Radiant heat pump device and method

Abstract

The present method and device is for configuring the geometry of a surface to emit highly non-diffuse radiant energy. When a target surface is placed in a region where it is targeted by the emitting surface, there can be a net heat flow from the surface emitting the radiant energy to the target surface, notwithstanding the target surface may be at higher temperature than the emitting surface. This method is employed in a radiant heat pump whereby the surface for emitting energy radiation surrounds a target. The temperature of the target, which is originally at a higher temperature than the temperature of the surface, can have further temperature increases as a result of the net heat flow thereby resulting in a useful temperature increase in the target's temperature. The target may then use the temperature increase to upgrade heat flowing through the target for use in industrial processes.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 447,679 filed May 28, 2003, claiming priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 60 / 383,115 filed May 28, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to the field of radiant energy devices, heat transfer devices and methods and more particularly heat pumps. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] In industrialized countries, energy consumption is a fundamental aspect of commerce and personal daily life. Global energy use is rising rapidly as other nations advance toward economic parity with the industrialized world. [0004] Until recently, the significant, observable negative consequences of fossil fuel consumption were limited to relatively localized effects such as smog and acid rain. Now the majority of scientists believe that even current consumption levels are contributing to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device for increasing energy efficiencies by recovering heat which would otherwise be lost, and by raising the temperature of the heat sufficiently to permit use of recovered energy.

[0021] The net flow of radiant heat transfer can be further realized by minimizing the convective and conductive heat flow between the surface and the target surface (such that the combined heat flow by conduction and convection between the surface and the target surface is a small fraction of the net heat flow by radiation between the surface and the target surface).

[0023] In one embodiment, entirely surrounding or nearly entirely surrounding the target surface by a continuous surface or a plurality of surfaces further increases the effect of this method. In this embodiment, by supplying heat to the emitting surface and removing heat from the target surface, the present invention provides a method for producing a useful radiant heat pump.

[0025] One method of producing the artificial environment is to modify the geometry of the emitting surface such that its apparent temperature, from the perspective of the receiving surface, is higher than its actual temperature. This may be achieved by modifying the geometry of the emitting surface such that its emissions are more focused and less diffuse, and by orienting the emitting surface to emit a greater concentration of heat in the direction of the receiving surface. The artificial environment can be further enhanced by eliminating conductive and convective heat transfer by introducing a vacuum, for instance, which will also have the benefit of reducing scattering of the emissions and interference with the radiant energy flow.

[0026] Radiant heat pumps overcome many of the major problems associated with other prior art systems since radiant heat pumps require no compressor or other complex machines, require no chemicals or refrigerants, can operate well over a wide temperature range, and can be assembled from a large number of identical components which can be mass produced at low cost.

[0029] Perhaps the most important advantage of radiant heat pumps is the fact that radiant heat transfer is enhanced by increasing temperature. Since the rate of emission is proportional to the fourth power of absolute temperature, the attractiveness of the radiant heat pump over existing technologies will typically increase with increasing source temperature.

Problems solved by technology

Until recently, the significant, observable negative consequences of fossil fuel consumption were limited to relatively localized effects such as smog and acid rain.

Now the majority of scientists believe that even current consumption levels are contributing to changes in global climate which pose a high risk for the future stability of the biosphere.

This situation will worsen as consumption continues to grow.

However, it will be decades before such alternative energy technologies displace fossil fuels sufficiently to tip the GHG balance.

Unfortunately, the steam cycles on which conventional coal-fired generating plants are based run at net efficiencies below 40%.

However, most waste heat sources are well below the temperature at which a need for energy exists elsewhere.

Consequently, the scope for application of passive heat recovery is extremely limited.

Chemical heat pumps are limited to applications involving temperature ranges at which certain chemical reactions proceed at favourable rates.

This limits both the number of installations for which the technology is economic, and the flexibility of each installation to economically accommodate variations in operating conditions.

Because of the nature of the chemicals used, chemical heat pumps are also undesirable for some applications.

The major problems with vapour compression heat pumps lie in compressor technology (which is the heart of the vapour compression pump) and the availability of suitable refrigerants.

More specifically, vapour compression heat pumps have historically been considered unreliable and are complex thereby requiring maintenance.

Many manufacturing companies are preoccupied with production-related equipment and therefore do not readily accept peripheral equipment that might not work or cause operational problems to other operating industrial systems.

Further, manufacturing companies do not want peripheral equipment which requires specialized maintenance skills.

Another problem specifically with closed cycle vapour compression heat pumps is the necessity of handling, maintaining and using suitable working fluids (refrigerants).

Working fluids may be chemically unstable at temperatures high enough to be of interest, uneconomical or even hazardous (explosive or toxic or both).

However, there are several factors which severely limit the range of applicability for open cycle units.

For example, process liquids are sometimes corrosive or otherwise difficult to handle, maintain and use which adds to the compressor cost.

Further, process liquids are frequently mixtures of liquids which evaporate at different temperatures and complicate the cycle.

Still further, process liquids frequently contain dissolved or suspended solids, which complicates some installations or makes them unworkable.

Finally, open systems are not well suited to heat recovery from waste liquids as contamination of the working vapour with air is difficult to avoid and thereby limits cycle efficiency and economic attractiveness.

Open cycle heat pumps at high temperatures are subject to the same compressor problems as their closed cycle counterparts.

Both open and closed cycle systems are subject to the limitation that a substantial amount of high cost electrical energy is required for vapour compression.

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