Apparatus and Method for Cooling of Air

Abstract

A wind turbine apparatus for cooling of air having a wind turbine axially connected to a refrigeration compressor arranged to compress refrigerant, at least one tube for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outwards, a construction for causing the compressed refrigerant to lose pressure so as to cool fades of the wind turbine, and a conduit for returning spent refrigerant centripetally to the compressor.

1 . A wind turbine apparatus for cooling of air comprising a wind turbine axially connected to a refrigeration compressor arranged to compress refrigerant, means for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outwards, means for causing the compressed refrigerant to lose pressure so as to cool blades of the wind turbine, and means for returning spent refrigerant centripetally to the compressor.  
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a central shaft and the refrigeration compressor has a housing which is mounted about the shaft, the compressor housing being arranged to rotate axially relative to the shaft.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of turbine blades are mounted on the housing and extend away therefrom.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein tube means extends outwardly from the housing and interconnects with a peripheral coil.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the coil is disposed externally of the apparatus so as to radiate heat to the ambient air  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  or  5 , wherein a respective return pipe extends from the coil through one or more turbine blades, the or each return pipe being provided adjacent the coil with a constriction so as to cause the refrigerant to undergo loss of pressure and the turbine blades to be cooled, the spent refrigerant then returning centripetally back to the housing on a low pressure side of the compressor.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein there is provided a wind collecting device into which ambient wind air flows, the wind collecting device contains the wind turbine and the ambient wind air causes the wind turbine to rotate so as to cause refrigerant to be compressed by the refrigeration compressor and to flow outwardly under centrifugal force and return centripetally to the refrigeration compressor to cause cooling of the blades so as to cause water vapour in the ambient wind air to condense to form liquid water.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the wind collecting device comprises an inlet funnel upstream of the wind turbine and an outlet condensation chamber downstream of the wind turbine, and an intermediate portion narrower than the inlet funnel, the intermediate portion containing the wind turbine.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the condensation chamber comprises a baffle to enhance condensation of water from the ambient air.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 8  or  9 , characterised in that the outlet condensation chamber is provided with means for collecting liquid water condensed from the ambient wind air.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the duct is provided with flaps which are arranged to be opened when facing windward.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the outlet condensation chamber has an outlet vent provided with an additional wind turbine to reduce pressure in the outlet vent and enhance removal of exhaust air.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the wind turbine has adjacent pairs of wind guides with respective flaps therebetween, the flaps being arranged to be opened when facing in the direction of ambient wind.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein there is provided a deviation device arranged to pivot about a substantially vertical axis so as to orientate itself, in use, into a position which is most effective in directing ambient wind through the wind turbine.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration compressor has a central rotatable housing having blades provided therein, the refrigeration compressor further comprising compressor blades mounted on a drive shaft, the compressor blades being arranged to be driven by a gear train fitted to an inner wall of the housing.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing of the refrigeration compressor comprises a housing containing an eccentrically mounted roller.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration compressor comprises a housing containing an elastic chamber containing refrigerant which elastic chamber is arranged to be alternately contracted and expanded.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration compressor comprises a housing containing a scroll compressor.  
     
     
         19 . A method of condensing water from ambient air which comprises driving, by means of ambient wind, a wind turbine apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , mounted in a duct so as to cause blades of the wind turbine to be cooled and to thereby cool ambient wind air passing through the duct and the wind turbine, and causing water vapour in the ambient wind air to condense to form liquid water, and collecting the liquid water.  
     
     
         20 . A wind turbine having at least one blade mounted to a refrigeration compressor housing mounted on a shaft for axial rotation relative to the shaft and means for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outward and means for returning the refrigerant centripetally through the or each blade with loss of pressure and change of phase of the refrigerant from liquid to gas so as to cool the or each blade.