Apparatus and Method for Cooling of Air
A wind turbine apparatus for cooling of air having a wind turbine axially connected to a refrigeration compressor arranged to compress refrigerant, at least one tube for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outwards, a construction for causing the compressed refrigerant to lose pressure so as to cool fades of the wind turbine, and a conduit for returning spent refrigerant centripetally to the compressor.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cooling air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a wind turbine apparatus for cooling of air characterised by comprising a wind turbine axially connected to a refrigeration compressor arranged to compress refrigerant, means for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outwards, means for causing the compressed refrigerant to lose pressure so as to cool blades of the wind turbine, and means for returning spent refrigerant centripetally to the compressor.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of condensing water from ambient air, which comprises driving, by means of ambient wind, a wind turbine apparatus in accordance with the present invention mounted in a duct by ambient wind so as to cause blades of the wind turbine to be cooled and to thereby cool ambient wind air passing through the duct and the wind turbine, and causing water vapour in the ambient wind air to condense to form liquid water, and collecting the liquid water.
In accordance with a yet further aspect of the present invention there is provided a wind turbine having at least one blade mounted to a compressor housing mounted on a shaft for axial rotation relative to the shaft, and means for conducting compressed refrigerant outward centrifugally and means for returning the refrigerant centripetally through the or each blade with loss of pressure and change of phase from liquid to gas so as to cool the or each blade.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In
In use, the turbine blade 16 is caused to rotate axially about the shaft 12 by the kinetic energy of ambient wind air. Rotation of the blade 16 causes rotation of the compressor housing 14 and refrigerant in the compressor housing 14 to be compressed so as to undergo a phase change from gas to liquid. The compressed liquid refrigerant flows outwardly driven by the compressor and assisted by centrifugal force along the tube 18 to the cooling coil 20 which acts as a manifold.
As shown, the refrigerant has to travel almost in a complete circle to reach the pipe 22. This enables the compressed refrigerant to be cooled during its residence in the cooling coil 20.
The refrigerant leaves the cooling coil 20 through the constriction 23 which leads into the pipe 22. At this point the refrigerant undergoes a rapid loss of pressure and thus evaporates back to the gaseous phase and causes the blade 16 to be cooled. The spent refrigerant then passes centripetally back to the housing 14 on a low pressure line of the compressor 13.
The cooling of the blade 16 causes ambient wind air to be cooled which has useful effects as will be described.
In
In
Further, there is shown in
Ambient wind air blowing in the direction of an arrow 50 flows through the wind turbine 10 so as to cause the latter to rotate such that the blades 16 are cooled. This causes the air temperature to fall below the condensation point or dew point and water vapour to condense from the ambient air to form liquid water. This is enhanced by the presence of baffles 52 which impede the flow of air and induce liquid water to collect thereon. The liquid water flows from the baffles 52 onto a sloping floor portion 54 from which the liquid water flows into a collection trough 56. The cooled air from which water has been removed is exhausted through an upper outlet 58. As can be seen in
In
In
In
In
In this Figure there is shown an apparatus 80 having a funnel 82 at an intermediate level and a downwardly directed deviation device 84. The device 84 is arranged to pivot about a substantially vertical axis so as to orientate itself, in use, into a position which is most effective in directing the ambient wind air through a wind turbine 10. Cooled air can then enter a condensation chamber 86 below the wind turbine 10 and deposit moisture on baffles 88. The deposited moisture can then flow into a collection trough 90. The cooled air depleted of moisture can then pass upwardly to an upper vent 92.
In
In
In
As shown in
In
In use, a hub 122 rotates axially about the shaft 128 and the chamber 124 rotates with the hub 122. This movement causes the bearings 132 to slide in the channels 130 and the rods 134 to reciprocate correspondingly in the guide member 138. In this way the chamber 124 is expanded and retracted so alternately compressing and driving out compressed refrigerant through a one way valve 140 and allowing ingress of used refrigerant through a one way valve 142.
In
It is also envisaged that the refrigeration compressor used in the apparatus of the present inventions could be in the form of a scroll compressor.
This embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
In
The housing 151 is rotated, in use, by rotation of blades of a wind turbine as described hereinabove.
As indicated above, the scroll compressor 150 is mounted on a bearing on the fixed axial shaft (not shown). One scroll 156 is attached to the housing 151 whilst another 158 is driven by three planetary gears 160 mounted on the housing 151 disposed at the apex of an equilateral triangle. The gears 160 are driven by the ring gear 154. The scroll 158 maybe described as a wobbling scroll.
The gears 160 are asymmetrically connected to the plate 152 by means of respective pivotal connections 162. In use the housing 151 is axially rotated by the wind turbine. This causes the planetary gears to be turned by engagement with the fixed ring gear 154. This causes the ring gear 154 to rotate and thereby cause rotation of the planetary gears 160. Rotation of the planetary gears 160 causes the plate 152 to move in a wobbling motion which causes the scroll 158 to move correspondingly.
As shown in
As described hereinabove, the compressed liquid refrigerant is thus urged outwardly of the compressor housing 151 through a tube (not shown) by centrifugal-force. Further, as described hereinabove, the spent refrigerant returns through pipes (not shown) to the interior of housing 151 where it enters the gap between the scrolls 156 and 158.
In
In this embodiment there is a central shaft 182 having mounted thereon a housing 184. The housing is mounted on a bearing on the shaft 182. The shaft 182 may or may not be continuous. A central gear wheel 186 is fixedly mounted about the shaft 182. The gear wheel 186 is connected to three planetary gears 188.
Further, as can be seen in
The shaft 182 and the gear wheel 186 are fixed in position. The housing 184 is arranged to rotate about the shaft 182 as described hereinabove. The planetary gears 188 engage with the gear wheel 186 and are thereby caused to rotate as the housing 184 rotates. This rotation of the planetary gears 188 causes the scroll 158 to move on the plates 190 by means of the pins 192 such that the scroll 158 undergoes a wobbly motion as described hereinabove.
Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A wind turbine apparatus for cooling of air comprising a wind turbine axially connected to a refrigeration compressor arranged to compress refrigerant, means for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outwards, means for causing the compressed refrigerant to lose pressure so as to cool blades of the wind turbine, and means for returning spent refrigerant centripetally to the compressor.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a central shaft and the refrigeration compressor has a housing which is mounted about the shaft, the compressor housing being arranged to rotate axially relative to the shaft.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of turbine blades are mounted on the housing and extend away therefrom.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein tube means extends outwardly from the housing and interconnects with a peripheral coil.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the coil is disposed externally of the apparatus so as to radiate heat to the ambient air
6. An apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a respective return pipe extends from the coil through one or more turbine blades, the or each return pipe being provided adjacent the coil with a constriction so as to cause the refrigerant to undergo loss of pressure and the turbine blades to be cooled, the spent refrigerant then returning centripetally back to the housing on a low pressure side of the compressor.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there is provided a wind collecting device into which ambient wind air flows, the wind collecting device contains the wind turbine and the ambient wind air causes the wind turbine to rotate so as to cause refrigerant to be compressed by the refrigeration compressor and to flow outwardly under centrifugal force and return centripetally to the refrigeration compressor to cause cooling of the blades so as to cause water vapour in the ambient wind air to condense to form liquid water.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the wind collecting device comprises an inlet funnel upstream of the wind turbine and an outlet condensation chamber downstream of the wind turbine, and an intermediate portion narrower than the inlet funnel, the intermediate portion containing the wind turbine.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the condensation chamber comprises a baffle to enhance condensation of water from the ambient air.
10. An apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the outlet condensation chamber is provided with means for collecting liquid water condensed from the ambient wind air.
11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the duct is provided with flaps which are arranged to be opened when facing windward.
12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the outlet condensation chamber has an outlet vent provided with an additional wind turbine to reduce pressure in the outlet vent and enhance removal of exhaust air.
13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wind turbine has adjacent pairs of wind guides with respective flaps therebetween, the flaps being arranged to be opened when facing in the direction of ambient wind.
14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein there is provided a deviation device arranged to pivot about a substantially vertical axis so as to orientate itself, in use, into a position which is most effective in directing ambient wind through the wind turbine.
15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration compressor has a central rotatable housing having blades provided therein, the refrigeration compressor further comprising compressor blades mounted on a drive shaft, the compressor blades being arranged to be driven by a gear train fitted to an inner wall of the housing.
16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the refrigeration compressor comprises a housing containing an eccentrically mounted roller.
17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration compressor comprises a housing containing an elastic chamber containing refrigerant which elastic chamber is arranged to be alternately contracted and expanded.
18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration compressor comprises a housing containing a scroll compressor.
19. A method of condensing water from ambient air which comprises driving, by means of ambient wind, a wind turbine apparatus in accordance with claim 1, mounted in a duct so as to cause blades of the wind turbine to be cooled and to thereby cool ambient wind air passing through the duct and the wind turbine, and causing water vapour in the ambient wind air to condense to form liquid water, and collecting the liquid water.
20. A wind turbine having at least one blade mounted to a refrigeration compressor housing mounted on a shaft for axial rotation relative to the shaft and means for conducting compressed refrigerant centrifugally outward and means for returning the refrigerant centripetally through the or each blade with loss of pressure and change of phase of the refrigerant from liquid to gas so as to cool the or each blade.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 16, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 6, 2007
Inventor: Maxwell Whisson (Western Australia)
Application Number: 11/660,290
International Classification: F25D 17/06 (20060101); F25D 9/00 (20060101); F25D 17/04 (20060101); F25B 1/00 (20060101);