Air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioning system is mainly provided with comprises an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, a valve and an energy recovery device. The compressor is fluidly connected to the evaporator to compress low-pressure refrigerant exiting the evaporator to high-pressure refrigerant. The condenser is fluidly connected to the compressor to receive the high pressure refrigerant and dissipate heat therefrom. The valve controls flow of high pressure refrigerant exiting the condenser. The energy recovery device includes a movable expander having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is fluidly connected to the valve to receive the high pressure refrigerant. The movable expander phase changes the refrigerant from high pressure refrigerant at the inlet to low pressure refrigerant at the outlet. The energy recovery device extracts work from movement of the movable expander due to the phase change of the refrigerant from the high pressure refrigerant to the low pressure refrigerant.

1 . An air conditioning system comprising:
 an evaporator;   a compressor fluidly connected to the evaporator to compress low-pressure refrigerant exiting the evaporator to high-pressure refrigerant;   a condenser fluidly connected to the compressor to receive the high pressure refrigerant and dissipate heat therefrom;   a valve configured to control flow of high pressure refrigerant exiting the condenser; and   an energy recovery device including a movable expander having an inlet and an outlet, with the inlet being fluidly connected to the valve to receive the high pressure refrigerant, the movable expander being configured and arranged to phase change the refrigerant from high pressure refrigerant at the inlet to low pressure refrigerant at the outlet, the energy recovery device being configured to extract work from movement of the movable expander due to the phase change of the refrigerant from the high pressure refrigerant to the low pressure refrigerant.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the energy recovery device has an expansion chamber that houses the movable expander.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein
 the expansion chamber has a low-pressure refrigerant outlet connected to the evaporator.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the outlet of the movable expander has a larger cross sectional area than a cross sectional area of the inlet of the movable expander.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein
 the cross sectional area of the outlet of the movable expander is approximately 70 times than the cross sectional area of the inlet of the movable expander.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein
 the movable expander has a parabolic shape in longitudinal cross section between the inlet and the outlet of the movable expander.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the energy recovery device includes at least one additional movable expander with an inlet fluidly connected to the valve to receive the high pressure refrigerant and an outlet.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein
 the energy recovery device includes a rotatable shaft with the movable expanders connected to the rotatable shaft.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein
 the rotatable shaft of the energy recovery device is configured and arranged to extract the work from the movement of the movable expanders.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein
 the movable expanders are spaced radially outward from a center rotational axis of the rotatable shaft.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein
 the outlets of expanders are configured and arranged to rotate the shaft in a first direction about a center rotational axis of the rotatable shaft in response to the phase change of the refrigerant from the high pressure refrigerant at the inlets to the low pressure refrigerant at the outlets.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein
 the rotatable shaft has a refrigerant passage that provides the high pressure refrigerant to the inlets of the movable expanders.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein
 the energy recovery device includes an extension member between each of the expanders and the rotatable shaft to space the expanders radially outward from a center rotational axis of the rotatable shaft.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein
 each of the extension members has a channel to provide the high pressure refrigerant from a refrigerant passage of the rotatable shaft to the inlets of the movable expanders.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioning system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the energy recovery device includes a rotatable shaft with the expander connected to the rotatable shaft, and an output shaft operatively coupled to the rotatable shaft to extract work from the movement of the movable expander.