Process and apparatus for the cyclic heating and cooling of processing equipment

Claim 1

In a process for heating and cooling user equipment utilizing pressurized water as a heat transfer fluid in a closed system wherein said system includes heating and cooling zones for heating and cooling said heat transfer fluid and wherein said system includes a zone for storing heat transfer fluid at intermediate temperature levels, the improvement comprising: a. introducing heat transfer fluid from an upper portion of a first storage zone into said user equipment during a first stage of a heating cycle, said heat transfer fluid being at a temperature above the temperature of said user equipment; b. introducing heat transfer fluid withdrawn from said user equipment into a lower portion of said first storage zone during step (a) thereby upwardly displacing the heat transfer fluid therein; c. discontinuing the flow of heat transfer fluid to said first storage zone; d. introducing heat transfer fluid from said heating zone into said user equipment during a second stage of said heating cycle; e. introducing heat transfer fluid withdrawn from said user equipment during said second stage of said heating cycle into a lower portion of a second stage storage zone thereby displacing heat transfer fluid contained therein; f. passing said displaced heat transfer fluid of step (e) to said heating zone; g. switching to said heating zone the flow of heat transfer fluid withdrawn from said user equipment to initiate and finalize said heating cycle; h. discontinuing the flow of heat transfer fluid to said user equipment from said heating zone at completion of said heating cycle; i. subsequently introducing heat transfer fluid withdrawn from said user equipment into said upper portion of said second storage zone during a first stage of a cooling cycle thereby downwardly displacing heat transfer fluid therein, said heat transfer fluid being at a temperature below the temperature of said user equipment; j. withdrawing and passing to said user equipment, said displaced heat transfer fluid of step (i); k. discontinuing the flow of heat transfer to said second storage zone; l. introducing heat transfer fluid from said cooling zone into said user equipment during a second stage of said cooling cycle; m. introducing heat transfer fluid withdrawn from said user equipment during step (1) into said upper portion of said first storage zone therein by downwardly displacing heat transfer fluid therein; n. passing said displaced heat transfer fluid of step (m) to said cooling zone; and o. switching the flow of heat transfer fluid withdrawn from said user equipment from said first storage zone to said cooling zone to initiate and finalize said cooling cycle.