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Heat cycleRelated Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Automatic Control, Refrigeration ProducerHeat cycle description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050262858, Heat cycle. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to Rankine cycle in which power is obtained from heat energy given to a refrigerant. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Conventionally, a heat cycle device referred to as a refrigerating cycle device has been known, and a heat cycle device referred to as Rankine cycle device has also been known. According to the refrigerating cycle device, when refrigerant is compressed being given power so as to transfer heat, a high or a low temperature can be provided. According to Rankine cycle device, power can be obtained from heat energy given to refrigerant. For example, a Rankine cycle device is disclosed in Japanese Granted Patent Publication No. 3356449 and of Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 63-92021. These Rankine cycle device can be used as an electric power generating device in which waste heat is recovered so as to generate electric power. Alternatively, this Rankine cycle device can be used as an automotive power generating device in which waste heat of an internal combustion engine of an automobile is recovered so as to generate automotive power. [0005] In Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-390893, the present inventors proposed an air conditioner (refrigerating cycle) for vehicle use having Rankine cycle for recovering heat energy from waste heat exhausted from an engine mounted on a vehicle. This air conditioner for vehicle use will be referred to as an example of the prior application. [0006] This example of the prior application will be explained below by referring to FIG. 1. The example of the prior application includes components to compose a refrigerating cycle device to provide an air-conditioning operation mode (refrigerating cycle operation) in which the refrigerant is made to flow in the order of the reversible rotary machine 10.fwdarw.the radiator 11.fwdarw.the gas-liquid separator 12.fwdarw.the decompressor 13.fwdarw.the evaporator 14. [0007] Further, this prior application includes a liquid-phase pipe 31 for connecting the pipe composing the refrigerating cycle with the vapor generator 30; and a liquid pump 32, which is arranged in the liquid-phase pipe 31, for moving the liquid-phase refrigerant to the vapor generator 30. The prior application further includes: components to compose a Rankine cycle device to provide a waste heat recovery operation mode (Rankine cycle operation) in which the refrigerant is made to flow in the order of the liquid pump 32.fwdarw.the vapor generator 30.fwdarw.the reversible rotary machine 10.fwdarw.the radiator 11. [0008] Due to the foregoing, at the time of the air conditioning operation mode, the vehicle room can be air-conditioned, and at the time of the waste heat recovering operation mode, the waste heat exhausted from the engine 20 can be recovered by the reversible rotary machine 10 in the form of power. [0009] However, in the example of the prior application, the following cases may occur. In the case where a quantity of the refrigerant staying the gas-liquid separator 12 is small on the basis of a state of operation of the air conditioner (the refrigerating cycle) for vehicle use or in the case where the liquid-phase refrigerant inside the liquid pump 32 is evaporated by a rise in the temperature inside the liquid pump 32, bubbles of the gas-phase refrigerant may enter into the inside of the liquid pump 32, and the liquid-phase refrigerant can not be moved to the vapor generator 30 even when the liquid pump 32 is operated. Due to the foregoing, there is a possibility that it becomes impossible to normally operate the waste heat recovering operation mode (Rankine cycle). [0010] Even in the case where the liquid pump 32 can move the liquid-phase refrigerant to the vapor generator 30, the operation efficiency of the liquid pump 32 is lowered by the bubbles of the gas-phase refrigerant mixed into the liquid pump 32. In other words, a quantity of the refrigerant to be conveyed is decreased with respect to the power consumption of the pump. That is, a quantity of the refrigerant to be supplied to the vapor generator 30 is decreased, and there is a possibility that the efficiency of a Rankine cycle may be lowered. [0011] One object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of the occurrence of an incomplete start of a Rankine cycle device. [0012] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of the deterioration of the efficiency of a Rankine cycle device. [0013] Still another object of the present invention is to make it possible to stably operate a Rankine cycle device by utilizing the function of a refrigerating cycle device in the heat cycle device which can be used for both the Rankine cycle device and the refrigerating cycle device. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention employs the following technical means. [0015] The invention described in aspect 1 employs a heat cycle device comprising: a rotary fluid machine (10, 10b, 10c) for mutually converting between fluid energy of refrigerant and mechanical rotary energy; a condenser (11) for condensing the refrigerant supplied from the rotary fluid machine (10, 10b, 10c); a Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) including a fluid pump (32, 300) for moving the refrigerant supplied from the condenser (11) and also including a vapor generator (30) for heating the refrigerant, which has been moved by the fluid pump, by the heat of a heat generating body (20); a refrigerating cycle system (10, 11, 13, 14) including an evaporator (14) for evaporating the refrigerant supplied from the condenser (11); and a control unit (40) for conducting a refrigerant condensing operation in which the refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle system (10, 11, 13, 14) is compressed by the rotary fluid machine (10, 10b, 10c) at the time of operating the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) and the compressed refrigerant is condensed by the condenser (11). [0016] According to this invention, when a Rankine cycle system is operated, the refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle system is compressed by the rotary fluid machine and condensed by the condenser. Therefore, the liquid-phase refrigerant can be supplied to a Rankine cycle system. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an incomplete start of a Rankine cycle system. Further, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the efficiency during the operation. [0017] The invention described in aspect 2 employs a heat cycle device according to aspect 1, the control unit (40) including: a judging means for judging whether or not the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is normally operated after the operation of the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) was started; and a control means for continuing the operation of the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) in the case where it is judged that the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is normally operated, and for conducting the refrigerant condensing operation in the case where it is judged that the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is not normally operated. [0018] According to this invention, when it is judged that the Rankine cycle system is not normally operated, the refrigerant condensing operation is executed. Therefore, the liquid-phase refrigerant can be supplied to the Rankine cycle system. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an abnormal state caused by lack of the liquid-phase refrigerant. [0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant condensing operation can be executed when the operation of the Rankine cycle system is temporarily stopped. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant condensing operation can be executed simultaneously while the operation of the Rankine cycle system is being continued. [0020] The invention described in aspect 3 employs a heat cycle device according to aspect 2, further comprising: an upstream refrigerant pressure sensor (42) for measuring pressure of the refrigerant, arranged in an upstream side portion of the refrigerant flow of the fluid pump (32, 300); and a downstream refrigerant pressure sensor (43) for measuring pressure of the refrigerant, arranged in a downstream side portion of the refrigerant flow of the fluid pump (32, 300), wherein the judging means judges that the Rankine cycle (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is normally operated at the time of operating the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) in the case where a difference (P2-P1) between the detected pressure (P2) of the downstream refrigerant pressure sensor (43) and the detected pressure (P1) of the upstream refrigerant pressure sensor (42) is larger than the predetermined pressure (P), and the judging means judges that the Rankine cycle (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is not normally operated at the time of operating the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) in the case where the difference (P2-P1) between the detected pressure (P2) of the downstream refrigerant pressure sensor (43) and the detected pressure (P1) of the upstream refrigerant pressure sensor (42) is not more than the predetermined pressure (P). [0021] According to this invention, it is possible to appropriately judge an abnormality of the Rankine cycle system caused by a lack of the liquid-phase refrigerant. [0022] The invention described in aspect 4 employs a heat cycle device according to aspect 2, wherein the judging means judges that the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is normally operated in the case where a work-load of the liquid pump (32, 300) is heavier than a predetermined work-load at the time of operating the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300), and the judging means judges that the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300) is not normally operated in the case where the work-load of the liquid pump (32, 300) is not more than the predetermined work-load at the time of operating the Rankine cycle system (10, 11, 30, 32, 300). Continue reading about Heat cycle... Full patent description for Heat cycle Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Heat cycle patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Heat cycle or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Apparatus and method for checking conditioning mode of a heat pump system Next Patent Application: System and method for controlling an economizer circuit Industry Class: Refrigeration ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Heat cycle patent info. 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