Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus (100A) includes a first compressor (101) that is an expander-compressor unit, a second compressor (102), and a controller (300). The controller (300) shifts, when an oil level 51 of a first oil pool (13) becomes equal to or lower than a specified level L, to an oil-equalizing operation in which a rotation speed of a first motor (12) is decreased only by a specified decrement and a rotation speed of a second motor (12) is increased by a specified increment, and an opening of a bypass valve (70) is increased so that a pressure or a temperature of a discharged refrigerant guided to a radiator (4) through a first pipe (3a) is kept approximately constant, and returns the rotation speeds of the first motor (11) and the second motor (12) as well as the opening of the bypass valve (70) to conditions before start of the oil-equalizing operation when a specified period of time has elapsed since the start of the oil-equalizing operation.

Abstract: A fluid machine 110 includes a power recovery mechanism 105 for recovering power from a working fluid, a sub-compressor 102 driven by the recovered power, a shaft 12 coupling the power recovery mechanism 105 and the sub-compressor 102 to each other so that the recovered power is transmitted from the power recovery mechanism 105 to the sub-compressor 102. The power recovery mechanism 105 is provided with a first suction port 26 and a second suction port 27 that open and close, as the first piston 21 rotates, so that the refrigerant flows into the high pressure-side working chamber 23a. The second the suction port 27 is provided at a position facing the first suction port 26 in the axis direction of the shaft 12.

Abstract: A sub-compressor (23) is provided between a compressor (22) and a power-recovery device (24). A refrigerant after preliminarily being compressed by the sub-compressor (23) is allowed to flow into the compressor (22). Since the sub-compressor (23) and the power-recovery device (24) have approximately the same temperature, heat transfer hardly occur therebetween. Heat transfer occurs between the compressor (22) at high temperature and the sub-compressor (23) at low temperature. However, even if the heat from the compressor (22) heats the refrigerant in the sub-compressor (23), the refrigerant discharged from the sub-compressor (23) is delivered to the compressor (22), and thus the temperature of the sub-compressor (23) scarcely increases.

Abstract: An expander-compressor unit (200) includes a closed casing (1), a compression mechanism (2), an expansion mechanism (3), a shaft (5), and an oil pump (6). The shaft (5) includes an upper shaft (5s) provided with an upper eccentric portion (5a) for the compression mechanism (2), and a lower shaft (5t) provided with lower eccentric portions (5d and 5c) for the expansion mechanism (3) and an intermediate eccentric portion (5e) for the oil pump (6). The expansion mechanism (3) has an upper bearing member (45) for supporting a supported portion (5f) of the lower shaft (5t) located immediately above the lower eccentric portion (5d). The intermediate eccentric portion (5e) has a diameter equal to or less than that of the supported portion (5f).

Abstract: An expander-compressor unit (200A) includes a closed casing (1), a compression mechanism (2), an expansion mechanism (3), a shaft (5), and an oil pump (6). The shaft (5) couples the compression mechanism (2) to the expansion mechanism (3) so that power recovered by the expansion mechanism (3) is transferred to the compression mechanism (2). The oil pump (6) is disposed between the compression mechanism (2) and the expansion mechanism (3), and supplies an oil held in an oil reservoir (25) to the compression mechanism (2). An oil supply passage (29) is formed in the shaft (5) so that the oil discharged from the oil pump (6) can be supplied to the compression mechanism (2). A lower end (29e) of the oil supply passage (29) is located below an inlet (29p) of the oil supply passage (29) formed in an outer circumferential surface of the shaft (5).

Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 includes a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates. The refrigerant circuit is formed by connecting in sequence a compressor 2 for compressing the refrigerant, a radiator 3 for allowing the refrigerant compressed by compressor 2 to radiate heat, a fluid pressure motor 4 as a power recovery means, and an evaporator 5 for allowing the refrigerant discharged by the fluid pressure motor 4 to evaporate. The fluid pressure motor 4 performs a process for drawing the refrigerant and a process for discharging the refrigerant. These processes are performed substantially continuously.

Abstract: An expander-compressor unit (200) includes a closed casing (1), a compression mechanism (2) disposed at an upper position in the closed casing (1), an expansion mechanism (3) disposed at a lower position in the closed casing (1), a shaft (5) coupling the compression mechanism (2) to the expansion mechanism (3), and an oil pump (6) disposed between the compression mechanism (2) and the expansion mechanism (3). The oil pump (6) supplies the oil held in an oil reservoir (25) to the compression mechanism (2) via a suction passage. A strainer (65) is provided to the suction passage so that the oil to be drawn into the oil pump (6) passes through the strainer.

Abstract: A multi-stage rotary-type fluid machine may be configured as what is called a two-stage rotary expander, in which a refrigerant expands in an expansion chamber having a first discharge side space (115b) of a first cylinder (105), a second suction side space (116a) of a second cylinder (106), and a communication hole (104a) for allowing communication between the two spaces (115b, 116a). The first cylinder (105) and the second cylinder (106) are partitioned by an intermediate plate (104). The communication hole (104a) is formed so as to penetrate through the intermediate plate (104). The opening shape and location of the communication hole (104a) are set so that direct blow-through of the refrigerant from a suction port (105b) to a discharge port (106b) cannot occur at any rotation angle of a shaft (103).

Abstract: A lap (201) of an orbiting scroll (21) and a lap (202) of a stationary scroll (22) are meshed with each other to form an inner wall side expansion chamber (203a) on the side of a lap inner wall (201a) of the orbiting scroll (21) and an outer wall side expansion chamber (203b) on the side of a lap outer wall (201a) of the orbiting scroll (21). The volumetric capacity of the inner wall side expansion chamber (203a) and that of the outer wall side expansion chamber (203b) are equal to each other when suction is completed, and different from each other when discharge starts, and their expansion ratios are different from each other.

Abstract: A fluid machine (101) includes a first compressor (107) and a second compressor (108). The first compressor (107) has a first closed casing (111), a first compression mechanism (102a), an expansion mechanism (104), and a shaft (113). A first oil reservoir (112) is formed in the first closed casing (111). The second compressor (108) has a second closed casing (125) and a second compression mechanism (102b). A second oil reservoir (126) is formed at a bottom portion in the second closed casing (125). The first closed casing (111) and the second closed casing (125) are connected to each other by an oil passage (109) so that a lubricating oil can flow between the first oil reservoir (112) and the second oil reservoir (126). An opening (109a) of the oil passage (109) on a side of the first closed casing (111) is located above the expansion mechanism (104) with respect to the vertical direction.

Abstract: There may be a case where, by simply coupling the first compressor (expander compressor unit) and the second compressor with an oil-equalizing pipe, the first compressor is not lubricated sufficiently, thereby decreasing reliability. The volumetric capacity (V1) of the first available oil space (130) of the first compressor (101) is set larger than the volumetric capacity (V2) of the second available oil space (140) of the second compressor (102). With this configuration, even if the oil level (S1) of the first oil sump (13) decreases in transition to a state of steady operation, it is possible to maintain a sufficient amount of oil in the first compressor (101), and thus high reliability as a fluid machine can be achieved.

Abstract: An expander-integrated compressor (5A) has a compression mechanism (21) for compressing a refrigerant and an expansion mechanism (22) for expanding the refrigerant. The compression mechanism (21) is located above the expansion mechanism (22) inside a closed casing (10) and shares a rotating shaft (36) with the expansion mechanism (22). An oil pump (37) is provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft (36). The oil pump (37) is immersed in oil in an oil reservoir (15). Usually, the oil is placed in the oil reservoir (15) in such a manner that the oil level (OL) is located above a lower end portion (34e) of a vane (34a) of a first expansion section (30a). More preferably, the oil is placed in such a manner that the expansion mechanism (22) is immersed in the oil. An oil supply passage (38) for guiding the oil to the compression mechanism (21) is formed inside the rotating shaft (36). A suction port (37a) of the oil pump (37) is provided below the lower end portion (34e) of the vane (34a).

Abstract: A rotary expander includes: a cylinder (61); a piston (62) disposed inside the cylinder (61); closing members disposed with the cylinder (61) being sandwiched therebetween; and an injection passage for introducing further a working fluid in the expansion process of the working fluid. An introduction outlet (65c) of the injection passage leading to the working chamber (69) is provided at a position located inwardly away from the inner circumferential surface (61b) of the cylinder (61), on one of the closing members, in such a manner that the injection passage and the discharge passage are not communicated with each other.

Abstract: An oil supply passage (68) is formed inside a rotating shaft (56) of a compression mechanism (21). An oil supply passage (38) is formed inside a rotating shaft (36) of an expansion mechanism (22). A boss portion (81) is provided at a lower end of the rotating shaft (56). A shaft portion (82) that is engaged in the boss portion (81) is provided at an upper end of the rotating shaft (36). The circumference of a coupling part (80), which includes the boss portion (81) and the shaft portion (82) is covered by an upper bearing (42) of the expansion mechanism (22). The upper bearing (42) supports both the rotating shaft (36) and the rotating shaft (56).

Abstract: A fluid machine (10) includes a closed casing (11) in which an oil reservoir (16) for holding oil is formed in a bottom part.

Abstract: The expander-compressor unit 70 includes the closed casing 1, the expansion mechanism 4 disposed in the closed casing 1 in such a manner that a surrounding space thereof is filled with the oil 60, the compression mechanism 2 disposed in the closed casing 1 in such a manner that the compression mechanism is positioned higher than the oil level 60p, the shaft 5 for coupling the compression mechanism 2 and the expansion mechanism 4 to each other, and the oil flow suppressing member 50 disposed in the surrounding space of the expansion mechanism 4 so that the space 55a filled with the oil 60 is formed between the expansion mechanism 4 and the oil flow suppressing member 50.

Abstract: An expander of the present invention includes a plurality of suction ports for guiding a working fluid to a working chamber, and the plurality of suction ports includes a first suction port (71) and a second suction port (73) with a differential pressure valve (72). The ratio R2 of time length of an expansion process of expanding the working fluid in the working chamber to time length of a suction process in which the working fluid is sucked into the working chamber (55a) from the first suction port (71) and the second suction port (73) by opening the differential pressure valve (72) is smaller than the ratio R1 of the time length of the expansion process to a suction process in which the working fluid is sucked into the working chamber (55a) only from the first suction port (71) by closing the differential pressure valve (72).

Abstract: A display device for effecting a display of a colored image against a colorless background which has a mixture of a liquid crystal having, disposed between a pair of glass substrates, a positive dielectric anisotropy to serve as a host material and a dichroic dye to serve as a guest material, each of which substrates having a transparent electrode of a required pattern adherently formed on its inner surface, characterized in that at least a portion of said pattern of the transparent electrode on each substrate is subjected to a treatment for causing orientation of the molecules of the liquid crystal in a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate when no voltage is applied, and the remaining portions of said pattern and the inner surface of said substrate to be in contact with the liquid crystal are subjected to a treatment for causing orientation of the molecules of the liquid crystal in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate when no voltage is applied.

Abstract: A guest-host type liquid crystal display device not requiring the use of external polarizers, comprises: at least two guest-host type liquid crystal cells which are superimposed one upon another, two of which are constructed in a manner that the liquid crystal molecules contained in these two cells and located close to the boundary between the two cells are aligned in a direction parallel to the plane of the boundary, but that the direction of alignment of the molecules in one of these two cells is perpendicular to that in the other cell when a voltage is applied to both cells, or alternatively when no voltage is applied to both cells, or alternatively when a voltage is applied to only one of these two cells.

Abstract: A guest-host type liquid crystal display device not requiring the use of external polarizers, comprises: two guest-host type liquid crystal cells which are superimposed one upon the other and which are constructed in a manner that the liquid crystal molecules contained in the respective cells and located close to the boundary between the two cells are aligned in a direction parallel to the plane of the boundary, but that the direction of alignment of the molecules in one cell is perpendicular to that in the other cell when a voltage is applied, or alternatively when no voltage is applied. In case the perpendicular state is realized when a voltage is applied, the molecules are caused to be rearranged in a direction normal to the substrate by the removal of the applied voltage, whereas in case said state is realized when no voltage is applied, such rearrangement can be achieved by the application of a voltage.