US3677336A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heat link, a heat transfer device with isolated fluid flow paths
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-07-06
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Granted: 1972-07-18
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Expires: 1990-07-06
Abstract
Abstract A heat transfer device, defined here as a heat link, having a capillary vaporizer adjacent a heat source, transfers heat to a heat sink by vaporization and condensation of a heat transfer fluid within the device. A first passage is provided for conveying vapor from the capillary vaporizer to the heat sink. Another passage which is essentially a continuation of the first passage, conveys condensed liquid from the heat sink to the vaporizer, thus allowing the distance that the liquid must flow through capillary material to be quite short. Contact of the returning liquid with the surface of the vaporizer is assured by providing means for maintaining the temperature of the liquid in the return line at a sufficiently low temperature that any vapor will condense; or, alternatively, by having means for extracting any vapor formed in the returning liquid. In this manner, the heat link operates with high heat flux without any substantial resistance to liquid flow through a long capillary flow path. By this replacing almost all of the liquid return wick, with its high resistance to fluid flow, of heat pipes with a low flow resistance liquid passage or conduit, the heat flux capacity of the heat link is greatly increased over that of the heat pipe while the quantity of porous material used and the heat link weight are considerably reduced so that a heat link typically has 10 to 1,000 times the heat flux capacity of a heat pipe having the same weight. ''''Boosted'''' embodiments of the heat link employing additional means for circulating the fluid, such as vapor jet pumps, powered at least in part by vapor from the capillary vaporizer, are also described. Some ''''boosted'''' heat links are capable of handling heat fluxes in the multi-megawatt range while having no moving parts except for check valves and the fluid itself.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert David Moore Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:21
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28D; F28D15/00; F28D15/02; F28D15/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
264 words
Closed loop heat transfer apparatus comprising: a vaporizer of capillary material having a first surface portion in thermal contact with a heat source, a second surface portion, and a third surface portion; a partly condensed fluid, a portion of said fluid being liquid and another portion being vapor, said liquid wetting said vaporizer capillary material; wall means defining a passage extending between the second surface portion of the vaporizer and the third surface portion of the vaporizer with a heat sink region therebetween, whereby fluid traversing the passage is in thermal contact with the sink region in said intermediate passage, for preventing from flowing from the third surface portion to the second surface portion of the vaporizer without passing through said heat sink region; the second surface portion of the vaporizer receiving liquid from the portion of the passage extending to it and the third surface portion of the vaporizer releasing vapor into another portion of the passage extending to it, said vapor being released from the third surface portion of the vaporizer at a higher pressure than that of the liquid entering the second surface portion; and wherein a sufficient area of the second surface portion is sufficiently close to the first and third surface portions of the vaporizer that the mean distance the liquid flows through capillary material is substantially less than the mean distance the fluid flows through the passage; and means for boosting fluid flow in the apparatus; said boosting means receiving at least part of the energy necessary to boost fluid flow from the vapor produced at the vaporizer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
264 words
Closed loop heat transfer apparatus comprising: a vaporizer of capillary material having a first surface portion in thermal contact with a heat source, a second surface portion, and a third surface portion; a partly condensed fluid, a portion of said fluid being liquid and another portion being vapor, said liquid wetting said vaporizer capillary material; wall means defining a passage extending between the second surface portion of the vaporizer and the third surface portion of the vaporizer with a heat sink region therebetween, whereby fluid traversing the passage is in thermal contact with the sink region in said intermediate passage, for preventing from flowing from the third surface portion to the second surface portion of the vaporizer without passing through said heat sink region; the second surface portion of the vaporizer receiving liquid from the portion of the passage extending to it and the third surface portion of the vaporizer releasing vapor into another portion of the passage extending to it, said vapor being released from the third surface portion of the vaporizer at a higher pressure than that of the liquid entering the second surface portion; and wherein a sufficient area of the second surface portion is sufficiently close to the first and third surface portions of the vaporizer that the mean distance the liquid flows through capillary material is substantially less than the mean distance the fluid flows through the passage; and means for boosting fluid flow in the apparatus; said boosting means receiving at least part of the energy necessary to boost fluid flow from the vapor produced at the vaporizer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for passing at least a portion of the fluid flow induced by said means for boosting adjacent a region in close thermal contact with the first surface portion of the vaporizer after leaving said means for boosting and before passing through the heat sink region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the fluid flow induced by said means for boosting comprises liquid and the means for boosting further comprises means for bringing said liquid into thermal contact with a heat source so as to vaporize at least a portion thereof, thus producing additional vapor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the means for boosting further comprises means for utilizing at least a portion of said additional vapor for supplying energy to the means for boosting fluid flow.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for boosting fluid flow comprises at least one vapor jet pump.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
Heat transfer apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for boosting fluid flow further comprises means for transferring gas away from the region adjacent the second surface portion of the vaporizer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
Heat transfer apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for boosting fluid flow further comprises means for transferring vapor away from the region adjacent the second surface portion of the vaporizer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
261 words
Closed loop heat transfer apparatus comprising: a vaporizer of capillary material having a first surface portion in thermal contact with a heat source, a second surface portion, and a third surface portion; a partly condensed working fluid, a portion of said working fluid being liquid and another portion being vapor, said liquid wetting said vaporizer cApillary material; wall means defining a passage extending between the second surface portion of the vaporizer and the third surface portion of the vaporizer with a heat sink region therebetween, whereby fluid traversing the passage is in thermal contact with the heat sink region in said intermediate passage, for preventing vapor from flowing from the third surface portion to the second surface portion of the vaporizer without passing through said heat sink region; the second surface portion of the vaporizer receiving liquid from the portion of the passage extending to it and the third surface portion of the vaporizer releasing vapor into another portion of the passage extending to it, said vapor being released from the third surface portion of the vaporizer at a higher pressure than that of the liquid entering the second surface portion; and wherein a sufficient area of the second surface portion is sufficiently close to the first and third surface portions of the vaporizer that the mean distance the liquid flows through capillary material is substantially less than the mean distance the fluid flows through the passage; and means for transferring gas away from the region adjacent the second surface portion of the vaporizer without losing working fluid from the apparatus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
261 words
Closed loop heat transfer apparatus comprising: a vaporizer of capillary material having a first surface portion in thermal contact with a heat source, a second surface portion, and a third surface portion; a partly condensed working fluid, a portion of said working fluid being liquid and another portion being vapor, said liquid wetting said vaporizer cApillary material; wall means defining a passage extending between the second surface portion of the vaporizer and the third surface portion of the vaporizer with a heat sink region therebetween, whereby fluid traversing the passage is in thermal contact with the heat sink region in said intermediate passage, for preventing vapor from flowing from the third surface portion to the second surface portion of the vaporizer without passing through said heat sink region; the second surface portion of the vaporizer receiving liquid from the portion of the passage extending to it and the third surface portion of the vaporizer releasing vapor into another portion of the passage extending to it, said vapor being released from the third surface portion of the vaporizer at a higher pressure than that of the liquid entering the second surface portion; and wherein a sufficient area of the second surface portion is sufficiently close to the first and third surface portions of the vaporizer that the mean distance the liquid flows through capillary material is substantially less than the mean distance the fluid flows through the passage; and means for transferring gas away from the region adjacent the second surface portion of the vaporizer without losing working fluid from the apparatus.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3532159A
Cited
US3525670A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-18 | 1976-01-17 | 1976-07-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-18 | 1980-01-17 | 1980-07-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-18 | 1984-01-17 | 1984-07-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |