643 results about "Gas expansion" patented technology

A reciprocating gas compressor is described operating according to an extended cycle of 4,6 or more strokes, wherein the first two strokes are sequential induction and compression strokes using a low pressure gas as working fluid and compressing it to a high pressure gas, and the remaining strokes are pairs of sequential filling and emptying strokes using more of the low pressure gas as heat transfer fluid for transferring heat from inside the gas compressor to outside the gas compressor. The gas compressor also contains an in-cylinder heat regenerator for absorbing heat from the compressed gas and releasing heat to the heat transfer fluid thus achieving near-isothermal compression. Using parallel principles, a reciprocating gas expander is also described for achieving near-isothermal expansion. Also described are reciprocating machines using the near-isothermal gas compressor and near-isothermal gas expander in combination according to the Ericsson heat engine cycle, the Stirling heat engine cycle and the Stirling refrigeration cycle.

The invention relates to systems and methods for rapidly and isothermally expanding gas in a cylinder. The cylinder is used in a staged hydraulic-pneumatic energy conversion system and includes a gas chamber (pneumatic side) and a fluid chamber (hydraulic side) and a piston or other mechanism that separates the gas chamber and fluid chamber while allowing the transfer of force/pressure between each opposing chamber. The gas chamber of the cylinder includes ports that are coupled to a heat transfer subassembly that circulates gas from the pneumatic side and exchanges its heat with a counter flow of ambient temperature fluid from a reservoir or other source.

Different types of energy storage systems are described, in particular hydro-pneumatic storage systems. In one, energy is stored by compressing gas in a chamber (44,45,54,55) with a liquid piston and released by gas expansion. A spray head or grid at the top of the chamber (44,45,54,55) supplies liquid as a shower through the gas being compressed or expanding in the cylinder (11,12) to maintain an isothermal condition. In another, energy is stored from an array of solar cells connected to an array of supercapacitors forming an auxiliary storage, and a main energy storage device such as a hydro-pneumatic storage system, for supply to an AC or DC network. The efficiency is improved by connecting the solar cells via the array of supercapacitors to the AC or DC network. An immersed hydro-pneumatic storage device for off-shore/on-shore power generation systems comprises a cylinder that is immersed in a liquid mass, wherein energy is stored by compressing gas with a liquid piston and energy is released by gas expansion. The mass of liquid maintains an isothermal condition in the cylinder during compression and expansion.

High vehicle fuel efficiency is achieved by reducing fuel consumption during driving both in the city and on the highway. During driving in the city, the system accumulates the energy derived from vehicle motion during braking, and uses it to assist in vehicle propulsion at a later time. The energy can be stored either in a compressed-air reservoir or in an electric battery. During cruising on the highway, the engine operates in a two-stage gas-expansion cycle. The engine has primary and secondary cylinders. Only primary cylinders operate in internal-combustion mode. After expansion in primary cylinders, combustion gas is subjected to a second stage of expansion in secondary cylinders. This substantially improves the engine efficiency. Whenever heavy engine load is needed, all cylinders operate in internal-combustion mode.

A suppressor for a firearm includes a first gas expansion section of relatively large size sufficient to reduce the temperature and pressure of the gas expelled from a muzzle during discharge of the firearm to a level that avoids rapid degrading of structural members such as baffles in the suppressor that are downstream of the muzzle. The gas is channeled through multiple paths to distribute its energy more equally. Preferably, the suppressor is formed with a lightweight, thermally-conductive composite portion. The composite portion provides lightweight, bursting strength with good thermal conductivity and little contribution to vibrational instability of the muzzle to which it is attached. The composite portion may be of a carbon fiber, silicon, boron, or metallic base. In one embodiment, a first expansion chamber is in communication with the muzzle and with a second expansion chamber and in another embodiment, the first expansion chamber communicates with the muzzle and with the second expansion chamber The composite portions of the suppressor provide good bursting strength and heat conductivity with light weight. In some embodiments, a series of baffles creates turbulence in the gas, slowing its motion and distributing the energy more evenly over space.

A hybrid power generation system for generating electrical power comprises a compressor for producing a compressed oxidant and a recuperator in flow communication with the compressor. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells in flow communication with the recuperator to provide the compressed oxidant for the fuel cell assembly. The fuel cell assembly further comprises a cathode inlet for receiving the compressed oxidant, an anode inlet for receiving a fuel stream, an anode outlet in flow communication with an anode exhaust stream and a cathode outlet in flow communication with a cathode exhaust stream, wherein at least a portion of the fuel reacts with the oxidant to produce electrical power. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a tail gas burner in flow communication with the anode outlet and the cathode outlet. The tail gas burner is configured for combusting a mixture of at least a portion of the anode exhaust stream and at least a portion of the cathode exhaust stream and producing a hot compressed gas. A control system is used for controlling the amount of the cathode exhaust stream introduced in the tail gas burner for stable combustion and reduction of fuel and carbon monoxide emission. The hot compressed gas from the tail gas burner is introduced to a turbine, where the hot compressed gas is expanded, thereby producing electrical power and an expanded gas.

In various embodiments, energy-storage systems are based upon an open-air arrangement in which pressurized gas is expanded in small batches from a high pressure of, e.g., several hundred atmospheres to atmospheric pressure. The systems may be sized and operated at a rate that allows for near isothermal expansion and compression of the gas.

The invention discloses a green mining method and mining device for submarine shallow non-diagenetic natural gas hydrate. The green mining method comprises the following steps that on the condition that the ambient temperature and pressure of a submarine natural gas hydrate stratum are not changed, the natural gas hydrate is mined in a submarine mining mode and broken for two times to obtain a mixture of natural gas hydrate particles and seawater; thermal decomposition is directly performed on the mixture of the natural gas hydrate particles and the seawater at the bottom of sea in a sealed environment to obtain natural gas, wherein energy needed by thermal decomposition comes from energy generated through gas expansion work during thermal decomposition of the natural gas hydrate; the natural gas is delivered to the sea surface to be subjected to aftertreatment, and liquefied natural gas is obtained. The green mining device comprises a mining and breaking unit, a first transportation pipe, a decomposition unit, a natural gas transportation pipe, an energy supplying unit and a sea surface supporting unit.

The invention relates to a gas expansion natural gas pressurized liquefying technique with a function of condensing and removing carbon dioxide (CO2), which comprises the steps of: precooling natural gas at a gaseous state in a precooler, continuously cooling the natural gas in a crystallizing device, condensing and separating solid dry ice while lowering the content of the CO2 to 0.5 percent, then pressurizing the natural gas in a low-temperature compressor, then introducing the natural gas in a liquefying device and liquefying the natural gas under higher pressure and then introducing the liquefied natural gas into a storage tank for storing. The cold capacity needed by the liquefying process is supplied by an independent gas expansion refrigeration circulation. Compared with the prior art, the gas expansion natural gas pressurized liquefying technique has the advantages that: a CO2 pretreatment device occupying a large floor area in the conventional natural gas liquefying process can be saved, so that the investment cost for liquefying the natural gas on an offshore platform in high price can be greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the energy loss of the refrigeration circulation can be reduced when the natural gas is liquefied at a higher temperature.

A longitudinal launcher tube made substantially of polyurethane resin or plastic having a rear end closed by a transverse rear wall and an open front end. The invention allows a projectile to be housed in the tube and adapted to slide longitudinally inside it towards the front, to be expelled from it via the front end tube, means for defining with the tube and projectile a rear gas expansion chamber immediately to the rear of the projectile, and an impulse cartridge adapted on command to develop gas pressure in the rear chamber to cause the expulsion of the projectile via the front end of the tube. The apparatus is a pyrotechnic device for rigidly supporting fireworks such as mortar-type, rocket-type, projectile-type, and other pyrotechnic devices so that the launcher device is reusable, whereby the launcher substantially retains its integrity after each launch to minimize harm caused to persons and the environment.

A slotting induced-flow pressure-relief anti-reflection method for a complicated seam is suitable for gas control of high-gas high-ground-stress complicated seam regions, can improve the gas permeability and gas desorption rate of coal, solves the difficult problems of low exhausting and mining efficiencies of coal-bed gas, high drilling construction load and the like, and realizes efficient gas exhausting and mining as well as fast outburst elimination of the complicated seam. High-pressure water is jetted into drilled holes to cut and destroy the coal in a rotary manner, and the coal in the radial direction of the drilled holes is destroyed and disturbed, so that buckling failures of the coal are induced and the coal and the gas are enabled to be spouted out of the drilled holes, as a result, the gas expansion energy of the coal is released, coal cracks are expanded and the exposure surface area of the coal is increased. therefore, the gas exhausting and mining efficiencies of coal are improved, coal and gas burst risks are eliminated, the effective influence range of drilling gas exhausting and mining is improved by 1-3 times, the air permeability coefficient of coal around the drilled holes is improved by 100-200 times, the drilling methane gas exhausting and mining quantity is improved by 2-5 times within hundreds of meters, and the outburst elimination time of the coal bed is shortened by 30-50 percent. The slotting induced-flow pressure-relief anti-reflection method for the complicated seam has very good field application value and social benefits.

A system allowing for the active management of aerostatic lift in buoyant and semi-buoyant aerial vehicles comprised of a high tensile-strength outer pressure cell of a given volume and an inner compression cell of only slightly smaller dimensions. The inner compression cell is filled with a lifting gas, such as helium or hydrogen, to some fractional volume of its maximum, allowing for expansion of the lifting gas at different operational altitudes. When a reduction in aerostatic lift is desired, external air is compressed through the use of air handling means, and introduced into the outer pressure cell through a directional valve that prevents the pressurized air from leaving the pressure cell. When increased aerostatic lift is once again desired, the valve system may release all or a part of the pressurized air in the pressure cell, allowing the lifting gas to expand thereby displacing a greater volume of air and increasing lift.

The invention relates to an integrated turbine set based on permanent magnetic and magnetic suspension technologies. Turbomachinery is high in sealing performance, complex in gear system and large in energy loss. A turbine and a generator (or a motor) of a full-sealing structure are arranged on the same rotary shaft. One end of the rotary shaft is arranged in the turbine to conduct gas expansion (or compression). The other end of the rotary shaft is arranged in the generator (or the motor), a generator rotor is arranged, and a generator stator core and a winding are arranged on the outside of the generator rotor. A magnetic suspension supporting bearing and a magnetic suspension thrust bearing are sequentially arranged at the tail end of the shaft. All components of the generator are arranged in a generator casing. The generator (or the motor) and the turbine keep the same rotation speed and adopt the same casing, shaft-end sealing is not required, and a work medium of the whole turbine set can be absolutely free of leakage. A magnetic suspension bearing achieves non-contact supporting of the rotor, friction loss of the bearing is avoided, and the overall efficiency of the turbine set is improved.