Refrigerating method and apparatus

Abstract

By subjecting a volume or a bulk of a working material to a body force per unit mass, such as gravity, inertial forces, electric forces, or magnetic forces, the perceived specific heat capacity of the volume of the working material can be increased or decreased as desired. The artificial modification of the perceived specific heat capacity of a material can be employed in a thermodynamic cycle to convert thermal energy directly into useful mechanical work, and vice versa.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid interaction apparatus, wherein the fluid interaction apparatus comprises:
 a working material;   a work exchange apparatus, wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises an active surface against which the working material can do work, or with which the work exchange apparatus can do work on the working material;   a body force generating apparatus, wherein the direction of the body force applied to the working material by the body force generating apparatus comprises a non-zero component in the positive or negative direction of the external or outward surface normal of the active surface of the work exchange apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises:
 a converging duct, and wherein the active surface is the interior wetted surface of the duct, and wherein the active external surface normal has a non-zero component directed against or upstream of the free stream flow direction, and where the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the converging duct has a non-zero component in the positive or same direction of the active external surface normal   
     
     
         3 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the converging duct has a substantial component in the radially inward direction of the duct, perpendicular to the local free stream flow during level cruise 
     
     
         4 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the body force is configured to reduce the perceived pressure on the exterior active surface of the duct, such that thermal energy can be extracted from the working material and converted into useful mechanical or electrical work at a later time or space, such as in a subsequent and downstream work exchange apparatus, such as a conventional diverging duct. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the duct can be circular, elliptical, polygonal, rectangular, or square 
     
     
         6 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises a converging duct, and wherein the active surface is the interior wetted surface of the duct, and wherein the active external surface normal has a non-zero component directed against or upstream of the streamwise flow direction, and where the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the converging duct has a non-zero component in the negative or opposite direction of the active external surface normal 
     
     
         7 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the converging duct has a substantial component in the radially outward direction of the duct, perpendicular to the local free stream flow during level cruise 
     
     
         8 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the body force is configured to increase the perceived pressure on the exterior active surface of the duct, such that thermal energy can be delivered to, or applied on, the working material and by the application of mechanical work onto the working material by the active surface of the duct. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises a diverging duct, and wherein the active surface is the interior wetted surface of the duct, and wherein the active external surface normal has a non-zero component directed streamwise, or downstream of the free stream flow direction, and where the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the diverging duct has a non-zero component in the negative or opposite direction of the active external surface normal 
     
     
         10 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the diverging duct has a substantial component in the radially outward direction of the duct, perpendicular to the local free stream flow during level cruise 
     
     
         11 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the body force is configured to increase the perceived pressure on the exterior active surface of the duct, such that thermal energy can be extracted from the working material and converted into useful mechanical work, such as thrust or electricity. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the duct can be circular, elliptical, polygonal, rectangular, or square 
     
     
         13 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises a diverging duct, and wherein the active surface is the interior wetted surface of the duct, and wherein the active external surface normal has a non-zero component directed streamwise, or downstream of the free stream flow direction, and where the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the diverging duct has a non-zero component in the positive or same direction of the active external surface normal 
     
     
         14 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the component of the body force acting on at least a portion of the volume of fluid entering the diverging duct has a substantial component in the radially intward direction of the duct, perpendicular to the local free stream flow during level cruise 
     
     
         15 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the body force is configured to reduce the perceived pressure on the exterior active surface of the duct, such that thermal energy can be delivered to, or applied on, the working material and by the application of mechanical work onto the working material by the active surface of the duct. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is compressible, such as air, nitrogen, helium 
     
     
         17 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the local free stream fluid flow is supersonic or faster than compression or expansion waves within the fluid 
     
     
         18 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the local free stream fluid flow is subsonic. 
     
     
         19 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is substantially incompressible, such as water. 
     
     
         20 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises turbomachinery, such as an axial or centrifugal compressor, where the active surface can comprise the propeller or rotor blades. 
     
     
         21 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises propeller blades, or rotor discs, or turbomachinery of any kind, where the active surface can comprise the propeller or rotor blades. 
     
     
         22 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises reciprocating pistons, and where the active surface is the wetted surface of the piston head which is in contact with the working fluid within any adjacent chambers 
     
     
         23 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises a separately arranged, specially configured additional body force generating apparatus configured to do work on the fluid or allow the fluid to do work against it. 
     
     
         24 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the component of the body force is substantially perpendicular to the local free stream flow which interacts with the fluid interaction apparatus, such as a duct or otherwise conventional jet engine. 
     
     
         25 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus gravitational in nature. 
     
     
         26 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus inertial in nature. 
     
     
         27 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus is configured to rotate a volume or bulk of a working fluid in order to provide a perceived inertial body force per mass to the molecules in the working fluid. 
     
     
         28 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus is configured to accelerate in inertial space a volume or bulk of a working fluid in order to provide a perceived inertial body force per mass to the molecules in the working fluid. 
     
     
         29 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus electrical in nature. 
     
     
         30 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus comprises an electrical field generating apparatus, and wherein the working material comprises mobile electrical charges 
     
     
         31 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus comprises an electrical field generating apparatus, and wherein the working material comprises molecules or objects which carry a permanent or induced electrical polarization 
     
     
         32 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus magnetic in nature. 
     
     
         33 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus comprises a magnetic field generating apparatus, and wherein the working material comprises molecules or objects which carry a permanent or induced magnetic dipole or multipole. 
     
     
         34 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus mechanical in nature. 
     
     
         35 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the body force per unit mass generating apparatus comprises annular, but not necessarily circular, airfoils or ducts configured to induce a pressure gradient substantially perpendicularly to the flow direction in a manner similar to a conventional body force generating apparatus. 
     
     
         36 . The fluid interaction apparatus of any one of  claims 1 - 35  wherein the thrust produced by such an apparatus is employed to propel and aircraft, such as commercial airliners or transport, watercraft, such as cruise ships or container ships, or land vehicles, such as a car, truck, motorcycle, bike. 
     
     
         37 . A system comprising two or more apparatuses of any one of claim. 
     
     
         38 . A system comprising two or more apparatuses of any one of claim, where at least two are connected in series, with the outlet of a first fluid interaction apparatus is at the same time the inlet of a second fluid interaction apparatus. 
     
     
         39 . A system comprising two or more apparatuses of any one of claim, where at least two are connected in series, with the outlet of a first fluid interaction apparatus is at the same time the inlet of a second fluid interaction apparatus. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein a converging duct can be arranged upstream of a diverging duct 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein a converging duct can be arranged adjacent to a diverging duct 
     
     
         42 . A system comprising at least two systems of  claim 41 , wherein the fluid flow between any two such systems can comprise supersonic or subsonic flow velocities 
     
     
         43 . A system comprising at least two systems of  claim 41 , wherein the fluid flow between any two such systems can comprise supersonic flow velocities 
     
     
         44 . A system comprising at least two systems of  claim 41 , wherein the fluid flow between any two such systems can comprise subsonic flow velocities 
     
     
         45 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus also comprises a
 working chamber,   apparatuses such as valves configured for drawing and expelling fluid from the chamber,   wherein work can be done on a working material in the chamber by a piston, and in wherein the working material within the chamber can do work on the piston;   wherein the work exchange apparatus comprises reciprocating pistons, where the active surface is the wetted surface of the piston head which is in contact with the working fluid within any adjacent chamber, and   wherein at least a portion of the working material within the working camber can be subjected to the body force per unit mass of at least one body force generating apparatus, wherein the body force per unit mass has a non-zero component in the positive or negative surface normal of the piston, or the positive or negative instantaneous stroke direction of the piston in the chamber.   
     
     
         46 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 45 , in which the component of the body force per unit mass acting on the working fluid has a non-zero component in the direction of the active piston head, in the opposite direction of the inward normal of the active piston head, and wherein the active piston head can be retracted from the chamber and increase the volume of the fluid inside the chamber in order to allow the working material to do work on the piston head and cool down and experience a reduction in entropy. 
     
     
         47 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 45 , in which the component of the body force per unit mass acting on the working fluid has a non-zero component in the opposite direction of the active piston head, in the same direction of the inward normal of the active piston head, and wherein the active piston head can be inserted into the chamber and decrease the volume of the fluid inside the chamber in order to allow the piston to do work on the fluid and heat the fluid while also reducing the entropy of the fluid. 
     
     
         48 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 45 , in which the component of the body force per unit mass acting on the working fluid has a non-zero component in the direction of the active piston head, in the opposite direction of the inward normal of the active piston head, and wherein the active piston head can be inserted into the chamber and decrease the volume of the fluid inside the chamber in order to allow the piston to do work on the fluid and heat the fluid while also increasing the entropy of the fluid. 
     
     
         49 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 45 , in which the component of the body force per unit mass acting on the working fluid has a non-zero component in the opposite direction of the active piston head, in the same direction of the inward normal of the active piston head, and wherein the active piston head can be retracted from the chamber and increase the volume of the fluid inside the chamber in order to allow the working material to do work on the piston head and cool down and experience an increase in entropy of the fluid. 
     
     
         50 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein a the fluid interaction apparatus also comprises a compressor, such as a centrifugal compressor, axial compressor, or turbocharger, or supercharger, or a reciprocating piston compressor, upstream of the inlet valves of the working chamber, in order to increase the nominal operating pressure and mass flow rate through the working chamber 
     
     
         51 . The fluid interaction apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein a the fluid interaction apparatus also comprises an expander, such as a centrifugal turbine, axial turbine, or a reciprocating piston engine, downstream of the outlet valves of the working chamber, in order to recuperate or recover any excess work performed by the piston in the working chamber 
     
     
         52 . A method of interacting with a fluid, the method comprising: providing at least one fluid interaction apparatus of any one of claim, providing and employing a body force generating apparatus to artificially facilitate a reduced pressure on an active surface of a fluid interaction apparatus with an outward surface normal with non-zero component in the local upstream direction, and contributing to a net thrust and a cooling of the working material as a result 
     
     
         53 . A method of interacting with a fluid, the method comprising: providing at least one fluid interaction apparatus of any one of claim, providing and employing a body force generating apparatus to artificially facilitate an increased pressure on an active surface of a fluid interaction apparatus with an outward surface normal with non-zero component in the local downstream direction, and contributing to a net thrust and a cooling of the working material as a result 
     
     
         54 . A method of interacting with a fluid, the method comprising: providing at least one fluid interaction apparatus of any one of claim, providing and employing a body force generating apparatus to artificially facilitate an increase in pressure on an active surface of a fluid interaction apparatus with an outward surface normal with non-zero component in the local upstream direction, and contributing to a drag force and a heating of the working material as a result