Air Squared has successfully tested the world’s first co-rotating scroll expander. The expander uses patented technology aptly named Spinning Scroll® technology. The video demonstrates operation at 6,000 RPM on an ORC expander test rig at Air Squared’s facility in Thornton, CO USA.

In a Spinning Scroll® expander, the traditional orbiting scroll approach of one scroll remaining stationary while the other scroll orbits eccentrically on a fixed path is replaced with two scrolls that rotate in synchronous motion with offset centers of rotation. This approach reduces componentry, improves efficiency, and allows for higher running speeds. The true rotary motion of the synchronous scrolls eliminates the need for counterweights, allowing for shorter and lighter drive shafts, which, in turn, reduce power consumption, size, and weight. The simplified balancing and a lighter drive configuration also allow for higher obtainable running speeds by a factor of two. As pressure and flow are directly proportional to speed, the spinning scroll design can offer a similar performance with substantial size and weight reduction.

Spinning Scroll® technology is ideal for mobile ORCs.