Thermal compressor

Claim 2

A fluid pump comprising in combination: a chamber having fluid inlet and outlet ports at one end, a driving fluid port at the other end, a flexible diaphragm disposed within said chamber whereby communication of fluid between said ports at opposite ends of said chamber is prevented and whereby the volume of said chamber may be made to communicate substantially entirely with said inlet and outlet ports or substantially entirely with said driving fluid port; a source of high pressure including a heater, a volatile driving fluid, and a boiler; a source of vacuum including a cooling system; valve means for alternately connecting said driving fluid port to said source of high pressure and to said source of vacuum; means applied at said chamber for preventing dissipation of thermal energy therefrom; and means responsive to the position of said diaphragm for actuating said valve means.

Claim 3

A fluid pump comprising in combination: a chamber having fluid inlet and outlet ports at one end, a driving fluid port at the other end, a flexible diaphragm disposed within said chamber whereby communication of fluid between said ports at opposite ends of said chamber is prevented, and whereby the volume of said chamber may be made to communicate substantially entirely with said inlet and outlet ports or substantially entirely with said driving fluid port; A source of high pressure including a heater, a volatile driving fluid, and a boiler; a source of vacuum including a cooling system for condensing driving fluid admitted therein; valve means for alternately connecting said driving fluid port to said source of high pressure and to said source of vacuum; means applied at said chamber for preventing dissipation of thermal energy therefrom; means wholly external to said chamber for actuating said valve means; and a transfer pump having inlet and outlet ports for conveying the condensed driving fluid from said boiler.

Claim 4

A fluid pump comprising in combination: a chamber having fluid inlet and outlet ports at one end, a driving fluid port at the other end, a flexible diaphragm disposed within said chamber whereby communication of fluid between said ports at opposite ends of said chamber is prevented, and whereby the volume of said chamber may be made to communicate substantially entirely with said inlet and outlet ports or substantially entirely with said driving fluid port; A source of high pressure including a heater, a volatile driving fluid, and a boiler; a source of vacuum including a cooling system for condensing driving fluid admitted therein; valve means for alternately connecting said driving fluid port to said source of high pressure and to said source of vacuum; means applied at said chamber for preventing dissipation of thermal energy therefrom; means wholly external to said chamber for actuating said valve means; and a transfer pump having inlet and outlet ports for conveying the condensed driving fluid from said boiler.

Claim 5

The fluid pump of claim 2 wherein said cooling system comprises: a shell and tube condenser, the shell of said shell and tube condenser having inlet and outlet ports for the driving fluid to be condensed, said inlet port communicating with said valve means, said outlet port communicating with an inlet port of said transfer pump; a coil and vane heat exchanger communicating with the tube of said shell and tube condenser, said tube and said coil forming a closed fluid circuit; a coolant fluid within said closed fluid circuit, said heat exchanger being disposed above said condenser whereby said coolant fluid circulates in said closed fluid circuit by cooperating forces of gravitation and vapor pressure; and a plurality of cooling fins disposed within said condenser in thermally conductive relation with said tube of said condenser.

Claim 6

The fluid pump of claim 2 with additionally a heat exchanger interposed between said vacuum source and said boiler for transferring heat from driving fluid exhausted from said chamber to driving fluid condensate entering said boiler.

Claim 7

The fluid pump of claim 2 wherein said means applied at said chamber for preventing dissipation of thermal energy therefrom comprises: a jacket of thermal-insulating material conformably surrounding said chamber, said jacket having holes permitting said driving fluid port and said fluid inlet and outlet ports to communicate with said chamber.

Claim 8

The fluid pump as claimed in claim 5 with additionally an electrical heating element disposed on the inner surface of said jacket, said heating element substantially surrounding said chamber.

Claim 9

The fluid pump of claim 2 wherein said transfer pump comprises: a working chamber having fluid inlet and outlet ports and a first flexible diaphragm disposed within said working chamber; a driving chamber having a driving fluid port and a second flexible diaphragm disposed within said driving chamber; valve means for alternately connecting said driving fluid port to said source of high pressure and to said source of vacuum; and a rigid rod member connected at one end to said first flexible diaphragm and connected at the other end to said second flexible diaphragm.

Claim 10

The fluid pump of claim 2 wherein said valve means are solenoid-actuated latching valves and said means wholly external to said chamber for actuating said valve means is a ratio timer.

Claim 11

The fluid pump of claim 2 including additionally: means wholly within said chamber and attached to said diaphragm for controlling said means wholly external to said chamber for actuating said valve means, whereby said means wholly external to said chamber is made responsive to the position of said diaphragm within said chamber.

Claim 12

The fluid pump as claimed in claim 9 wherein: said means wholly within said chamber is a permanent magnet; said valve means are solenoid-actuated latching valves; and said means wholly external to said chamber for actuating said valve means includes a first reed switch adjacent to said chamber at a point corresponding to a first extreme of travel of said diaphragm, and a second reed switch adjacent to said chamber at a point corresponding to a second opposite extreme of travel of said diaphragm.

Claim 13

The fluid pump as claimed in claim 10 wherein said heater is a nuclear heater and is disposed within said boiler.