United Technologies Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Gorken Melikian

Frank R Biancardi

Charles Edward Kepler

Torger J Anderson

George T Peters

James W Sitler

Maurice D Meader

Abraham M Landerman

The turbocompressor comprises a power turbine (14) and a compressor turbine (16) having respective rotors (18) and (20) on a common shaft (22), rotatably supported by bearings (26) and (28). A first working fluid is supplied by a power loop (32) and is expanded in the turbine (14). A second working fluid is compressed in the turbine (16) and is circulated in a heat pump loop (70). A lubricant is mixed with the second working fluid but is excluded from the first working fluid. Bearings (26) and (28) are cooled and lubricated by a system which circulates the second working fluid and the intermixed lubricant through the bearings (26) and (28). Such system includes a pump (126), a thermostatic expansion valve (150) for expanding the working fluid into the space (152) between the bearings (26) and (28), and a return conduit system (154, 156, 158) for withdrawing the expanded working fluid after it passes through the bearings and for returning the working fluid to the evaporator (82). A shaft seal (30) excludes the lubricant from the power turbine (14). The power loop (32) includes a float (208) operable by liquid working fluid in the condenser (46) for controlling a recirculation valve (206) so as to maintain a minimum liquid level in the condenser, while causing a feed pump (48) to pump most of the working fluid into the vapor generator (34). The heat pump compressor loop (70) includes a float (222) in the condenser (78) for operating an expansion valve (88) to maintain a minimum liquid working fluid level in the condenser (78) while causing most of the working fluid to be expanded into the evaporator (82).

Solar-powered turbocompressor heat pump system

Welding apparatus featuring a right angle beam handling tube for directing a fixed laser beam from an entrance to the tube to a rotatably supported output reflector in a focus head mounted on an outlet of the tube. The tube has upstream and downstream duct sections which are independently extendible and retractable relative to their juncture, the juncture and a laser beam translating mirror mounted therein being movable only in a linear direction coincident with the incoming beam axis along the upstream duct section to ensure beam alignment with the entrance and outlet of the right angle beam handling tube while permitting the distances therebetween to vary to selectively position the focus head relative to a workpiece.

Laser beam welding apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Springfield, MA, United States of America

Gorken Melikian