APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RAPID THERMAL CYCLING USING TWO-PHASE HEAT TRANSFER TO CONVERT HEAT TO ELECTRICITY AND FOR OTHER USES

• US 20120048508A1
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The NeoThermal Energy Company
• Original Assignee: The NeoThermal Energy Company
• Inventors: Erbil, Ahmet, Walbert, David F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,166,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/60
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 29/003 of the compression type system
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2007/023 Conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2007/026 Dampers registers for granular flows F27D2099/0071
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 7/02 Supplying steam, vapour, gases, or liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 7/04 Circulating atmospheres by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 7/06 Forming or maintaining special atmospheres or vacuum within heating chambers F27D7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 15/10 Thermoelectric devices using thermal change of the dielectric constant, e.g. working above and below the Curie point

Abstract

A method of thermally cycling an object is provided which comprises alternately contacting the object with vapor from first and second liquid/vapor two-phase mixtures of a working fluid wherein the first mixture is at a higher temperature and pressure than the second mixture. An apparatus is also described which comprises a thermal chamber, a first reservoir comprising the first two-phase mixture, a second reservoir comprising the second two-phase mixture and conduits connecting the first reservoir and second reservoirs to the thermal chamber. The apparatus can be used to thermally cycle an object placed in the thermal chamber. An apparatus is also described which comprises a conduit connecting the vapor regions of the first and second reservoirs. The apparatus can be used to thermally cycle an object placed in the vapor region of the first reservoir. The object can comprise one or more layers of an electrically or magnetically polarizable material.

Claims

1. A method of thermally cycling an object comprising:

(a) contacting the object with vapor from a first liquid/vapor two-phase mixture of a working fluid at a first pressure and a first temperature such that the temperature of the object increases;

(b) subsequently contacting the object with vapor from a second liquid/vapor two-phase mixture of the working fluid at a second pressure and a second temperature such that the temperature and of the object decreases, wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature and wherein the first pressure is higher than the second pressure; and

(c) optionally repeating (a) and (b) one or more times.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises one or more layers of electrically polarizable material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises one or more layers of magnetically polarizable material.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material has a phase transition temperature at which the material transitions between a phase in which the material exhibits spontaneous polarization and a phase in which the material does not exhibit spontaneous polarization.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more layers of magnetically polarizable material has a phase transition temperature at which the material transitions between a phase in which the material exhibits spontaneous polarization and a phase in which the material does not exhibit spontaneous polarization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises:

(a) a first electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material;

(b) a second electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material, wherein the second electrode is spaced from the first electrode;

(c) one or more layers of electrically polarizable material between the first and second electrodes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the object comprises a plurality of layers of electrically polarizable material arranged in a stack between the first and second electrodes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the layers of electrically polarizable material has a phase transition temperature at which the material transitions between a phase in which the material exhibits spontaneous polarization and a phase in which the material does not exhibit spontaneous polarization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is housed in a chamber, wherein the first liquid/vapor two-phase mixture is contained in a first reservoir, wherein the second liquid/vapor two-phase mixture is contained in a second reservoir and wherein (a) comprises allowing vapor from the first liquid/vapor two-phase mixture to flow into the chamber and wherein (b) comprises allowing vapor from the chamber to flow into the second reservoir.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transferring working fluid from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising pumping the working fluid from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transferring thermal energy from the vapor flowing from the chamber into the second reservoir to the working fluid being transferred from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first liquid/vapor two-phase mixture is contained in a first reservoir having an interior volume comprising a liquid region and a vapor region, wherein the second liquid/vapor two-phase mixture is contained in a second reservoir, and wherein the object is housed in the vapor region of the first reservoir and wherein (a) comprises preventing vapor from the first liquid/vapor two-phase mixture in the first reservoir from flowing into the second reservoir and wherein (b) comprises allowing vapor from the first liquid/vapor two-phase mixture in the first reservoir to flow into the second reservoir.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transferring the working fluid from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising pumping the working fluid from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring thermal energy from the vapor flowing from the first reservoir into the second reservoir to the working fluid being transferred from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the working fluid condenses on a surface of the object during (a) thereby heating the object and wherein the working fluid condensate on the surface of the object evaporates during (b) thereby cooling the object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a layer of working fluid in liquid form remains on the surface of the object during (a) and (b).

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the working fluid comprises a mixture of fluids with different boiling points.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a thermal chamber;

a first reservoir comprising a liquid/vapor two-phase mixture of a working fluid at a first pressure and a first temperature, the first reservoir having an interior volume comprising a liquid region and a vapor region;

a second reservoir comprising a liquid/vapor two-phase mixture of the working fluid at a second pressure and a second temperature, the second reservoir having an interior volume comprising a liquid region and a vapor region;

a first conduit connecting the first reservoir to the thermal chamber;

a second conduit connecting the second reservoir to the thermal chamber;

a first valve in the first conduit;

a second valve in the second conduit; and

a third conduit connecting the first reservoir to the second reservoir;

wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature and wherein the first pressure is higher than the second pressure.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a pump configured to pump the working fluid from the second reservoir to the first reservoir through the third conduit.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a heat regenerator, wherein fluid transferred from the second reservoir to the first reservoir through the third conduit passes through the heat regenerator and wherein fluid flowing from the thermal chamber to the second reservoir through the second conduit also passes through the heat regenerator after passing through the second valve.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a heat source configured to transfer thermal energy to the working fluid in the first reservoir.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a heat sink configured to remove thermal energy from the working fluid in the second reservoir.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the volume of the vapor region of the first reservoir is greater than the volume of the thermal chamber and wherein the volume of vapor region of the second reservoir is greater than the volume of the thermal chamber.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a source of the working fluid, wherein the source of the working fluid is configured to supply working fluid to the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a controller, the controller:

(a) opening the first valve while the second valve is closed to allow vapor from the first reservoir at the first temperature to flow into the chamber such that the temperature and pressure inside the thermal chamber increases;

(b) subsequently closing the first valve;

(c) subsequently opening the second valve to allow vapor in the thermal chamber to pass to the second reservoir such that the temperature and pressure inside the thermal chamber decreases;

(d) subsequently closing the second valve;

(e) optionally repeating (a)-(d) one or more times.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising an object inside the thermal chamber, wherein the working fluid condenses on a surface of the object during (a) thereby heating the object and wherein the working fluid condensate on the surface of the object evaporates during (c) thereby cooling the object.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a layer of working fluid in liquid form remains on the surface of the object during (a)-(d).

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the object comprises one or more layers of electrically polarizable material.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material are in the form of a strip wound into a spiral configuration such that a space exists between adjacent layers of the spiral.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the object comprises:

(a) a first electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material;

(b) a second electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material, wherein the second electrode is spaced from the first electrode;

(c) one or more layers of electrically polarizable material between the first and second electrodes.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the object comprises a plurality of layers of electrically polarizable material arranged in a stack between the first and second electrodes.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein each of the layers of electrically polarizable material has a phase transition temperature at which the material transitions between a phase in which the material exhibits spontaneous polarization and a phase in which the material does not exhibit spontaneous polarization.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the object is positioned in the first reservoir such that each of the layers of electrically polarizable material is at a different distance from the end of the first conduit in the vapor region of the first reservoir and wherein the phase transition temperature of each of the layers of electrically polarizable material decreases with decreasing distance from the end of the first conduit in the vapor region of the first reservoir.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the working fluid comprises a mixture of fluids with different boiling points.

37. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an object inside the thermal chamber, wherein the object comprises one or more layers of magnetically polarizable material.

38. An apparatus comprising:

a first reservoir comprising a liquid/vapor two-phase mixture of a working fluid at a first pressure and a first temperature, the first reservoir having an interior volume comprising a liquid region and a vapor region;

a second reservoir comprising a liquid/vapor two-phase mixture of the working fluid at a second pressure and a second temperature, the second reservoir having an interior volume comprising a liquid region and a vapor region;

a first conduit connecting the vapor region of the first reservoir to the vapor region of the second reservoir;

a first valve in the first conduit; and

a second conduit connecting the first reservoir to the second reservoir;

wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature and wherein the first pressure is higher than the second pressure.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a pump configured to pump a fluid from the second reservoir to the first reservoir through the second conduit.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising an object in the vapor region of the first reservoir.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the object comprises one or more layers of electrically polarizable material.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein each of the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material has a phase transition temperature at which the material transitions between a phase in which the material exhibits spontaneous polarization and a phase in which the material does not exhibit spontaneous polarization.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the object comprises:

(a) a first electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material;

(b) a second electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material, wherein the second electrode is spaced from the first electrode;

(c) one or more layers of electrically polarizable material between the first and second electrodes.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the object comprises a plurality of layers of electrically polarizable material arranged in a stack between the first and second electrodes.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein each of the layers of electrically polarizable material has a phase transition temperature at which the material transitions between a phase in which the material exhibits spontaneous polarization and a phase in which the material does not exhibit spontaneous polarization.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the object is positioned in the first reservoir such that each of the layers of electrically polarizable material is at a different distance from the end of the first conduit in the vapor region of the first reservoir and wherein the phase transition temperature of each of the layers of electrically polarizable material decreases with decreasing distance from the end of the first conduit in the vapor region of the first reservoir.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the working fluid comprises a mixture of fluids with different boiling points.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material are in the form of a strip wound into a spiral configuration such that a space exists between adjacent layers of the spiral.

49. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the object comprises one or more layers of magnetically polarizable material.

50. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a heat regenerator, wherein fluid pumped from the second reservoir to the first reservoir through the second conduit passes through the heat regenerator and wherein fluid flowing from the first reservoir to the second reservoir through the first conduit also passes through the heat regenerator after passing through the first valve.

51. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a heat source configured to transfer thermal energy to the working fluid in the first reservoir.

52. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a heat sink configured to remove thermal energy from the working fluid in the second reservoir

53. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a controller, the controller:

(a) opening the first valve to allow vapor from the first reservoir at the first temperature to flow into the second reservoir such that the temperature of the vapor region of the first reservoir decreases;

(b) subsequently closing the first valve;

(c) allowing the temperature of the vapor region of the first reservoir to increase;

(d) optionally repeating (a)-(c) one or more times.