Heat transfer system

• US 4,182,409 A
• Filed: 03/02/1978
• Issued: 01/08/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glen P. Robinson Jr
• Original Assignee: Glen P. Robinson Jr
• Inventors: Robinson, Glen P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Jr., Albert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/882,655
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 165/104 S, 165/105, 165/18, 126/271, 126/400
• US Class Current: 165/104.14
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/003 combined with solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0034 using liquid heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A heat storage and/or recovery system using multiple heat storage tanks to selectively store heat from a solar collector and recover the stored heat to operate a heat driven system. The heat from the solar collector is transferred into the storage tanks through an input heat transfer link configuration using vapor heat transfer which automatically transfers heat into a storage tank that will accept the heat but effectively prevents the flow of heat from the storage tanks back to the solar collector while the heat in the storage tanks is transferred to the heat driven system through a recovery heat transfer link configuration also using vapor heat transfer which automatically transfers heat to the heat driven system from a storage tank capable of supplying heat but effectively prevents the flow of heat from the heat driven system back into the storage tanks.

Claims

1. A heat transfer system comprising:

a heat source generating a heated output;

a heat sink means for receiving heat including first and second heat storage means

a working fluid having a prescribed vaporization temperature and pressure range;

an input heat exchange means carrying the working fluid therein in a heat exchange relationship with said heat source to cause said heat source to vaporize said working fluid in said input heat exchange means, said input heat exchange means located at an input elevation; and

an output heat exchange means operatively connected to said input heat exchange means for receiving vaporized working fluid from said input heat exchange means, and for returning condensed working fluid to said input heat exchange means, said output heat exchange means placing the vaporized working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with said heat sink means, and said output heat exchange means located at an output elevation higher than said input elevation so that the heat transferred to the working fluid in said input heat exchange means vaporizes the working fluid, the vaporized working fluid rises to said output heat exchange means, the heat in the vaporized working fluid is transferred to said heat sink means through said output heat exchange means as long as the temperature of said heat sink means is lower than the temperature of said heat source to cause the vaporized working fluid in said output heat exchange means to condense whereupon the condensed working fluid flows back to said input heat exchange means under the force of gravity for revaporization in said input heat exchange means, said output heat exchange means including a first output heat exchanger for receiving vaporized working fluid from said input heat exchange means and placing the vaporized working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with said first heat storage means, and a second output heat exchanger serially connected to said first output heat exchanger for receiving working fluid from said first output heat exchanger and placing the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with said second heat storage means, said second output heat exchanger connected to said input heat exchange means so that condensed working fluid flows out of said first output heat exchanger to said second output heat exchanger and flows from said second output heat exchanger back to said input heat exchange means under the force of gravity for revaporization of said working fluid in said input heat exchange means.

2. The heat transfer system of claim 1 further including flow control means connecting said second output heat exchanger to said input heat exchange means for controlling the flow of condensed working fluid from said second output heat exchanger to said input heat exchange means.

3. The heat transfer system of claim 1 further including a heat driven system capable of receiving heat;

and further including recovery output heat transfer means comprising a first recovery input heat exchanger placing the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with said first heat storage means, a second recovery input heat exchanger serially connected to said first recovery input heat exchanger so that said first recovery input heat exchanger receives working fluid from said second recovery input heat exchanger, said second recovery input heat exchanger placing the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with said second heat storage means, and recovery output heat exchange means connected to said first recovery input heat exchanger and said second recovery input heat exchanger so that condensed working fluid flows out of said recovery heat exchange means to said second recovery input heat exchanger and flows through said second recovery input heat exchanger to said first recovery input heat exchanger under the force of gravity for vaporization of said working fluid in said second and first input heat exchangers.

4. The heat transfer system of claim 3 wherein said recovery heat transfer means further includes recovery flow control means connecting said recovery output heat exchange means to said second recovery input heat exchanger for controlling the flow of condensed working fluid from said recovery output heat exchange means to said second recovery input heat exchanger.

5. The heat transfer system of claim 4 wherein said recovery heat transfer means further includes recovery liquid receiver means connecting said recovery output heat exchange means to said recovery flow control means.

6. The heat transfer system of claim 2 further including liquid receiver means connecting said output heat exchange means to said flow control means.

7. A heat transfer system comprising:

a heat source generating a heated output;

first heat storage means capable of storing heat;

second heat storage means capable of storing heat;

storage heat transfer link means operatively connecting the heat source to said first and second heat storage means to selectively transfer the heat generated by said heat source to said first and second heat storage means, said storage heat transfer link means comprising;

a first storage working fluid having a prescribed vaporizing temperature and pressure range;

an input heat exchanger carrying the storage working fluid therein in a heat exchange relationship with the heated output from said heat source to cause said heat source to selectively vaporize said storage working fluid in said input heat exchanger, said input heat exchanger located at an input elevation;

a first output heat exchanger having a first inlet and a first output, said first inlet operatively connected to said input heat exchanger for receiving vaporized storage working fluid from said input heat exchanger and placing the vaporized storage working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with said first heat storage means, said first inlet of said first output heat exchanger located at a first inlet elevation higher than said input elevation and said first outlet of said first output heat exchanger located at a first outlet elevation lower than said first inlet elevation and higher than said input elevation so that when heat is transferred to the storage working fluid from said heat source to vaporize the storage working fluid in said input heat exchanger, the vaporized storage working fluid flows into said first output heat exchanger and heat in the vaporized storage working fluid is transferred to said first heat storage means through said first output heat exchanger as long as the temperature of said first heat storage means is lower than the temperature of said heat source to cause the vaporized storage working fluid in said first output heat exchanger to condense whereupon the condensed first storage working fluid flows out through said first outlet of said first output heat exchanger under the force of gravity; and

a second output heat exchanger having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet operatively connected to said first outlet of said first output heat exchanger for receiving storage working fluid from said first outlet of said first output heat exchanger, said second output heat exchanger placing the storage working fluid from said first output heat exchanger in a heat exchange relationship with said second heat storage means, said second inlet of said second output heat exchanger located at a second inlet elevation higher than said input elevation and at least as low as said first outlet elevation of said first output heat exchanger, said second outlet of said second output heat exchanger located at a second outlet elevation lower than said second inlet elevation and higher than said input elevation, said second outlet connected to said input heat exchanger to return the storage working fluid condensed in said first and second output heat exchangers to said input heat exchanger under the force of gravity for revaporization

so that the heat transferred to the storage working fluid in said input heat exchanger vaporizes the storage working fluid, the vaporized storage working fluid flows to said first output heat exchanger, heat in the vaporized storage working fluid is transferred to said first heat storage means through said first output heat exchanger as long as the temperature of said first heat storage means is lower than the temperature of said heat source to cause condensation of said vaporized storage working fluid in said first output heat exchanger whereupon the condensed storage fluid flows through said second output heat exchanger and back to said input heat exchanger for revaporization, and so that any vaporized storage working fluid flowing into said second output heat exchanger through said first output heat exchanger has heat transferred to said second heat storage means through said second output heat exchanger as long as the vaporized storage working fluid is received in said second output heat exchanger and the temperature of said second heat storage means is lower than the temperature of said heat source to cause the vaporized storage working fluid in said second output heat exchanger to condense whereupon the condensed storage working fluid flows back to said input heat exchanger under the force of gravity for revaporization in said input heat exchanger.