Heat transport system

• US 4,120,172 A
• Filed: 05/05/1977
• Issued: 10/17/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Pierce, Bill L.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US05/794,296
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 62/115, 62/119, 62/514, 62/467 R
• US Class Current: 62/115
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/00 Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 23/00 Machines, plants or systems, with a single mode of operation not covered by groups F25B1/00 - F25B21/00, e.g. using selective radiation effect
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence

Abstract

A heat transport system of small size which can be operated in any orientation consists of a coolant loop containing a vaporizable liquid as working fluid and includes in series a vaporizer, a condenser and two one-way valves and a pressurizer connected to the loop between the two valves. The pressurizer may be divided into two chambers by a flexible diaphragm, an inert gas in one chamber acting as a pneumatic spring for the system.

Claims

1. A small flexible heat transport system comprising a coolant loop containing a vaporizable liquid as working fluid and including in series a vaporizer, a condenser and two valve means which permit the flow of fluid therethrough in one direction only and a pressurizer vessel containing a fixed mass of an inert gas connected to the loop between the two check valves whereby heat is transferred from the vaporizer to the condenser.

2. A heart transport system according to claim 1 which is capable of operation at any orientation wherein the pressurizer consists of a pressurizer vessel having a flexible diaphragm extending thereacross, there being a fixed mass of inert gas in the chamber of the pressurizer vessel remote from the coolant loop.

3. A heat transport system according to claim 2 in which the pressurizer vessel has a volume of 1 cubic inch.

4. A method of transporting heat from a heat source to a heat sink over a considerable distance comprising vaporizing a vaporizable liquid in the nucleate boiling mode with heat from the heat source, condensing the vapors thus produced by rejecting heat to the heat sink, returning the condensate to the vaporizer through two check valves in series to complete a coolant loop and driving the vaporizable liquid around the coolant loop with a pneumatic spring connected to the loop between the two check valves.