U.S. patent application number 11/530658 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-15 for method of heat extraction using a heat pipe.
Invention is credited to John Gruzleski, Frank Mucciardi, Zhongsen Yuan, Chunhui Zhang, Guohui Zheng.
Application Number | 20070056715 11/530658 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34425680 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070056715 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mucciardi; Frank ; et
al. |
March 15, 2007 |
METHOD OF HEAT EXTRACTION USING A HEAT PIPE
Abstract
A method of extracting heat using a heat pipe assembly is
provided. The method includes selecting a working substance,
providing a heat pipe assembly, selectively permitting the gravity
flow of a liquid working substance from a condenser to an
evaporator of the heat pipe assembly through a discrete impermeable
liquid return passage therebetween, and placing the evaporator and
the condenser in heat transfer communication with a first material
and a second material respectively, such that heat is exchanged
therebetween. The evaporator comprises a flow modifier therein
adapted to cause swirling of the working substance flow in the
evaporator, and the condenser is cooled to condense the vaporized
working substance received from the evaporator.
Inventors: |
Mucciardi; Frank; (Laval,
CA) ; Gruzleski; John; (Guelph, CA) ; Zheng;
Guohui; (Laval, CA) ; Zhang; Chunhui;
(Mississauga, CA) ; Yuan; Zhongsen; (Montreal,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OGILVY RENAULT LLP
1981 MCGILL COLLEGE AVENUE
SUITE 1600
MONTREAL
QC
H3A2Y3
CA
|
Family ID: |
34425680 |
Appl. No.: |
11/530658 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10925372 |
Aug 25, 2004 |
7115227 |
|
|
11530658 |
Sep 11, 2006 |
|
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PCT/CA02/01394 |
Sep 13, 2002 |
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10925372 |
Aug 25, 2004 |
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60358724 |
Feb 25, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.26 ;
165/104.27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D 15/06 20130101;
F28F 13/06 20130101; F28D 15/043 20130101; F28D 15/0266
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.26 ;
165/104.27 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Claims
1. A method of heat extraction from a material, comprising the
steps of: providing a heat pipe assembly having an evaporator and a
heat extracting condenser in fluid flow communication therewith,
the evaporator comprising a flow modifier therein adapted to cause
swirling of a working substance flowing in the evaporator, and the
condenser being cooled to condense the vaporized working substance
received from the evaporator; providing a discrete, impermeable
liquid return passage between the condenser and a leading end of
the evaporator; selectively permitting the flow, by gravity, of the
liquid working substance from the condenser to the evaporator
through the liquid return passage; and placing the evaporator in
heat transfer communication with the material to be cooled.
2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of providing
the heat pipe assembly further comprises selecting the working
substance.
3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising selecting
the working substance in accordance with an expected operating
temperature range to which the working substance will be exposed
during operation of the heat pipe assembly.
4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein when said expected
operating temperature range is greater than about 600 degrees
Celsius, the step of selecting the working substance includes
selecting an alkali metal.
5. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein when said expected
operating temperature range is less than about 600 degrees Celsius,
the step of selecting the working substance includes selecting one
of water, thermex and methanol.
6. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the step of selecting
the working substance includes selecting sulphur as the working
substance when said expected operating temperature range is between
about 250 degrees Celsius and about 550 degrees Celsius.
7. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising selecting
the working substance from one of an alkali metal, water, thermex,
methanol, and sulphur.
8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the alkali metal is
selected, further comprising selecting one of sodium and potassium
as the working substance.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a Continuation-in-Part application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/925,372 filed Aug. 25, 2004, which is a
continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CA02/01394
filed Sep. 13, 2002 claiming priority on U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/358,724 filed on Feb. 25, 2002, the entire
contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a heat pipe, and
more specifically to a semi-loop heat pipe having co-current,
swirling two phase flow in the evaporator, and an impermeable
return line from the condenser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Heat pipes are devices that employ the evaporation and
condensation of a working fluid contained within to effect the
transfer of energy from the evaporator where heat is absorbed to
the condenser where the heat is released. Heat pipes gained
prominence in the early 1960's as superconducting, heat transfer
devices as detailed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,229,759 and
4,485,670. While numerous configurations and applications of heat
pipes have been proposed since their initial invention, the basic
heat pipe is still viewed as a unit that can transport large
quantities of energy over a relatively small temperature
gradient.
[0004] Heat pipes are containment vessels that are charged with a
working substance which is continuously evaporated and condensed as
heat is added to the evaporator and removed from the condenser. The
rate at which vapor is produced is directly proportional to the
rate of heat flowing into the heat pipe. The ability of a heat pipe
to efficiently transfer energy rests on the fact that
non-condensable gaseous species within the chamber are removed from
the heat pipe prior to operation. As such, a heat pipe is evacuated
prior to its use as a heat transfer device. By eliminating
non-condensable gases from the chamber, the vapor that is generated
in the evaporator flows to the condenser down a pressure gradient
in much the same way as a pump causes fluid to move through an
enclosure. With the presence of non-condensable gases, the
vaporized working substance would move by molecular diffusion down
a concentration gradient. Given that a pressure driven flow can be
orders of magnitude more effective in moving vaporized working
substance, heat pipe systems are generally evacuated. Conversely,
if the heat pipe chamber develops a leak, the heat pipe will cease
to function. Thus, the use of a heat pipe in a high temperature
environment can be problematic if the evaporator experiences
insufficient cooling as this can cause the containment vessel to be
perforated with the subsequent failure of the heat pipe.
[0005] Heat pipes can generally be classified into two main
categories, namely, those wherein the vapor and liquid flow
countercurrent to each other, and those wherein the liquid and
vapor flow in a co-current manner. Countercurrent flow heat pipes
are well known in the prior art. FIG. 1 shows a simple
countercurrent heat pipe, where the vapor flow rises through the
center from the evaporator at the bottom, is condensed in the upper
portion and flows as liquid down the sides to the liquid pool in
the evaporator. Their operation is well described by Grover in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,229,759, and by Camarda et al. in U.S. Pat. No.
4,485,670. The combination of gravity and capillary forces
generated within a wick on the interior walls of the heat pipe are
used to return liquid working substance to the evaporator from the
condenser.
[0006] Co-current heat pipes are generally referred to as loop heat
pipes, examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,209
and 5,911,272, depicted respectively in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Both
co-current and countercurrent heat pipes often contain a wick on
the inner evaporator surface to ensure uniform coverage by
utilizing the capillary forces generated by the wick to spread the
liquid.
[0007] While both loop and non-loop (i.e. countercurrent) heat
pipes have been used in a number of products and applications, they
have not been incorporated in units where high heat fluxes at high
operating temperatures are encountered and they are generally not
used in large scale units. This is largely because such systems are
amenable to failure of the containment material that forms the heat
pipe. In order to ensure that the containment vessel has durability
and a long life, it is necessary to have the entire evaporator of
the heat pipe unit adequately cooled by the working substance in
the unit. This has not been possible as yet with the heat pipes of
the prior art.
[0008] Thus, insufficient cooling of even a relatively small region
(e.g. 10 mm.sup.2) can lead to the perforation and subsequent
destruction of the heat pipe unit. Heat pipes of the prior art have
rarely been intended for use in applications involving high
operating temperatures, and as such, destruction of a heat pipe
chamber as a result of exposure to elevated temperatures has never
been adequately addressed.
[0009] A controllable heat pipe is described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,159,972 comprising a reservoir for the liquid and a separate
return line to the top of the evaporator, as shown in FIG. 4.
However, this heat pipe nevertheless fails to overcome the
principle difficulties associated with all countercurrent heat
pipes used in high heat flux applications.
[0010] The three main limitations of prior art heat pipes that must
be overcome to make their use in high temperature applications
feasible are: film boiling on the evaporator walls, levitation of
the liquid returning to the evaporator, and configurational
complexity of a loop heat pipe for certain applications.
[0011] The levitation of liquid from the leading end of the
evaporator will reduce heat transfer efficiency and will, if the
temperatures are high enough, cause the heat pipe to fail as a
result of dry-out. The levitation of liquid is of greatest concern
in large scale units where the length of the evaporator can be
sizeable. In such units the refluxing of liquid down to the bottom
of the evaporator can be a major concern because the total heat
load on the unit can be large even if the heat flux is moderate.
Since the heat load manifests itself as a vapor flow, the vapor
velocity at the top of the evaporator of a large scale unit can be
enough to create some degree of fluidization of the liquid.
[0012] The other principle difficulty with using heat pipes in high
heat flux applications is the onset of film boiling on the
evaporator walls. As is well known to those skilled in the art,
this can reduce the rate of heat extraction by as much as an order
of magnitude. This dramatically reduces the heat transfer
efficiency and, in some cases, may lead to the destruction of the
evaporator containment walls.
[0013] One possible use for heat pipes is in a reagent delivery
unit such as a lance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,966 describes a heat pipe
lance, or tuyere. However, the heat pipe lance of U.S. Pat. No.
5,310,966 fails to teach how to eliminate the levitation of liquid
from the leading end of the evaporator or how to eliminate the
formation of a stable vapor film on the inner walls of the
evaporator.
[0014] Loop heat pipes can overcome the issue of entrainment,
however, loop heat pipes are often not viable for many practical
applications because of their configurational complexity, wherein
the return loop pipe is run outside the main heat pipe body which
significantly increases space requirements of the heat pipe.
Nevertheless, as with countercurrent heat pipes, the problem of
film boiling on the evaporator surfaces nevertheless remains.
[0015] The mechanism for evaporation remains an important limiting
factor in a heat pipe, and especially for high heat flux
applications. If the working substance is of low thermal
conductivity and the heat flux is relatively high, the working
substance will experience boiling at the interface between the
liquid and the heat source. If the generation of vapor is
sufficiently intense, a stable vapor film will ultimately form
between the liquid phase of the working fluid and the evaporator
wall. This vapor film will greatly inhibit heat transfer. The
evaporator has then attained its boiling limit, and the subsequent
result of continued exposure to the heat flux can be overheating of
the evaporator walls and possible failure of the heat pipe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Therefore, in accordance with an aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a method of heat extraction from a
material, comprising the steps of: providing a heat pipe assembly
having an evaporator and a heat extracting condenser in fluid flow
communication therewith, the evaporator comprising a flow modifier
therein adapted to cause swirling of a working substance flow in
the evaporator, and the condenser being cooled to condense the
vaporized working substance received from the evaporator; providing
a discrete, impermeable liquid return passage between the condenser
and a leading end of the evaporator; selectively permitting the
flow, by gravity, of the liquid working substance from the
condenser to the evaporator through the liquid return passage; and
placing the evaporator in heat transfer communication with the
material to be cooled.
[0017] There is additionally provided, in accordance with another
aspect of the present invention, a method of exchanging heat using
a heat pipe assembly, comprising the steps of: selecting a working
substance; providing the heat pipe assembly with an evaporator and
a condenser in fluid flow communication therewith, the evaporator
comprising a flow modifier therein adapted to cause swirling of the
working substance flow in the evaporator, and the condenser being
cooled to condense the vaporized working substance received from
the evaporator; providing a discrete, impermeable liquid return
passage between the condenser and a leading end of the evaporator;
selectively permitting the flow, by gravity, of the liquid working
substance from the condenser to the evaporator through the liquid
return passage; placing the evaporator in heat transfer
communication with a first material and the condenser in heat
transfer communication with a second material; and exchanging heat
between the first material and the second material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Further features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken
in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a simple
countercurrent heat pipe of the prior art.
[0020] FIGS. 2 and 3 show partial cross-sectional views of loop
heat pipes of the prior art.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a non-loop
heat pipe of the prior art.
[0022] FIG. 5 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a heat pipe
of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 6 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a second
embodiment of the heat pipe of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 7 shows a horizontal cross-sectional plan view taken
along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.
[0025] FIGS. 8a to 8c show perspective schematics of possible flow
modifiers to be used in the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 9 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of alternate
embodiment of the heat pipe of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 10 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of an
alternate embodiment of a condenser used in accordance with the
present invention.
[0028] FIG. 11 shows a graph of the rate of heat extraction as a
function of the zinc temperature, measured during a test of two
heat pipes, one with and one without a twisted tape flow modifier,
which were immersed in molten zinc.
[0029] FIG. 12 shows a graph of Temperature as a function of Time,
measured during a test of the cooling of a tool steel casting,
wherein a heat pipe of the present invention was located in only
one half of the two-part casting mold.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] The heat pipe of the present invention is comprised
principally of an evaporator, a coupling element, and a condenser,
and comprises generally two principle embodiments, whose main
classes of applications are as an energy extractor as shown in FIG.
5, and as a injection unit as shown in FIG. 6. In the latter, the
heat pipe has one or more conduits that run through the unit to
carry reagents. Examples of the use of such a heat pipe would be
injection lances, tuyeres and burners. In the former class of
applications, the heat pipe has no reagent-carrying conduit in the
heat pipe, and is used for transferring energy, for example as a
heat extraction device. The two embodiments are thus differentiated
by whether or not a reagent is transported through the heat pipe
unit.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 5 showing the first embodiment of the
invention, the energy extraction heat pipe unit 10 comprises
generally an evaporator 12, a coupling element 14, and a condenser
16.
[0032] The evaporator portion 12 sits in a hot, and sometimes
harsh, environment. It can include one or more conduits for
transporting a reagent when the heat pipe unit is used as an
injection device, as shown in FIG. 6. Attached to the evaporator is
the coupling element 14, which permits fluid flow communication
between the evaporator 12 and the condenser 16. The coupling
element 14 can be either rigid or flexible, and its shape and
configuration can vary as necessary from one application to
another. It is used to maintain a vertical orientation of the
condenser, regardless of the position or orientation of the
evaporator. The upper extension of the wall of the coupling element
14 protrudes into the condenser and help form the liquid
reservoir.
[0033] The condenser 16, positioned at a higher elevation than the
evaporator 12, is the portion of the heat pipe in which the vapor
phase of the working substance is condensed. Condensation of the
vapor is achieved by configuring the condenser as a heat exchanger.
External cooling of the condenser is achieved by using internal
cooling passages as well as by using a cooling jacket on the
external walls of the condenser, which will be discussed further
below. The condenser is chosen such that its cross-sectional area
can be substantially larger than that of the evaporator. In this
way, the levitation of liquid within the condenser is completely
eliminated.
[0034] The two phase flow of the working fluid, that is generated
in the evaporator 12 as a result of the heat to which it is
exposed, moves upward through the coupling element 14 into the
condenser 16 with outer body walls 28. The condenser confines and
cools the vapor/liquid working substance, causing the two phase
fluid to condense into liquid and settle in the reservoir portion
30, formed between the condenser outer walls 28 and the extension
wall 32 of the upper portion of the coupling element 14. Liquid
collected in the condenser 16 then flows by gravity through the
drain hole 34 and into the upper return line 36, which can be a
flexible line. The return line 36 is joined to a vent line 38 at a
`T` junction 40. The vent line 38, which can be a flexible line,
connects the upper return line to the top of the condenser. In this
way, any vapor that infiltrates into the return line is diverted
into the vent line and released in the low pressure region of the
condenser. The upper return line 36 then joins into the impermeable
lower return line 20, to deliver liquid working substance back to
the leading end 21 of the evaporator 12 as a separate stream which
is shielded from the ascending flow and is thus not affected by it.
The return line 20 terminates near the leading end 21 of the
evaporator 12. A preferred termination distance is two times the
internal diameter of the return line 20. This discontinuity at the
discharge end of the return line of the heat pipe has resulted in
the present invention being referred to as a `semi-loop` heat
pipe.
[0035] By incorporating a solid wall return line within the
confines of the evaporator, it is possible to return liquid to the
leading end without adopting a conventional loop configuration.
Maintaining an adequate liquid head in the return line and the
reservoir, coupled with a sufficiently high liquid velocity at the
discharge end of the return line, minimizes the quantity of vapor
that can enter the return line. Moreover, fitting the return line
with a vent line is sufficient to provide a stable flow of liquid
to the evaporator.
[0036] A flow modifier 24 is located within the evaporator 12 along
the inner surface 23 of the evaporator wall 22. The flow modifier
24 is preferably generally helical in shape, and preferably
comprises one of a helical swirler, a twisted tape and a helical
spring, as depicted in FIGS. 8a to 8c respectively. As the
evaporator wall 22 is exposed to heat flux and the working fluid
undergoes vaporization, the flow modifier 24 creates a swirling
flow over the evaporator walls and any excess liquid not vaporized
is swirled by centrifugal force onto the entire evaporator inner
wall surface 23 to effectively cool the wall, and thereby prevent
the occurrence of film boiling. The two phase flow therefore
ascends the evaporator, the liquid coating the walls of the
evaporator, and any liquid not vaporized during the ascent is
simply collected in the reservoir 30 located in the condenser
16.
[0037] The type and dimensions of the swirling flow modifier 24 to
use in a given heat pipe is determined by several parameters for a
given application such as the rate at which vaporized working
substance is generated per unit of time and the cross-sectional
area of the heat pipe.
[0038] To ensure that all the evaporator walls are contacted by
liquid, it is necessary to return liquid to the bottom of the
evaporator, preferably through the core of the evaporator in the
eye of the swirling flow where the pressure is lowest. It is
preferable that the excess quantity of liquid that is returned be
as much as 10 times or more than that required for vaporization.
This will ensure that the centrifugal force arising from the
swirling flow maintains the evaporator walls completely covered
with liquid. For example, a water-based heat pipe that is
extracting 4 kW will cause about 2 g/s of water to be vaporized.
The return line for such a unit must therefore return at minimum 2
g/s, with a significantly higher return rate (10-20 g/s) being
preferred.
[0039] To dissipate the heat that is transported from the
evaporator to the condenser by the vapor molecules, an external
coolant, for example air, water or oil, is used. Referring to FIGS.
5, 6 and 7, the external coolant is fed through inlet 42 into a
header 44 that sits below the reservoir 30. The coolant then flows
up through a series of passages or cooling tubes 46. Each of these
tubes is fitted with a twisted tape insert 48 on the inner wall
surface 47 to enhance the heat transfer by causing the coolant to
swirl. In this way, the effect of the centrifugal force causes the
denser, colder coolant up against the walls of the tubes where the
coolant can absorb heat from the condensing working substance.
[0040] The coolant leaving the cooling tubes 46 enters a discharge
header 50 whereupon the coolant is diverted into a jacket formed by
outer member 52 and the condenser wall 28. The coolant leaves the
jacket via port 54. The outer jacket is also fitted with a spring
type, swirling device 56 to enhance turbulence and thus heat
transfer. In an alternate embodiment of the condenser, the cooling
tubes 46 along with the inlet header 44 and the outlet header 50
can be eliminated. The cooling would in this case be achieved by
the flow of coolant in the jacket formed by the condenser wall 28
and the surrounding outer member 52. In another alternate
embodiment, the jacket could also be eliminated and natural or
forced cooling from the condenser wall 28 would provide all the
necessary heat dissipation. One skilled in the art would be able to
determine which configuration is appropriate for a given
system.
[0041] The condenser also incorporates a filling and evacuation
tube 58. This is used, as the name implies, to charge the heat pipe
with the working fluid, and to evacuate any non-condensable gases.
In addition, the condenser can be fitted with a thermocouple well
60 which can house one or more thermocouples used to monitor the
operation of the heat pipe. Both the evacuation tube 58 and the
thermocouple well 60 are made in such a way as to compensate for
thermal expansion effects.
[0042] As one of the significant limitations of the prior art heat
pipes used in high heat flux applications was the early onset of
film boiling in the evaporator, the flow modifying swirler of the
present invention, which substantially resolves this problem, is an
important preferred feature of the present heat pipe, and as such
was experimentally tested to ensure it provided the desired
results.
[0043] To illustrate the effectiveness of a simple twisted tape
flow modifier, two identical heat pipes with water as the working
substance were tested in the following manner. The evaporators of
the heat pipes were immersed in molten zinc and the zinc was then
allowed to freeze and cool. The zinc was then reheated and the rate
of heat extraction by each heat pipe was measured as a function of
the zinc temperature. The results from this test are shown in FIG.
11. As the zinc was heated, both pipes extracted a correspondingly
larger quantity of heat. However, as the zinc attained its melting
point (419.degree. C.) and the interfacial contact resistance
between the zinc and the heat pipe disappeared, the rate of heat
extraction of the heat pipe with the flow modifier increased
rapidly while that for the pipe without a flow modifier decreased
dramatically. These results therefore show the effectiveness of a
flow modifier in suppressing film boiling. The tests have shown
that the use of a flow modifier can enhance heat extraction by as
much as an order of magnitude or more.
[0044] While the heat pipe of the present invention can, much as
those of the prior art, have a wick 163 located on the inner wall
surface of the evaporator as shown in FIG. 9, in the preferred
embodiment of the present invention the inner walls 23 of the
evaporator 12 are not fitted with a wick but instead textured with
a multitude of grooves therein. The grooves preferably have the
same pitch as the flow modifier. The ridges of the grooves can be,
for example, 1 mm or less in height and the width can also be 1 mm
or less. The incorporation of such a textured surface can be
beneficial in promoting uniform coverage on the walls by the
ascending fluid flow, and therefore especially useful if the
working substance is prone to film boiling for the operating
conditions and/or the thermal conductivity of the liquid working
substance is relatively low, such as for water, thermex, and
ammonia for example. Tests have shown that the wick can physically
trap a vapor film and reduce heat transfer by a sizeable amount
even with a swirling flow. Thus, it is preferred to return excess
liquid to ensure complete coverage by the combined effect of the
swirling upward flow and centrifugal force rather than incorporate
a wick on the inner walls of the evaporator.
[0045] The upper return line 36 can be fitted with a valve 41, as
shown in FIG. 5. This is of particular advantage in processes where
the heat pipe may be required to be turned on and off. Thus, the
heat pipe can be turned off by closing the valve 41, which ensures
all the condensed liquid is retained in the reservoir 30. When heat
extraction is required, the valve 41 is opened, allowing the liquid
to flow down into the evaporator and extract heat. When heat
extraction is to be terminated, the valve is simply closed. This
type of configuration is especially advantageous in the cooling of
casting molds. Moreover, one can also control the rate of heat
extraction if required, by adjusting the opening of the valve.
[0046] To illustrate this on/off feature of the heat pipe, the
cooling of a tool steel casting mold was tested with a water based
heat pipe of the present invention. The mold was such that it was
made of 2 symmetrical halves, one half having a vertical heat pipe
of 25 mm diameter. The other half of the mold did not have a heat
pipe. Molten aluminum was poured into the mold. The results are
shown in FIG. 12. Two transient temperature curves for two
symmetrical locations about the parting line of the mold are
depicted. One can see that when the heat pipe was turned on by
opening valve 41, heat extraction was initiated from that half of
the mold. It is also clear that when the heat pipe was turned off,
that portion of the mold was reheated. Also shown in the graph, is
the corresponding temperature at the core of the cavity where the
aluminum was poured.
[0047] In a slight variation of the preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the evaporator wall 22 can formed by drilling a
hole into a solid material, and then attaching the coupling element
14 directly to the hole. The hole therefore constitutes the
evaporator of the heat pipe. Such a configuration can be of
advantage over the insertion of a heat pipe into a cavity which can
give rise to a sizeable contact resistance. By making the drilled
cavity the evaporator of the heat pipe, one can eliminate this
contact resistance. Possible applications of this configuration
include the cooling of solid masses such as casting molds, furnace
walls, tap holes, engines, heat exchangers and the like.
[0048] As originally mentioned, there are two main classes of
applications envisaged for the present invention: as an energy
extractor and as an injection unit as shown in FIG. 6. The heat
pipe can be configured not only to act as an energy extractor, as
described above, but also to deliver a reagent as an injection
unit, which will now be described in further detail. For such heat
pipe injector unit applications, the heat pipe simply has one or
more conduits that run through the unit to carry reagents, and can
be used as injection lances, tuyeres and burners for metallurgical
applications.
[0049] Thus, in the embodiment of the present invention depicted in
FIG. 6, the heat pipe 110 is fitted with a reagent delivery conduit
170. While only one conduit is shown, it should be obvious to one
skilled in the art that multiple conduits carrying a variety of
reagents can also be used. In the subsequent description of the
reagent delivery heat pipe unit, it is assumed for the sake of
simplicity that only one reagent is to be conveyed.
[0050] The evaporator 112 comprises a central reagent conduit 170
which is surrounded by a working fluid return line 120. While the
return line 120 does not necessarily have to fit over the reagent
conduit 170 and can be a separate pipe which is located next to the
conduit as is shown in FIG. 9, it is preferred to have the return
line 120 outside and concentric with the reagent conduit 170, which
is positioned in the center of the heat pipe evaporator so as to
maintain symmetry for the swirling flow. The outer walls 122 of the
evaporator body may have a textured inner surface 123 if it is
deemed appropriate for a specific application. On the other hand,
one may replace the textured surface with a wick. In general, a
wick can be used if the liquid working substance has a high thermal
conductivity, such as for alkali metals such as sodium, however, a
wick should preferably not be used if the heat pipe contains a
working substance of low thermal conductivity such as water or
thermex for example. A flow modifier 124 is then inserted into the
evaporator core. The flow modifier can be, as previously described,
a spring, twisted tape, or a helical, blade-shaped, swirling
device. The flow modifier 124 shown in FIG. 6 is a spring.
[0051] The choice of wicks and flow modifiers is dependent on the
heat pipe/working substance combination to be used. For high
velocity flows of the working substance, a spring is preferred,
while for low velocity systems, a helical shape is better. In both
cases, the return line assembly passes through the center of the
flow modifier. Wicks can be made from screen or sintered materials
with pore size and porosity being chosen by one skilled in the art
as required.
[0052] In FIG. 6 the return line 120 is positioned over the central
reagent conduit 170. The role of the return line, as it was for the
energy extraction embodiment of FIG. 5, is to deliver liquid to the
leading end of the heat pipe. To do this, it is necessary to
minimize the quantity of vapor that enters the leading end of the
return line. There are several ways this is accomplished. One is to
run the return line 120 over the reagent conduit 170. In this way,
liquid in the return line is cooled and any vapor that attempts to
move up the return line is condensed.
[0053] When the return line is a separate line, such as in FIG. 9
where the reagent delivery conduit 172 runs separately, the liquid
is not cooled by the reagent. Thus, the flow of vapor up the return
line is a greater possibility. If this flow of vapor is allowed to
establish itself throughout the return line and into the condenser,
it is possible that liquid will not return. To correct this
potential problem, the return line 120 is fitted with a vent line
138 which pulls off ascending vapor and delivers it to the top of
the condenser where the pressure is lowest. As the liquid head in
the reservoir 130 and the drain pipe 136 reaches a sufficient size,
liquid starts flowing down the return line. Once the returning flow
of liquid gathers sufficient velocity, vapor is prevented from
entering the leading end of the return line. The drain pipe 136 and
the vent line 138 are connected together at a `T` junction 140.
[0054] While it appears that a return line that is separated from
the discrete reagent delivery conduit 172 has the disadvantage that
the liquid is not cooled by the reagent, it does, however, have the
advantage that liquid can flow more easily through this
configuration as the drag of the walls is less for a given
cross-sectional area. Thus, heat pipe units of relatively small
size should use the separated return and reagent delivery lines
shown in FIG. 9, while larger units can use the concentric return
line design shown in FIG. 6.
[0055] The condenser 116 is a heat exchanger, and is substantially
similar to the condenser 16 as previously described. While a number
of configurations are viable, the preferred configuration is as
shown in FIG. 6. The outer body 128 of the condenser 116 confines
the vapor/liquid working substance. The reservoir 130 is formed
between the outer walls 128 and the extension walls 132 of the
coupling element 114. Liquid collected in the condenser is drained
through the drain hole 134 into the upper return line 136, which
can be a flexible line if required. The upper return line 136 is
joined to a vent line 138 at a `T` junction 140. This assembly then
joins into the annular return pipe 120 via a bellows expansion
connection 129. This expansion connection 129 compensates for
thermal expansion differences between the evaporator body 112, the
reagent conduit 170, and the return line 120 extending through the
evaporator 112.
[0056] A distribution header 144 for the reagent sits below the
condenser chamber. It is fed reagent through feed port 142. The
reagent then flows through a collection of cooling tubes 146. Each
of the tubes is fitted with a twisted tape insert 148 to enhance
the heat transfer by causing the reagent to swirl. In this way the
effect of centrifugal force pushes denser colder reagent up against
the walls where it can absorb heat from the condensing working
substance.
[0057] The reagent leaving the cooling tubes 146 enters a discharge
header 150 whereupon the reagent is diverted into a jacket formed
by surrounding outer member 152 and the condenser wall 128. The
reagent leaves the jacket via exit port 154 and flows through
tubing 155 which connects it to the top end of the reagent delivery
conduit 170. The outer jacket is also fitted with a spring,
swirling device 156 to enhance turbulence and thus heat
transfer.
[0058] The condenser also incorporates a filling and evacuation
tube 158. In addition, the condenser is fitted with a thermocouple
well 160 which can house one or more thermocouples that are used to
monitor the operation of the heat pipe.
[0059] While the description of the injection heat pipe unit for
conveying reagent has focused on the angled unit shown in FIG. 6,
it is equally applicable to a vertical unit as shown in FIG. 9. The
basic differences between the two units are the orientation of the
evaporator and the shape of the coupling segment. Another
difference as noted earlier is the configuration of the return
line, however this has no implication on the structure of the
condenser.
[0060] In some cases, it may be desirable to have more than the
reagent cool the condenser. This condition can arise if the heat
load on the evaporator is large enough that cooling with only one
reagent is not sufficient. To overcome this, the condenser can be
divided into multiple cooling circuits. An example of such a
condenser is shown in FIG. 10. In this case, the reagent enters the
feed header 244 via inlet 242. The reagent flows up through the
cooling tubes 246 into the top header 248 and exits via port 251,
and can then be piped to the reagent conduit 170 and fed into it.
Another coolant, for example air, is fed into inlet 253 and flows
through the outer jacket formed by the condenser walls 228 and the
outer jacket member 252, and exits at the outlet 255. In this way,
the heat extraction capability of the heat pipe can be controlled
for a fixed feed of reagent. Additionally, a valve 241 located in
the upper return line 236 for returning liquid working substance
from the condenser to the evaporator, can be used to control the
heat extraction of the heat pipe assembly. Naturally, other
possibilities of configuring the condenser are viable. The
configuration shown in FIG. 10 is used to simply illustrate the
concept.
[0061] The choice of working substance to use in a heat pipe unit
irrespective of whether or not the unit is used to carry reagent,
will depend on several factors including the heat flux and the
operating temperatures. While many choices for working substances
are possible, the preferred working substance for high heat fluxes
is sodium or another alkali metal such as potassium. With sodium
the heat pipe unit can handle high heat fluxes while operating at a
temperature of about 600.degree. C. If the operating temperature is
to be substantially less, then water or organic substances such as
thermex can be used as the working substance.
[0062] Another possible working substance for use in the heat pipes
described above is sulphur. Sulphur can be quite effective as a
working substance in all possible applications for the present heat
pipe (for example either when as an energy extraction heat pipe 10
as shown in FIG. 5 or as a reagent injection heat pipe 110 as shown
in FIG. 6), provided, however, that the operating temperature range
is correct. Sulphur melts at about 115 degrees Celsius, and the
viscosity thereof remains quite low (i.e. such that the liquid
sulphur can flow) until about 165 degrees Celsius. However, within
a temperature range from about 165 degrees to about 400 degrees
Celsius, the viscosity of sulphur is astronomically high relative
to that below 165 degrees, for example. As such, within this
temperature range (about 165 to about 400.degree. C.) the viscosity
is so high that the sulphur does not flow at all to any appreciable
extent, and thus within this range sulphur would be unsuitable for
use as a working substance in any heat pipe. The present heat pipes
10 and 110, however, permit the use of sulphur as a working
substance therein. Particularly, when the expected operating
temperature range is between about 250 degrees Celsius and about
550 degrees Celsius, sulphur may be selected as the working
substance for the present heat pipe.
[0063] The heat pipe unit must be evacuated during the preparation
stage, such that much of the non-condensable, inert gases within
the unit are extracted from the heat pipe before it is sealed. When
there are no inert gases in the unit, one can use the maximum area
for condensation. Moreover, the vaporized working substance
molecules are forced into the condenser by the ensuing pressure
differentials that arise because of the ongoing vaporization and
condensation processes.
[0064] The quantity of working substance to charge into the heat
pipe may vary. While the prior art generally advocates charging a
relatively small quantity, the present invention allows for the
charging of an excess quantity. The minimum amount of working
substance to be charged is such as to ensure that there is
sufficient coverage of the evaporator during operation. The maximum
amount to use is dictated by the size of the reservoir. The entire
quantity of working substance should fit inside the reservoir. The
preferred quantity to charge is 50-90% of the reservoir volume, an
amount that approximately equals the volume of the evaporator.
[0065] The choice of coolant for the condenser will depend on
several basic heat transfer considerations. While air is the
preferred choice, it is also possible to use water or oil as the
coolant. Ultimately the choice will be determined by such factors
as availability and economics. As a general rule, if the heat pipe
is operated at a high temperature then a gas such as air is a
viable coolant. If, however, the pipe is operated at a low
temperature then a liquid such as water may be a more desirable
coolant.
* * * * *