A refrigeration unit with dynamic air cooling is described. It includes a centrifugal compressor with an electric drive, whose outlet is connected to a working element, whose outlet is connected to the inlet of a turbine. The turbine is connected to an electrical energy generator, where the outlet of the turbine is directed towards a wall-pipe heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is connected to a pump. Between the centrifugal compressor and the working element there is a pipe-wall exchanger of the air-air type, to which a fan is connected. The working element of the unit has a cylindrical hollow profile comprising helical recesses with a substantially oval shape.

A refrigeration unit with dynamic air cooling is described. It includes a centrifugal compressor with an electric drive, whose outlet is connected to a working element, whose outlet is connected to the inlet of a turbine. The turbine is connected to an electrical energy generator, where the outlet of the turbine is directed towards a wall-pipe heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is connected to a pump. Between the centrifugal compressor and the working element there is a pipe-wall exchanger of the air-air type, to which a fan is connected. The working element of the unit has a cylindrical hollow profile comprising helical recesses with a substantially oval shape.

An apparatus includes an evaporator-expansion module configured to (A) provide electric energy to a building structure, and (B) cooperate with an air-handler module configured to provide thermal energy to a building structure. The evaporator-expansion module includes an evaporator assembly including a heated fluid conduit, a refrigerant conduit, and a thermal buffer. The heated fluid conduit is configured to convey a heated fluid. The refrigerant conduit is configured to convey an evaporator refrigerant. The thermal buffer is configured to be positioned relative to the heated fluid conduit and the refrigerant conduit. This is done in such a way that the thermal buffer transfers thermal energy from the heated fluid that is positioned in the heated fluid conduit to the evaporator refrigerant that is positioned in the refrigerant conduit.

A compact energy cycle construction that utilizes a working fluid in its operation is disclosed having a compact housing of a generally cylindrical form, an orbiting scroll type expander, a central shaft which is driven by the expander, a generator having a rotor and a stator with the central shaft being mounted to the rotor for rotating the rotor relative to the stator, a pump mounted to the central shaft, an evaporator positioned between the expander and the generator and surrounding the central shaft, and the orbiting scroll type expander, the central shaft, the generator, the pump, and the evaporator being housed within the compact housing to form an integrated system operable in accordance with an energy cycle.

A refrigerator according to the present invention includes: a cooling part for cooling an object to be cooled through heat exchange with a refrigerant; an expander-integrated compressor including a compressor for compressing the refrigerant and an expander for expanding the refrigerant integrated therein; and a refrigerant circulation line configured to circulate the refrigerant through the compressor, the expander, and the cooling part. The compressor includes a low-stage compressor, a middle-stage compressor, and a high-stage compressor disposed in series in the refrigerant circulation line. The expander-integrated compressor includes: the middle-stage compressor; an expander for adiabatically expanding and cooling the refrigerant discharged from the high-stage compressor; a first motor having an output shaft connected to the middle-stage compressor and to the expander; at least one non-contact type bearing, disposed between the middle-stage compressor and the expander, for supporting the output shaft of the first motor without being in contact with the output shaft; and a casing for housing the middle-stage compressor, the expander, and the at least one non-contact type bearing.

The integrated expander and motor-compressor assembly comprises a compression section mounted between the two radial bearings on a trans-mission shaft, an expander cantilevered at a free end of the transmission shaft, a gas diffuser and a duct between the expander and a first radial bearing, the first radial bearing been the closest radial bearing to the expander. The gas diffuser diffuses a gas barrier which is sucked up by the duct.

The integrated expander and motor-compressor assembly comprises a compression section mounted between the two radial bearings on a trans-mission shaft, an expander cantilevered at a free end of the transmission shaft, a gas diffuser and a duct between the expander and a first radial bearing, the first radial bearing been the closest radial bearing to the expander. The gas diffuser diffuses a gas barrier which is sucked up by the duct.

A compact energy cycle construction that operates as or in accordance with a Rankine, Organic Rankine, Heat Pump, or Combined Organic Rankine and Heat Pump Cycle, comprising a compact housing of a generally cylindrical form with some combination of a scroll type expander, pump, and compressor disposed therein to share a common shaft with a motor or generator and to form an integrated system, with the working fluid of the system circulating within the housing as a torus along the common shaft and toroidally within the housing as the system operates.

A cooling system for an aircraft includes an air intake, a heat exchanger configured to receive air passing into the air intake when the aircraft is operating at Mach speed, and configured to receive compressed refrigerant from a first compressor at a first pressure, an evaporator positioned within the aircraft and configured to receive heated air from a compartment within the aircraft, at least one of an expansion device and an expansion machine, and the compressed refrigerant rejects heat in the heat exchanger to the air, expands in the at least one of the expansion device and the expansion machine, and receives heat in the evaporator from the heated air.

A cooling system for an aircraft includes an air intake, a heat exchanger configured to receive air passing into the air intake when the aircraft is operating at Mach speed, and configured to receive compressed refrigerant from a first compressor at a first pressure, an evaporator positioned within the aircraft and configured to receive heated air from a compartment within the aircraft, at least one of an expansion device and an expansion machine, and the compressed refrigerant rejects heat in the heat exchanger to the air, expands in the at least one of the expansion device and the expansion machine, and receives heat in the evaporator from the heated air.