High efficiency thermodynamic system

1. An open-loop air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) for selectively heating and cooling a target space ( 22 ) comprising:

a flow path ( 24 ) for a working fluid extending from an inlet ( 26 ) to an outlet ( 28 ), said inlet ( 26 ) disposed to receive ambient air as a working fluid and said outlet ( 28 ) disposed for expelling the air out of the flow path ( 24 ),

a heat exchanger ( 32 ) in said flow path ( 24 ) between said inlet ( 26 ) and said outlet ( 28 ), said heat exchanger ( 32 ) disposed in thermodynamic communication with the target space ( 22 ) for transferring heat between the target space ( 22 ) and the air in said heat exchanger ( 32 ),

a compressor ( 76 ) in said flow path ( 24 ) between said inlet ( 26 ) and said heat exchanger ( 32 ) for compressing and delivering the air from said inlet ( 26 ) to said heat exchanger ( 32 ),

an expander ( 78 ) in said flow path ( 24 ) between said heat exchanger ( 32 ) and said outlet ( 28 ) for expanding and delivering the air from said heat exchanger ( 32 ) to said outlet ( 28 ),

an energy receiving device mechanically connected to said expander ( 78 ) for harnessing energy from the air,

a combustion chamber ( 62 ) in direct communication with said flow path ( 24 ) between said compressor ( 76 ) and said heat exchanger ( 32 ) for combusting a fuel in the air in said flow path ( 24 ), said combustion chamber ( 62 ) being selectively operable between a standard heating/cooling mode wherein said combustion chamber ( 62 ) remains dormant and a high heating mode wherein said combustion chamber ( 62 ) actively combusts a fuel with the air to further increase the pressure aid temperature of the air upstream of said heat exchanger ( 32 ), and

further including a controller ( 82 ) in communication with said compressor ( 76 ) and said expander ( 78 ), said controller ( 82 ) having a standard cooling mode with said compressor ( 76 ) operating at a slow speed to direct the air through said flow path ( 24 ) and said expander ( 78 ) operating at a high speed to pull the air through said compressor ( 76 ) to reduce the pressure and the temperature of the air between the compressor ( 76 ) and the heat exchanger ( 32 ) and wherein said heat exchanger ( 32 ) transfers heat from the target space ( 22 ) to the air in the flow path ( 24 ) to cool the target space ( 22 ).

2. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said energy receiving device is an electric generator ( 68 ) for generating electricity.

3. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compressor ( 76 ) and said expander ( 78 ) each comprise a positive displacement vane pump.

4. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compressor ( 76 ) and said expander ( 78 ) are contained within a vane-type positive displacement device ( 36 ) for simultaneously compressing and expanding the air in the flow path ( 24 ).

5. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 4 wherein said vale-type device ( 36 ) defines a plurality of chambers ( 48 , 50 ) intermittently switching, between compression chambers ( 48 ) and expansion chambers ( 50 ).

6. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 5 further including a secondary expander ( 66 ) in fluidly parallel relationship with said expansion Chambers ( 50 ) of said vane-type device ( 36 ) for expanding the air from said heat exchanger ( 32 ).

7. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 6 further including a generator ( 68 ) mechanically connected to said secondary expander ( 68 ) for generating electricity.

8. The air aspirated hybrid heat pump and heat engine system ( 20 ) as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said compressor ( 76 ) and said expander ( 78 ) are contained within a common stator housing ( 38 ) having a central axis (A) and longitudinally spaced, opposite ends ( 40 ); a rotor ( 42 ) disposed within said stator housing ( 38 ) and establishing an interstitial space therebetween; a plurality of vanes ( 46 ) operatively disposed between said rotor ( 42 ) and said stator housing ( 38 ) for dividing said interstitial space into intermittent compression and expansion chambers ( 48 , 50 ); said stator housing ( 38 ) defining a plurality of ports for conducting the working fluid to and from said stator housing ( 38 ), said ports including a compression chamber inlet ( 52 ) and a compression chamber outlet ( 54 ) and an expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ) and an expansion chamber outlet ( 58 ) each communicating with said interstitial space; said rotor ( 42 ) being rotatably disposed within said stator housing ( 38 ) for rotating in a first direction with said vanes ( 46 ) simultaneously compressing the working fluid in said chambers ( 48 : 50 ) from said compression chamber inlet ( 52 ) to said compression chamber outlet ( 54 ) and expanding the fluid in said chambers ( 48 , 50 ) from said expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ) to said expansion chamber outlet ( 58 ); and at least two of said ports being located opposite one another on respective said longitudinal ends ( 40 ) of said stator housing ( 38 ), said ports being generally longitudinally aligned for continuously simultaneously communicating with the same one of said chambers ( 48 , 50 ) wherein the working fluid entering the associated chamber ( 48 , 50 ) through one of said ports urges the working fluid currently occupying the associated chamber ( 48 , 50 ) axially outwardly out of said stator housing ( 38 ) through the other of said ports.

9. A method for selectively heating and cooling a target space ( 22 ) comprising the steps of:

providing a flow path ( 24 ) having an inlet ( 26 ) for receiving a flow of air and an outlet ( 28 ) for expelling a flow of air,

providing a compressor ( 76 ) in the flow path ( 24 ),

providing an expander ( 78 ) in the flow path ( 24 ) between the compressor ( 76 ) and the outlet ( 28 ),

providing a heat exchanger ( 32 ) in the flow path ( 24 ) between the compressor ( 76 ) and the expander ( 78 ),

alternately cooling the target space ( 22 ) by transferring heat from the target space ( 22 ) to the air in the flow path ( 24 ) via the heat exchanger ( 32 ) and heating the target space ( 22 ) by transferring heat to the target space ( 22 ) from the air in the flow path ( 24 ) via the heat exchanger ( 32 ),

said heating step including compressing the air with the compressor ( 76 ), rejecting heat from the pressurized air in the heat exchanger ( 32 ), then expanding the air with the expander ( 78 ), and then discharging the cooled and depressurized air from the flow path ( 24 ) through the outlet ( 28 ), and

said heating step further including providing a combustion chamber ( 62 ) in the flow path ( 24 ) between the compressor ( 76 ) and the heat exchanger ( 32 ), mixing a fuel with the air in the combustion chamber ( 62 ), and combusting the fuel and the air in the combustion chamber ( 62 ) to further increase the pressure and temperature of the air upstream of the heat exchanger ( 32 ).

10. The method for selectively heating and cooling a space ( 22 ) as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of reclaiming energy from the air downstream of the heat exchanger ( 32 ).

11. The method for selectively heating and cooling a, space ( 22 ) as set forth in claim 10 wherein said step of reclaiming energy includes generating electricity.

12. The method for selectively heating and cooling a space ( 22 ) as set forth in claim 10 wherein said step of reclaiming energy includes applying a torque to the compressor ( 76 ).

13. A positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) of the type operated in a thermodynamic cycle for simultaneously compressing and expanding a working fluid, said device comprising:

a stator housing ( 38 ) having a central axis (A) and longitudinally spaced opposite ends ( 40 );

a rotor ( 42 ) disposed within said stator housing ( 38 ) and establishing an interstitial space therebetween;

a plurality of vanes ( 46 ) operatively disposed between said rotor ( 42 ) and said stator housing ( 38 ) for dividing said interstitial space into intermittent compression and expansion chambers ( 48 , 50 );

said stator housing ( 38 ) defining a plurality of ports for conducting the working fluid to and from said stator housing ( 38 ), said ports including a compression chamber inlet ( 52 ) and a compression chamber outlet, ( 54 ) and an expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ) and an expansion chamber outlet ( 58 ) each communicating with said interstitial space;

said rotor ( 42 ) being rotatably disposed within said stator housing ( 38 ) for rotating in a first direction with said vanes ( 46 ) simultaneously compressing the working fluid in said chambers ( 48 , 50 ): from said compression chamber inlet ( 52 ) to said compression chamber outlet ( 54 ) and expanding the fluid in said chambers ( 48 , 50 ) from said expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ) to said expansion chamber outlet ( 58 ); and

at least two of said ports being located opposite one another on respective said longitudinal ends ( 40 ) of said stator housing ( 38 ), said ports being generally longitudinally aligned for continuously simultaneously communicating with the same one of said chambers ( 48 , 50 ) wherein the working fluid entering the associated chamber ( 48 , 5 : 0 ) through one of said ports urges the working fluid currently occupying the associated chamber ( 48 , 50 ) axially outwardly out of said stator housing ( 38 ) through the other of said ports.

14. The positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) as set forth in claim 13 further including a high-pressure side heat exchanger ( 72 ) fluidly adjoining said compression chamber outlet ( 54 ) and said expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ).

15. The positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) as set forth in claim 13 further including a low-pressure side heat exchanger ( 74 ) fluidly adjoining said expansion chamber outlet ( 58 ) and said compression chamber inlet ( 52 ).

16. The positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) as set forth in claim 13 wherein said generally longitudinally aligned ports are said compression chamber inlet ( 52 ) and said expansion chamber outlet ( 58 ).

17. The positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) as set forth in claim 13 wherein said generally longitudinally aligned ports are said compression chamber outlet ( 54 ) and said expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ).

18. The positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) as set forth in claim 13 wherein said expansion chamber inlet ( 56 ) is disposed in a target space ( 22 ) for receiving air from the target space ( 22 ) and said compression chamber outlet ( 54 ) is disposed in the target space ( 22 ) for discharging the air back into the target space ( 22 ).

19. The positive displacement rotating vane-type device ( 36 ) as set forth in claim 13 wherein said stator housing ( 38 ) has a generally cylindrical shape.