Scroll expander with electricity generating scrolls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970441-B2
Application number	US-201414778240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A device for generating electrical power, the device comprising a scroll expander with first and second scrolls configured to move relative to each other when a fluid is provided to an inlet at a higher pressure than a pressure at an outlet. The first scroll is configured to provide a magnetic field and the second scroll comprises one or more conductors in which electric currents are induced when the first and second scrolls move relative to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for generating electrical power, the device comprising:
a scroll expander with first and second scrolls configured to move relative to each other when a fluid is provided to an inlet at a higher pressure than a pressure at an outlet,
wherein the first scroll comprises one or more magnetic regions, wherein each magnetic region is configured to provide a magnetic field, and
wherein the second scroll comprises one or more conductors in which electric currents are induced when the first and second scrolls move relative to each other.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic regions extend around and/or are spaced around the first scroll.

3. A device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more magnetic regions is unidirectionally magnetised.

4. A device according to claim 3 , wherein the first scroll has a centre and the at least one unidirectionally magnetised magnetic region is magnetised in a direction substantially parallel to a radial line extending from the centre of the first scroll through a centre of the at least one unidirectionally magnetised magnetic region.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductors comprise a plurality of conductors distributed around and along a length of the second scroll.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic regions comprise a plurality of magnetic regions and the one or more conductors comprise a plurality of conductors, and
wherein one or more of the plurality of conductors is arranged in association with a corresponding one or more of the plurality of magnetic regions.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more conductors comprises a coil.

8. A device according to claim 7 , wherein the first scroll has a centre and a coil axis of the coil is substantially aligned with a radial line extending from the centre of the first scroll.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the first scroll has a centre and at least one of the one or more conductors comprises one or more conducting members connecting two conducting plates, wherein the conducting members extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to a radial line extending from the centre of the first scroll.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more magnetic regions is included inside the first scroll.

11. A device according to claim 1 , comprising circuitry electrically connected to the one or more conductors and configured to convert the induced currents to provide an electrical output with predetermined characteristics.

12. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the second scroll comprises one or more magnetic regions, wherein each magnetic region of the second scroll is configured to provide a magnetic field.

13. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the first scroll further comprises one or more conductors in which electric currents are induced when the first and second scrolls move relative to each other.

14. A system comprising a device according to claim 1 , wherein the system is a micro combined heat and power system, a compressed air energy storage system, a back-up power system, a standby power system, or an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system.

15. A device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more conductors is included inside the second scroll.

16. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the second scroll has an inside and a plate associated with the second scroll comprises one or more passages to the inside of the second scroll to allow electrical connections to be made to the at least one conductor included inside the second scroll.

17. A device comprising:
a scroll compressor, the scroll compressor comprising first and second scrolls configured to move relative to each other to pump, compress or pressurize a fluid in response to a driving force applied to the first scroll and/or the second scroll,
wherein the first scroll comprises one or more magnetic regions, wherein each magnetic region is configured to provide a magnetic field, and
the second scroll comprises one or more conductors in which electric currents are induced when the first and second scrolls move relative to each other.

Assignees

• Univ Warwick

Inventors

• Wang Jihong
• Luo Xing

Classifications

• F01C1/0246

  Details concerning the involute wraps or their base, e.g. geometry · CPC title

• F01C1/0207 Primary

  both members having co-operating elements in spiral form · CPC title

• F05C2251/12

  Magnetic properties · CPC title

• F04C18/0207

  both members having co-operating elements in spiral form · CPC title

• H02K99/10

  Generators · CPC title