The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 1978
Filed:
May. 17, 1976
Thomas C Edwards, Oviedo, FL (US);
The Rovac Corporation, Rockledge, FL (US);
Abstract
A compressor-expander for use in air conditioning including a chamber of generally elliptical cross section having a compressor side and an expander side each with inlet and outlet ports. Rotatable in the chamber is a vaned rotor defining enclosed compartments in which the air is positively compressed accompanied by an increase in temperature in the compressor side and is positively expanded with a decrease in temperature in the expander side, the elliptical eccentricity of the compressor side being less than 0.62 and the eccentricity on the expander side being less than the eccentricity of the compressor side in a ratio lying between 0.68 and 0.95. Pressure in the compartment at the point of discharge is substantially at atmospheric level, and the expander outlet port is so located that when a compartment on the expander side is centered on the major axis, the leading vane is at the threshold of discharge. Dissipation openings of progressively increasing size are provided at the threshold for throttling the discharge in the event that the pressure in the discharging compartment varies slightly from the atmospheric level. The compressor side outlet port and the expander side inlet port are curvingly divergent and convergent, respectively, providing a smooth transition between tangential and radial movement of the pressurized air. The end bells enclosing the elliptical chamber each have an integral outer wall of elliptical shape bounded by a flat end face as well as an integral inner wall formed by a bearing sleeve, the walls, between them, defining a roller space for accommodating, in overlapping relation, guide rollers on the respective vanes. The vanes are of special construction, being formed of wear-resistant non-metallic material with a thin metal insert terminating at its ends in alined stub shafts for the rollers. The rotor and vanes are preferably formed of carbon, and the stator is preferably formed of carbon or magnesium.