Heat exchange and cooling systems

• US 8,887,525 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impulse Devices Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pax Scientific Incorporated
• Inventors: Harman, Jayden David, Gielda, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US12/961,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 62/5, 621/16, 625/00, 239/589, 239/589.1, 239/591, 239/592, 239/593, 239/594, 239/595, 239/601
• US Class Current: 62/500
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 40/10 the fluid passing through restriction means
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/00 Heat-exchange apparatus not covered by any of the groups F28D1/00 - F28D20/00

Abstract

A heat exchanger may be associated with a heat transfer system to promote flow of heat energy from a heat source to a multi-phase fluid. The heat exchanger may be associated with an expansion portion. The fluid may be a refrigerant to which nano-particles may be added. Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in an air-conditioning system as well as a water heating system.

Claims

1. A supersonic air conditioning system, comprising:

a converging-diverging nozzle that induces cavitation or nucleation in a liquid, thereby forming a multi-phase liquid that travels at supersonic speed in order to perform a cooling operation; and

a pump that feeds the liquid into the converging-diverging nozzle without passing through a heater such that the only liquid flowing into the converging-diverging nozzle enters from the pump and wherein the pump and the converging-diverging nozzle are arranged in a closed circuit flow path.

2. The supersonic cooling system of claim 1, wherein the converging-diverging nozzle also reduces the pressure of the liquid.

3. The supersonic cooling system of claim 2, wherein the pump increases the pressure of the liquid prior to reducing the pressure of the liquid.

4. The supersonic cooling system of claim 1, wherein the converging-diverging nozzle forms a multi-phase liquid with a consequent drop in temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises water.

6. A air conditioning system, comprising:

a closed circuit flow path having a first location and second location, the second location downstream from the first location, wherein the flow path reduces the pressure of a fluid at the first location upon the fluid flowing within the flow path, and wherein the flow path promotes the production of vapor bubbles by cavitation and/or nucleation in order to perform a cooling operation;

a converging-diverging nozzle, the converging-diverging nozzle situated within the closed circuit flow path; and

a pump that feeds the fluid into the converging-diverging nozzle without passing through a heater such that the only liquid flowing into the converging-diverging nozzle enters from the pump.

7. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the converging-diverging nozzle produces a multi-phase fluid.

8. The cooling system of claim 7, wherein the multi-phase fluid is formed with a consequent drop in temperature.

9. The cooling system of claim 6, further comprising a heat exchanger that transfers heat from a heat source to a multi-phase fluid over at least a portion of the flow path between the first location and the second location.

10. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the fluid comprises a liquid.

11. An air conditioning method for exchanging heat, comprising:

increasing the pressure of a working fluid with the aid of a pump, thereby generating a high pressure working fluid; and

flowing the high pressure working fluid through a closed circuit fluid flow path which comprises a converging-diverging nozzle that induces boiling of the working fluid by cavitation and/or nucleation in order to perform a cooling operation, the high pressure working fluid provided to the closed circuit fluid flow path from the pump without passing through a heater such that the only liquid flowing into the converging-diverging nozzle enters from the pump.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fluid flow path forms a multi-phase fluid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the multi-phase fluid travels at supersonic speed in at least a portion of the fluid flow path.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the multi-phase fluid travels from a first location to a second location over a period of time during which heat is absorbed by the multiphase fluid from a heat source.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the working fluid comprises a liquid.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressure of the working fluid is increased to 5 bar or higher.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pressure of the working fluid is increased to 10 bar or higher.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein fluid flow path decreases the pressure of the working fluid to the saturation pressure corresponding to the ambient temperature.