Thermal insulation vessel
First Claim
1. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
- a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first magnet coupled to the first housing;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second magnet coupled to the second housing, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall; and
a battery positioned in the second internal cavity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal insulation vessel is provided that includes a first housing has a first internal cavity and an inner wall. A first plurality of magnets are coupled to the first housing and positioned proximate the inner wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation. A second housing is positioned in the first internal cavity and has a second internal cavity and an outer wall. A second plurality of magnets is coupled to the second housing and positioned proximate the outer wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation. The second plurality of magnets interacts with the first plurality of magnets to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall. The vessel may be used to thermally isolate components within or for use with various downhole tools. Magnetic levitation eliminates most and possibly all pathways for conductive heat transfer.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first magnet coupled to the first housing;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second magnet coupled to the second housing, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall; and
a battery positioned in the second internal cavity.
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2. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first magnet coupled to the first housing;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second magnet coupled to the second housing, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the inner wall comprising a first plurality of facets.
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3. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first magnet coupled to the first housing;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second magnet coupled to the second housing, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the outer wall comprising a second plurality of facets.
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4. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first magnet coupled to the first housing;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second magnet coupled to the second housing, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the inner wall comprising a first plurality of facets and the outer wall comprising a second plurality of facets.
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5. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first magnet coupled to the first housing;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second magnet coupled to the second housing, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall; and
a conductive heat transfer member positioned between the inner wall and outer wall and having a higher thermal conductivity along a longitudinal axis than an axis passing from the inner wall to the outer wall.
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6. A downhole tool assembly, comprising:
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a downhole tool; and
a thermal insulation vessel coupled to the downhole tool and having a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall, a first magnetic structure coupled to the first housing, a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall, and a second magnetic structure coupled to the second housing, the second magnetic structure interacting with the first magnetic structure to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first plurality of magnets coupled to the first housing and positioned proximate the inner wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second plurality of magnets coupled to the second housing and positioned proximate the outer wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall; and
a battery positioned in the second internal cavity.
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26. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first plurality of magnets coupled to the first housing and positioned proximate the inner wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second plurality of magnets coupled to the second housing and positioned proximate the outer wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the inner wall comprising a first plurality of facets.
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27. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first plurality of magnets coupled to the first housing and positioned proximate the inner wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second plurality of magnets coupled to the second housing and positioned proximate the outer wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the outer wall comprising a second plurality of facets.
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28. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first plurality of magnets coupled to the first housing and positioned proximate the inner wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second plurality of magnets coupled to the second housing and positioned proximate the outer wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the inner wall comprising a first plurality of facets and the outer wall comprises a second plurality of facets.
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29. A thermal insulation vessel, comprising:
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a first housing having a first internal cavity and an inner wall;
a first plurality of magnets coupled to the first housing and positioned proximate the inner wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation;
a second housing positioned in the first internal cavity and having a second internal cavity and an outer wall;
a second plurality of magnets coupled to the second housing and positioned proximate the outer wall in circumferentially spaced-apart relation, the second magnet interacting with the first magnet to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the outer wall; and
a first inductive coupling coupled to the second housing. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method of thermally insulating a first component from a second component that is positioned in the first component, comprising:
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magnetically levitating the second component within the first component to eliminate physical contact between the first and second components; and
providing the second component with a reflective outer surface, the reflective outer surface being provided by coating the component with a reflective material.
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32. Apparatus for thermally insulating an electrical component, comprising:
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a vessel;
a structure for supporting the electrical component, the structure being receivable within the vessel;
a system for levitating the structure within the vessel in a manner preventing physical contact between the structure and the vessel; and
an electrical circuit structure coupled to the electrical component. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. Apparatus comprising:
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a component to be thermally insulated;
a vessel in which the component is received; and
a system levitating the component within the vessel in a manner substantially preventing conductive heat transfer between the component and the vessel, the component being a battery.
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35. A downhole tool assembly, comprising:
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a downhole tool; and
apparatus coupled to the downhole tool and including;
a vessel, a component disposed within the vessel, and a system levitating the component within the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
a structure disposed within the vessel, carrying the component, and being levitated in a manner preventing physical contact between the structure and the vessel.
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37. The downhole tool assembly of claim 36 wherein the structure is a housing within which the component is disposed.
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38. The downhole tool assembly of claim 37 wherein at least one of the vessel and the housing is substantially evacuated.
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39. The downhole tool assembly of claim 38 wherein each of the vessel and the housing is substantially evacuated.
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40. The downhole tool assembly of claim 37 wherein the housing has a reflective outer surface.
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41. The downhole tool assembly of claim 36 wherein the structure is magnetically levitated within the vessel.
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42. The downhole tool assembly of claim 35 wherein the component is an electrical component.
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43. A The downhole tool assembly of claim 42 wherein the component is a battery.
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44. The downhole tool of claim 42 further comprising an inductive coupling structure operatively associated with the component.
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45. The downhole tool assembly of claim 35 wherein the system magnetically levitates the component within the vessel.
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46. A thermal insulation vessel comprising:
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a first tubular housing formed from a nonmagnetic material and having a sidewall portion extending between closed opposite ends and having an inner side surface with a circumferentially spaced plurality of longitudinally extending depressions formed therein;
a second tubular housing formed from a nonmagnetic material and being adapted to receive an object to be thermally insulated, the second tubular housing being movably disposed within the first tubular housing in a longitudinally parallel relationship therewith and having a sidewall portion extending between closed opposite ends and having an outer side surface with a circumferentially spaced plurality of longitudinally extending depressions formed therein;
first and second pluralities of magnetic structures respectively carried in the depressions of the first and second tubular housings and magnetically maintaining between the first and second tubular housings a gap that laterally circumscribes the second tubular housing; and
end magnetic structures disposed on the opposite ends of the first and second tubular housings and magnetically maintaining within the first tubular housing gaps between facing end portions of the first and second tubular housings. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
the inner side surface of the first tubular housing and the outer side surface of the second tubular housing have circular shaped, and the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures have arcuate cross-sections.
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52. The thermal insulation vessel of claim 46 wherein:
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the inner side surface of the first tubular housing and the outer side surface of the second tubular housing have polygonal shaped defined by flat surface portions, the circumferentially spaced pluralities of depressions are disposed in the flat surface portions, and the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures have rectangular cross-sections.
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53. The thermal insulation vessel of claim 46 wherein the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures are circumferentially offset from one another.
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54. The thermal insulation vessel of claim 46 wherein the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures are circumferentially aligned with one another.
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55. The thermal insulation vessel of claim 46 wherein the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures have like magnetic poles facing each other.
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56. The thermal insulation vessel of claim 46 wherein the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures have opposite magnetic poles facing each other.
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57. The thermal insulation vessel of claim 46 wherein first portions of the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures have like magnetic poles facing each other and second portions of the first and second pluralities of magnetic structures have opposite magnetic poles facing each other.
Specification