Rotating heat pipe for air-conditioning

• US 3,999,400 A
• Filed: 08/08/1974
• Issued: 12/28/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vernon H. Gray
• Original Assignee: Vernon H. Gray
• Inventors: Gray, Vernon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Jr., Albert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/495,876
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 165/105, 165/869, 62/499, 62/115
• US Class Current: 62/115
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/088 in a closed cavity
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/208 using heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 3/00 Self-contained rotary compression machines, i.e. with compressor, condenser and evaporator rotating as a single unit
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0208 using moving tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 5/02 Rotary drums or rollers

Abstract

A unique rotary hermetic heat pipe is disclosed for transferring heat from an external source to an external heat sink. The heat pipe has a tapered condensing surface which is curved preferably to provide uniform pumping acceleration, the heat pipe being rotated at a velocity such that the component of centrifugal acceleration in an axial direction parallel to the tapered surface is greater than 1G and so that the condensing surface is kept relatively free of liquid at any attitude. The heat pipe may be incorporated in an air conditioning apparatus so that it projects through a small wall opening. In the preferred air conditioning apparatus, a hollow hermetic air impeller is provided which contains a liquefied gaseous refrigerant, such as freon, and means are provided for compressing the refrigerant in the evaporator region of the heat pipe.

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit comprising

a housing;

an elongated body mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in said housing, said body provided with an interior sealed elongated cavity coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said body and having a length at least several times its diameter, said cavity having a first portion locating at one end of said body, and said cavity having a second portion locating at the opposed end of said body, said second portion having generally conical walls with its larger diameter adjacent said first portion, said first portion having a diameter not less than the larger diameter of said second portion, every point on the conical walls defining said second cavity portion having a slope angle and radial distance from the axis which, when the body rotates at predetermined angular velocities, will produce a centrifugal pumping acceleration in excess of 1G in any condensate formed on said conical walls;

an inventory of a refrigerant liquid sealed in said cavity, said inventory sufficiently large to form a substantially uniform annulus when said body rotates at said predetermined angular velocities, said liquid inventory sufficiently small to be contained substantially within said first cavity portion when said annulus is formed;

means for driving said body in rotation at said predetermined angular velocities;

hollow fan blades mounted on the end of said body wherein said first cavity portion is located;

means for compressing a gaseous refrigerant at the exterior surface of said body wherein said first cavity portion is located and for condensing said refrigerant by transfer of heat from the refrigerant to the liquid in said first cavity portion, said compressing and condensing means provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said fluid inlet communicating with the hollow interior of said fan blades in a region near the axis of rotation of said blades; and

means for conveying said refrigerant from the fluid outlet of said compressing and condensing means into said hollow fan blades and for releasing liquefied gaseous refrigerant into a region near the radial tips of said blades.

2. An air conditioning unit according to claim 1 wherein said second portion projects through a relatively small opening in an external vertical wall and said heat pipe is supported from said wall for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to said wall.

3. An air conditioning unit comprising a tapered hollow heat pipe with a length several times its diameter projecting through a relatively small opening in a vertical building wall, said pipe containing a sealed-in inventory of liquid including a reservoir in an evaporator region at the inside of said wall and a condenser region at the outside of the wall, drive means for rotating said heat pipe, heat transfer means for removing heat from the inside air, means for transferring heat from the heat pipe to the outside air to condense the vapors in said condenser region, and means for compressing a gaseous refrigerant at the outer surface of said heat pipe in said evaporator region and for condensing said refrigerant by transfer of heat from said refrigerant to the liquid in said evaporator region, means for causing flow of the refrigerant through said heat transfer means and said compressing and condensing means, whereupon the refrigerant is liquefied in said condensing means and is evaporated in said heat transfer means by conduction of heat from said inside air.

4. A process for operating an air conditioner having a housing mounted at an opening in a wall which separates a first body of air from a second body of air, a hollow hermetic member mounted for rotation about its central axis within said housing, means for compressing a gaseous refrigerant having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and a hollow air impelling member mounted in said first body of air on said rotary member for rotation therewith, means connecting the interior cavity of said hollow impelling member with said compressor means to cause flow of said refrigerant through said cavity and said compressor means, and a vaporizable liquid located in said hollow rotary member, said hollow rotary member having a condenser region and an evaporator region, said evaporator region being located adjacent said compressor, said condenser region being located axially from said evaporator region in said second body of air, said hollow rotary member having an internal surface of substantially circular cross section with its center line coaxial with the axis of rotation of said rotary member and its interior condensing surface having a taper, said condensing surface gradually decreasing in diameter in an axial direction away from said evaporator region, and motor means for driving said rotary member in rotation, the steps of which comprise:

continually transferring heat from said first body of air to said refrigerant in said hollow air impelling member by rotating said impeller in said first body of air, whereupon heat therefrom is conducted by said impeller to said refrigerant which vaporizes and the resulting vapors flow to the inlet of said compressor means;

continually transferring heat from said gaseous refrigerant to said liquid in said hollow rotary member while compressing said refrigerant vapors in said compressor means and condensing the compressed refrigerant, whereupon said vapors are reliquefied and give off heat which is conducted by said hollow rotary member at said evaporator region to said liquid in said hollow rotary member which vaporizes and the resulting vapors flow axially into said condenser region;

continually transferring heat from said vapor in said hollow rotary member to said second body of air by condensing said vapor on the condensing surface of said hollow rotary member so that said vapor gives off heat which is conducted by said hollow rotary member through said condensing surface to said second body of air from the outer surface of said hollow rotary member opposite said condensing surface; and

rapidly forcing the condensate off of said condensing surface as soon as it forms to return said condensate to the evaporator region and to keep the condensing surface relatively free of liquid by rotating said condensing surface in excess of a predetermined rotary speed which provides a high centrifugal acceleration having a component equal to at least 1G in an axial direction parallel to the tapered condensing surface in the condensate located on said condensing surface, whereby the process provides a high rate of heat flux from said first body of air to said second body of air.

5. Air conditioning apparatus comprising

a housing adapted to be mounted at an opening in a wall which separates a first body of air from a second body of air;

a hollow hermetic member mounted for rotation within said housing, said hollow hermetic rotary member having a condenser region located in said second body of air and an evaporator region, said hollow hermetic rotary member having an internal surface of substantially circular cross section with its center line coaxial with the axis of rotation of said hollow hermetic rotary member, the interior surface of said hollow hermetic rotary member having a taper in said condenser region, the tapered condensing surface gradually decreasing in diameter in an axial direction away from said evaporator region;

a vaporizable liquid sealed in the interior cavity of said hollow rotary member;

means for compressing and condensing a gaseous refrigerant at the outer surface of said hollow hermetic rotary member in said evaporator region, said compressing means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

condensing means for liquefying said refrigerant by transfer of heat from the refrigerant to the liquid in said evaporator region;

said condensing means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

means connecting said condensing means inlet to said compressing means outlet;

a hollow air impeller mounted in said first body of air on said hollow hermetic rotary member for rotation therewith;

means connecting said compressing means inlet and said condensing means outlet to the interior cavity of said impeller to cause flow of said refrigerant through said interior cavity; and

means for driving said hollow hermetic rotary member and said impeller together in rotation at a velocity such that the liquefied refrigerant collects in the radially outermost zones of the impeller cavity and absorbs heat from the impeller in such zones whereupon the refrigerant vaporizes and the resulting vapors flow through said compressor means and said condensing means, where they are reliquefied and give off heat, portions of such heat being conducted through said evaporator region of said hollow hermetic rotary member to said second liquid whereupon said second liquid vaporizes and the resulting vapors flow into said condenser region where they contact said tapered condensing surface and are returned to said evaporator region, said velocity being sufficient to generate a component of centrifugal acceleration in an axial direction parallel to said tapered condensing surface at essentially any location thereupon which is greater than 1G, the condensate formed on said condensing surface thereby being rapidly forced off of said condensing surface to keep it relatively free of liquid.

6. Air conditioning apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said driving means comprises stator windings mounted on the interior surface of said housing, and rotor windings mounted on the exterior of said hollow hermetic member adjacent said stator windings, radially outwardly of said evaporator region.

7. Air conditioning apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein a heat conducting disc is mounted on the end of said hollow hermetic member radially outwardly of said condenser region.

8. Air conditioning apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said compressing means comprises

a plurality of circumferentially spaced angled blades on the radially outer surface of said hollow hermetic rotary member in the evaporator region, said blades located in a compressor space between said hollow hermetic rotary member and the interior surface of said housing, said compressor space diminishing in cross-sectional area in a direction towards said condenser region, the inlet end of said compressor space communicating with the interior cavity of said hollow air impeller at a position located radially inwardly from the radially outermost portions of said impeller cavity, and wherein said apparatus further comprises

a conduit communicating between the condensing means outlet and the hollow interior cavity of said impeller for delivering liquefied refrigerant to said interior cavity.

9. An air conditioning apparatus comprising an elongated rotary heat pipe projecting through an opening in a building wall, said pipe having a condenser region at the outside of the wall and containing a sealed-in inventory of liquid including a reservoir in an evaporator region at the inside of said wall, means for transferring heat from the rotary heat pipe to the outside air to condense the vapors in said condenser region, means for compressing a gaseous refrigerant at the outer surface of said heat pipe in the evaporator region and for condensing the refrigerant by transfer of heat from the refrigerant to the liquid in said reservoir, said compressing means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a hollow air impeller mounted in the inside air on said heat pipe for rotation in unison therewith, means connecting said inlet and said outlet to the interior cavity of said impeller to cause flow of said refrigerant through the interior cavity of said impeller, and means for driving said heat pipe and said impeller together in rotation.