Vuilleumier heat pump

• US 5,483,802 A
• Filed: 05/06/1994
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Teruo, Suganami, Takuya, Honda, Tetsuya, Kawajiri, Kazuhiko, Fujiwara, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): KILNER, CHRISTOPHER B
• Application Number:
  US08/238,783
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 62/6, 60/520
• US Class Current: 62/6
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/0445 Engine plants with combined cycles, e.g. Vuilleumier
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2250/18 Vuilleumier cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2253/03 Stem seals
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/097 by vibratory elements

Abstract

In a Vuilleumier heat pump, hot and cold displacers are supported by coil springs in respective buffer chambers. Further, there are respectively provided forced vibration systems of the hot and cold displacers using, as exciting force, force applied to respective displacer rods due to a difference between a pressure fluctuation of a working gas in an inner working space and a pressure in the buffer chambers. A linear motor is also provided to drive the hot displacer so as to reciprocate. It is thereby possible to provide the Vuilleumier heat pump in which a mechanism for driving the hot and cold displacers can have a small-sized and simplified structure, and no restriction is imposed on an arrangement of hot and cold cylinders.

Claims

1. Vuilleumier heat pump including a hot cylinder, a hot displacer, a cold cylinder, a cold displacer, a heat exchanger and a regenerator, a working gas being sealed in a hot space and a hot/moderate temperature space which are provided in said hot cylinder, a cold space and a cold/moderate temperature space which are provided in said cold cylinder, and a working space which is defined by said heat exchanger and said regenerator, and said hot displacer and said cold displacer reciprocating with a phase difference of about 90 degrees, said Vuilleumier heat pump comprising:

a hot buffer chamber provided adjacent to said hot/moderate temperature space, in which gas having a pressure substantially equal to an intermediate pressure of said working gas is sealed;

a cold buffer chamber provided adjacent to said cold/moderate temperature space, in which gas having a pressure substantially equal to said intermediate pressure of said working gas is sealed;

a first one of said hot and cold displacer rods coupled with a first of said hot and cold displacers being coupled with a crank through a displacer connecting rod in a first of said hot and cold buffer chambers; and

a second of said hot and cold displacer rods coupled with a second of said hot said cold displacers being coupled with a wall of a second of said hot and cold buffer chambers through a spring in said second of said hot and cold buffer chambers,

wherein said first displacer reciprocates according to rotation of said crank so as to cause a pressure fluctuation of said working gas, a vibration system of said second displacer being provided by force generated at said second displacer rod due to a difference between said pressure of said working gas and a gas pressure in said second buffer chamber and by said spring, and said first and second displacer reciprocating with a phase difference of about 90 degrees.

2. A Vuilleumier heat pump according to claim 1 further comprising:

a linear motor for driving said second displacer rod to reciprocate.

3. A Vuilleumier heat pump including a hot cylinder, a hot displacer, a cold cylinder, a cold displacer, a heat exchanger and a regenerator, a working gas being sealed in a hot space and a hot/moderate temperature space which are provided in said hot cylinder, a cold space and a cold/moderate temperature space which are provided in said cold cylinder, and a working space which is defined by said heat exchanger and said regenerator, and said hot displacer and said cold displacer reciprocating with a phase difference of about 90 degrees, said Vuilleumier heat pump comprising:

a hot buffer chamber provided adjacent to said hot/moderate temperature space, in which gas having a pressure substantially equal to an intermediate pressure of said working gas is sealed;

a cold buffer chamber provided adjacent to said cold/moderate temperature space, in which gas having a pressure substantially equal to said intermediate pressure of said working gas is sealed;

a hot displacer rod coupled with said hot displacer being coupled with a wall of said hot buffer chamber through a first spring in said hot buffer chamber; and

a cold displacer rod coupled with said cold displacer being coupled with a wall of said cold buffer chamber through a second spring in said cold buffer chamber,

wherein a vibration system of said hot displacer is provided by force generated at said hot displacer rod due to a difference between said pressure of said working gas and a gas pressure in said hot buffer chamber and by said first spring, a vibration system of said cold displacer is provided by force generated at said cold displacer rod due to a difference between said pressure of said working gas a gas pressure in said cold buffer chamber and by said second spring, and said hot displacer and said cold displacer reciprocating with a phase difference of about 90 degrees.

4. A Vuilleumier heat pump according to claim 3 further comprising:

a linear motor for driving at least one of said cold displacer rod and said hot displacer rod to reciprocate.