A scroll compressor uses two interleaved spiral-shaped scrolls to compress a fluid. One of the scrolls is fixed, while the other orbits eccentrically without rotating, trapping and compressing pockets of fluid between the scrolls.
The device was first patented in 1905 but did not become efficient for fifty years. These devices are known for operating more smoothly, quietly, and reliably than conventional compressors. Almost every automotive air conditioning system employs a scroll compressor. Scroll compressors are also widely used in other consumer goods that use refrigeration cycles. A scroll compressor operating in reverse is known as a scroll expander, and can be used to generate mechanical work from the expansion of a fluid.
