Heat exchanger utilizing heat pipes

Claim 2

A dry cooling tower using ambient atmosphere as a cooling medium comprising: first and second ducts having a wall therebetween for partitioning said first duct from said second duct; said first duct having means for defining an inlet for receiving a fluid at a first temperature and having means for defining an outlet for collecting the fluid at a second temperature lower than the first temperature; said second duct having means for conveying the cooling medium therethrough, within a range of specified temperatures lower than the second temperature existing in said first duct; and a plurality of heat pipes with a working fluid and an inert gas therein extending through said partitioning wall and within both said ducts, each of said heat pipes having a first end in said first duct and a second end in said second duct and a gas front between the working fluid and the inert gas, said first end having means contactable with the fluid in said first duct for evaporating said working fluid into a vapor within the range of the specified temperatures and said second end having means for condensing said working fluid at a preset temperature between the first and second temperatures, said heat pipes having an operative temperative range and including means at said second end responsive to the vapor and the cooling medium for maintaining the position of the gas front between said working fluid and the inert gas only within said second end regardless of the temperature within the range of specified temperatures, for maintaining the preset temperature, and for preventing solidification of the fluids in said first duct even when the temperature of the ambient atmosphere falls below the solidification temperature of the fluids in said first duct.

Claim 3

A dry cooling tower as in claim 1 further including a reservoir for the inert gas operatively secured to all said heat pipes at said second end thereof.

Claim 4

A dry cooling tower as in claim 2 further including means for defining a heater within said gas reservoir for maintaining the temperature thereof constant.

Claim 5

A dry cooling tower as in claim 1 further including separate reservoirs for the inert gas operatively secured to each of said heat pipes at said second end thereof.

Claim 6

A dry cooling tower as in claim 4 wherein each of said gas reservoirs includes a bellows, and further including means connected to said bellows and operated thereby for actively controlling the temperature of said heat pipes at said second end thereof and for preventing the gas front from exisiting outside of said second end.

Claim 7

A dry cooling tower as in claim 5 wherein said bellows connected means includes a heater within said gas reservoirs for maintaining the temperature thereof constant.

Claim 8

A dry cooling tower using ambient atmosphere as a cooling medium comprising: first and second chambers; means for conveying the cooling medium through said second chamber; and at least one heat pipe having portions extending between said chambers and including means in said second chamber and responsive to temperatures therein for maintaining a preset temperature in said heat pipe portion in said first chamber and for preventing solidification of a fluid to be cooled in said first chamber during temperature changes within a range of temperatures in said second chamber even when the temperature of the cooling medium falls below the temperature at which said fluid to be cooled solidifies.

Claim 9

A dry cooling tower using ambient atmosphere as a cooling medium comprising: first and second chambers; means for conveying the cooling medium through said second chamber; and at least one heat pipe having portions extending between said chambers and including means in said second chamber and responsive to temperatures therein for maintaining a preset temperature in said heat pipe portion in said first chamber and for preventing solidification of a fluid to be cooled in said first chamber during temperature changes within a range of temperatures in said second chamber even when the temperature of the cooling medium falls below the temperature at which said fluid to be cooled solidifies.

Claim 10

A dry cooling tower as in claim 7 wherein said heat pipes include a working fluid, means in said first chamber contactable with said fluid to be cooled for evaporating said working fluid at the preset temperature, and means in said second chamber for condensing said working fluid within the range of temperatures, and wherein said maintaining means includes an inert gas which establishes a gas front at said working fluid only within said second chamber.

Claim 11

A dry cooling tower as in claim 8 wherein said maintaining means further includes at least one reservoir secured to said heat pipes and reservoir for maintaining the temperature of said reservoir substantially constant and thereby for maintaining the gas pressure in said heat pipes and the boiling point of said working fluid substantially constant.

Claim 12

A heat exchanger for dry cooling towers, air and fluid coolers, condensers, pollution control, air conditioning, chemical processing, and the like comprising: first and second ducts having a wall for partitioning said first duct from said second duct; said first duct having means for defining an inlet for receiving a fluid at a first temperature and having means for defining an outlet for collecting the fluid at a second temperature lower than the first temperature; said second duct having means for transferring a cooling fluid therethrough, within a range of specified temperatures lower than the second temperatures; means for defining a plurality of heat pipes with a working fluid therein, and extending through said partitioning wall and within both said ducts, each of said heat pipe means having a first end in said first duct having means for evaporating said working fluid within the range of the specified temperatures and second ends in said second duct having means for condensing said working fluid at a preset temperature between the first and second temperatures, said heat pipes means having an operative temperative range for providing and maintaining a gas front of said working fluid only within said second end regardless of the temperature within the range of specified temperatures and thereby for maintaining the preset temperature; gas reservoirs, each including a bellows, operatively secured to each of said heat pipe means at said second ends thereof; means for defining a fan in said second duct for transferring of the cooling fluid therethrough; and means for defining an electric switch coupled to said bellows and an electric circuit for coupling said fan and said electric switch in series for thereby controlling the speed and operation of said fan and the rate of said transferring of the cooling fluid through said second duct.

Claim 13

A heat exchanger for dry cooling towers, air and fluid coolers, condensers, pollution control, air conditioning, chemical processing, and the like comprising: first and second ducts having a wall for partitioning said first duct from said second duct; said first duct having means for defining an inlet for receiving a fluid at a first temperature and having means for defining an outlet for collecting the fluid at a second temperature lower than the first temperature; said second duct having means for transferring a cooling fluid therethrough, within a range of specified temperatures lower than the second temperatures; means for defining a plurality of heat pipes with a working fluid therein, and extending through said partitioning wall and within both said ducts, each of said heat pipe means having a first end in said first duct having means for evaporating said working fluid within the range of the specified temperatures and second ends in said second duct having means for condensing said working fluid at a preset temperature between the first and second temperatures, said heat pipes means having an operative temperative range for providing and maintaining a gas front of said working fluid only within said second end regardless of the temperature within the range of specified temperatures and thereby for maintaining the preset temperature; gas reservoirs, each including a bellows, operatively secured to each of said heat pipe means at said second ends thereof; means for defining a fan in said second duct for transferring of the cooling fluid therethrough; and means for defining an electric switch coupled to said bellows and an electric circuit for coupling said fan and said electric switch in series for thereby controlling the speed and operation of said fan and the rate of said transferring of the cooling fluid through said second duct.