Heat transfer system

Claim 2

A heat transfer system, comprising: a. a heat source; b. a plurality of heat pipes: c. a thermal transformer thermally linked to both said heat pipes and said heat source, said transformer comprising: i. a container, ii. a working fluid and its vapor, said fluid and said vapor being essentially in equilibrium, iii. evaporating surfaces depending from the internal surfaces of said transformer that are wetted by said working fluid and that are proximate to said heat source, and iv. condensing surfaces depending from the exterior of those areas of said heat pipes that are in thermal contact with said transformer; and d. a first chamber containing a medium with defined heat transfer characteristics, said chamber thermally coupled to said heat pipes, whereby a uniform heat transfer from said heat source to said medium is obtained.

Claim 3

The system as recited in claim 1 in which said transformer further comprises: a wick structure affixed to the interior surface of said transformer and in contact with said evaporating surfaces.

Claim 4

The system as recited in claim 1 in which said heat source comprises an electric heating element disposed externally proximate said transformer.

Claim 5

The system as recited in claim 2 in which said transformer is sealed while under a partial vacuum, said vacuum being measured exclusively of partial pressures contributed by said working fluid.

Claim 6

The system as recited in claim 1 in which said system further comprises: a second chamber containing a second medium with defined heat transfer characteristics, said second chamber being thermally connected to said first chamber by said heat pipe.

Claim 7

The system as recited in claim 1 in which said system further comprises: a. an ancillary heat pipe; b. a second chamber containing a second medium with defined thermodynamic properties, said second medium thermally connected to said first chamber by said ancillary heat pipe.

Claim 8

The system as defined in claim 5 in which said second medium may reside at a lower temperature than said first medium, thus creating a temperature gradient between said first and second chambers, thereby causing a heat transfer through said heat pipe between said chambers, said heat transfer occurring regardless of the degree of activity of said heat source.

Claim 9

The system as recited in claim 7 in which heat removed from said first chamber may be removed by either sensible or latent heat transfer.

Claim 10

The system as recited in claim 8 in which said system further incLudes: a. a heat sensor disposed in one of said chambers; and b. means for heat source control, associated with said sensor.

Claim 11

The system as recited in claim 9 in which said first medium comprises water and said second medium comprises air.

Claim 12

The system as recited in claim 7 in which said heat pipe comprises a plurality of heat pipes, each of said heat pipes being disposed in a vertical plane that does not intersect the vertical plane of any other of said heat pipes.

Claim 13

The system as recited in claim 7 in which said heat source comprises: an exothermic chemical heat source.

Claim 14

The system as recited in claim 12 in which said system further comprises: a flue structure peripherally surrounding said thermal transformer and said heat source.

Claim 15

The system as recited in claim 11 in which said condensing surface of said heat pipes comprises a multiplicity of fins, projecting radially from said heat pipes.

Claim 16

The system as recited in claim 10 in which the working fluid of the transformer is water and the working fluid of said heat pipe is also water.

Claim 17

The system as recited in claim 10 in which the working fluid of said transformer is different from the working fluid of said heat pipe.

Claim 18

A heat transfer system, comprising: a. a heat source; b. a heat pipe having a first end and a second end; c. a thermal transformer thermally linked to both said heat pipe and said heat source, said thermal transformer comprising: i. a container, ii. a working fluid and its vapor, said fluid and said vapor being essentially in equilibrium, iii. evaporating surfaces depending from the internal surfaces of said transformer that are wetted by said working fluid and that are proximate to said heat source, and iv. condensing surfaces depending from the exterior of those areas of said heat pipe that are in thermal contact with said transformer; d. a first chamber containing a first medium with defined heat transfer characteristics and residing at a first temperature, said first chamber thermally coupled to said first end of said heat pipe; and e. a second chamber containing a second medium with defined heat transfer characteristics and residing at a second temperature, said second chamber chamber thermally coupled to said second end of said heat pipe, whereby both a first and a second heat transfer from said heat source to said first and second media respectively are obtained, said first and second heat transfers being a function of the respective thermal gradient between said heat source and each of said respective media, wherein each of said heat transfers is proportional to its respective thermal gradient.

Claim 19

A heat transfer system, comprising: a. a heat source; b. a heat pipe having a first end and a second end; c. a thermal transformer thermally linked to both said heat pipe and said heat source, said thermal transformer comprising: i. a container, ii. a working fluid and its vapor, said fluid and said vapor being essentially in equilibrium, iii. evaporating surfaces depending from the internal surfaces of said transformer that are wetted by said working fluid and that are proximate to said heat source, and iv. condensing surfaces depending from the exterior of those areas of said heat pipe that are in thermal contact with said transformer; d. a first chamber containing a first medium with defined heat transfer characteristics and residing at a first temperature, said first chamber thermally coupled to said first end of said heat pipe; and e. a second chamber containing a second medium with defined heat transfer characteristics and residing at a second temperature, said second chamber chamber thermally coupled to said second end of said heat pipe, whereby both a first and a second heat transfer from said heat source to said first and second media respectively are obtained, said first and second heat transfers being a function of the respective thermal gradient between said heat source and each of said respective media, wherein each of said heat transfers is proportional to its respective thermal gradient.

Claim 20

The system as recited in claim 17 is which said transformer further comprises: a wick structure affixed to the interior surface of said transformer and in contact with said evaporating surfaces.

Claim 21

The system as recited in claim 17 in which heat source comprises an electric heating element disposed externally proximate said transformer.

Claim 22

The system as recited in claim 18 in which said transformer is sealed while under a partial vacuum, said vacuum being measured exclusively of partial pressures contributed by said working fluid.

Claim 23

The system as recited in claim 20 in which said heat pipe comprises a plurality of heat pipes.

Claim 24

The system as defined in claim 17 in which said second medium may reside at a lower temperature than said first medium, thus creating a temperature gradient between said first and second chambers, thereby causing a heat transfer thru said heat pipe between said chambers, said heat transfer occurring regardless of the degree of activity of said heat source.

Claim 25

The system as recited in claim 22 in which heat removed from said first chamber may be removed by either sensible or latent heat transfer.

Claim 26

The system as recited in claim 23 in which said system further includes: a. a heat sensor disposed in one of said chambers; and b. meAns for heat source control, associated with said sensor.

Claim 27

The system as recited in claim 24 in which said first medium comprises water and said second medium comprises air.

Claim 28

The system as recited in claim 22 in which said heat pipe comprises a plurality of heat pipes, each of said heat pipes being disposed in a vertical plane that does not intersect the vertical plane of any other of said heat pipes.

Claim 29

The system as recited in claim 22 in which said heat source comprises: an exothermic chemical heat source.

Claim 30

The system as recited in claim 27 in which said system further comprises: a flue structure peripherally surrounding said thermal transformer and said heat source.

Claim 31

The system as recited in claim 26 in which said condensing surface of said heat pipes comprises a multiplicity of fins, projecting radially from said heat pipes.

Claim 32

The system as recited in claim 25 in which the working fluid of the transformer is water and the working fluid of said heat pipe is also water.

Claim 33

The system as recited in claim 25 in which the working fluid of said transformer is different from the working fluid of said heat pipe.