Fluid pump having expansion device and rankine cycle using the same

• US 20060213218A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Uno, Keiichi, Kishita, Hiroshi, Ogawa, Hiroshi, Takeuchi, Yasuhiro, Asa, Hironori, Uchida, Kazuhide
• Granted Patent: US 7,735,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/467
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 1/0207 both members having co-operating elements in spiral form
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 1/3562 the inner and outer member being in contact along one line or continuous surface substantially parallel to the axis of rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 11/004 and of complementary function, e.g. internal combustion engine with supercharger
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 11/008 and of complementary function, e.g. internal combustion engine with supercharger
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 21/008 Driving elements, brakes, couplings, transmissions specially adapted for rotary or oscillating-piston machines or engines brakes, couplings, transmissions per se F16, B60
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 21/10 Outer members for co-operation with rotary pistons; Casings casings for rotary engines or machines in general F16M
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/065 the combustion taking place in an internal combustion piston engine, e.g. a diesel engine
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/08 using special vapours
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/04 with compressor of rotary type F25B1/005, F25B1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/14 Power generation using energy from the expansion of the refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/02 using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/274 using waste energy, e.g. from internal combustion engine

Abstract

A complex fluid machine has an expansion-compressor device, a pump, and a motor generator, wherein the expansion-compressor device, the pump, and the motor generator are operatively connected and arranged in series. A portion of an outlet side passage formed in the fluid machine, through which the working fluid flows from the expansion device, is arranged adjacent to a portion of a pump outlet-side passage formed in the fluid machine, through which the working fluid flows from the pump, so that heat of the working fluid in the outlet side passage is transferred to the working fluid in the pump outlet-side passage. As a result, efficiency of Rankine cycle for collecting waste heat is increased.

Claims

1. A fluid machine comprising:

a pump for pressurizing and pumping out liquid phase working fluid; and

an expansion device connected to the pump in series and for generating a driving force by expansion of the working fluid, which is heated to become gas phase working fluid,

wherein a portion of an outlet side passage formed in the fluid machine, through which the working fluid flows from the expansion device, is arranged adjacent to a portion of a pump outlet-side passage formed in the fluid machine (100), through which the working fluid flows from the pump, so that heat of the working fluid in the outlet side passage is transferred to the working fluid in the pump outlet-side passage.

2. A fluid machine according to claim 1, wherein

the pump outlet-side passage is arranged in the fluid machine to be closer to the expansion device than a pump inlet-side passage, through which the working fluid flows into the pump.

3. A fluid machine according to claim 1, wherein

the pump is a scroll type pump, in which the working fluid is sucked into the pump from a center portion thereof and pumped out from an outer peripheral portion thereof.

7. A fluid machine according to claim 1, wherein

the pump outlet-side passage is formed into a circular shape and at an outer peripheral portion of the pump, and

the outlet side passage is formed into a circular shape and arranged adjacent to the pump outlet-side passage.

8. A fluid machine according to claim 1, wherein

a partitioning wall is provided in the fluid machine for separating the pump outlet-side passage from the outlet side passage, and

fins are formed on the partitioning wall to increase surface area thereof.

9. A fluid machine according to claim 8, wherein

the fins are formed in one of the pump outlet-side passage and the outlet side passage, to cover almost all area in which the pump outlet-side passage and the outlet side passage are arranged adjacent to each other.

10. A fluid machine according to claim 1, wherein

a heat insulating member is provided between the pump inlet-side passage and the pump outlet-side passage, to suppress heat transfer between them.

11. A fluid machine according to claim 10, wherein

the heat insulating member is formed by a gasket provided between a first part and a second part of a pump housing.

12. A fluid machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a generator provided between the pump and the expansion device and driven by the driving force produced at the expansion device for generating electric power.

13. A fluid machine according to claim 12, wherein

the outlet side passage is communicated with the expansion device through an inside space of the generator.

14. A fluid machine according to claim 12, wherein

a heat generating portion of the generator is provided adjacent to the pump outlet-side passage.

15. A fluid machine according to claim 14, wherein

the heat generating portion is provided at an outer peripheral portion of a housing for the generator, and

a portion of the pump outlet-side passage is formed between the heat generating portion and the housing.

16. A fluid machine according to claim 14, wherein

the heat generating portion comprises an inverter for controlling an operation of the generator, and

a switching device of the inverter is arranged adjacent to the pump outlet-side passage.

17. A fluid machine according to claim 1, wherein

the fluid machine is applied to Rankine cycle having a source for generating heat, and

waste heat from the heat generating source is collected by the fluid machine in the Rankine cycle.

18. A fluid machine according to claim 17, wherein

the heat generating source is a thermal engine.

4. A fluid machine comprising:

a pump for pressurizing and pumping out liquid phase working fluid; and

an expansion device connected to the pump in series and for generating a driving force by expansion of the working fluid, which is heated to become gas phase working fluid,

wherein a pump working chamber of the pump is surrounded by atmosphere of a high pressure chamber, which is separated from an outside ambient air by a part of a housing for the fluid machine.

5. A fluid machine according to claim 4, wherein

the pump is a rolling piston type pump.

6. A fluid machine according to claim 4, wherein

the high pressure chamber forms a pump outlet-side passage, through which the working fluid flows from the pump, and

a portion of an outlet side passage formed in the fluid machine, through which the working fluid flows from the expansion device, is arranged adjacent to a portion of the pump outlet-side passage, so that heat of the working fluid in the outlet side passage is transferred to the working fluid in the pump outlet-side passage.

19. A complex fluid machine for a refrigerating apparatus comprising:

an expansion-compressor device for compressing working fluid and pumping out the compressed working fluid when the expansion-compressor device is operated as a compressor device, the expansion-compressor device generating rotational driving force by expanding working fluid when the expansion-compressor device is operated as an expansion device;

a pump for circulating the working fluid to supply the same into the expansion device; and

a motor generator having a function of an electric motor and a function of an electric power generator,

wherein the complex fluid machine further comprises;

a housing for housing therein the expansion-compressor device, the motor generator, and the pump;

a partitioning wall for dividing a space defined by the housing into a first space for the expansion-compressor device and the motor generator, and a second space for the pump;

a low pressure port provided at the housing and communicated with an inside of the first space;

an outlet side passage formed in the first space, through which the working fluid from the expansion device flows to the low pressure port;

an outlet opening provided at the housing and communicated with an inside of the second space; and

a pump outlet-side passage formed in the second space, through which the working fluid from the pump flows to the outlet opening,

wherein the outlet side passage and the pump outlet-side passage are respectively formed at each side of the partitioning wall, so that heat of the working fluid in the outlet side passage is transferred to the working fluid in the pump outlet-side passage via the partitioning wall, when the expansion-compressor device is operated as the expansion device.

20. A complex fluid machine according to claim 19, wherein

the outlet side passage is formed into a circular shape at one side of the partitioning wall, and

the pump outlet-side passage is formed into a circular shape at the other side of the partitioning wall.

21. A complex fluid machine according to claim 20, wherein

fins are formed with the partitioning wall and arranged in the first space, and the fins are formed into a circular shape.

22. A complex fluid machine according to claim 19, wherein

the housing comprises multiple housing parts,

an end housing part and a pump housing part form a pump housing for defining therein the second space together with the partitioning wall,

an inlet opening is formed in the end housing part, through which the working fluid is sucked into the pump,

the outlet opening is formed in the pump housing part, and

a heat insulating member is provided between the end housing part and the pump housing part, so that heat transfer from the working fluid flowing through the pump outlet-side passage to the working fluid flowing through the inlet opening is suppressed.

23. A complex fluid machine comprising:

an expansion device for generating rotational driving force by expanding working fluid;

a pump for circulating the working fluid to supply the same into the expansion device; and

a generator for generating an electric power when the generator is rotated by the driving force generated at the expansion device,

wherein the complex fluid machine further comprises;

a housing for housing therein the expansion device, the generator, and the pump;

a partitioning wall for dividing a space defined by the housing into a first space for the expansion device and the generator, and a second space for the pump;

a low pressure port provided at the housing and communicated with an inside of the first space;

an outlet side passage formed in the first space, through which the working fluid from the expansion device flows to the low pressure port;

an outlet opening provided at the housing and communicated with an inside of the second space; and

a pump outlet-side passage formed in the second space, through which the working fluid from the pump flows to the outlet opening,

wherein the outlet side passage and the pump outlet-side passage are respectively formed at each side of the partitioning wall, so that heat of the working fluid in the outlet side passage is transferred to the working fluid in the pump outlet-side passage via the partitioning wall.

24. A complex fluid machine according to claim 23, wherein

the housing comprises a motor housing for accommodating the generator,

a casing is formed at an outer peripheral portion of the motor housing,

an inverter for controlling the operation of the generator is accommodated in the casing such that switching devices of the inverter are arranged at such portion close to the pump outlet-side passage, wherein a part of the pump outlet-side passages extends between the motor housing and the inverter.

25. A complex fluid machine according to claim 23, wherein

the housing comprises a pump housing arranged in the second space, which works as a high pressure chamber for the working fluid pumped out from the pump so that the second space is filled with high pressure working fluid.

26. A complex fluid machine according to claim 23, wherein

the outlet side passage is formed into a circular shape at one side of the partitioning wall, and

the pump outlet-side passage is formed into a circular shape at the other side of the partitioning wall.

27. A complex fluid machine according to claim 26, wherein

fins are formed with the partitioning wall and arranged in the first space, and the fins are formed into a circular shape.

28. A complex fluid machine according to claim 23, wherein

the housing comprises multiple housing parts,

an end housing part and a pump housing part form a pump housing for defining therein the second space together with the partitioning wall,

an inlet opening is formed in the end housing part, through which the working fluid is sucked into the pump,

the outlet opening is formed in the pump housing part, and

a heat insulating member is provided between the end housing part and the pump housing part, so that heat transfer from the working fluid flowing through the pump outlet-side passage to the working fluid flowing through the inlet opening is suppressed.