AN INNOVATIVE VUILLEUMIER HEAT PUMP

A UNIQUELY CONSTRUCTED AND CONFIGURED VUILLEUMIER CYCLE MACHINE TO PROVIDE HEAT-DRIVEN HEAT PUMPING IS BEING STUDIEDIN THIS PROJECT. THE DESIGN ELIMINATES THE FRICTION, WEAR, CONTAMINATION, AND SEAL LEAKAGE PROBLEMS CLASSICALLY FOUND IN ISOTHERMAL AIR-CYCLE MACHINES AND WILL PROVIDE HIGH RELIABILITY AND LONG SERVICE LIFE. THE CRITICAL COMPONENT RELIABILITY FOR THIS MACHINE DESIGN HAS ALREADY BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN PREVIOUS WORK. THE USE OF NEAR AMBIENT PRESSURE AIR OR HELIUM AS THE WORKING FLUID MAKES THIS MACHINE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN. THE INNOVATIVE HEAT PUMP CONFIGURATION CONSISTS OF AN ARRAY OF SMALL, PARALLEL HEAT PUMP CELLS, MAKING IT INSENSITIVE TO THE FAILURE OF ANY INDIVIDUAL CELL. THIS DESIGN ALSO ENABLES VERY SIMPLE SCALING TO DIFFERENT CAPACITIES BY THE ADDITION OR REMOVAL OF MODEST CAPACITY MODULES (IT USES PLANAR ARRAYS OF HEAT PUMP CELLS). THE MACHINE IS DESIGNED TO BE SELF-STARTING AND SELF-DRIVEN, REQUIRING NO ELECTRICAL PARASITIC SUPPORT. THE FEASIBILITY DEMONSTRATION IN PHASE I FOCUSSES ON OPTIMIZING THE THERMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS AND THE PHYSICAL CONFIGURATION TO THIS SPECIFIC HEAT-PUMPING APPLICATION. A PRELIMINARY MACHINE DESIGN WILL BE PRODUCED AND ITS PERFORMANCE EVALUATED FROM BOTH A TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC STANDPOINT. THE PHASE I DESIGN EFFORT WILL DEFINE FABRICATION METHODS AND BE THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN BASIS FOR PROTOTYPICAL HARDWARE DEMONSTRATION IN PHASE II.