CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/380,654, titled “UNIDIRECTIONAL HEAT PUMP SYSTEM,” filed October 24, 2022, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The term “thermal energy” refers to a number of physical concepts. In thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred to or from a thermodynamic system by mechanisms other than thermodynamic work or transfer of matter. Such heat energy transfer occurs during a number of different known thermodynamic cycles. For instance, a thermodynamic cycle in which such heat energy transfer occurs is the reversible Stirling cycle.

[0003] Most existing heat engines and/or heat pumps constructed based on the Stirling cycle are executed cyclically. In other words, the working gas moves back and forth between processes. Most existing Stirling heat engines and/or heat pumps include a piston and a displacer, two heat exchangers, and a regenerator. The piston and the displacer form two chambers that change the volume of the working gas in a specific way. Among the two heat exchangers, one exchanges heat with a high temperature reservoir, and the other exchanges heat with a low temperature reservoir. The regenerator stores excess or unused thermal energy as the working gas moves back and forth between the two chambers.

SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure is directed to a new thermodynamic apparatus. The thermodynamic apparatus is embodied as a compression-expansion heat pump or heat engine system that operates in part based on the reversible Stirling cycle in a unidirectional (e.g., steady flow) manner. The embodiments incorporate a number of innovations. One innovation is to divide the compression and expansion chambers into discrete, separated segments. This allows sufficient, near iso-thermal, heat transfer to happen during compression and expansion. Another innovation is to arrange the components so that the reversible Stirling cycle can be executed in a steady flow fashion. Yet another innovation is to at least reduce or eliminate dead volume sections associated with compression-expansion cycles where rotation of the device maintains rotating components on center of gravity axis, balancing compression and expansion force loads for low vibration. Lastly, an innovation where regenerative heat transfer and storage of excess energy is achieved in a thermally communicating regenerative device.

[0005] Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description or can be learned from the description or through practice of the embodiments. Other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, all of which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate example embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the related concepts of the present disclosure.

[0006] According to one example embodiment, a heat pump system includes a rotary compressor having a compression chamber, a rotary expander having an expansion chamber, and a drive shaft that extends between the rotary compressor and the rotary expander. The drive shaft includes a compressor shaft section having a first roller angularly positioned about a rotation axis of the drive shaft. The first roller being mechanically coupled with the blade rotary compressor for fluid compression within the compression chamber. The drive shaft further includes an expander shaft section having a second roller angularly positioned about the rotation axis of the drive shaft. The second roller being mechanically coupled with the blade rotary expander for fluid expansion within the expansion chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the concepts of the disclosure. Moreover, repeated use of reference characters or numerals in the figures is intended to represent the same or analogous features, elements, or operations across different figures. Repeated description of such repeated reference characters or numerals is omitted for brevity.

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates an ideal Temperature-entropy diagram in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates an example Temperature-entropy diagram in accordance with practical implementations of a new reversible Stirling cycle.

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates an example schematic diagram of a heat pump or heat engine system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. [0011] FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of an example heat pump or heat engine system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 4 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates a back view of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with certain housings removed, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged view of the compressor assembly of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates an enlarged view of the expander assembly of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged view of one of the blade compressors in the heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 10 illustrates an example drive shaft of the drive system of the heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, along with compressor and expander blade pistons, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 11 illustrates the drive shaft shown in FIG. 10 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 12 illustrates the phase angle and the corresponding shaft rotation between a pair of blade compressors and blade expanders in the heat pump or heat engine system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 13 illustrates a front perspective view of an example thermodynamic apparatus in the form of a compression-expansion heat pump or heat engine system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 14 illustrates a back perspective view of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 13 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 15 illustrates a side view of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 13 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. [0023] FIG. 16 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of example blade rotary compressors and expanders of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 13 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of an example blade rotary compressor or expander of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 13 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 18 illustrates another perspective view of the example blade rotary compressor shown in FIG. 17, with certain components removed or transparent, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 19 illustrates another perspective view of the example blade rotary compressor shown in FIG. 17, with certain components removed or transparent, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view of an example drive shaft and example vanes of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 13 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 21 illustrates a top-side view of the example drive shaft and example insulation pad shown in FIG. 20, with certain components removed or transparent, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 22 illustrates another front perspective view of the example heat pump or heat engine system shown in FIG. 13 with example unidirectional fluid flow denotations according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 23 illustrates an example temperature-entropy diagram in accordance with example implementations of the Stirling cycle by the example heat pump or heat engine system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 24 illustrates a perspective view of an example blade rotary mechanism according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 25 illustrates a perspective view of an example blade rotary compressor or expander of the example blade rotary mechanism shown in FIG. 24 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 26 illustrates an example phase angle and corresponding shaft rotation between a blade rotary compressor and a blade rotary expander according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [0034] FIG. 27 illustrates a perspective view of another example thermodynamic apparatus in the form of another compression-expansion heat pump system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 28 illustrates a top perspective view of an example thermal regenerator in accordance with various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 29 illustrates another top perspective view of the example thermal regenerator shown in FIG. 28 in accordance with various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 30 illustrates another top perspective view of the example thermal regenerator shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 in accordance with various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 31 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the example thermal regenerator shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 in accordance with various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 32 illustrates a side elevation view of the example thermal regenerator shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 in accordance with various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 33 illustrates a partial enlarged view of the example thermal regenerator shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 in accordance with various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Most thermodynamic systems currently use a vapor compression thermodynamic cycle, where the refrigerant (or working fluid as applicable) changes state (e.g., from gas to liquid and back). The embodiments described herein use a supercritical gas state for the thermodynamic cycle. The refrigerant in the embodiments can absorb heat as a heat engine or go through a pressure change for the generation of thermal heat and cooling effects used for many applications. The embodiments can also function as a power cycle, as well as a refrigerant cycle, where the working fluid either transfers energy for heating and cooling (refrigeration cycle) or to generate electrical power (power cycle). The embodiments incorporate a new special thermodynamic cycle that implements a reversible Stirling cycle. The new cycle has a special attribute, where the working fluid flows unidirectionally using a special regenerator design with near isothermal compression and expansion, whose phase relationship is within the essence of the embodiments. The embodiments, therefore, achieve a more efficient thermodynamic cycle that can approach the ideal cycle efficiency of the Carnot cycle. [0042] An embodiment of such a system can consist of a blade compressor, a thermally communicating regenerator, and a blade expander. The blade compressor and expander allow the working gas to go through near isothermal compression and expansion process. The thermally communicating regenerator enables the working gas to store thermal energy while traveling between the compressor outlet to the expander inlet and then retrieve the same temperature and energy as the gas travels from the expander outlet back to the compressor inlet. This system can be used for power (electricity) generation, and refrigeration applications in various temperatures.

[0043] The reversible Stirling cycle is a well-known variation of the Carnot Cycle. The ideal cycle efficiency is considered the highest among all thermodynamic cycles in the same working conditions. Any cycle or machine claiming higher efficiency is regarded as a Perpetual Motion Machine of the Second Kind (PMM II).

[0044] However, as noted above, almost all traditional heat engines and/or heat pumps, which are also referred to herein as heat pump systems, that are constructed based on the Stirling cycle are executed cyclically. In other words, the working gas moves back and forth between processes in traditional Stirling heat engines. Typical Stirling heat engines and/or heat pumps include a piston and a displacer, two heat exchangers, and a regenerator. The piston and the displacer form two chambers that change the volume of the working gas in a specific way. Among the two heat exchangers, one exchanges heat with a high temperature reservoir, and the other exchanges heat with a low temperature reservoir. The regenerator stores the excess thermal energy as the working gas moves back and forth between the two chambers.

[0045] Such a cyclic implementation of the Stirling cycle has many limitations. These limitations significantly alter the operation of the actual machine from its ideal cycle, which in turn dramatically reduces its actual efficiency. One of the limitations is the existence of “dead volume.” The dead volume is used to describe the volume inside a cyclic Stirling machine that prevents a certain portion of the working gas from participating in the thermodynamic cycle. That is, some of the working gas in a cyclic Stirling machine cannot travel completely from one chamber to the other. The empty spaces inside the two heat exchangers and the regenerator are all dead volume. The dead volumes give opportunities for gas with different temperatures to mix, which results in significant energy loss.

[0046] Another limitation of typical Stirling heat engines and/or heat pumps is vibration and noise. Since the displacer has a certain amount of mass, the center of mass of the machine will oscillate as the displacer cycles back and forth. This oscillation produces significant noise and vibration, which limits the applicability of the machine in some situations. Heat migration is another limitation of a traditional cyclic Stirling machine. Since the hot and the cold chambers are in close proximity with each other, gas as well as heat can bypass the regenerator and move from the hot chamber to the cold chamber. This heat migration poses a significant energy loss for the machine.

[0047] The embodiments described herein allow the reversible Stirling cycle to be executed in a unidirectional steady flow fashion. The embodiments reduce or eliminate some of the biggest limitations of traditional cyclic Stirling machines and enable operation closer to the ideal Stirling cycle.

[0048] Among others, the benefits of the embodiments include reducing or eliminating dead volume. Due to their steady flow nature, the heat pumps or heat engines described herein direct all the working gas to go through the four processes completely. This prevents mixing of the working gas at different temperatures, which reduces the associated energy loss. The benefits also include minimizing heat migration. The heat pumps or heat engines described herein allow the hot chamber to be physically separated from the cold chamber. Therefore, no working gas can bypass the regenerator and move between chambers. Also, since the two chambers are physically separated, the heat conduction between the hot and the cold chambers is minimized. These features reduce the energy loss inside the heat pumps or heat engines of the present disclosure and improve their efficiency.

[0049] The benefits also include minimizing vibration and noise. The heat pumps or heat engines described herein split the compression and expansion processes into sections. For example, the blade compressors and expanders split the compression and expansion processes into many sections. The sections are arranged in a particular way such that the center of mass of the heat pump or heat engine system stays fixed, and the pressure loads on the shaft mechanism stays balanced, even when the individual compressor or expander blades are moving. Based on the conservation of momentum, the vibration is significantly reduced or eliminated, as the center of mass of the heat pump or heat engine system does not oscillate.

[0050] The heat pumps or heat engines described herein also enable better regeneration. In traditional Stirling devices, the size of the regenerator is significantly constrained due to the concern of dead volume. The regenerator, or the regenerative heat exchanger, is a heat exchanger in nature. Therefore, it obeys the same characteristics as other heat exchangers. Mainly, larger heat transfer areas improve the effectiveness of the heat transfer. However, larger heat transfer areas and size fundamentally conflicts with the requirement of minimizing dead volume. The embodiments resolve this problem by eliminating the existence of the dead volume. Now, a regenerator of the heat pumps or heat engines described herein can have a sufficient size that is not constrained by any other factors. This way, the actual cycle can be closer to the ideal Stirling cycle with better regeneration performance.

[0051] The heat pumps or heat engines described herein also enable near isothermal compression and expansion. One challenge faced by traditional cyclic Stirling machines is to achieve isothermal compression and expansion. Specifically, to move as much heat out as possible when the working gas is being compressed. Similarly, to move as much heat in as possible when the working gas is being expanded. In that way, the working gas temperature stays relatively constant even under compression or expansion. Traditional Stirling machines have difficulty achieving isothermal compression and expansion, because the working chamber volume is large, whereas the heat transfer area is small. The compressor and expander assemblies according to the embodiments described herein help to address this issue. The design of the compressor and expander assemblies splits the chambers into many sections. With the same chamber volume, the heat transfer area has been significantly increased. As a result, the compression and the expansion processes can stay near isothermal as a secondary fluid transfers that heat while in contact with the chambers.

[0052] The heat pumps or heat engines described herein also offer improved scalability. Most cyclic engines or heat pumps cannot be scaled to large capacities, due to the concerns of vibration from large moving masses. Therefore, to reach larger capacity, many cyclic machines are often operated in parallel. This parallelization significantly increases the cost of the whole system. According to the embodiments, which allow a Stirling machine to run in a steady flow manner, the heat pumps or heat engines described herein each enable large scaling with one device. This helps to broaden the applications for and reduce the cost of the heat pumps or heat engines.

[0053] The reversible Stirling cycle can be described by the Temperature-entropy diagram, or T-s diagram, shown in FIG. 1. The cycle consists of four processes. Depending on its functionality, it can function as a power cycle (produces mechanical torque) or a refrigeration cycle (produces thermal heating and/or cooling outputs). For a power cycle, the cycle runs clockwise, as B - A - D - C. For a refrigeration cycle, it runs counter-clockwise, as A - B - C - D.

[0054] The refrigeration cycle includes four processes. From A to B, in the near isothermal compression and heat rejection portion of the cycle, a working gas is compressed by the compressor while rejecting heat to a high temperature reservoir at Thigh. From B to C, in the isochoric regeneration (heat deposition) portion of the cycle, the working gas deposits heat to the regenerator at a constant volume. From C to D, in the near isothermal expansion and heat addition portion of the cycle, the working gas is expanding in the expander while drawing heat from a low temperature reservoir at Ti _ow . From D to A, in the isochoric regeneration (heat withdrawal) portion of the cycle, the working gas withdraws heat from the regenerator at a constant volume.

[0055] The power cycle includes four processes. From B to A, in the near isothermal expansion and heat addition portion of the cycle, the working gas is expanding in the expander while drawing heat from a high temperature reservoir at Thigh. From A to D, in the isochoric regeneration (heat deposition) portion of the cycle, the working gas deposits heat to the regenerator at a constant volume. From D to C, in the near isothermal compression and heat rejection portion of the cycle, the working gas is compressed in the compressor while rejecting heat to a low temperature reservoir at Ti _ow . From C to B, in the isochoric regeneration (heat withdrawal) portion of the cycle, the working gas withdraws heat from the regenerator at a constant volume.

[0056] The four processes of the cycle can also be described by the ideal gas law. The refrigeration cycle includes four processes. A to B: isothermal compression and heat rejection. The working gas is compressed by the compressor which results in a decrease in volume and an increase in pressure. At the same time, the coolant at a temperature T1 is taking heat away from the working gas at a temperature T2. The heat transfer is driven by a positive temperature difference AT between T2 and T1 (AT = T2-T1 > 0). Such a simultaneous compression and heat transfer is able to keep the working gas at a near isothermal condition at temperature T2. r:> Coolant

[0057] B to C: isochoric regeneration (heat deposition). The working gas deposits heat to the regenerator at a constant volume. During this process, heat transfers from the working gas to the regenerator. This is accompanied by a drop of temperature therefore pressure as the working gas traveling through the thermally communicating regenerator in one side in one direction. Regenerator

[0058] C to D: isothermal expansion and heat addition. The working gas is expanding in the expander while drawing heat from a low temperature reservoir. The working gas is expanding in the expander which leads to an increase in volume and a decrease in pressure. Meanwhile, the working gas at a temperature T3 is drawing heat from the coolant at a temperature T4. This heat transfer is driven by a positive temperature difference AT = T4-T3 > 0. Such a simultaneous expansion and heat transfer can keep the working gas at a near isothermal condition at temperature T3.

[0059] D to A: isochoric regeneration (heat withdrawal). The working gas withdraws heat from the regenerator at a constant volume. During this process, heat transfers from the regenerator to the working gas. This is accompanied by a rise of temperature therefore pressure as the working gas traveling back through the thermally communicating regenerator in the other side in the other direction. Regenerator

[0060] In practice, the actual execution of the reversible Stirling cycle deviates from the ideal reversible Stirling cycle, in part, due to inherent losses presented in such machines. FIG. 2 illustrates an example Temperature-entropy diagram in accordance with practical implementations of the Stirling cycle. As shown in FIG. 2, actual machines execute the cycle as A - B’ - C - D’ instead of the ideal cycle A - B - C - D. The inherent losses in practical designs include mechanical friction, the pressure drop across the regenerator, and other factors. The most significant losses in actual machines typically occur in the isothermal compression and expansion processes. As one example, since practical machines cannot run at very slow speeds, the compression or expansion processes will always increase or decrease the temperature of the working gas due to insufficient heat transfer. This results in a lower efficiency or coefficient of performance (COP) of the machine compared to the ideal cycle.

[0061] Although the increase of the working gas temperature during compression and the decrease of temperature during expansion is nonideal, it does create a temperature difference for the regeneration to occur. In the ideal cycle, the regeneration requires heat to transfer from T1 to T2 as the working gas goes through the B-C and D-A regeneration processes. This heat transfer will happen at very low speeds due to the infinitesimal temperature difference between T1 and T2 (AT = T1 - T2 ~ 0). In an actual machine with near isothermal compression and expansion, the temperature difference that drives the regeneration will be AT = T1 - T2’ > 0. This would allow an actual regeneration process to happen.

[0062] In the context outlined above, FIG. 3 illustrates an example schematic diagram of a heat pump or heat engine system according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. The heat pump or heat engine system includes a blade compressor, a blade expander, and a thermally communicating regenerator. The blade compressor allows a working gas to reject heat to a heat reservoir while being compressed, which is a near isothermal compression process. The blade expander allows the working gas to absorb heat from a heat reservoir while expanding, which is a near isothermal expansion process. The thermally communicating regenerator allows the working gas to deposit heat as it moves from the blade compressors to the blade expanders in one section, and then withdrawal heat as it moves back in another section under constant volume. This enables isochoric regeneration processes of the cycle.

[0063] Turning to a more particular example, FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of an example thermodynamic apparatus in the form of a unidirectional heat pump system 10 (also “heat pump system 10”) according to various embodiments, and FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of the heat pump system 10. The illustration of the heat pump system 10 is representative and not drawn to any particular scale. The components of the heat pump system 10 are not exhaustively illustrated, and the heat pump system 10 can include other components not shown. Also, one or more of the components shown can be omitted in some cases. The heat pump system 10 may function as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device for residential, industrial, commercial, and related applications. The heat pump system 10 can operate as a hot-water and refrigeration system in a single device. It can also be reversed to a power cycle and to function as a generator or a combined heat and power unit.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the heat pump system 10 includes a compressor assembly 100, an expander assembly 200, a drive system 300, a working fluid transfer system 400, and a thermal regenerator 500, among possibly other components. The compressor assembly 100 includes a compressor housing 110, one or more compressor inlets 112 and 113 to the compressor housing 110, one or more compressor outlets 114 and 115 from the compressor housing 110, and other components described below.

[0065] The expander assembly 200 includes an expander housing 210, one or more expander inlets 212 and 213 to the expander housing 210, one or more expander outlets 214 and 215 from the expander housing 210, and other components described below. The drive system 300 includes a motor, engine, generator, or other mechanical drive system for the heat pump system 10, contained within a housing 310. The drive system 300 also includes a drive shaft 320 (see FIGS. 6 to 8, 10, and 11) and other components described below. FIG. 6 illustrates a back view of the heat pump system 10 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with the housings 110, 210, and 310 removed from view. [0066] FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged view of the compressor assembly 100, and FIG. 8 illustrates an enlarged view of the expander assembly 200. As shown in FIG. 7, the compressor assembly 100 includes a number of blade compressors 120A-120F arranged in a stack on one side of the drive shaft 320. The drive shaft 320 can be coupled at one end to a motor, engine, generator, or other mechanical drive system (not shown) for the heat pump system 10. The compressor assembly 100 also includes blade compressors 122A-122F arranged in a stack on another side of the drive shaft 320, as shown. The compressor assembly 100 also includes compressor thermal exchange blades 130 arranged between the blade compressors 120A-120F, and similar compressor thermal exchange blades arranged between the blade compressors 122A-122F.

[0067] A blade piston 140 extends between the blade compressors 120A and 122A. The blade piston 140 is mechanically coupled to a crankpin of the drive shaft 320. The blade piston 140 articulates back and forth, laterally in the direction “L,” as shown in FIG. 7, based on rotary motion of the drive shaft 320. The lateral motion of the blade piston 140 compresses the working fluid in the blade compressors 120A and 122A, which is circulated by way of the working fluid transfer system 400.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 8, the expander assembly 200 includes a number of blade expanders 220A-220F arranged in a stack on one side of the drive shaft 320. The expander assembly 200 also includes blade expanders 222A-222F arranged in a stack on another side of the drive shaft 320, as shown. The expander assembly 200 also includes expander thermal exchange blades 230 arranged between the blade expanders 220A-220F, and similar expander thermal exchange blades between the blade expanders 222A-222F. The number of blade compressors and blade expanders in the heat pump system 10 can vary as compared to that shown, as the design of the heat pump system 10 is scalable.

[0069] A blade piston 240 extends between the blade expanders 220A and 222 A. The blade piston 240 is mechanically coupled to a crankpin of the drive shaft 320. The blade piston 240 articulates back and forth, laterally in the direction “L,” as shown in FIG. 8, based on rotary motion of the drive shaft 320. The lateral motion of the blade piston 240 expands the working fluid in the blade expanders 220A and 222A, which is circulated by way of the working fluid transfer system 400.

[0070] Each set of the blade compressors 120, the blade compressors 122, and the blade pistons 140 have a shared or common lateral axis positioned in a lateral plane extending in the lateral “L” direction. For example, the blade compressor 120A, the blade compressor 122A, and the blade piston 140A each have a lateral axis positioned in a first lateral plane extending in the lateral “L” direction. Each set of the blade expanders 220, the blade expanders 222, and the blade pistons 240 have a shared or common lateral axis positioned in a lateral plane extending in the lateral “L” direction. For example, the blade expander 220A, the blade expander 222A, and the blade piston 240A each have a lateral axis positioned in a second lateral plane extending in the lateral “L” direction. The second lateral plane of the blade expander 220A, the blade expander 222A, and the blade piston 240A is different from the first lateral plane of the blade compressor 120A, the blade compressor 122A, and the blade piston 140A. In the example shown the second lateral plane of the blade expander 220A, the blade expander 222A, and the blade piston 240A is positioned vertically below the first lateral plane of the blade compressor 120A, the blade compressor 122A, and the blade piston 140A, although other arrangements may be relied upon in some embodiments.

[0071] FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged view of the blade compressor 120 A, blade compressor 122A, and blade piston 140 in the heat pump system 10. The blade compressor 120A includes a housing 160, a gas output valve 161A, and a gas input valve 161B. The blade compressor 122A includes a housing 161, a gas output valve 162 A, and a gas input valve 162B. The compressor blade piston 140 is also shown in FIG. 9. The blade piston 140 includes piston heads 141 and 142 (see FIG. 10) and a central slot 144. The slot 144 in the blade piston 140 allows the piston 140 to compress, expand, or move the working gas through regeneration. A crankpin 331 of the drive shaft 320 extends through the central slot 144. Contact between the inner peripheral surface of the slot 144 and the outer surface of the cylindrical crankpin 331 caused by rotation of the drive shaft 320 drives the blade piston 140 laterally in the direction “L,” as shown in FIG. 7. This movement drives the working gas through the four thermodynamic processes by changing its specific volume in a distinct way.

[0072] FIG. 10 illustrates the drive shaft 320 of the drive system 300, along with compressor and expander blade pistons. The compressor blade piston 140 and expander blade piston 240 are identified, among others. FIG. 11 illustrates the drive shaft 320 shown in FIG. 10 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. The drive shaft 320 extends between the compressor assembly 100 and the expander assembly 200. The drive shaft 320 includes a compressor shaft section 322 and an expander shaft section 324. The drive shaft 320 also includes a number of compressor crankpins, such as crankpins 331-333, among others, arranged along the compressor shaft section 322. The crankpins are distributed, in angular position, about a rotation axis “R” of at least one of the drive shaft 320 or the compressor shaft section 322. The drive shaft 320 also includes a number of expander crankpins, such as crankpins 334-336, among others, arranged along the expander shaft section 324. The crankpins are distributed, in angular position, about a rotation axis “R” of at least one of the drive shaft 320 or the expander shaft section 324.

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 11, the operation of the compressor assembly 100 is determined, in part, by how and when the gas valves of each blade compressor open and close. The blade compressors and blade expanders can have two configurations, counterflow or cross flow, depending on the direction of coolant flow and the positions of the inlets 112 and 113, outlets 114 and 115, inlets 212 and 213, and outlets 214 and 215.

[0074] Taking the counterflow example shown in FIG. 9 as an example, coolant can flow in the inlets 112 and 113 (see FIG. 4) and between the thermal exchange blades 130 of the compressor assembly 100, while the working gas is being compressed inside the blade compressor 120A, among others. The housing 160 of the blade compressor 120A also acts as a heat exchanger at the same time. The working gas in the compressor assembly 100 can go through near isothermal compression process in that way. Also, outlet coolant at the outlets 114 and 115, which is now carrying the heat from the compression process, can be used for productive heating applications like space heating or water heating. The expander assembly 200 is the same or similar in structure but reverse in function as compared to the compressor assembly 100. The working gas is taking heat away from the coolant as it expands in the near isothermal expansion process. The coolant being cooled down during this process can be used for cooling, refrigeration, or cryogenics applications.

[0075] Since the compression and the expansion processes should ideally be isothermal, the heat of compression or expansion is exchanged with the heat reservoirs through coolant flow. Taking the isothermal compression as an example, as the piston 140 moves to compress the working gas at temperature Tl, the coolant at a lower temperature T2 flows over the top and bottom surfaces of the housing 160 and between the thermal exchange blades 230. The temperature difference between Tl and T2 allows heat to transfer from the working gas to the coolant as the compression is taking place. The fins or special geometric features of the thermal exchange blades 230 on the surface of the housing 160 both enlarge the heat transfer area and break the boundary layer of the coolant flow. This promotes the heat transfer between the working gas and the coolant. This heat transfer allows the working gas to be compressed at a near constant temperature condition. Also, the heated coolant at the outlet can be used for heating applications. The isothermal expansion is similar except that the heat is flowing in a reserved direction from the coolant at a higher temperature to the working gas at a lower temperature. Also, the coolant will be cooled as it flows through the blade expander housing.

[0076] The gas valves shown in FIG. 9 differentiate the compression and the expansion process. Depending on when the gas valves open or close, a blade housing will function as a compressor or an expander. These gas valves can be mechanical valves or electronic valves in various embodiments.

[0077] Another unique feature of the heat pump system 10 is the offset motion. That is, the compressor and expander blades each move at an individual pace. Each of the blade pistons of the compressor and expander blades also move at an individual pace. For example, some of the blade pistons are moving from left to right while others are moving from right to left or stopping at the end. The major benefit of this is to keep the center of mass of the heat pump system 10 stable instead of oscillating back and forth. This way, the heat pump system 10 experiences little to no vibrations. It also helps to distribute the torque on the drive shaft 320 evenly since the individual compressor or expander, and corresponding blade piston, is going through different stages of their motion.

[0078] Referring again to FIGS. 10 and 11, the drive shaft 320 includes a compressor shaft section 322, an expander shaft section 324, and a connector 340 between them. Depending on the application, the top or the bottom end of the drive shaft 320 can be connected to a motor, an electric generator, or another system described in this invention. The drive shaft 320 includes the crankpins 331-333 and 334-336, among others, distributed evenly around 360 degrees (°). The crankpins are mechanically connected with blade compressors and expanders. The even distribution ensures the center of mass of the heat pump system 10 stays steady, which minimizes vibrations. The connector 340 between the two shafts is made of material with low thermal conductivity, since the compressor shaft section 322 is operating in a high temperature environment, whereas the expander shaft section 324 is operating in a low temperature environment. The connector 340 helps to thermally separate the compressor shaft section 322 from the expander shaft section 324, to minimize heat migration while being able to transfer torque.

[0079] The phase angle between a pair of compressor and expander blades is designed so that the working gas can go through the four processes of the reversible Stirling cycle. The phase angle is determined by the thermodynamic properties of the working gas and the operating pressure of the heat pump system 10. FIG. 12 shows the phase angle and the corresponding shaft rotation between a blade compressor and a blade expander. Starting from 0 degrees, as the shaft rotates from B to C, the compressor piston is moving from Bottom Dead Center (BDC) to Regeneration Position (REG) to compress the working gas from specific volume (density) VI to specific volume V2 with both the inlet and the outlet gas valve closed. Meanwhile, the expander piston stays still at BDC. This is the isothermal compression process. When the shaft is rotating from C to D, the compressor outlet and the expander inlet gas valve open. The compressor piston is moving from REG to Top Dead Center (TDC) and pushes working gas to the regenerator. At the same time, the expander piston is moving from TDC to REG, hence drawing working gas from the regenerator. This is the isochoric regeneration process where the working gas is moving from the compressor to the expander through the regenerator at a constant specific volume V2. While the shaft is rotating from D to A, the compressor piston stays still at TDC. The expander piston is moving from REG to BDC and allows the working gas to expand from specific volume V2 to VI with both the inlet and outlet gas valves closed.

[0080] At last, as the shaft is rotating from A back to B, the compressor piston is going from TDC to BDC with the inlet gas valve open. The expander piston is moving from BDC to TDC with the outlet gas valve open. During this process, the working gas is traveling from the expander to the compressor through the regenerator at a constant specific volume V2. This is another isochoric regeneration process. As the shaft rotates 360 degrees, it drives the working gas to go through the four reversible Stirling cycle processes by moving the compressor piston and the expander piston in this specific fashion.

[0081] In some embodiments, the isothermal or near isothermal compression and expansion can be implemented in a rotary type mechanism instead of a blade reciprocating piston type mechanism, such as the blade compressors or expanders in the heat pump system 10. Example embodiments including different rotary type mechanisms that can implement isothermal or near isothermal compression and expansion of a working fluid in a unidirectional (e.g., steady state) fashion are described herein with reference to FIGS. 13 to 27.

[0082] FIGS. 13 to 15 respectively illustrate a front perspective view, a back perspective view, and a side view of an example thermodynamic apparatus in the form of a unidirectional heat pump system 60 (also “heat pump system 60”) according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. The illustrations of the heat pump system 60 are representative and not drawn to any particular scale. The components of the heat pump system 60 are not exhaustively illustrated, and the heat pump system 60 can include other components not shown. Also, one or more of the components shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 can be omitted in some cases. In FIGS. 13 to 15, the illustration, annotation, and/or other identification of some components of the heat pump system 60 is omitted for purposes of clarity, although details of such components are described in various embodiments herein.

[0083] The heat pump system 60 may function as an HVAC device for residential, industrial, commercial, and related applications. The heat pump system 60 can operate as a hot- water and refrigeration system in a single device. It can also be reversed to a power cycle and to function as a generator or a combined heat and power unit. Referring among FIGS. 13 to 15, the heat pump system 60 includes a compressor assembly 600, an expander assembly 700, a drive system 800, a working fluid transfer system 900, an upper insulating insert 950, a central insulating insert 960, and the thermal regenerator 500, among possibly other components.

[0084] The upper insulating insert 950 is positioned between the drive system 800 and the compressor assembly 600 to provide physical and thermal insulation between the drive system 800 and the compressor assembly 600, as well as between the respective components, internal environments, and/or fluids thereof as described in examples herein. The central insulating insert 960 is positioned between the compressor assembly 600 and the expander assembly 700 to provide physical and thermal insulation between the compressor assembly 600 and the expander assembly 700, as well as respective components, internal environments, and/or fluids thereof as described in examples herein. The upper insulating insert 950 and the central insulating insert 960 can be formed from a range of different materials that offer mechanical insulation, thermal insulation, or both mechanical and thermal insulation. As examples, the upper insulating insert 950 and the central insulating insert 960 can be formed from plastic or plastics, polystyrene, fiberglass, ceramics, cork, foam, glass, other insulating materials, and combinations thereof.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 15, the compressor assembly 600 includes a compressor housing 610, a compressor inlet 612 to the compressor housing 610, a compressor outlet 614 from the compressor housing 610, and other components described below. The compressor assembly 600 includes a number of rotary compressors 620A-620F arranged in a stack within the compressor housing 610. Although there are six rotary compressors 620A-620 arranged in a vertical stack in the example shown, other numbers and arrangements of rotary compressors can be relied upon in some embodiments. For example, the compressor assembly 600 may include only a single rotary compressor 620A, 620B, 620C, 620D, 620E, or 620F in some cases.

[0086] The compressor assembly 600 further includes suction or discharge manifolds 622A, 622B coupled to any or all of the rotary compressors 620A-620F. The suction or discharge manifolds 622A, 622B are further coupled in closed fluid communication with the working fluid transfer system 900. The suction or discharge manifolds 622A, 622B and the working fluid transfer system 900 together allow for fluid and thermal communication between any or all of the rotary compressors 620A-620F and the thermal regenerator 500. For instance, the suction or discharge manifolds 622A, 622B and the working fluid transfer system 900 together allow for fluid and thermal communication associated with a working fluid between any or all of the rotary compressors 620A-620F and the thermal regenerator 500.

[0087] The expander assembly 700 includes an expander housing 710, an expander inlet 712 to the expander housing 710, an expander outlet 714 from the expander housing 710, and other components described below. The expander assembly 700 includes a number of rotary expanders 720A-720F arranged in a stack within the expander housing 710. Although there are six rotary expanders 720A-720F arranged in a vertical stack in the example shown, other numbers and arrangements of rotary expanders can be relied upon in some embodiments. For example, the expander assembly 700 may include only a single rotary expander 720A, 720B, 720C, 720D, 720E, 720F in some cases.

[0088] The expander assembly 700 further includes suction or discharge manifolds 722A, 722B coupled to any or all of the rotary expanders 720A-720F. The suction or discharge manifolds 722A, 722B are further coupled in closed fluid communication with the working fluid transfer system 900. The suction or discharge manifolds 722A, 722B and the working fluid transfer system 900 together allow for fluid and thermal communication between any or all of the rotary expanders 720A-720F and the thermal regenerator 500. For instance, the suction or discharge manifolds 722A, 722B and the working fluid transfer system 900 together allow for fluid and thermal communication associated with a working fluid between any or all of the rotary expanders 720A- 720F and the thermal regenerator 500.

[0089] The working fluid transfer system 900 can be embodied as an assembly of tubes, pipes, couplings, and other components that together form a closed loop working fluid communication system that extends between the rotary compressors 620A-620, the thermal regenerator 500, and the rotary expanders 720A-720F. According to aspects of the embodiments, the flow of the working fluid through the working fluid transfer system 900 is unidirectional and does not change direction. Example working fluids in the heat pump system 60 include helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen, although other working fluids can be relied upon.

[0090] The drive system 800 includes a motor, engine, generator, or other mechanical drive system for the heat pump system 60 and is contained within a housing 810. The drive system 800 also includes a drive shaft 820 (see FIG. 20-21) and other components described below. The drive shaft 820 extends from the drive system 800 to the expander assembly 700. The drive shaft 820 passes through and is mechanically coupled to each of the rotary compressors 620A-620F and each of the rotary compressors 720A-720F. The drive shaft 820 can be coupled at one end to a motor, engine, generator, or other mechanical drive system (not shown) of the drive system 800 for the heat pump system 60.

[0091] The working fluid transfer system 900 includes a service port 910. One or more working fluids can be added to or removed from the working fluid transfer system 900 through the service port 910 as would be understood in the field.

[0092] FIG. 16 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of example rotary compressors and rotary expanders of the heat pump system 60 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In this particular example, FIG. 16 illustrates a perspective view of the rotary compressors 620A, 620F and the rotary expanders 720A, 720F of the heat pump system 60, with the central insulating insert 960 positioned between the blade rotary compressor 620F and the blade rotary expander 720A, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0093] Any or all of the rotary compressors 620A-620F and any or all of the blade rotary expanders 720A-720F may include the same or similar components and/or functionality in some embodiments, or different components and/or functionality in other embodiments. In various embodiments illustrated and described herein the rotary compressors 620A-620F and the blade rotary expanders 720A-720F are interchangeable with one another, they each include the same or similar components and/or functionality, and they only differ in operation as a compressor or an expander, respectively. For purposes of brevity and clarity, any particular blade rotary compressor 620A-620F and any particular blade rotary expander 720A-720F illustrated and described in different examples herein is a representative example of any other blade rotary compressor 620A- 620F and any other blade rotary expanders 720A-720F, respectively, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In FIG. 16, the blade rotary compressors 620B-620E and the blade rotary expanders 720B-720E are not illustrated for clarity, although details of such compressors and expanders are described in various embodiments herein. Additionally, the annotation and/or other identification of one or more components of the blade rotary compressor 620A or 620F or the blade rotary expander 720A or 720F is also omitted for clarity, although details of such components are described in various embodiments herein.

[0094] The rotary compressors 620A-620F (or “the blade rotary compressor 620”) each include a blade housing 630A-630F (or “the blade housing 630”). The blade housings 630 each include blade layers 632A-632F, 634A-634F, 636A-636F (or “the blade layers 632, 634, 636”) that are mechanically coupled to and in thermal communication with one another. The blade layers 632, 634, 636 are mechanically coupled to one another by way of a plurality of coupling ports 638A-638F (or “the coupling ports 638”) formed through each of the blade layers 632, 634, 636 at various locations distributed about the respective blade housings 630. The blade layer 634 is positioned between the blade layers 632 and 636 in each of the blade housings 630. In the example shown the blade layers 632, 634, 636 are embodied as discrete and modular blade layers that can be mechanically coupled by way of the coupling ports 638 to form the respective blade housings 630. In other examples the blade housings 630 may each be embodied as a single, contiguous or integrated component having any or all of the blade layers 632, 634, 636 integrated therein.

[0095] The blade layer 632 of each of the blade housings 630 includes a thermal exchange region 640A-640F (or “the thermal exchange region 640”) located on an outer portion or surface of the blade layer 632 that is exposed to and in thermal communication with an internal region or internal environment of the compressor housing 610 of the compressor assembly 600. The blade layer 636 of each of the blade housings 630 includes a thermal exchange region 642A-642F (or “the thermal exchange region 642”) located on an outer portion or surface of the blade layer 636 that is also exposed to and in thermal communication with the internal region or internal environment of the compressor housing 610 of the compressor assembly 600. During operation of the heat pump system 60 the thermal exchange regions 640, 642 are in thermal communication with a fluid such as, for instance, a coolant fluid flowing through the compressor housing 610 of the compressor assembly 600.

[0096] The thermal exchange regions 640, 642 respectively include one or more thermal exchange features 644A-644F, 646A-646F (or “the thermal exchange features 644, 646”). Any or all of the thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be formed to a variety of geometries and dimensions such as, for instance, various polyhedron shapes or various shaped heat exchanger fins. The thermal exchange features 644, 646 may all be formed to the same geometry and dimensions in some embodiments. In other embodiments one or more of the thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be formed to a geometry or dimension that is different from that of at least one other thermal exchange feature 644, 646.

[0097] In some embodiments the thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be individually distributed at defined locations across the thermal exchange regions 640, 642, respectively. In other embodiments the thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be respectively arranged about the thermal exchange regions 640, 642 according to a variety of patterns. In some embodiments the thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be respectively arranged about the thermal exchange regions 640, 642 according to the same pattern. In other embodiments the thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be respectively arranged about the thermal exchange regions 640, 642 according to different patterns. In the example shown the thermal exchange regions 640, 642 each include cube-shaped thermal exchange features 644, 646 projecting from the aforementioned outer portion or surface of the blade layers 632, 636, respectively. In this example the cube-shaped thermal exchange features 644, 646 are arranged across their corresponding thermal exchange region 640, 642 according to a latticed, crisscrossed, traversed, or grid pattern as shown, although other patterns may be relied upon in some cases. The thermal exchange features 644, 646 may be arranged according to a defined angular orientation about a rotation axis of the drive shaft 820 and/or with respect to a fluid path through the compressor housing 610 between the compressor inlet 612 and the compressor outlet 614.

[0098] The blade rotary expanders 720A-720F (or “the blade rotary expander 720”) each include a blade housing 730A-730F (or “the blade housing 730”). The blade housings 730 each include blade layers 732A-732F, 734A-734F, 736A-736F (or “the blade layers 732, 734, 736”) that are mechanically coupled to and in thermal communication with one another. The blade layers 732, 734, 736 are mechanically coupled to one another by way of a plurality of coupling ports 738A-738F (or “the coupling ports 738”) formed through each of the blade layers 732, 734, 736 at various locations distributed about the respective blade housings 730. The blade layer 734 is positioned between the blade layers 732 and 736 in each of the blade housings 730. In the example shown the blade layers 732, 734, 736 are embodied as discrete and modular blade layers that can be mechanically coupled by way of the coupling ports 738 to form the respective blade housings 730. In other examples the blade housings 730 may each be embodied as a single, contiguous or integrated component having any or all of the blade layers 732, 734, 736 integrated therein.

[0099] The blade layer 732 of each of the blade housings 730 includes a thermal exchange region 740A-740F (or “the thermal exchange region 740”) located on an outer portion or surface of the blade layer 732 that is exposed to and in thermal communication with an internal region or internal environment of the expander housing 710 of the expander assembly 700. The blade layer 736 of each of the blade housings 730 includes a thermal exchange region 742A-742F (or “the thermal exchange region 742”) located on an outer portion or surface of the blade layer 736 that is also exposed to and in thermal communication with the internal region or internal environment of the expander housing 710 of the expander assembly 700. During operation of the heat pump system 60 the thermal exchange regions 740, 742 are in thermal communication with a fluid such as, for instance, a coolant fluid flowing through the expander housing 710 of the expander assembly 700. [00100] The thermal exchange regions 740, 742 respectively include one or more thermal exchange features 744A-744F, 746A-746F (or “the thermal exchange features 744, 746”). Any or all of the thermal exchange features 744, 746 may be formed to a variety of geometries and dimensions such as, for instance, various polyhedron shapes or various shaped heat exchanger fins. The thermal exchange features 744, 746 may all be formed to the same geometry and dimensions with respect to one another and/or to any or all of the thermal exchange features 644F, 646F in some embodiments. In other embodiments one or more of the thermal exchange features 744, 746 may be formed to a geometry or dimension that is different from that of at least one other thermal exchange feature 644, 646, 744, or 746.

[00101] In some embodiments the thermal exchange features 744, 746 may be individually distributed at defined locations across the thermal exchange regions 740, 742, respectively. In other embodiments the thermal exchange features 744, 746 may be respectively arranged about the thermal exchange regions 740, 742 according to a variety of patterns. In some embodiments the thermal exchange features 744, 746 of one or more of the blade housings 730 may be respectively arranged about corresponding thermal exchange regions 740, 742 according to the same pattern. In other embodiments the thermal exchange features 744 or 746 of at least one blade housing 730 may be respectively arranged about corresponding thermal exchange regions 740 or 742 according to a pattern that is different from that of the thermal exchange features 744 or 746 respectively arranged about corresponding thermal exchange regions 740 or 742 of at least one other blade housing 730. In one embodiment the thermal exchange features 744 or 746 may be respectively arranged about the thermal exchange regions 740 or 742 of any of the blade housings 730 according to a pattern that is the same as or different from that of the thermal exchange features 644 or 646 respectively arranged about the thermal exchange regions 640 or 642 of any of the blade housings 630.

[00102] In the example shown the thermal exchange regions 740, 742 each include cubeshaped thermal exchange features 744, 746 projecting from the aforementioned outer portion or surface of the blade layers 732, 736, respectively. In this example the cube-shaped thermal exchange features 744, 746 are arranged across their corresponding thermal exchange region 740, 742 according to a latticed, crisscrossed, traversed, or grid pattern as shown, although other patterns may be relied upon in some cases. The thermal exchange features 744, 746 may be arranged according to a defined angular orientation about a rotation axis of the drive shaft 820 and/or with respect to a fluid path through the expander housing 710 between the expander inlet 712 and the expander outlet 714. [00103] FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of an example blade rotary compressor or expander of the heat pump system 60 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In this particular example, FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of the blade rotary compressor 620F of the heat pump system 60, with certain components removed or transparent, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 18 and 19 each illustrate another perspective view of the blade rotary compressor 620F, with certain components removed or transparent, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00104] For purposes of brevity and clarity, the blade rotary compressor 620F is illustrated and described herein as a representative example of any of the rotary compressors 620A-620F or the blade rotary expanders 720A-720F according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 17 to 19, the illustration, annotation, and/or other identification of one or more components of the blade rotary compressor 620F is omitted for clarity, although details of such components are described in various embodiments herein. Any or all of the other blade rotary compressors 620A-620E and any or all of the blade rotary expanders 720A-720F may include the same or similar components and/or functionality as that of the blade rotary compressor 620F described herein and illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 19.

[00105] Referring to FIGS. 16 to 19, the thermal exchange features 644, 646 are respectively arranged across the thermal exchange regions 640, 642 such that they define or partly define at least one linear or non-linear fluid flow path 648 (see FIG. 17) that extends at least partly across one or more portions of the thermal exchange regions 640, 642, respectively. Only a single linear or non-linear fluid flow path 648 is denoted in FIG. 17 for clarity. The linear or non-linear fluid flow path 648 provides for improved and optimized heat transfer between a working fluid in, for instance, the blade rotary compressor 620F and a coolant passing over and interfacing with exposed surfaces of at least one of the thermal exchange regions 640F, 642F or the thermal exchange features 644F, 646F during operation of the heat pump system 60. For instance, the linear or non-linear fluid flow path 648 can provide such improved and optimized heat transfer by breaking the boundary layer of the coolant flow as it passes over and interfaces with such regions or features during operation of the heat pump system 60.

[00106] The thermal exchange features 744, 746 are respectively arranged across the thermal exchange regions 740, 742 such that they define or partly define at least one linear or nonlinear fluid flow path 748 (not illustrated) that extends at least partly across one or more portions of the thermal exchange regions 740, 742, respectively. The linear or non-linear fluid flow path 748 provides for improved and optimized heat transfer between a working fluid in, for instance, the blade rotary expander 720F and a coolant passing over and interfacing with exposed surfaces of at least one of the thermal exchange regions 740F, 742F or the thermal exchange features 744F, 746F during operation of the heat pump system 60. For instance, the linear or non-linear fluid flow path 748 can provide such improved and optimized heat transfer by breaking the boundary layer of the coolant flow as it passes over and interfaces with such regions or features during operation of the heat pump system 60.

[00107] The blade housings 630 respectively include vanes 650A-650F, 652A-652F (or “the vanes 650, 652”) that are slidably positioned within respective channels 654A-654F, 656A- 656F (or “the channels 654, 656”) of the blade housings 630. The vanes 650, 652 are slidably positioned within the respective channels 654, 656 in part by way of a spring (not illustrated) that is also positioned in each of the channels 654, 656. The spring is positioned in each of the channels 654, 656 between an end of a respective vane 650, 652 and a respective wall of the channels 654, 656.

[00108] The blade housings 730 respectively include vanes 750A-750F, 752A-752F (or “the vanes 750, 752”) that are slidably positioned within respective channels 754A-754F, 756A- 756F (or “the channels 754, 756”) of the blade housings 730. The vanes 750, 752 are slidably positioned within the respective channels 754, 756 in part by way of a spring (not illustrated) that is also positioned in each of the channels 754, 756. The spring is positioned in each of the channels 754, 756 between an end of a respective vane 750, 752 and a respective wall of the channels 754, 756.

[00109] The blade housings 630 also respectively include inlet or outlet ports 658A-658F, 660A-660F (or “the inlet or outlet ports 658, 660”) and chamber inlet or outlet ports 664A-664F, 668A-668F (or “the chamber inlet or outlet ports 664, 668”) formed in each of the blade layers 632. The inlet or outlet ports 658, 660 and the chamber inlet or outlet ports 664, 668 are in fluid communication with one another and collectively allow for fluid communication through a corresponding blade rotary compressor 620. For instance, the inlet or outlet ports 658, 660 and the chamber inlet or outlet ports 664, 668 collectively allow a working fluid to flow into and out of a working chamber 662A-662F (or “the working chamber 662”) of a corresponding blade rotary compressor 620 for fluid compression during operation of the heat pump system 60. The inlet or outlet ports 658, 660 and the chamber inlet or outlet ports 664, 668 are formed in and through internal portions of the blade layer 632. The inlet or outlet ports 658, 660 are respectively formed in different sides of the blade layer 632 and extend into the blade layer 632 to the chamber inlet or outlet ports 664, 668, respectively. The chamber inlet or outlet ports 664, 668 are respectively formed in portions of the blade layer 632 where they each at least partly overlap and are in fluid communication with the working chamber 662. As illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, the inlet or outlet ports 658F, 660F are respectively formed in different sides of the blade layer 632F and extend into the blade layer 632F to the chamber inlet or outlet ports 664F, 668F, respectively. The chamber inlet or outlet ports 664F, 668F are respectively formed in portions of the blade layer 632F where they each at least partly overlap and are in fluid communication with the working chamber 662.

[00110] The blade housings 730 also respectively include inlet or outlet ports 758A-758F, 760A-760F (or “the inlet or outlet ports 758, 760”) and chamber inlet or outlet ports 764A-764F, 768A-768F (or “the chamber inlet or outlet ports 764, 768”) formed in each of the blade layers 732. The inlet or outlet ports 758, 760 and the chamber inlet or outlet ports 764, 768 are in fluid communication with one another and collectively allow for fluid communication through a corresponding blade rotary expander 720. For instance, the inlet or outlet ports 758, 760 and the chamber inlet or outlet ports 764, 768 collectively allow a working fluid to flow into and out of a working chamber 762A-762F (or “the working chamber 762”) of a corresponding blade rotary expander 720 for fluid expansion during operation of the heat pump system 60. The inlet or outlet ports 758, 760 and the chamber inlet or outlet ports 764, 768 are formed in and through internal portions of the blade layer 732. The inlet or outlet ports 758, 760 are respectively formed in different sides of the blade layer 732 and extend into the blade layer 732 to the chamber inlet or outlet ports 764, 768, respectively. The chamber inlet or outlet ports 764, 768 are respectively formed in portions of the blade layer 732 where they each at least partly overlap and are in fluid communication with the working chamber 762. In one embodiment, the inlet or outlet ports 758F, 760F are respectively formed in different sides of the blade layer 732F and extend into the blade layer 732F to the chamber inlet or outlet ports 764F, 768F, respectively. The chamber inlet or outlet ports 764F, 768F are respectively formed in portions of the blade layer 732F where they each at least partly overlap and are in fluid communication with the working chamber 762.

[00111] The working chamber 662F described herein and at least partly illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 19 is a representative example of a compression chamber in any or all of the rotary compressors 620A-620F and also a representative example of an expansion chamber in any or all of the blade rotary expanders 720A-720F. Illustrations of the working chamber 662F depicted in FIGS. 17 to 19 are representative of each working chamber 662A-662E and also representative of each working chamber 762A-762F. [00112] The blade layers 632, 634, 636 of each of the blade housings 630 each include at least one region that partly defines and is in thermal communication with a corresponding working chamber 662. For example, an aperture formed through a center axis of the blade layer 634 in the blade housing 630 defines a cylindrical wall of the working chamber 662, and an internal surface of each of the blade layers 632, 636 defines a top wall and a bottom wall, respectively, of the working chamber 662. As illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, a surface 670F of an aperture formed through a center axis of the blade layer 634F defines a cylindrical wall of the working chamber 662F. In this example, an internal surface (not illustrated) of the blade layer 632F and an internal surface 672F of the blade layer 636F define a top wall (e.g., a ceiling) and a bottom wall (e.g., a floor), respectively, of the working chamber 662F in the blade housing 630F.

[00113] The blade layers 732, 734, 736 of each of the blade housings 730 each include at least one region that partly defines and is in thermal communication with a corresponding working chamber 762. For example, an aperture formed through a center axis of the blade layer 734 in the blade housing 730 defines a cylindrical wall of the working chamber 762, and an internal surface of each of the blade layers 732, 736 defines a top wall and a bottom wall, respectively, of the working chamber 762. In one embodiment, a surface 770F of an aperture formed through a center axis of the blade layer 734F defines a cylindrical wall of a working chamber 762F. An internal surface (not illustrated) of the blade layer 732F and an internal surface 772F of the blade layer 736F define a top wall (e.g., a ceiling) and a bottom wall (e.g., a floor), respectively, of the working chamber 762F in the blade housing 730F. Illustrations of the working chamber 662F depicted in FIGS. 17 to 19 are also representative of any of the working chambers 762, including the working chamber 762F.

[00114] FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view of an example drive shaft and example vanes of the heat pump system 60 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In this particular example, FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view of the drive shaft 820, the vanes 650, 652, and the vanes 750, 752 of the heat pump system 60, with the insulation pad 960 positioned between a compressor shaft section 830 and an expander shaft section 840 of the drive shaft 820 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 21 illustrates a top-side view of the drive shaft 820 and the insulation pad 960, with certain components removed or transparent, according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 20 and 21, the illustration, annotation, and/or other identification of one or more components of the drive shaft 820, the vanes 650, 652, and the vanes 750, 752 is omitted for clarity, although details of such components are described in various embodiments herein. [00115] Referring to FIGS. 16 to 21, the drive shaft 820 is embodied as a modular drive shaft that includes the compressor shaft section 830, the expander shaft section 840, and other components described and illustrated in various embodiments herein. The compressor shaft section 830 includes multiple blade rotary shafts 832A-832F (or “the blade rotary shaft 832”) that are mechanically coupled to one another. The expander shaft section 840 includes multiple blade rotary shafts 842A-842F (or “the blade rotary shaft 842”) that are mechanically coupled to one another. Collectively, the blade rotary shafts 832 of the compressor shaft section 830 are mechanically coupled to the blade rotary shafts 842 of the expander shaft section 840 along a length of the drive shaft 820. Any or all of the blade rotary shafts 832 or the blade rotary shafts 842 may be embodied as, for instance, a jaw and spider coupling having a corresponding bushing 838A-838F (e.g., a spider bushing) or a corresponding bushing 848A-848F respectively positioned between each pair of the blade rotary shafts 832 (e.g., between the blade rotary shafts 832E, 832F) and between each pair of the blade rotary shafts 842 (e.g., between the blade rotary shafts 842E, 842F). The blade rotary shafts 832, the blade rotary shafts 842, the bushings 838, and the bushings 848 collectively provide at least one of system modulation for the heat pump system 60, avoidance of global tolerance stacking or reduced dimensional accuracy requirements on various components of or coupled to the drive shaft 820 or the heat pump system 60, reduction or elimination of the impact of misalignment of any components of or coupled to the drive shaft 820 or the heat pump system 60, or isolation or elimination of potential vibration of any components of or coupled to the drive shaft 820 or the heat pump system 60.

[00116] In some embodiments the drive system 800 and the housing 810 may be arranged between the compressor assembly 600 and the expander assembly 700. For instance, the drive system 800 and the housing 810 may be arranged at a center of the heat pump system 60. The compressor assembly 600 may be positioned on one side of the center of the heat pump system 60 and the expander assembly 700 may be positioned on another, opposite side of the center of the heat pump system 60. For example, the compressor assembly 600 may be positioned above the drive system 800 and the housing 810 and the expander assembly 700 may be positioned below the drive system 800 and the housing 810. In these embodiments the heat pump system 60 may further include insulating inserts such as, for example, the upper insulating insert 950 or the central insulating insert 960 positioned between each of the compressor assembly 600 and the expander assembly 700 and at least one of the drive system 800 or the housing 810. Such a centralized location of the drive system 800 and the housing 810 provides the heat pump system 60 with a centered and symmetrical arrangement with all the same functionality as described in various embodiments herein.

[00117] In some embodiments the drive system 800 may be arranged between the rotary compressor 620F and the rotary expander 720A. For instance, the drive system 800 may be arranged at a center of the heat pump system 60. The rotary compressor 620F may be positioned on one side of the center of the heat pump system 60 and the rotary expander 720A may be positioned on another, opposite side of the center of the heat pump system 60. For example, the rotary compressor 620F may be positioned above the drive system 800 and the rotary expander 720A may be positioned below the drive system 800. In these embodiments the heat pump system 60 may further include at least one of insulating inserts, seals, or other insulating components such as, for example, the seal 836, the upper insulating insert 950, or the central insulating insert 960 positioned between each of the rotary compressor 620F and the rotary expander 720A and the drive system 800. Such a centralized location of the drive system 800 provides the heat pump system 60 with a centered and symmetrical arrangement with all the same functionality as described in various embodiments herein.

[00118] The blade rotary shafts 832 are mechanically coupled to rollers 834A-834F (or “the roller 834”), respectively, of the compressor shaft section 830. Each of the rollers 834 has a roller surface 870A-870F (or “the roller surface 870”) that contacts respective ends of the vanes 650, 652 and the surface 670 of a corresponding working chamber 662. The blade rotary shafts 832 each include a shaft portion that extends through the blade layers 632, 634, 636 of a corresponding blade rotary compressor 620. The blade rotary shafts 832 each further include a disc portion that is mechanically or integrally coupled to the shaft portion of the blade rotary shaft 832 and also coupled to a corresponding roller 834. The blade rotary shaft 832 and the roller 834 are mechanically coupled with the vanes 650, 652, the surface 670, and internal surfaces of the blade layers 632, 636 to at least partly define the working chamber 662 and for fluid compression within the working chamber 662 during operation of the heat pump system 60.

[00119] The shaft portion of each of the rotary shafts 832 extends through a center axis of each of the blade layers 632, 634, 636. The shaft portion of each of the rotary shafts 832 is mechanically coupled at a first end to a seal 836A-836G such as, for instance, an oil embedded bushing that is positioned between the first end of the shaft portion and an inner wall of an aperture formed through a center portion of the blade layer 632 along the center axis of the blade layer 632. The shaft portion of each of the rotary shafts 832 is also mechanically coupled at a second end to another seal of the seals 836A-836G such as, for instance, another oil embedded bushing that is positioned between the second end of the shaft portion and an inner wall of an aperture formed through a center portion of the blade layer 636 along the center axis of the blade layer 636. The blade rotary shaft 832, the roller 834, and the seals 836 are positioned in the blade housing 630 such that they individually or collectively form multiple sealing surfaces SSI, SS2, and SS3 with various portions or surfaces of any or all of the blade layers 632, 634, 636 as illustrated in FIG. 18, among possibly other sealing surfaces.

[00120] The blade rotary shafts 842 are mechanically coupled to rollers 844A-844F (or “the roller 844”), respectively, of the expander shaft section 840. Each of the rollers 844 has a roller surface 880A-870F (or “the roller surface 880”) that contacts respective ends of the vanes 750, 752 and the surface 770 of a corresponding working chamber 762. The blade rotary shafts 842 each include a shaft portion that extends through the blade layers 632, 634, 636 of a corresponding blade rotary expander 720. The blade rotary shafts 842 each further include a disc portion that is mechanically or integrally coupled to the shaft portion of the blade rotary shaft 842 and also coupled to a corresponding roller 844. The blade rotary shaft 842 and the roller 844 are mechanically coupled with the vanes 750, 752, the surface 770, and internal surfaces of the blade layers 732, 736 to at least partly define the working chamber 762 and for fluid compression within the working chamber 762 during operation of the heat pump system 60.

[00121] The shaft portion of each of the rotary shafts 842 extends through a center axis of each of the blade layers 732, 734, 736. The shaft portion of each of the rotary shafts 842 is mechanically coupled at a first end to a seal 846A-846G such as, for instance, an oil embedded bushing that is positioned between the first end of the shaft portion and an inner wall of an aperture formed through a center portion of the blade layer 732 along the center axis of the blade layer 732. The shaft portion of each of the rotary shafts 842 is also mechanically coupled at a second end to another seal of the seals 846A-846G such as, for instance, another oil embedded bushing that is positioned between the second end of the shaft portion and an inner wall of an aperture formed through a center portion of the blade layer 736 along the center axis of the blade layer 736. The blade rotary shaft 842, the roller 844, and the seals 846 are positioned in the blade housing 730 such that they individually or collectively form the sealing surfaces SSI, SS2, and SS3 with various portions or surfaces of any or all of the blade layers 732, 734, 736, among possibly other sealing surfaces.

[00122] The rollers 834 are angularly positioned about a rotation axis “R” of at least one of the drive shaft 820, the compressor shaft section 830, or the expander shaft section 840. The rollers 834 are angularly positioned about the rotation axis with respect to one another and according to a defined phase angle extending between each of the rollers, for instance, between a first roller 834 and a second roller 834, between the second roller 834 and a third roller 834, and so on. For example, the roller 834A and the roller 834B are positioned about the rotation axis according to a defined phase angle that extends between a first angular position of the roller 834A about the rotation axis and a second angular position of the roller 834B about the rotation axis.

[00123] The rollers 844 are angularly positioned about the rotation axis “R” of at least one of the drive shaft 820, the compressor shaft section 830, or the expander shaft section 840. The rollers 844 are angularly positioned about the rotation axis with respect to one another and according to a defined phase angle extending between each of the rollers, for instance, between a first roller 844 and a second roller 844, between the second roller 844 and a third roller 844, and so on. For example, the roller 844A and the roller 844B are positioned about the rotation axis according to a defined phase angle that extends between a first angular position of the roller 844A about the rotation axis and a second angular position of the roller 844B about the rotation axis.

[00124] Individual pairs of the rollers 834 and the rollers 844 (e.g., a pair of a single roller 834 and a single roller 844) are angularly positioned about the rotation axis “R” with respect to one another and according to a defined phase angle extending between the roller 834 and the roller 844 of each pair, for instance, between a first roller 834 and a first roller 844, between a second roller 834 and a second roller 844, and so on. For example, the roller 834A and the roller 844A are positioned about the rotation axis according to a defined phase angle that extends between a first angular position of the roller 834A about the rotation axis and a second angular position of the roller 844A about the rotation axis.

[00125] One or more of the above-described defined phase angles partly cause at least one of unidirectional fluid flow, dead volume elimination, or isochoric regeneration in the heat pump system 60 during operation. Further details about the aforementioned defined phase angles are described herein and illustrated in FIG. 26.

[00126] FIG. 22 illustrates another front perspective view of the heat pump system 60 with example unidirectional fluid flow denotations according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 22 illustrates an example unidirectional flow of a working fluid through the blade rotary compressors 620, the blade rotary expanders 720, and the thermal regenerator 500 by way of the working fluid transfer system 900 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In this particular example, FIG. 22 illustrates how the unidirectional flow of the working fluid through the blade rotary compressors 620, the blade rotary expanders 720, and the thermal regenerator 500 corresponds to a Stirling cycle. FIG. 23 illustrates an example temperature-entropy diagram 1000 in accordance with example implementations of the Stirling cycle by the heat pump system 60. The temperature-entropy diagram 1000 corresponds to the unidirectional working fluid flow through the heat pump system 60 that is depicted in FIG. 22.

[00127] FIG. 24 illustrates a perspective view of an example blade rotary mechanism 1100 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 25 illustrates a perspective view of an example blade rotary compressor or expander 1120 of the blade rotary mechanism 1100 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 24 and 25, the illustration, annotation, and/or other identification of one or more components of the blade rotary mechanism 1100 is omitted for clarity.

[00128] Referring to FIGS. 24 and 25, the blade rotary mechanism 1100 includes multiple blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 stacked vertically with the drive shaft 820 extending through a blade housing 1130 of each of the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120. Each of the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 is an example alternative embodiment of the blade rotary compressors 620 or the blade rotary expanders 720 of the heat pump system 60. Each of the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 includes the same or similar components, structure, and/or functionality as that of the blade rotary compressors 620 or the blade rotary expanders 720. A difference between the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 and the blade rotary compressors 620 or the blade rotary expanders 720 is that the blade housing 1130 of the blade rotary compressor or expander 1120 includes only two blade layers, instead of the three blade layers 632, 634, 636 of the blade housing 630. Another difference between the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 and the blade rotary compressors 620 or the blade rotary expanders 720 is that the portions of the blade housing 1130 having the vanes 650, 652 have a different geometry compared to those of the blade housing 630.

[00129] The blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 can be used to implement isothermal or near isothermal compression or expansion, respectively, as described in embodiments herein. The blade rotary mechanism 1100 may be embodied in any thermodynamic apparatus described herein such as, for instance, the heat pump system 10, the heat pump system 60, or the heat pump system 70 described herein and illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 11, 13 to 23 and 26, and 27, respectively. In some embodiments, the compressor assembly 600 can include the blade rotary mechanism 1100 in place of the blade rotary compressors 620. In some embodiments, the expander assembly 700 can include the blade rotary mechanism 1100 in place of the blade rotary expanders 720. In some embodiments, the heat pump system 70 can include one or more of the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 in place of one or more of the blade rotary compressors 620 A, 620F or in place of one or more of the blade rotary expanders 720 A, 720F.

[00130] FIG. 26 illustrates an example phase angle and corresponding shaft rotation between a blade rotary compressor and a blade rotary expander according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this particular example, FIG. 26 illustrates an example phase angle and corresponding shaft rotation between the blade rotary compressor 620 and the blade rotary expander 720 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 26 illustrates an example phase angle and corresponding shaft rotation of the shaft 820 between the roller 834 of the blade rotary compressor 620 and the roller 844 of the blade rotary expander 720 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00131] Referring to FIGS. 13 to 26, the shaft 820 is used to transfer torque across the rollers 834, 844. The rollers, blade housings, and vanes of the blade rotary compressors or expanders respectively form compression or expansion chambers that allow the working fluid to be maneuvered to follow the reversible Stirling cycle. The blade housings also function as heat exchangers to achieve the near isothermal compression and expansion. Multiple blade rotary compressors or expanders are stacked to form a blade rotary compressor or expander assembly, respectively, that can deliver higher system capacity by moving larger amount of working fluid while maintaining the isothermal compression or expansion process. In addition, the off-set motion feature is implemented to keep the center mass of the heat pump system steady, which minimizes the noise and vibration. It also distributes the torque sustained by the shaft evenly.

[00132] FIGS. 17, 18, and 25 respectively show the near isothermal compression or expansion process being executed in one blade rotary compressor or expander. Take the isothermal compression as an example. As the shaft 820 drives the roller 834A to go around off the rotation center, the working gas is being compressed due to the reduction in the chamber volume between the roller 834A, at least one of the vanes 650, 552, and the blade housing 630A. At the same time, a coolant flow is passing through the other side of the blade housing 630A. The working gas at a higher temperature T1 is transferring heat to the coolant at a lower temperature T2. Such a heat transfer from the working gas to the coolant enables the working gas to go through the near isothermal compression process of the reversible Stirling cycle. On the other hand, the outlet coolant, which is carrying the heat from the compression, can be used for productive heating purposes.

[00133] The phase angle between a pair of blade rotary compressor and blade rotary expander can be specially designed and implemented so that the working fluid can travel between the compression and expansion through the isochoric regeneration processes at a different volume. That is, when the working gas is going from the blade rotary compressor 620A to the blade rotary expander 720A, it is at a smaller volume VI. Whereas the working gas going back from the expander to the compressor, it is at a larger volume V2. Under the reciprocating mechanism where 360° of shaft turn completes one complete Stirling cycle, the shaft 820 rotates 720° to complete one cycle using at least one of the blade rotary compressors 620 and at least one of the blade rotary expanders 720.

[00134] FIG. 26 shows the phase diagram of at least one of the heat pump or heat engine systems described herein such as, for instance, the heat pump system 60. In this particular example, FIG. 26 shows the phase diagram of at least one of the blade rotary compressors 620 and at least one of the blade rotary expanders 720. Starting from 0° to 180°, the compressor roller 834A is compressing the working fluid with both the inlet and the outlet gas valves closed from the BDC to REG. Meanwhile, the shaft 820 is driving the expander roller 844A to turn in the dead section. This means that the working fluid in the blade rotary expander 720A is bypassed between the inlet and the outlet without any volume changes. As the shaft 820 turns from 180° to 270°, the compressor outlet valve and the expander inlet valve open, the working gas is being pushed from the blade rotary compressor 620 A to the blade rotary expander 720 A at a constant volume VI through the regenerator 500. From the 270° to 450°, the compressor roller 834A is moving through the dead section with roller turning but no gas volume changes. At the same time, the working fluid is expanding in the blade rotary expander 720A, which pushes the expander roller 844A to move from the REG position to the BDC. At last, the shaft 820 is turning from 450° to 720°. With the expander outlet valve and the compressor inlet valve open, the working fluid is pushed from the blade rotary expander 720A to the blade rotary compressor 620A. This completes one thermodynamic cycle with both the compressor roller 834A and the expander roller 844A back to their original place.

[00135] In some embodiments, the above-described phase angle and dead section can be implemented using one or more of the blade rotary mechanisms 1100 or one or more of the blade rotary compressors or expanders 1120 shown in FIGS. 24 and 25. It can also be implemented with electronically controlled valves between the inlet and outlet on the compressor housing and the expander housing.

[00136] The unidirectional reversible Stirling cycle can be implemented using any or all of the reciprocating piston mechanism embodiments (e.g., the heat pump system 10) or any or all of the blade rotary mechanism embodiments (e.g., the heat pump system 60, the heat pump system 70) described in various examples herein. It can also be implemented with a scroll mechanism, a rotary vane mechanism, a screw mechanism, and a centrifugal mechanism. The overall system structure remains the same with these mechanisms. The only difference is the way compression and expansion are achieved. In addition, regardless of the specific compression and expansion method, the compression and expansion chambers 662, 762 can be partitioned into multiple sections. This partition increases the total surface area to the total volume ratio, which allows more near isothermal compression and expansion. Also, the off-set motion feature described herein can be applied to any or all of the compression and expansion mechanisms of the embodiments herein to minimize vibration and to evenly distribute the torque on the shaft.

[00137] FIG. 27 illustrates a perspective view of another example thermodynamic apparatus in the form of another compression-expansion heat pump system 70 according to various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. The illustrations of the heat pump system 70 are representative and not drawn to any particular scale. The components of the heat pump system 70 are not exhaustively illustrated, and the heat pump system 70 can include other components not shown. Also, one or more of the components shown can be omitted in some cases. The heat pump system 70 may function as a high-efficiency HVAC device for residential, industrial, commercial, and related applications. As such, the heat pump system 70 may offer a hot-water and refrigeration system in a single device. It can also be reversed to a power cycle and to function as a high efficiency generator or a combined heat and power unit. In FIG. 27, the illustration, annotation, and/or other identification of some components of the heat pump system 70 is omitted for purposes of clarity, although details of such components are described in various embodiments herein.

[00138] The heat pump system 70 is an example alternative embodiment of the heat pump system 60. A difference between the heat pump system 70 and the heat pump system 60 is that the heat pump system 70 includes two thermal regenerators 500A, 500B respectively coupled to two working fluid transfer systems 900A, 900B. The thermal regenerators 500A, 500B are each example embodiments of the thermal regenerator 500 and the working fluid transfer systems 900 A, 900B are each example embodiments of the working fluid transfer system 900. The thermal regenerators 500 A, 500B each include the same components, structure, attributes, and functionality as that of the thermal regenerator 500. The working fluid transfer systems 900A, 900B each include the same components, structure, attributes, and functionality as that of the working fluid transfer systems 900.

[00139] The thermal regenerator 500A includes the blade rotary compressor 620A, the blade rotary compressor 620F, the blade rotary expander 720A, and the blade rotary expander 720F. The blade rotary compressor 620A, the blade rotary compressor 620F, the blade rotary expander 720A, and the blade rotary expander 720F are each in fluid and thermal communication with the thermal regenerators 500A, 500B by way of the working fluid transfer systems 900A, 900B. Although not illustrated, the drive shaft 820 extends through the blade rotary compressor 620A, the blade rotary compressor 620F, the blade rotary expander 720A, and the blade rotary expander 720F. The rollers 834A, 844A of the drive shaft 820 are mechanically coupled with the blade rotary compressor 620A and the blade rotary expander 720A, respectively, for first thermodynamic fluid compression and expansion (e.g., a first compression-expansion cycle) in connection with the thermal regenerators 500A, 500B. The rollers 834F, 844F of the drive shaft 820 are mechanically coupled with the blade rotary compressor 620F and the blade rotary expander 720F, respectively, for second thermodynamic fluid compression and expansion (e.g., a second compression-expansion cycle) in connection with the thermal regenerators 500A, 500B.

[00140] The roller 834A and the roller 844A are positioned about the rotation axis of the drive shaft 820 according to a first defined phase angle relative to one another. For instance, the roller 834A and the roller 844A are positioned 90° apart from one another about the rotation axis of the drive shaft 820. The roller 834F and the roller 844F are positioned about the rotation axis of the drive shaft according to a second defined phase angle relative to one another. The second defined phase angle between the roller 834F and the roller 844F may be the same or different than the first defined phase angle between the roller 834A and the roller 844A. For instance, the roller 834F and the roller 844F are positioned 90° apart from one another about the rotation axis of the drive shaft 820. The roller 834A and the roller 834F are positioned about the rotation axis of the drive shaft according to a third defined phase angle relative to one another. The third defined phase angle between the roller 834A and the roller 834F may be the same or different than the abovedescribed first or second defined phase angle. For instance, the roller 834A and the roller 834F are positioned 90° apart from one another about the rotation axis of the drive shaft 820.

[00141] At least one of the above-described first, second, or third defined phase angle partly causes at least one of unidirectional fluid flow, dead volume elimination, or isochoric regeneration in the heat pump system 70 during operation. For instance, the first, second, and/or third defined phase angle partly causes unidirectional flow (e.g., steady flow) of a working fluid through the blade rotary compressor 620A, the blade rotary compressor 620F, the blade rotary expander 720 A, the blade rotary expander 720F, the thermal regenerator 500A, and the thermal regenerator 500B during operation of the heat pump system 70. Additionally, the first, second, and/or third defined phase angles also partly causes elimination of one or more dead volume sections in at least one of the blade rotary compressor 620A, the blade rotary compressor 620F, the blade rotary expander 720A, the blade rotary expander 720F, the thermal regenerator 500A, or the thermal regenerator 500B during operation of the heat pump system 70. Further, the first, second, and/or third defined phase angles also partly cause unidirectional or isochoric regeneration in at least one of the thermal regenerator 500A or the thermal regenerator 500B during operation of the heat pump system 70.

[00142] During operation of the heat engine or heat pump 70, the dead section of the pair of the blade rotary compressor 620A and the blade rotary expander 720A is used to form another cycle (e.g., a second compression-expansion cycle) with the thermal regenerator 500A. The dead section of the pair of the blade rotary compressor 620F and the blade rotary expander 720F is used to form another cycle (e.g., a second compression-expansion cycle) with the thermal regenerator 500B. The first and the second cycle can run independently. As described above, the first and second cycle can form a specific angle with one another (e.g., 90° between the rollers) to allow the first and second cycle to run independently.

[00143] The thermal regenerators 500, 500A, 500B can each be embodied as a suitable regenerator for the type of working fluid used. In one example, any or all of the thermal regenerators 500, 500A, 500B can be embodied and implemented as the regenerator 1150 described herein with reference to FIGS. 28 to 33.

[00144] Referring now to FIGS. 28 to 33, an embodiment of a regenerator 1150 is shown according to various embodiments. Specifically, the regenerator 1150 may include one for use with rotary motion provided by scroll compressors, rotary compressors and/or expanders, and the like which are more efficient in volume. FIGS. 28 and 29 are top perspective views of a regenerator 1150 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure where, in FIG. 29, a housing cover and section covers are not shown for explanatory purposes. FIG. 30 is another top perspective view of the regenerator 1150, FIG. 31 is a bottom perspective view of the regenerator 1150, FIG. 32 is a front elevation view of the regenerator 1150, and FIG. 33 is an enlarged partial view of the regenerator 1150 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00145] In various embodiments, the regenerator 1150 of FIGS. 28 to 33 may include a rectangular, square, or other shaped housing in some embodiments. The regenerator 1150 of FIGS. 28 to 33 may permit a constant flow regenerative cycle that permits a working gas to deposit heat gradually in one location (e.g., a first side 1247a of the regenerator 1150) and later withdraw heat gradually in another location (e.g., a second side 1247b of the regenerator 1150). The regenerator 1150 may thus main a temperature gradient between a high temperature side and a low temperature side, as will be discussed. [00146] Generally, the regenerator 1150 may include a plurality of thermal sections 1250a.. ,1250j (collectively “thermal sections 1250”). The thermal sections 1250 may include a first thermal section 1250a, a second thermal section 1250b, a third thermal section 1250c, a fourth thermal section 1250d, a fifth thermal section 1250e, a sixth thermal section 1250f, a seventh thermal section 1250g, an eighth thermal section 1250h, a ninth thermal section 1250i, and a tenth thermal section 1250j . While the regenerator shown in FIGS. 28 to 32 includes ten thermal sections, it is understood that other numbers of the thermal sections 1250 may be employed as desired.

[00147] In some embodiments, each of the thermal sections 1250 include rectangular- or square-shaped regions that span laterally from and to a respective side of a divider 1272 (also referred to as a vertical divider 1272) of the regenerator 1150 to an outer housing 1275 of the regenerator 1150. In various embodiments, the housing 1275, also referred to as a shell, may provide a seal at a predetermined pressure, such as approximately 20 bar (290 psi). Each of the thermal sections 1250 may be formed of a thermally conductive material, such as steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, graphene, any combination thereof, and so forth. Each of the thermal sections 1250 may be formed of conductive mesh material, as shown in the third thermal section 1250c in FIG. 29. FIG. 30, for example, shows the regenerator 1150 without the conductive mesh material such that the thermal members 1253 can be seen.

[00148] The first thermal section 1250a, the third thermal section 1250c, the fifth thermal section 1250e, the seventh thermal section 1250g, and the ninth thermal section 1250i may be positioned on a first side 1247a of the regenerator 1150. The second thermal section 1250b, the fourth thermal section 1250d, the sixth thermal section 1250f, and the tenth thermal section 1250j may be positioned on a second side 1247b of the regenerator 1150 opposite that of the first side.

[00149] The regenerator 1150 may further include a multitude of thermal members 1253a.. ,1253e (collectively “thermal members 1253”) thermally coupled to individual ones of the thermal sections 1250. For example, a first set of thermal members 1253a may thermally couple the first thermal section 1250a and the second thermal section 1250b, a second set of thermal members 1253b may thermally couple the third thermal section 1250c and the fourth thermal section 1250d, a third set of thermal members 1253c may thermally couple the fifth thermal section 1250e and the sixth thermal section 1250f, a fourth set of thermal members 1253d may thermally couple the seventh thermal section 1250g and the eight thermal section 1250h, and a fifth set of thermal members 1253e may thermally couple the ninth thermal section 1250i and the tenth thermal section 1250j . Like the thermal members 1253 described above, the thermal members 1253 may include elongated members formed of a conductive material sufficient for transferring heat collected on the first side 1247a of the regenerator 1150 to the second side 1247b of the regenerator 1150 for future use, as will be described. In various embodiments, the thermal members 1253 may include heat pipes, copper rods, and the like. The thermal members 1253 may be positioned within a mesh or other conductive material.

[00150] While each of the sets of the thermal members 1253 are shown in a 6 x 5 matrix arrangement defining thirty thermal members 1253, it is understood that other arrangements of the thermal members 1253 may be employed as well as other number of thermal members 1253 depending on desired operating characteristics of the regenerator 1150.

[00151] The regenerator 1150 may further include the divider 1272 that may be disposed between adjacent thermal sections 1250. The divider 1272 may extend vertically to define the first side 1247a and the second side 1247b, for example. The divider 1272 may include apertures or cut-outs having a dimension similar to a diameter of the thermal members 1253 that allow the thermal members 1253 (e.g., heat pipes) to pass through while preventing the working gas from moving between horizontally-disposed sections.

[00152] The divider 1272 may be insulative to prevent heat from leaving a thermal section 1250 other than by way of the thermal members 1253, thereby storing a bulk of the heat in opposing sides of the regenerator 1150. The thermal sections 1235 that are thermally conductive may be formed of a metal mesh material and the like, whereas the divider 1272 and other components that are thermally insulative may be formed of ceramics, plastics, fiber glass, and the like.

[00153] The heat pump system 60 or 70, using a rotary or scroll compressor, for example, may generate torque that causes gas to move in an annular direction, such as a counter-clockwise direction. Alternatively, the torque may cause gas to move in a clockwise direction, as can be appreciated. Additionally, by adding heat to the regenerator 1150 or encompassing system, the addition of heat will cause a working gas to expand isothermally, which generates torque that pushes a vane or like device in the left, counter-clockwise direction.

[00154] For the sake of explanation, where torque causes gas to move in a counterclockwise direction, working gas may be routed to the regenerator 1150 via inlet 1259 from a hot chamber of the heat pump system 60 or 70 or like apparatus, where the inlet 1259 may be referred to as a hot chamber inlet 1259. Then, the working gas from the hot chamber deposits heat in the first thermal section 1250a and moves downward vertically between a top surface and a bottom surface of the regenerator 1150, depositing additional heat in the adjacent sections, namely, third thermal section 1250c, fifth thermal section 1250e, seventh thermal section 1250g, ninth thermal section 1250i, and so forth. It is understood that the divider 1272 prevents the working gas from moving from one thermal section 1250 to another while sufficiently maintaining a temperature gradient in a respective thermal section 1250. The working gas, however, may flow through apertures 1278 of a horizontal divider 1281 that may be disposed between vertically-stacked thermal sections 1250. The horizontal divider 1281, like the vertical divider 1272, may be formed of a conductive material. The material of the horizontal dividers 1281, as well as the size and positioning of the apertures 1278, may prevent heat transfer across thermal sections 1250 while still allowing working gas to pass therethrough.

[00155] The gas is expelled from the regenerator 1150 via outlet 1262 to a cold chamber, for example. As such, the outlet 1262 may be referred to as a cold chamber outlet 1262. When a working gas, such as helium, hydrogen, etc., is directed through the first side 1247a of the regenerator 1150, the gas is cooled down from an entrance temperature (e.g., 600° C) in the inlet 1259 to an exit temperature (e.g., 80° C) dispelled from the outlet 1262, where the exit temperature is less than the entrance temperature. Again, the regenerator 1150 does not output the heat to other components of the heat pump system 60 or 70. Instead, the regenerator 1150 stores the heat by transferring the heat from the first side 1247a to the second side 1247b, as will be further described.

[00156] Thereafter, it is understood that working gas may be routed to the regenerator 1150 via another inlet 1265 from a cold chamber of the heat pump system 60 or 70 or like apparatus, where the inlet 1265 may be referred to as a cold chamber inlet 1265. As the working gas is cold, the working gas from the cold chamber collects heat stored in the tenth thermal section 1250j and moves in vertically between the bottom surface and the top surface of the regenerator 1150, collecting additional heat and raising a temperature of the working gas in the adjacent sections, namely, eighth thermal section 1250h, sixth thermal section 1250f, fourth thermal section 1250d, second thermal section 1250b, and so forth, via apertures 1278. Again, it is understood that the divider 1272 prevents the working gas from moving from one thermal section 1250 to another while sufficiently maintaining a temperature gradient in a respective thermal section 1250.

[00157] The working gas is then expelled from the regenerator 1150 via outlet 1268 to the hot chamber of the heat pump system 60 or 70, for example. As such, the outlet 1268 may be referred to as a hot chamber outlet 1268. Accordingly, when a working gas, such as helium, hydrogen, etc., is directed through the second side 1247b of the regenerator 1150, the gas is heated from an entrance temperature (e.g., 80° C) in the inlet 1265 to an exit temperature (e.g., 600° C) dispelled from the outlet 1268, where the exit temperature is greater than the entrance temperature. Again, the regenerator 1150 does not output the heat to other components of the heat pump system 60 or 70.

[00158] The hot chamber inlet 1259, the cold chamber outlet 1262, the cold chamber inlet 1265, the hot chamber outlet 1268, as well as other inlets and outlet, may be unidirectional outlets, meaning gas transfers through the respective inlet or outlet in a single direction. As such, no reverse flow of working gas is permitted. To this end, the inlets and/or outlets may utilize one-way valves and the like. The inlet 1259 may be described as being positioned in and thermally coupled to the first thermal section 1250a, the outlet 1262 may be described as being positioned in and thermally coupled to the ninth thermal section 1250i, the inlet 1265 may be described as being positioned in and thermally coupled to the tenth thermal section 1250k, and the outlet 1268 may be described as being positioned in and thermally coupled to the second thermal section 1250b.

[00159] In some embodiments, each of the thermal sections 1250 are formed of a porous medium that effectively captures heat from the working gas. Some non-limiting examples of porous mediums include conductive wire mesh (e.g., stainless steel or copper mesh material) and conductive open cell porous mediums. As there may be a significant temperature gradient, the regenerator 1150 may have a layered structure made up of the thermal sections 1250 with a thin insulator section 1256 therebetween, where each thermal section 1250 is configured to store heat at a specific temperature range.

[00160] With respect to the first side 1247a, a working gas may move downwards due to a pressure difference while cooling down from an entrance temperature to an exit temperature. With respect to the second side 1247b, a working gas may move upwards due to a pressure difference while heating up from an entrance temperature to an exit temperature. The regenerator 1150 permits nearly all the working gas to proceed through isothermal expansion, regenerative cooling, isothermal contraction, and regenerative heating cycles. The volumetric efficiency may be 100% if leakage is negligible. The high volumetric efficiency is a significant advantage over reciprocating mechanisms. Additionally, the mixture of hot and cold working gases inside a regenerator 1150 in a reciprocating mechanism may result in significant energy losses, and reduces power density (e.g., capacity per unit machine size). The regenerator 1150 further includes a top surface 1284 and a bottom surface 1287 where the thermal sections 1250 are stacked between the top surface 1284 and the bottom surface 1287. The divider 1272 extends vertically between the top surface 1284 and the bottom surface 1287. In some embodiments, the regenerator 1150 may include diffusion chambers 1290a, 1290b, which may include an empty space around inlets and outlets to allow the working gas to distribute uniformly before moving through the regenerator 1150.

[00161] An outer housing or shell of the various embodiments for a regenerator 1150 described, as well as top, side, and bottom containment portions thereof may be made from thermally insulated material to limit the heat loss radially, axially, and so forth. The features, structures, or characteristics described above may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner, and the features discussed in the various embodiments are interchangeable, if possible. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided in order to fully understand the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solution of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, materials, and the like may be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the present disclosure.

[00162] Combinatorial language, such as “at least one of X, Y, and Z” or “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless indicated otherwise, is used in general to identify one, a combination of any two, or all three (or more if a larger group is identified) thereof, such as X and only X, Y and only Y, and Z and only Z, the combinations of X and Y, X and Z, and Y and Z, and all of X, Y, and Z. Such combinatorial language is not generally intended to, and unless specified does not, identify or require at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to be included. The terms “about” and “substantially,” unless otherwise defined herein to be associated with a particular range, percentage, or related metric of deviation, account for at least some manufacturing tolerances between a theoretical design and manufactured product or assembly, such as the geometric dimensioning and tolerancing criteria described in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME®) Y14.5 and the related International Organization for Standardization (ISO®) standards. Such manufacturing tolerances are still contemplated, as one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, although “about,” “substantially,” or related terms are not expressly referenced, even in connection with the use of theoretical terms, such as the geometric “perpendicular,” “orthogonal,” “vertex,” “collinear,” “coplanar,” and other terms.

[00163] Although the relative terms such as “on,” “below,” “upper,” and “lower” are used in the specification to describe the relative relationship of one component to another component, these terms are used in this specification for convenience only, for example, as a direction in an example shown in the drawings. It should be understood that if the device is turned upside down, the “upper” component described above will become a “lower” component. When a structure is “on” another structure, it is possible that the structure is integrally formed on another structure, or that the structure is “directly” disposed on another structure, or that the structure is “indirectly” disposed on the other structure through other structures.

[00164] In this specification, the terms such as “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements and components. The terms “comprise,” “include,” “have,” “contain,” and their variants are used to be open ended, and are meant to include additional elements, components, etc., in addition to the listed elements, components, etc. unless otherwise specified in the appended claims.

[00165] The terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used only as labels, rather than a limitation for a number of the objects. It is understood that if multiple components are shown, the components may be referred to as a “first” component, a “second” component, and so forth, to the extent applicable. Further, if a component is described as there being “at least one” of said component, it is understood that this may mean “one or more” of said component. Conversely, if a component is described as there being “one or more” of said component, it is understood that this may mean “at least one” of said component.

[00166] As referenced herein in the context of quantity, the terms “a” or “an” are intended to mean “at least one” and are not intended to imply “one and only one.” As referred to herein, the terms “include,” “includes,” and “including” are each intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” As referenced herein, the terms “or” and “and/or” are generally intended to be inclusive, that is (i.e.), “A or B” or “A and/or B” are each intended to mean “A or B or both.” As referred to herein, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on, can be used interchangeably to distinguish one component or entity from another and are not intended to signify location, functionality, or importance of the individual components or entities. As referenced herein, the terms “couple,” “couples,” “coupled,” and/or “coupling” refer to chemical coupling (e.g., chemical bonding), communicative coupling, electrical and/or electromagnetic coupling (e.g., capacitive coupling, inductive coupling, direct and/or connected coupling), mechanical coupling, operative coupling, optical coupling, fluid coupling, thermal coupling, and/or physical coupling.

[00167] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications can be made to the abovedescribed embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.