Patent ID: 8074471
Filing Date: 2011-12-13
Classification: F01C,F04C,F25B

Abstract:
1. A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates, the refrigerant circuit including: a compressor for compressing the refrigerant; a radiator for allowing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to radiate heat; a power recovery means for performing a suction process for drawing the refrigerant coming from the radiator and a discharge process for discharging the drawn refrigerant, the suction process and the discharge process being performed substantially continuously; and an evaporator for allowing the refrigerant discharged by the power recovery means to evaporate, wherein: the refrigerant is carbon dioxide; the power recovery means includes: a cylinder with both ends closed by a first closing member and a second closing member, the cylinder having an inner peripheral face; a rotatable shaft penetrating through the cylinder in an axial direction thereof; a cylindrical piston supported axially by the shaft in the cylinder while being off-centered with respect to a central axis of the cylinder, the piston forming a working chamber between itself and the inner peripheral face of the cylinder; a partition member for partitioning the working chamber into a high pressure side and a low pressure side; a suction passage that is opened and closed as the piston rotates, and is brought into communication with the high pressure side working chamber; and a discharge passage that is opened and closed as the piston rotates, and is brought into communication with the low-pressure side working chamber; the suction passage is formed in the first closing member or the second closing member, and the discharge passage is formed in the first closing member or the second closing member; the suction passage and the discharge passage are closed by the piston only at a moment when the piston is located at a top dead center thereof; the suction passage opens to a portion of the high pressure side working chamber adjacent to the partition member, and an opening of the suction passage to the working chamber is formed in such a manner that an outer edge of the opening is in an arc shape along an outer peripheral face of the piston when the piston is located at the top dead center thereof; and the discharge passage opens to a portion of the low pressure side working chamber adjacent to the partition member, and an opening of the discharge passage to the working chamber is formed in such a manner that an outer edge of the opening is in an arc shape along the outer peripheral face of the piston when the piston is located at the top dead center thereof.