A charging system for charging a reactor with air used energy produced by the reactor and includes a vessel having a hollow interior cavity partially filled with a liquid slug, a first air pocket within the cavity on a first side of the liquid slug, and a second air pocket within the cavity on a second side of the liquid slug. The liquid slug forms a water trap seal in the cavity between the two pockets and moves within the vessel in a cycle in which gas is loaded into the first air pocket in a first stroke and gas in the first air pocket is compressed in a second stroke. Movement of the liquid slug during the second stroke is caused by an increasing pressure in the second air pocket due to introduction of high-pressure gas from the reactor into the second air pocket.

The mechanical liquid piston slow expansion compressor (1) comprises a liquid cylinder (8) which pivots about a tilt axis (9) and into which a hydraulic piston (10) translates, which is fixedly secured to a connecting rod (11) connected to a crank (26) of a crankshaft (24), the axis of rotation of which is parallel to the tilt axis (9), while piston guiding means (23) maintain the connecting rod (11) and the hydraulic piston (10) always parallel to the liquid cylinder (8), these two latter forming a variable hydraulic volume (12) filled with a working liquid (13) which communicates with a gas and liquid reservoir (14) in which heat exchange and accumulation means (16) are housed, said reservoir (14) and said liquid (13) forming a variable pneumatic volume (2) in which a working gas (5) is compressed or expanded.

A linear compressor includes a cylinder that defines a compression chamber configured to accommodate refrigerant and that includes a cylinder nozzle configured to receive refrigerant, and a piston provided in the cylinder and configured to be pressed by refrigerant in the cylinder. The piston includes a piston body configured to move forward and backward within the cylinder, a piston front part located on a front surface of the piston body, the piston front part comprising a suction port through which refrigerant is supplied into the compression chamber, and a refrigerant collection part that is recessed from an outer circumferential surface of the piston front part, that extends to a front surface of the piston front part, and that is configured to receive at least a portion of refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber.

A method of compressing a gas includes pumping, using a pump, at least a portion of a liquid contained in a first chamber to a second chamber containing a gas at a first pressure such that the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber compresses the gas in the second chamber to a second pressure greater than the first pressure, wherein the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber is admitted into the second chamber so that the admitted liquid flows along an internal surface of the second chamber.

A method of compressing a gas includes maintaining a first volume of liquid in a first high pressure chamber and maintaining a first volume of gas in a second high pressure chamber, wherein the first volume of gas is at a first pressure and the first high pressure chamber and the second high pressure chamber are fluidly connected through a high pressure pump. A pressurized gas is forced into the first high pressure chamber having the first volume of liquid and simultaneously pumping, using the high pressure pump, at least a portion of the first volume of liquid in the first high pressure chamber to the second high pressure chamber, wherein the first volume of liquid pumped into the second high pressure chamber compresses the first volume of gas in the second high pressure chamber to a second pressure greater than the first pressure.

A device for use in compressing or expanding a working fluid, such as a gas, includes a container, a piston, working fluid, ferrofluid, and at least one magnetic component. The piston includes a piston face. The piston face and the container define an interior cavity having a volume that varies in response to movement of the piston relative to the container. The working fluid and the ferrofluid are contained in the interior cavity. The at least one magnetic component has a magnetic field that exerts magnetic forces on the ferrofluid that stabilize the ferrofluid in a subset of the interior cavity. This displaces the working fluid within the interior cavity.

A device for use in compressing or expanding a working fluid, such as a gas, includes a container, a piston, working fluid, ferrofluid, and at least one magnetic component. The piston includes a piston face. The piston face and the container define an interior cavity having a volume that varies in response to movement of the piston relative to the container. The working fluid and the ferrofluid are contained in the interior cavity. The at least one magnetic component has a magnetic field that exerts magnetic forces on the ferrofluid that stabilize the ferrofluid in a subset of the interior cavity. This displaces the working fluid within the interior cavity.

A reciprocating compressor of the disclosure includes a cylinder, a piston, a space for compressing gas, a discharge port for discharging the compressed gas from the space, a discharge valve, and a supplying port for supplying liquid that is different in kind from the gas. The cylinder has an axis extending in a direction of gravity. The piston is disposed to be reciprocable along the axis inside the cylinder. The space is constituted above the piston by being surrounded by the piston and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. The inner peripheral surface of the cylinder includes a straight portion and a throttle portion. The throttle portion is constituted such that an inner diameter of the cylinder decreases toward the discharge valve.

A liquid piston system includes a liquid piston compressor/expander assembly and a drive mechanism. The liquid piston compressor/expander assembly includes a reciprocating cylinder coupled with the drive mechanism and a static liquid piston received in the cylinder cavity. The static liquid piston includes a piston face configured to carry liquid piston fluid. The reciprocating cylinder is configured to move relative to the static liquid piston between contracted and expanded positions. In a compressor, at the expanded position the cylinder head is withdrawn from liquid piston fluid and the cylinder cavity is filled with the compressible fluid. In the contracted position the cylinder head of the reciprocating cylinder is near the liquid piston fluid and the compressible fluid is compressed. With an expander, in the contracted position the compressible fluid is introduced to the cylinder cavity and the expanding compressible fluid moves the reciprocating cylinder to the expanded position.

The mechanical liquid piston slow expansion compressor (1) comprises a liquid cylinder (8) which pivots about a tilt axis (9) and into which a hydraulic piston (10) translates, which is fixedly secured to a connecting rod (11) connected to a crank (26) of a crankshaft (24), the axis of rotation of which is parallel to the tilt axis (9), while piston guiding means (23) maintain the connecting rod (11) and the hydraulic piston (10) always parallel to the liquid cylinder (8), these two latter forming a variable hydraulic volume (12) filled with a working liquid (13) which communicates with a gas and liquid reservoir (14) in which heat exchange and accumulation means (16) are housed, said reservoir (14) and said liquid (13) forming a variable pneumatic volume (2) in which a working gas (5) is compressed or expanded.