AU2002238276B2

AU2002238276B2 - Device for compressing a gas by using solar energy and/or ambient heat

Info

Publication number: AU2002238276B2
Application number: AU2002238276A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Bammer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-16
Filing date: 2002-03-15
Publication date: 2006-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-15
Also published as: CA2440459A1; CN1498310A; HRP20030738A2; PL363542A1; ATA4112001A; BR0208107A; WO2002075154A1; NO20034116D0; AT410966B; EA005229B1; MXPA03008305A; NZ528439A; EA200301021A1; KR20030084976A; NO20034116L; YU72503A; EP1377751A1; JP2004522898A

Description

VERIFICATION OF TRANSLATION INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION NO. PCT/ATO2/0084 Herbert Dubno, a citizen of the United States of 1, (name and address of translator) Ameri esiding at 5938 Liebig Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471, USA anm the translator of the document(s) attached and I state that the following is a true ftraslation to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature of Translator------- 8 September 2003 Dated 22667 PCT/AT02/00084

[TRANSLATION]

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING A GAS BY MEANS OF SOLAR ENERGY AND/OR AMBIENT HEAT Technical Field The invention relates to an apparatus for compacting a gas by means of solar energy and/or ambient heat.

State of the Art From United States Patent 5,259,363 an apparatus for solar energy recovery is known. The apparatus has a solar collector which is combined with a high pressure heat exchanger.

The high pressure heat exchanger, which is filled with gas, is connected through a turbine with a heat exchanger. The gas is brought to a high temperature level with the aid of the solar collector (when the sun shines) and is led into a turbine. In the turbine, the gas is completely expanded and is further cooled in the heat exchanger which is not under high pressure. Through the complete expansion a pump is necessary with which the expanded gas is again compressed and can be fed to the high pressure heat exchanger.

Disclosure of the Invention The invention has as its object to provide an apparatus with which it is not necessary to again fully compress the gas for the high pressure heat exchanger at each cycle and also to draw 1 22667 PCT/AT02/00084 upon ambient air energy and therewith drive, for example, an automobile.

This object is achieved with a device of the type described at the outset, according to the invention in that a first high pressure heat exchanger and a second high pressure heat exchanger are provided whose secondary sides have gas under pressure, whereby the first heat exchanger is subjected to solar radiation and/or the two heat exchangers lie at different temperature levels, and wherein a compressor is provided which is drivable by a pneumatic cylinder which utilizes the pressure difference between the two secondary sides, the compressor feeds gas to a pressure accumulator, and a pump is provided which, after pressure equalization, pumps the gas from the secondary side of the first heat exchanger into the secondary side of the second heat exchanger and vice versa.

The pressure difference which is developed between the two heat exchangers is converted in the compressor to mechanical energy. Upon pressure equalization there prevails in the interiors of the two high pressure heat exchangers still always a higher gas pressure by comparison to ambient air pressure.

It is advantageous when the primary side of the second heat exchanger additionally receives gas stemming from the pressure accumulator after it has been expanded in a useful-work turbine.

In this manner the expansion energy of the gas during the expansion is used for cooling down the second heat exchanger. Further it is advantageous when the primary side of the first heat exchanger has 2 22667 PCT/AT02/00084 a gas which is fed from the compressor into the pressure accumulator. In this manner the compression heat resulting from the gas compression in the gas compressor can also be supplied to the first high pressure heat exchanger. After passage of the compressed gas through the primary side of the first high pressure heat exchanger, the compressed gas is fed to the pressure accumulator.

Finally it is advantageous when the supply of further gas to the pressure accumulator, preferably over the primary side of the first heat exchanger or a further heat exchanger, is brought about by at least one further compressor which is drivable with other energy like, for example, brake energy, wind energy or even electrical energy obtained from photo cells. In this manner it is possible to feed the brake energy by energy conversion again to the pressure accumulator.

Brief Description of the Drawing An embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The figure shows a schematic illustration of a solar apparatus according to the invention with high pressure heat exchangers.

The apparatus is described in conjunction with an example for the operation of an automobile.

3 22667 PCT/AT02/00084 Best embodiment of the invention The apparatus encompasses two high pressure heat exchangers 1, 2, whose secondary sides 2" are connected together by a high pressure pipeline. The high pressure heat exchanger 1 has on its outer surfaces a dark color coating 1"' which enables it to serve as a solar collector. The high pressure heat exchanger 2 is equipped on its surfaces for transferring heat to the environment via cooling bodies In a passenger motor vehicle, for example, the roof, the hood and the trunk are formed as large one piece areas for collector arrangements (high pressure heat exchanger The high pressure heat exchanger 2 serving as the cooler for the system is for example mounted on the underside of the vehicle chassis. The other components of the apparatus will be described in greater detail in the course of the description of their functions.

The secondary sides 1" 2" of the high pressure heat exchangers 1 and 2 are connected by pipelines with a pneumatic cylinder 5. Upon start up of the system there prevails in the secondary circuit 2" of the two high pressure heat exchangers 1, 2 and in the pneumatic cylinder 5 the same pressure, for example 500 bar. The valves 8, 9, 9' and 31 are closed, the valves 32, 33 are open.

Because of solar radiation on the high pressure heat exchanger 1 the medium in its interior is heated and its pressure increased. The high pressure heat exchanger 2 is located in the -4- 22667 PCT/AT02/00084 shade and has ambient temperature. Because of the rising temperature in the high pressure heat exchanger 1, an overpressure develops which moves the piston of the pneumatic cylinder 5. The piston rod of the pneumatic cylinder 5 is connected with the piston of a compressor 40. As a result of this movement the piston in the compressor 40 is also shifted. After pressure equalization is largely complete, the valves 32 and 33 are closed. The valves 32' and 33' are opened and the piston of the pneumatic cylinder 5 is shifted back into its starting position. By a cross over of the high pressure pipelines between the two heat exchangers 1, 2 and the pneumatic cylinder 5 with the valves 32, 32' and 33, 33', the pressure difference in the secondary circuit of the two high pressure heat exchangers 1, 2, returns the piston of the pneumatic cylinder to its starting position. Simultaneously through the check valve 37 fresh air is drawn into the compressor Thereafter, the valves 32', 33' are again closed. A pump 6 pumps the contents of the high pressure heat exchangers 1 and 2 after the opening of the valves 8 and 31 between one another. The pump 6 is driven either with gas pressure which is otherwise unutilized from the pneumatic cylinder 5 or with stored gas pressure from a pressure accumulator 11.

If the pump 6 is driven with compressed air from the pressure accumulator 11, the valve 9 is opened for the pump duration. Should residual gas pressure from the pneumatic cylinder 5 be used, as an alternative to opening the valve 9, the valve 9' is opened.

22667 PCT/AT02/00084 Once the media of the high pressure heat exchangers 1 and 2 are interchanged by pumping, the valves 8, 9 or 9' and 31 are again closed. The valves 32, 22 are again opened. The medium in high pressure heat exchanger 1 is again heated by solar radiation and the medium in heat exchanger 2, in the shade, is cooled.

The compressed gas heated by compression in the compressor 40 is fed to the primary side 1' of the high pressure heat exchanger 1 through the check valve 36, to enable the compression heat to then be transferred to the secondary side 1".

After passing the high pressure heat exchanger 1, the pressure recovered by the compressor 40 is stored in the pressure accumulator 11. The compressed air stored in pressure accumulator 11 can then for example be converted to mechanical rotation energy in a turbine 12. The working pressure then amounts to between and 200 bar. The previously compressed medium expands as a result of its release of energy and cools down. This latter cooled air stream is not released into the environment unused but rather is fed through the primary side 2' of the primary heat exchanger.

The primary side 2' of the high pressure heat exchanger 2 transfers cold to the secondary side 2" and picks up heat from the secondary side The gas emerging from the primary side 2' is heated and can via a preheater 41 and a check valve 37 again be drawn into the compressor The heating up time of the high pressure heat exchanger 1 or the cooling down time of the high pressure heat exchanger 2 by the ambient temperatures which respectively prevail at them or the -6- 22667 PCT/AT02/00084 temperature difference between the ambient air temperature at the sun side 19 of the system and the ambient air temperature on the shade side 14 are shortened. A typical temperature difference amounts to 15 K. Because of the temperature difference between the ambient air between the sun side and the shade side there arises a pressure difference between the secondary side 1" of the high pressure heat exchanger 1 and the secondary side 2" of the high pressure heat exchanger 2 independent of the solar radiation on the high pressure heat exchanger I. This pressure difference again moves the piston of the pneumatic circular 5 and the piston of the compressor 40. The recovery of brake energy is effected by feeding the mechanical energy into a gas compressor 21.

Alternatively, the gas compressor 21 can be driven also by other energy forms 23, for example renewable energy forms, like wind energy. The gas compressor 21 draws fresh air in and supplies it as compressed air to the line 20 and through a check valve 24 to the primary side 1' of the heat exchanger 1 and to the pressure accumulator 11. The compression heat of the compressor 21 is supplied prior to the storage of the compressed air in the pressure accumulator 11 also to the primary side 1' of the high pressure heat exchanger 1 to heat the latter. Through the heat transfer from the primary side 1' to the secondary side 1" in the high pressure heat exchanger 1 there arises as has already been described a pressure difference between the secondary sides 2" of the high pressure heat exchangers 1 and 2.

7 22667 PCTVAT02/00084 For additional cooling of the high pressure heat exchanger 2, wind or wind resulting from the travelling of the vehicle is passed over the cooling bodies of the high pressure heat exchanger 2.

It is also possible to use correspondingly dimensioned high pressure heat exchangers 1, 2 as heating or cooling in the passenger compartments of the vehicle. The preheating of the air possibly drawn in for this purpose utilizing the preheater 41 should be carried out in the region in which there is solar radiation to achieve a corresponding efficiency.

The compressor 40, pump 6 and pressure accumulator 11 can have their locations as in today's units in motor vehicles. The drive unit of the vehicle can provide a central drive indirectly to the wheel hubs using existing drive trains with compressed air motors or turbines or can directly drive the wheel hubs decentrally.

The solar apparatus is also suitable for stationary operations, for example on building roofs. The energy which is recovered can be stored locally and need not be fed to an electric current network. With wind powered apparatus the use of correspondingly configured gas compressors 21 is possible to increase the efficiency and even utilize and even make use of wind squalls and stronger winds. Each rotor rotation can give rise to an irresistible movement of the gas compressor 21. The compression heat can simultaneously be used in one or more high pressure heat exchangers 1, 2. With corresponding pressure accumulators 11, 8 22667 PCT/AT02/00084 energy can be locally stored. The stored energy can be used as required to cover peak load. This enables also an economical operation of small wind powered plants.

Via the high pressure heat exchangers, residual heat from power plants, machines, etc. can be economically used.

9

Claims

1. An apparatus for compressing a gas by means of solar energy and/or ambient heat, characterized in that a first high pressure heat exchanger and a second high pressure heat exchanger are provided whose secondary sides have gas under pressure, whereby the first heat exchanger is exposed to solar radiation and/or the two heat exchangers 2) lie at different temperature levels, in that a compressor (40) is provided which is drivable by a pneumatic cylinder which uses the pressure difference between the two secondary sides, in that the gas from the compressor (40) is fed to a pressure accumulator (11) and in that a pump is provided which, after the pressure equalization, pumps the gas from the secondary side of the first heat exchanger into the secondary side of the second heat exchanger and vice versa.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the primary side of the second heat exchanger has a gas which stems from the pressure accumulator (11) after it has been expanded in a useful work turbine (12).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the primary side of the first heat exchanger has a gas which is fed from the compressor (40) into the pressure accumulator (11). 10 22667 PCT/AT02/00084

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that for feeding further gas into the pressure accumulators (11) preferably over the primary side of the first heat exchanger or a further heat exchanger, at least one further compressor (21) is provided which is drivable by other energy, like for example brake energy, wind energy or electrical energy obtained from photo cells. 11