Air cooling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161684-B2
Application number	US-201715635486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 10, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

An air cooling unit is an air cooling unit used in a Rankine cycle system and includes an expander and a condenser. The expander recovers energy from a working fluid by expanding the working fluid. The condenser cools the working fluid using air. The air cooling unit includes a heat-transfer reducer that reduces heat transfer between the expander and an air path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air cooling unit for use in a Rankine cycle system, comprising:
a housing;
a partition in the housing to restrict air flow between an expander storage and a condenser storage, the partition isolating air flow in the condenser storage from flowing into the expander storage;
an expander that is disposed in the expander storage and that expands a working fluid so as to recover energy therefrom;
a condenser that is disposed in the condenser storage;
a fan that is disposed in the condenser storage and that generates cooling air flowing through the condenser and through the condenser storage;
a bypass passage through which the working fluid flows while bypassing the expander; and
a control valve that is disposed on the bypass passage and that adjusts a flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the bypass passage;
wherein the expander storage isolates the cooling air flowing through the condenser from cooling the expander.

2. A Rankine cycle system comprising the air cooling unit according to claim 1 .

3. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a pump that receives the working fluid ejected from the condenser and ejects the working fluid to circulate the working fluid in the Rankin cycle system.

4. The air cooling unit according to claim 3 , wherein the expander is positioned above the pump.

5. The air cooling unit according to claim 3 , further comprising a controller that controls the air cooling unit or the Rankine cycle system,
wherein the controller is cooled with the working fluid ejected from the pump.

6. The air cooling unit according to claim 3 , further comprising a repeater that causes the working fluid ejected from the pump and the working fluid ejected from the expander to exchange heat therebetween.

7. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump that receives the working fluid ejected from the condenser and ejects the working fluid to circulate the working fluid in the Rankin cycle system,
wherein internal space of the housing is partitioned into a pump storage in which the pump is disposed.

8. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump that receives the working fluid ejected from the condenser and ejects the working fluid to circulate the working fluid in the Rankin cycle system and is provided in the housing,
wherein a first flow path for connecting the expander to an evaporator disposed outside the air cooling unit extends to an outside of the housing through the expander storage,
wherein a second flow path for connecting the pump to the evaporator disposed outside the air cooling unit extends to the outside of the housing through the expander storage, and
wherein a first connector for connecting a pipe connected to an outlet of the evaporator to the first flow path and a second connector for connecting a pipe connected to an inlet of the evaporator to the second flow path are disposed outside the housing.

9. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is positioned upwind from the condenser.

10. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller that is positioned upwind from the condenser and that controls the air cooling unit or the Rankine cycle system.

11. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator that evaporates the working fluid.

12. The air cooling unit according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of:
a first insulator surrounding the expander storage to reduce heat transfer from the expander storage; and
a heat insulator surrounding the expander to reduce heat transfer from the expander.

13. An air cooling unit for use in a Rankine cycle system, comprising:
a housing;
a partition in the housing to restrict air flow between an expander storage and a condenser storage, the partition isolating air flow in the condenser storage from flowing into the expander storage;
an expander that is disposed in the expander storage and that expands a working fluid so as to recover energy therefrom;
a condenser that is disposed in the condenser storage;
a fan that is disposed in the condenser storage and that generates cooling air flowing through the condenser and through the condenser storage;
a pump that receives the working fluid ejected from the condenser and ejects the working fluid to circulate the working fluid in the Rankin cycle system; and
a controller that controls the air cooling unit or the Rankine cycle system;
wherein the controller is cooled with the working fluid ejected from the pump
wherein the expander storage isolates the cooling air flowing through the condenser from cooling the expander.

14. A Rankine cycle system comprising the air cooling unit according to claim 13 .

15. An air cooling unit for use in a Rankine cycle system, comprising:
a housing;
a partition in the housing to restrict air flow between an expander storage and a condenser storage, the partition isolating air flow in the condenser storage from flowing into the expander storage;
an expander that is disposed in the expander storage and that expands a working fluid so as to recover energy therefrom;
a condenser that is disposed in the condenser storage;
a fan that is disposed in the condenser storage and that generates cooling air flowing through the condenser and through the condenser storage;
a pump that receives the working fluid ejected from the condenser and ejects the working fluid to circulate the working fluid in the Rankin cycle system; and
a repeater that causes the working fluid ejected from the pump and the working fluid ejected from the expander to exchange heat therebetween,
wherein the expander storage isolates the cooling air flowing through the condenser from cooling the expander.

16. A Rankine cycle system comprising the air cooling unit according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kosuda Osamu
• Kido Osao
• Okaichi Atsuo
• Hikichi Takumi
• Konoto Masaaki
• Nishiyama Noriyoshi
• Tomigashi Yoshio
• Matsuyama Tetsuya

Classifications

• F01K25/08

  using special vapours · CPC title

• F01K9/02

  Arrangements or modifications of condensate or air pumps · CPC title

• F01K9/003

  condenser cooling circuits · CPC title

• F01K11/00 Primary

  Plants characterised by the engines being structurally combined with boilers or condensers · CPC title

• F28B1/06 Primary

  using air or other gas as the cooling medium · CPC title