System for transfer of energy between a hot source and a cold source

• US 5,842,513 A
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Astrium Sas (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales
• Inventors: Maciaszek, Thierry, Huxtaix, Herve, Feuillatre, Michel, Mauduyt, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ATKINSON, CHRISTOPHER MARK
• Application Number:
  US08/797,510
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 165/104, 165/26, 165/104.22, 165/104.14, 165/104.21, 165/41, 165/104.33, 165/42
• US Class Current: 165/104.26
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/043 forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops

Abstract

A hot source (A) contains one assembly comprised of at least one capillary evaporator (1A) and at least one condenser (2B) having condensation surfaces with a large curvature radius, and a cold source (B) containing an assembly of the same nature (1B, 2B). The condensers are interconnected by means of a steam conduit (3) and the capillary evaporators are interconnected by means of a liquid conduit (4) so as to form a closed circuit wherein circulates a metered fluid amount so that the complete evaporation takes place in the "hot" evaporators and the complete condensation takes place in the "cold" condensers, the other elements being then inactive. The system is reversible and, consequently, interesting gains of weight and room can be achieved for a spatial utilization.

Claims

1. A system for transfer of energy between a hot source and a cold source, the system including a capillary evaporator situated in the hot source, and in which a fluid is introduced in the liquid state and changes integrally into the vapor state inside capillary passages, a vapor conduit, a condenser situated in the cold source where the fluid changes back into the liquid state while condensing on surfaces of large radius of curvature, and a liquid conduit which returns the fluid to the capillary evaporator, the fluid circulating in closed circuit under the effect of the pressure generated at the meniscus constituting the liquid/vapor interfaces in the capillary passages of the evaporator,

in which:

the closed fluid circuit includes two units each formed by a capillary evaporator connected to the liquid conduit and by a condenser inserted between the capillary evaporator and the vapor conduit, one of the units being placed in the hot source and the other in the cold source;

and the quantity of fluid is calculated in such a way that the evaporation takes place integrally in the capillary passages of the capillary evaporator situated in the hot source and that the condensation takes place in the condenser situated in the cold source.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of fluid is calculated in order that, in all the conditions of operation, at least one liquid-vapor interface is present, it being nevertheless possible for a bubble of vapor without communication with the vapor conduit to be present, possibly on the liquid side of the capillary evaporator.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capillary evaporator consists of a mass with controlled porosity in which the liquid can be vaporized with formation of menisci (15) of small radius or equivalent radius, this mass being placed in a vessel between two chambers (13,14), one being connected to the liquid conduit and the other to the vapor conduit (3), and the condenser of the cold source consists at least partially of that one (14) of said chambers which is connected to the vapor conduit (3).

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a number of hot sources and/or a number of cold sources, and at least one of said units formed by a capillary evaporator and by a condenser is provided in each hot source and each cold source.