A compact cooling and boosting gas turbine system provides combined cooling, heating, and electrical power with high energy efficiency. The system has a pressure booster and a turbo-compressor. The pressure booster includes a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, and a piston, and is in fluid communication with a gas turbine engine. The pressure booster also includes a coolant inlet, a coolant chamber, and a coolant outlet, and is in fluid communication with a closed pressurized coolant flow. The turbo-compressor includes a compressor and a turbine, and is in fluid communication with a water input flow and with the closed pressurized coolant flow. A coolant flow control valve controls the closed pressurized coolant flow. The system is configured to provide a cold water flow for a first position of the flow control valve and to provide a hot water flow for a second position of the flow control valve.

An air turbo-refrigeration unit includes a compressor on die same shaft as a turbo-expander, an electric motor, a two-cavity heat exchanger, a recuperator, a water trap, and a refrigeration chamber with a cooler and a fan. The unit has a two-cavity heat exchanger/cooler and second and third water traps. The compressor is connected by its outlet to the first cavity of the heat exchanger, which connects to the first cavity of the heat exchanger/cooler. The first cavity of the heat exchanger/cooler is connected via the second water trap to the first cavity of the recuperator, which communicates with the inlet of the turbo-expander via the first water trap. The turbo-expander is connected by its outlet via the third water trap to the second cavity of the heat exchanger/cooler, which communicates with the cooler and, via the cooler, with the second cavity of the recuperator, which communicates with the compressor inlet.

An air conditioning system is provided and including a solar heat generator configured for collecting solar radiation and for heating fluid by the solar radiation and a fluid container coupled to the solar heat generator and being configured to maintain the heated fluid. The system further includes a heat exchanger disposed inside the fluid container and being configured for transferring heat from the heated fluid to refrigerant inside the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is configured to increase pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. The system further includes a condenser, an expansion member and an evaporator configured to form together with the heat exchanger an air-conditioning cycle.

A turbo economizer adapted to be used in a chiller system includes a nozzle, a turbine, and an economizer impeller. The nozzle introduces refrigerant into the turbo economizer. The turbine is disposed downstream of the nozzle, and the turbine is attached to a shaft rotatable about a rotation axis. A flow of the refrigerant introduced through the nozzle drives the turbine to rotate the shaft. The economizer impeller is attached to the shaft so as to be rotated in accordance with rotation of the shaft. In the turbo economizer, the nozzle reduces a pressure of the refrigerant such that a pressure of the refrigerant entering the turbo economizer is lower than a predetermined pressure, at least some of the refrigerant passes through the nozzle is introduced into the economizer impeller, and the economizer impeller increases a pressure of the refrigerant introduced thereinto to the predetermined pressure.

A turbo economizer adapted to be used in a chiller system includes a nozzle, a turbine, and an economizer impeller. The nozzle introduces refrigerant into the turbo economizer. The turbine is disposed downstream of the nozzle, and the turbine is attached to a shaft rotatable about a rotation axis. A flow of the refrigerant introduced through the nozzle drives the turbine to rotate the shaft. The economizer impeller is attached to the shaft so as to be rotated in accordance with rotation of the shaft. In the turbo economizer, the nozzle reduces a pressure of the refrigerant such that a pressure of the refrigerant entering the turbo economizer is lower than a predetermined pressure, at least some of the refrigerant passes through the nozzle is introduced into the economizer impeller, and the economizer impeller increases a pressure of the refrigerant introduced thereinto to the predetermined pressure.

A refrigeration apparatus includes a compressor, two or more cylinders coupled with the compressor, and an airproof container enclosing the cylinders and filled with air or other gas. Each cylinder is provided with a piston, an inlet valve coupled with the compressor, and an outlet valve coupled with a condenser. When inlet valves are open, outlet valves are closed, and pistons move from bottom to top of cylinders, refrigerant flows from compressor into cylinders through inlet valves; and when inlet valves are closed and outlet valves are open, refrigerant flows from cylinders into condenser through outlet valves. Then, air pressure in cylinders drops, and pressure in airproof container forces pistons to move to the bottom of cylinders. The pressure in airproof container is utilized by cylinders to produce electrical energy.

A refrigeration apparatus includes a compressor, two or more cylinders coupled with the compressor, and an airproof container enclosing the cylinders and filled with air or other gas. Each cylinder is provided with a piston, an inlet valve coupled with the compressor, and an outlet valve coupled with a condenser. When inlet valves are open, outlet valves are closed, and pistons move from bottom to top of cylinders, refrigerant flows from compressor into cylinders through inlet valves; and when inlet valves are closed and outlet valves are open, refrigerant flows from cylinders into condenser through outlet valves. Then, air pressure in cylinders drops, and pressure in airproof container forces pistons to move to the bottom of cylinders. The pressure in airproof container is utilized by cylinders to produce electrical energy.

A method of operating an environmental control system of an aircraft includes providing a first medium to the environmental control system including a compressor and a turbine, wherein the first medium is provided to the compressor and the turbine sequentially and extracting work from a second medium provided to a power turbine operably coupled to the compressor to drive the compressor. In a first mode of operation, the first medium to be provided to a downstream load is output from the turbine, in a second mode of operation, at least a portion of the first medium to be provided to a downstream load bypasses the turbine, and in a third mode of operation, at least a portion of the first medium output from the compressor is provided to the power turbine.

A method of operating an environmental control system of an aircraft includes providing a first medium to the environmental control system including a compressor and a turbine, wherein the first medium is provided to the compressor and the turbine sequentially and extracting work from a second medium provided to a power turbine operably coupled to the compressor to drive the compressor. In a first mode of operation, the first medium to be provided to a downstream load is output from the turbine, in a second mode of operation, at least a portion of the first medium to be provided to a downstream load bypasses the turbine, and in a third mode of operation, at least a portion of the first medium output from the compressor is provided to the power turbine.

According to some aspects of the invention a heat pump includes first and second heat extraction units to extract heat from first and second heat sources in first and second temperature ranges, respectively, where the second temperature range is, on average, higher than the first temperature range. A fluid via defines a pathway through which the working fluid flows serially from the first heat extraction unit to the second heat extraction unit to the thermal storage unit. A pressure reduction stage is coupled to the via and serially disposed on the fluid circuit between the thermal store and the first heat extraction unit. In addition, either a compressor or a recuperator (or both) are coupled to the via and disposed on the fluid circuit between the first heat extraction unit and the second heat extraction unit.