Abstract:
A machine for compressing gases and vapors includes a housing base containing an internal raceway, a spinning rotor containing a plurality of hollow cylinders, a plurality of spherical balls serving as positive displacement pistons which roll atop a housing base raceway and which reciprocate within the rotor cylinders, a static center rod containing intake and exhaust ports and a plurality of magnets providing rotational torque to the rotor, which are driven by an AC or DC motor during operation. A preferred embodiment includes the step(s) of gas or vapor intake, compression and exhaust within each rotor cylinder through a cycle during which the ball pistons reciprocate into and out of each cylinder while rolling atop the housing raceway. A preferred embodiment includes compression of gas and vapor occurring quietly, efficiently, with low mechanical vibration and in any physical orientation of the machine.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This invention relates generally to the field of compact refrigeration and more specifically to a machine for compressing gasses and vapors. For the past decade electronic systems have become more complex and compact with circuitry and components that operate at high energy density levels. Often times these electronic systems are used in outdoor applications where moisture, dust, and debris can foul critical circuitry and electronic components causing them to fail. To alleviate this problem electronics for outdoor applications are mounted within sealed enclosures that prevent these fouling elements from coming into contact with critical components. This solution however leads to the accumulation of heat, generated by the electronics system within the enclosure, and results in operating temperatures rising rapidly beyond acceptable levels. This trend is also observable when, for example, the human body performing acute physical activity is covered by clothing, protective garments and equipment. In this case, metabolic heat generated by physical activity cannot be removed through the unexposed skin and therefore accumulates in the body core resulting in heat stress, hyperthermia and in some cases death. The relationship between the thermal management of high energy density electronics within sealed enclosures and that of the human body may at first seem unrelated, until one considers that cooling systems for each require devices that are compact, lightweight, energy efficient, capable of significant heat lift and in many cases capable of operating in any physical orientation. To provide a satisfactory device for such applications, the present invention was developed to be compact, lightweight, power efficient, reliable and capable of operating in any physical orientation as a result of its unique design. The invention eliminates many of the outstanding performance, reliability and cost issues that beleaguer other technology. The present invention, designated the Radial Ball Vapor Compressor (RBVC), compresses gasses or vapors when ball bearings (pistons) housed within individual cylinders are rotated within a spinning rotor off-center from an outer raceway. Balls closer to the center hub are compressing vapor while balls extending into the raceway are drawing vapor into rotor cylinders. During each revolution of the rotor, centrifugal force compels each ball piston to slide outward within its cylinder producing the intake sequence. Mechanical force between the cylinder rotor and the raceway drives each ball into its cylinder for the compression sequence. Specially designed intake and exhaust ports are machined into the center pin. It is important to note that the rotor and the race are each cylindrical and that race eccentricity is, in effect, created when the rotor is positioned offset from the center of the race. The compact size of the RBVC is a noteworthy feature important to satisfy the needs of many applications including those herein stated. Previously performed analysis of the technology has verified that during compression of a lubricated refrigerant, the RBVC possesses greater than 95% mechanical efficiency due to the extremely low friction of the rotary ball design. 
         [0005]    Unfortunately, recent developments in miniaturized cooling systems have largely failed to satisfy these requirements because of the unacceptable tradeoffs between system miniaturization, efficiency and reliability. Compact vapor compression cooling devices that use refrigerants to chill water for personal cooling have been extensively funded by various research programs over the past several years but have yet to be deployed as efficient, reliable, self-contained and compact systems to prevent heat stress because of lack of reliability and excessive cost. Body ventilation systems, ice vests, and even spray cooling systems have been developed to meet this need, however, these concepts too have seen limited success due to their inadequate heat lift capabilities and the unreasonable logistics burdens associated with their use and maintenance. Thermal management techniques developed to cool critical high energy density electronics housed within environmentally sealed enclosures include thermoelectric coolers, heat pipes, liquid spray cooling systems and compact vapor compression cooling systems. Respectively, these methods suffer from low efficiency, low heat lift capacity, unsustainable logistics burdens and lack of all physical orientation operation. 
         [0006]    Because refrigerant vapor compression cooling shows the greatest promise for alleviating bodily heat stress and high heat lift capability for high energy density electronics cooling, engineering development is ongoing to eliminate the technical challenges associated with this technology, including large space claim requirements, excessive weight, lack of dynamic all-orientation operation, high noise levels, lack of reliability, low power efficiency, high production costs. Notable performance deficiencies in current miniaturized two-phase vapor compressors have arisen primarily because engineering development efforts have been focused only on adaptation of contemporary technology such as rolling piston, positive displacement piston and epiterchoid lobe rotor (Wankel) style vapor compressors, which continue to be complex, expensive, burdensome, energy inefficient and incapable of reliably cooling military or civilian personnel and equipment under dynamic all-orientation work conditions. Over the years, refrigerant vapor compression systems have proven very efficient, have been developed with a small footprint and are an established method to achieve high heat lift per unit weight. Miniature Vapor Compression technology has been utilized in prior efforts related to personal and electronics cooling with very limited success. The technical problems still plaguing these miniature systems realistically revolve around a single element, the compressor. Thus far, limited success has been achieved in the development of advanced miniaturized technology for refrigerant vapor compression because issues such as extreme noise, vibration, compressor failure in dynamic spatial orientation and excessive power consumption have led to failures in “real world” applications. The present invention focuses on innovative compressor technology that solves these problems by providing a mechanical compressor of gasses and vapors that is compact and lightweight and can operate in any physical orientation included inverted, unlike current technology the present invention exhibits exceptional mechanical efficiency resulting from extremely low mechanical friction and few moving parts. The present invention operates with a high coefficient of performance (COP) relative to the electrical energy required to power its operation, produces higher compressed gas and vapor volume per unit compressor volume relative to existing miniaturized compressors and can accommodate a wide range of volumetric flow rates for variable heat lift applications compared to existing compressor technology, the present invention operates quietly and with low mechanical vibration. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The primary object of the invention is to provide and efficient, compact and lightweight apparatus for compressing gasses and vapors. 
         [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for compressing gasses and vapors that contains few moving parts. 
         [0009]    Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for compressing gasses and vapors that can operate in any physical orientation for long durations. 
         [0010]    A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for compressing gasses and vapors that possesses exemplary mechanical efficiency. 
         [0011]    Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for compressing gasses and vapors that possesses exemplary coefficient of performance (COP). 
         [0012]    Still yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for compressing gasses and vapors that operates quietly and with low mechanical vibration. 
         [0013]    Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for compressing gasses and refrigerant vapors that provides variable mass flow rates of compressed gasses and vapors. 
         [0014]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
         [0015]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a machine for compressing gasses and vapors comprising: a housing consisting of a base and a cover, a housing that when assembled comprises a hermetically sealed cavity, a spinning rotor that contains a plurality of hollow cylinders each having a port penetration at its base, a plurality of solid spherical balls that serve as positive displacement pistons and which roll on the housing base internal raceway while reciprocating into and out of the rotor cylinders, a center rod containing gas or vapor intake and exhaust ports, a plurality of magnets that provide rotational torque to the rotor and which are driven by a magnetically coupled motor, a motor that drives the rotor during operation using alternating electrical current (AC) or direct electrical current (DC), a gas or vapor intake conduit, a gas or vapor exhaust conduit and an integrated micro-controller that enables variable speed compressor operation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention as assembled. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. 
         [0021]    Turning first to  FIG. 1  there is shown one embodiment of the self contained machine for compressing gas and vapor hereafter referred to as the Radial Ball Vapor Compressor (RBVC)  1 . RBVC  1  includes a housing base  5  fabricated of metal, plastic or other appropriate material and a housing cover  16  fabricated of metal, plastic or other suitable material forming a hermetically sealed cavity by their connection through fastener screws  17  and having operably disposed therein a gas or vapor intake conduit  2  constructed of metal or plastic tubing through which gas or vapor material is drawn into RBVC  1  from external decives or processes and a gas or vapor exhaust conduit  3  constructed of metal or plastic tubing through which gas or vapor material is exhausted from the RBVC  1  to external devices or processes. 
         [0022]    Turning now to  FIG. 2  there is shown an exploded view of the RBVC  1  having operably disposed therein a housing base raceway  18  concentrically nested on the inside surface of housing base  5 , a rod  7  comprised of rod intake port  20  and rod exhaust port  23  and rod intake duct  24  and rod exhaust duct  25 , a rod gasket  6  that facilitates connection of intake conduit  2  and exhaust conduit  3  to rod intake port  20  and rod exhaust port  23 , a rod bushing  8  comprised of a plurality of rod bushing bores  21 , a rotor  11  in the form of a cylindrical or ellipsoid ring comprised of a plurality of hollow rotor cylinders  12  each having a through hole flow orifice  19  and a plurality of magnet seats  22 , rotor cylinder sleeves  10  of metal or plastic that are concentrically seated within each hollow rotor cylinder  12 , ball pistons  9  in the form of solid spheres of metal or plastic that are seated within each cylinder sleeve and roll freely therein, magnets  13  that are disposed within each rotor magnet seat  22 , a bearing plate  14  that is mechanically coupled to magnets  13 , an O-ring  15  that is mechanically compressed between housing base  5  and housing cover  16  by means of fastener screws  17 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention the housing base  5  and housing cover  16  are constructed of metal material that facilitates transfer of heat generated by the compression of gas or vapor within RBVC  1  to ambient efficiently. In the preferred embodiment of the RBVC  1 , all components are assembled in a concentric arrangement that is centered around rod  7 , a feature that provides the benefit of a very compact mechanical compressor as compared to other art.  FIG. 2  illustrates that rod bushing  8  is slip fit around rod  7  such that rod bushing bores  21  are in intermittent hydraulic communication with rod intake duct  24  and rod exhaust duct  25 , with rod intake duct  24  and rod exhaust duct  25  in further hydraulic communication with rod intake port  20  and rod exhaust port  23 . The assemblage of rod bushing  8  and rod  7  are press fit into rotor  11  such that rod bushing  8  is mechanically bound to rotor  11  and such that each rod bushing bore  21  is permanently coincident with and in constant hydraulic communication with an individual rotor through hole flow orifice  19 . During operation of the RBVC  1 , mechanically bound rotor  11  and rod bushing  8  spin around stationary rod  7  enabling intermittent hydraulic communication between rotor through hole flow orifices  19  and rod intake duct  24  and rod exhaust duct  25 . Cylinder sleeves  10  are press fit into individual hollow rotor cylinders  12  such that they are mechanically bound, with each ball piston  9  slip fit into each assembled rotor cylinder sleeve  10  such that they can freely roll within each sleeve and atop the housing base raceway  18  while simultaneously reciprocating into and out of each cylinder sleeve  10 . Magnets  13  are each press fit and so mechanically bound within each rotor magnet seat  22 , and may be in the form of cylindrical magnets, spherical magnets, rectangular magnets or other useful geometry fit within rotor magnet seats of identical extrusion. Bearing plate  14  is assembled and mechanically bound atop magnets  13  by the compression fit of housing base  5  and housing cover  16  around O-ring  15  by fastener screws  17 . Intake conduit  2  and exhaust conduit  3  are mechanically bound to the corresponding rod intake port  20  and rod exhaust port  23  by rod gasket  6  which is secured to the housing base  5  and rod  7  by rod retainer screws  4 . 
         [0023]    Turning now to  FIG. 3  there is shown three section views of RBVC  1 . In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, there is shown in Section B-B the compact size of the RBVC owing to the concentric assembly of the device as previously described as well as the off-set assembly of the housing base  5  comprising the housing base raceway  18 , and the rotor assembly comprising the rotor  11  and rod  7  and rod busing  8  and ball pistons  9 . This off-set assembly results in an elliptical travel path of ball pistons  9  as they roll atop housing base raceway  18 . Stationary rod  7  is shown concentrically centered with spinning rod bushing  8  and rotor  11  all assembled offset from the center of housing base  5  and subsequently housing base raceway  18 . In the preferred embodiment of the RBVC  1  rotational torque is transferred to the rotor assembly by way of magnets  13  seated within rotor  11  that are in magnetic communication with and provided rotational torque by an external magnetic AC or DC electrical motor, causing the rotor assembly to spin about an axis offset from the center of the housing base  5 . Ball pistons  9  roll along housing base raceway  18  as hollow rotor cylinders  12  and rotor cylinder sleeves  10  into which they are slip fit also spin. Centrifugal force that results from the angular velocity of the spinning rotor assembly consecutively forces each ball piston  9  to roll along the housing base raceway such that during a gas or vapor intake cycle, the ball piston  9  performing gas or vapor suction is in displacement position  27  shown on Section B-B in  FIG. 3 . As each ball piston approaches the coincidence of closest contact between the surface of the housing base raceway  18  and the outside circumferential surface of the rotor  11 , it is mechanically pressed into its hollow rotor cylinder  12 , as shown in displacement position  26  on Section B-B, resulting in compression of gas or vapor. The RBVC  1  operation enabling the plurality of ball pistons  9  to roll along housing base raceway  18  with minimal frictional forces exerted on it while simultaneously reciprocating between suction and compression cycles owes to the exceptional mechanical efficiency of the RBVC. Section C-C of  FIG. 3  provides a plan view of the RBVC  1  in which the housing base  5  comprising house base raceway  18  is shown offset with respect to the assembly center of the rod  7  and rod bushing  8  and rotor  11 . In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of hollow rotor cylinders  12  and rotor cylinder sleeves  10  and ball pistons  9  total six, however useful embodiments of the present invention may contain as many as twelve or as few as two of each of these components. Section C-C also illustrates that during counter clockwise rotation of the rotor  11 , three ball pistons  9  are in advancing stages of compression while three are in advancing stages of suction, a feature of the preferred embodiment of the current invention that serves to equalize mechanical forces on the rotor  11  and housing base raceway  18  lending to beneficial mitigation of mechanical noise and vibration compared to current technology. Flow of gas or vapor into the RBVC I occurs as uncompressed material is drawn through rod intake port  20  from an external device or process by the suction created from reciprocation of ball pistons  9  away from the center axis of rotor  11 . Gas or vapor flows at a constant rate from rod intake port  20  into rod intake duct  24  that is in intermittent hydraulic communication with rod bushing bores  21  and into hollow rotor cylinders  12  through rotor through hole flow orifice  19 . Passing rod intake duct  24 , each rotor through hole flow orifice  19  seals against the outer surface of the rod  7  where ball piston  9  travel about the apex of the offset housing base raceway begins mechanical compression of the gas or vapor resulting from the elliptically decreasing radius between the center of the housing base and the center of the rotor assembly. Compressed gas or vapor is incrementally exhausted from hollow rotor cylinders  12  rotor through hole flow orifices  19  and into rod exhaust duct  25  where it then flows through rod exhaust port  23  to an external device or process. After rotating past rod exhaust duct  25 , each ball piston returns to the suction cycle where the process begins again. In accordance with description of operation of the preferred embodiment of present invention, Section D-D of  FIG. 3  shows a section view of the RBVC  1  that details the connection of intake conduit  2  and exhaust conduit  3 , each connected to external devices or processes, with rod intake port  20  and rod exhaust port  23  respectively contained on rod  7 . 
         [0024]    It is a feature of the current invention that the angular velocity of rotor  11  rotation can be varied by means of external motor micro controller to provide manipulation of the mass rate of gas and vapor intake and compression, yet another feature that provides exceptional RBVC performance. In the present and preferred embodiment of the current invention the need and application of large thrust bearing members required to restrain rotor  11  movement in the vertical direction are mitigated leading to the beneficial operational enhancement of enabling long duration operation in any 3-dimensional spatial orientation without bearing failure. An added benefit of the preferred embodiment of the current invention is the simplicity with which lubrication of all rotating and reciprocating components is achieved through the addition of lubricant to intake gas or vapor that is easily distributed amongst critical component contact points by means of extensive hydraulic communication. 
         [0025]    This invention has been described as A Machine for Compressing Gases and Vapors, but is intended to cover other applications involving other cooling including, but not limited to, cooling liquid crystal display (LCD) glass in indoor and outdoor applications, cooling various video display lamps or light sources that generate heat within electronics enclosures, combinations of computer electronics and video display systems integrated into a single sealed electronics enclosure, personal cooling systems that can be worn as portable refrigeration devices. The invention is also intended to cover the compression of gases and vapors not used for refrigeration such as the compression of air, oxygen or other naturally occurring chemicals or man made gasses or vapors used for medical, commercial or industrial purposes. 
         [0026]    This invention has been described as having an exemplary design leading to the noteworthy benefits also described herein. The present invention may however be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure to therefore cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention using its general design and operational principles. 
         [0027]    While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
         [0028]    While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.