Compressor and power generating system and method of using the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a compressor having a cylinder block having a center bore piercedly formed at the center thereof and cylinder bores piercedly formed around the center bore, a front housing and a rear housing mounted on both ends of the cylinder block, a driving shaft rotatably passing through the front housing and the center bore, and pistons linearly reciprocating in the cylinder bores with the power received from the driving shaft to compress a refrigerant. The compressor includes a permanent magnet disposed on either of the pistons or the cylinder block and coil parts provided to the other part, wherein power generation is conducted by means of the electromagnetic induction produced by the motions of the pistons.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A compressor comprising:
 a cylinder block including a center bore formed through a center thereof and a plurality of cylinder bores formed around the center bore;   a driving shaft rotatably disposed through the center bore;   a plurality of pistons, each of the pistons linearly reciprocating within one of the cylinder bores via power received from the driving shaft to compress a refrigerant;   a permanent magnet; and   a coil part, wherein the permanent magnet is disposed in one of one of the pistons and the cylinder block and the coil part is disposed in an other of the one of the pistons and the cylinder block, wherein power generation is caused by electromagnetic induction from relative motion between the permanent magnet and the coil part disposed in the one of the pistons and the cylinder block.   
     
     
         2 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the pistons has a body and the permanent magnet is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the body of the one of the pistons. 
     
     
         3 . The compressor according to  claim 2 , wherein the coil part is disposed in the cylinder block and configured to surround one of the cylinder bores. 
     
     
         4 . The compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein the cylinder block includes a mounting groove formed therein configured to receive the coil part therein. 
     
     
         5 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the coil part comprises a coil and a fixing member configured to affix the coil thereto. 
     
     
         6 . The compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein the fixing member is formed of silicon steel. 
     
     
         7 . The compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein the coil includes at least two rows arranged concentrically. 
     
     
         8 . The compressor according to  claim 7 , wherein one row of the coil is separated from another row of the coil by a partition plate. 
     
     
         9 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the one of the pistons includes a fixing member and the permanent magnet is affixed to the fixing member of the one of the pistons. 
     
     
         10 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet comprises a plurality of first permanent magnets each having N and S poles arranged in a direction of reciprocal motion of each of the pistons. 
     
     
         11 . The compressor according to  claim 10 , wherein the permanent magnet further comprises a plurality of second permanent magnets, wherein each of the second permanent magnets is disposed to one side of each of the first permanent magnets, wherein each of the second permanent magnets has a polarity that is the same as the polarity of an abutting pole of one of the first permanent magnets. 
     
     
         12 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet comprises a first permanent magnet having an S pole forming an inner peripheral surface thereof and an N pole forming an outer peripheral surface thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the permanent magnet further comprises a second permanent magnet disposed to a first side of the first permanent magnet in a direction of reciprocal motion of the pistons and a third permanent magnet formed to a second side of the first permanent magnet in the direction of reciprocal motion of the pistons. 
     
     
         14 . The compressor according to  claim 13 , wherein each of the second permanent magnet and the third permanent magnet includes an N pole abutting the first permanent magnet. 
     
     
         15 . A power generating system comprising:
 a compressor having a permanent magnet disposed in one of a piston and a cylinder block and a coil part disposed in an other of the piston and the cylinder block, the compressor causing power generation by electromagnetic induction produced by the motion of the piston relative to the cylinder block;   a converter configured to convert an output voltage of the compressor;   a battery part charging power converted by the converter to the battery part; and   a controller configured to control operation of the compressor, the converter, and the battery part.   
     
     
         16 . The power generating system according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a refrigerant line fluidly connecting the compressor to a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator to form a closed loop; and   a bypass line fluidly connected to the refrigerant line at an entrance and an exit of the compressor.   
     
     
         17 . The power generating system according to  claim 16 , further comprising an adjusting valve for adjusting a flow of the refrigerant through the bypass line. 
     
     
         18 . A power generating method comprising the steps of:
 providing a power generating system comprising a refrigerant line fluidly connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator to each other to form a closed loop, wherein a bypass line is fluidly connected to an entrance and an exit of the compressor, the bypass line configured to allow a refrigerant exiting the compressor to return to the entrance thereof, an adjusting valve adjusting a flow of the refrigerant through the bypass line; and   determining whether cooling is needed;   wherein the bypass line is closed via the adjusting valve and the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the refrigerant line if it is determined that cooling is needed, thereby causing the power generation system to conduct cooling and generate power; and   wherein the bypass line is opened via the adjusting valve and the refrigerant line is closed to allow refrigerant exiting the compressor to be bypassed to the entrance of the compressor, thereby causing the power generation system to generate power.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein it is determined that cooling is needed in the determination step if an external air temperature is above a reference temperature value. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein it is determined that cooling is needed in the determination step if a discharge pressure of the refrigerant exiting the compressor is above a reference pressure value.