A system for air conditioning and generating electrical power including a fuel-fired internal combustion engine, an electrical motor/generator, and a vapor compressor/expander all interconnected. The vapor compressor/expander driven by the engine operates in one mode with an evaporator and a condenser in a generally conventional refrigeration cycle. In an alternative mode, the vapor compressor/expander is operated in reverse by refrigerant boiled in the evaporator by the rejected heat of the engine and condensed in the condenser and contributes mechanical power to that of the engine to drive the motor/generator. The motor/generator can be supplied external electrical energy to operate as a motor to drive the compressor/expander during periods of non-operation of the engine.
An integrated air conditioning and power unit is provided for use with an aircraft. The system includes an air turbine 42 having air passages connected to an engine 10 of the aircraft for receiving bleed air and/or ram air for driving the air turbine 42. A motor/generator 104 is drivingly connected to the air turbine 42. The motor/generator 104 is capable of drawing electricity from an aircraft primary power system for driving the motor or generating electricity which is delivered to the primary power system 108. An air compressor 54 is drivingly connected to the motor/generator 104 and is provided with an air passage which receives bleed air 32 and/or ram air 30 from the aircraft engine 10. A cooling system 71 is provided including a system compressor 81 drivingly connected to the motor/generator 104. A cooling system evaporator 70 and a condenser 92 are connected to the system compressor by fluid passages. The air compressor 54 includes an air outlet for providing pressurized air which is cooled by the cooling system.
An improved power system that recovers heat energy from the exhaust of internal combustion utilizing an internal combustion engine in combination with a Brayton bottoming system. Heat from a thermal battery drives the bottoming system to create electrical power that supplements the engine power. Sources of heat for the thermal battery include hot engine exhaust gasses, electrically generated heat, and residual heat from motor/generators.
A combined generator set and air conditioning compressor drive system is disclosed for use in a mobile vehicle. The disclosed device includes an auxiliary engine, a compressor, and a motor-generator. When an external source of electricity is unavailable, the motor-generator is shaft driven by the auxiliary engine and operated as a generator to provide electricity to the vehicle. The compressor is also shaft driven. When an external source of electricity is available, the motor-generator operates as a motor so as to drive the compressor.
The compressor (3) of the refrigerating fluid circuit is driven by the thermal engine (1) of the vehicle when the latter is functioning and, when parked, by the alternator (2). The latter, fed with three-phase current from an auxiliary battery (10) so as to function as a motor, and the compressor (3), are then disconnected from the crankshaft (20) by a free-wheel mechanism (7). The preliminary air conditioning of the vehicle when parked is thus provided without a special electric motor for driving the compressor, with reduced expenditure of energy by virtue of the feeding of the alternator with three-phase current, and without any risk of exhaustion of the main battery by virtue of the auxiliary battery (10).
Methods and systems for providing secondary power to aircraft systems. In one embodiment, an aircraft system architecture for providing power to an environmental control system includes an electric generator operably coupled to a jet engine. The jet engine can be configured to provide propulsive thrust to the aircraft, and the electric generator can be configured to receive shaft power from the jet engine. The environmental control system can be configured to provide outside air to a passenger cabin of the aircraft in the absence of bleed air from the jet engine.
