Radiation cooling devices and processes

Claim 2

A process for cooling a subject thermal load that emits infrared radiation, said process comprising the steps of: (a) locating a reflecting optical condenser means and a thermal radiation sink in proximity to said subject thermal load; (b) focusing a portion of said infrared radiation via said optical condenser means onto the optical face of said thermal radiation sink; (c) said optical face substantially constituting an optical point with respect to said optical condenser means; (d) said optical face substantially constituting a black body with respect to said portion of infrared radiation; (e) conducting a flow of heat from said optical face via an active heat exchanger; (f) said flow of heat representing a substantial proportion of said portion of said infrared radiation.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said proportion of said infrared radiation falls primarily in the range from 4 to 40 microns.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said heat flow is at least 10 Btu/hr(ft 2 ) (° F.).

Claim 5

A process for cooling a subject thermal load emits infrared radiation substantially in the range of 4 to 40 microns, said process comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a pair of proximate conjugate geometrical regions in relation to reflecting optical condenser means; (b) locating said subject thermal load at one of said pair of proximate conjugate geometrical regions; (c) locating the optical face of a thermal sink at the other of said pair of proximate conjugate geometrical regions, said optical face being electromotively isolated; (d) said optical face substantially constituting an optical point with respect to said condenser means; (e) said optical face substantially constituting a black body with respect to said infrared radiation; (f) conducting a flow of heat from said optical face via an active heat exchanger; (g) said flow of heat representing a substantial proportion of said infrared radiation; and (h) preventing frost accumulation on said optical face by shielding said optical face from the atmosphere with a window that is transparent to said infrared radiation.

Claim 6

A process for cooling a subject thermal load emits infrared radiation substantially in the range of 4 to 40 microns, said process comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a pair of proximate conjugate geometrical regions in relation to reflecting optical condenser means; (b) locating said subject thermal load at one of said pair of proximate conjugate geometrical regions; (c) locating the optical face of a thermal sink at the other of said pair of proximate conjugate geometrical regions, said optical face being electromotively isolated; (d) said optical face substantially constituting an optical point with respect to said condenser means; (e) said optical face substantially constituting a black body with respect to said infrared radiation; (f) conducting a flow of heat from said optical face via an active heat exchanger; (g) said flow of heat representing a substantial proportion of said infrared radiation; and (h) preventing frost accumulation on said optical face by shielding said optical face from the atmosphere with a window that is transparent to said infrared radiation.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein said optical condenser is spherical and said subject thermal load is no farther away from said optical face than a distance equal to twice the diameter of said condenser means.

Claim 8

The method of claim 4 wherein said optical condenser is aspheric and said subject thermal load is no farther away from said optical face than a distance equal to twice the diameter of said condenser means.

Claim 9

The method of claim 4 wherein said optical condenser is parabolic and said subject thermal load is no farther away from said optical face than a distance equal to twice the diameter of said condenser means.

Claim 10

The method of claim 4 wherein said optical condenser is ellipsoidal and said subject thermal load is no farther away from said optical face than a distance equal to twice the diameter of said condenser means.

Claim 11

The method of claim 4 wherein said heat flow is at least 10 Btu/hr(ft 2 ) (° F.).

Claim 12

A process for cooling at least a portion of the human body by infrared radiation emitted therefrom, said process comprising the steps of: (a) locating a reflecting optical condenser means and a thermal radiation sink in proximity to said portion of said human body; (b) focusing a portion of said infrared radiation via said optical condenser means onto the optical face of said thermal radiation sink; (c) said optical face substantially constituting an optical point with respect to said optical condenser means; (d) said optical face substantially constituting a black body with respect to said portion of said infrared radiation; (e) conducting a flow of heat from said optical face via an electrically energized heat exchanger; and (f) said flow of heat representing a substantial proportion of said portion of said infrared radiation.

Claim 13

A process for cooling at least a portion of the human body by infrared radiation emitted therefrom, said process comprising the steps of: (a) locating a reflecting optical condenser means and a thermal radiation sink in proximity to said portion of said human body; (b) focusing a portion of said infrared radiation via said optical condenser means onto the optical face of said thermal radiation sink; (c) said optical face substantially constituting an optical point with respect to said optical condenser means; (d) said optical face substantially constituting a black body with respect to said portion of said infrared radiation; (e) conducting a flow of heat from said optical face via an electrically energized heat exchanger; and (f) said flow of heat representing a substantial proportion of said portion of said infrared radiation.

Claim 14

The process of claim 10 wherein said proportion of said infrared radiation falls primarily in the range of from 4 to 40 microns and said subject thermal load is no farther away from said optical face than a distance equal to twice the diameter of said condenser means.

Claim 15

The process of claim 10 wherein said subject thermal load is no farther away from said optical face than a distance equal to twice the diameter of said condenser means and said heat flow is at least 10 Btu/hr(ft 2 ) (° F.).