixedly secured to a connecting rod (11) connected to a crank (26) of a crankshaft (24), the axis of rotation of which is parallel to the tilt axis (9), while piston guiding means (23) maintain the connecting rod (11) and the hydraulic piston (10) always parallel to the liquid cylinder (8), these two latter forming a variable hydraulic volume (12) filled with a working liquid (13) which communicates with a gas and liquid reservoir (14) in which heat exchange and accumulation means (16) are housed, said reservoir (14) and said liquid (13) forming a variable pneumatic volume (2) in which a working gas (5) is compressed or expanded.