Heat Transfer Device Using Pressure-Driven Fluid Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat transfer methods using heat pipes are limited in transferring substantial heat quantities over large distances due to reliance on porous wicks or gravity-assisted mechanisms, which restrict positioning and require additional power for forced pumping, making them inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer method and device utilizing two-phase fluids where a gaseous and liquid phase are heated in an evaporator tank, with the mixture flowing to a condenser under increased pressure, and the condensed fluid returning to the evaporator through non-return valves, eliminating the need for porous wicks and additional pumping mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If conventional heat pipes use wicks or gravity mechanisms to return condensed refrigerant, then heat transfer is achieved over limited distances, but the device complexity and power consumption increase due to additional pumping mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the wick structure and additional pumping mechanisms from the heat pipe system. By using a smooth-bore tube instead of a wick-filled tube, the system removes the capillary action dependency and complex return mechanisms, achieving long-distance heat transfer with simplified structure
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pressure differential created during the heating phase to automatically return the condensed refrigerant. The high-pressure gas generated in the evaporator section naturally drives the liquid refrigerant back through the same tube, eliminating the need for external power sources or complex control mechanisms
2Length of stationary object
If forced pumping mechanisms are used to return condensed refrigerant, then heat transfer over large distances is enabled, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is self-powered by utilizing the pressure differential naturally generated during operation. The rapid evaporation of refrigerant in the heated section creates high pressure that automatically propels the condensed liquid back toward the heat source, eliminating the need for external power sources
Solution Approach 2:
The invention recovers the pressure energy that would otherwise be wasted during the refrigerant return process. By designing the tube to allow bidirectional flow and utilizing the pressure gradient created during evaporation, the system converts what would be a loss into a useful driving force for refrigerant circulation
3Power
If wicks of porous material are used for refrigerant return, then heat transfer is achieved, but the heat transfer quantity is limited and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention completely removes the wick structure from the heat pipe system, replacing it with a smooth-bore tube. This extraction of the porous material eliminates the capillary action limitations and allows for much higher heat transfer quantities while simplifying the overall device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the internal surface characteristics from porous (wick) to smooth (tube), fundamentally altering the flow dynamics. This parameter change allows liquid refrigerant to flow freely under pressure gradients, enabling high-quantity heat transfer without the restrictions of capillary pore sizes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient transfer of large heat quantities over considerable distances without the need for porous materials or forced pumping, allowing for flexible positioning of heat sources and consumers in hazardous environments.
Implementation Method 1
causing by said heating an increase in pressure in the evaporator tank and a transition of the liquid phase of the second fluid into a gaseous phase of the second fluid
Implementation Method 2
causing by said heating an increase in pressure in the evaporator tank
Implementation Method 3
the gaseous phase of the second fluid is condensed with release of condensation heat to a thermal energy receiver
Implementation Method 4
providing a flow of the condensed liquid phase of the second fluid mixed with the gaseous phase of the first fluid over a liquid line into an accumulation tank until pressure in the evaporator tank exceeds that in the accumulation tank
Data Source
AI summary
A method for transferring heat includes: heating an evaporator by a thermal energy source; providing a flow of a mixture of gaseous phases of a first and a second fluid over a steam line into a condenser; providing a flow of the condensed mixture over a liquid line into an accumulation tank; and providing a flow of the condensed mixture from the accumulation tank to the evaporator tank through non-return valves mounted on a return line. The method ensures transferring of a large quantity of thermal energy from a source to a receiver over considerable distances without application of porous capillary materials and additional processes for forced pumping of condensed fluid, regardless of the position of the source and the receiver in the gravity field.