| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20100132923 | Minimal-Temperature-Differential, Omni-Directional-Reflux, Heat Exchanger - A substrate formed of a suitable conductive-heat-transfer material is formed with small channels of a size selected to provide surface tension forces dominating a motion of a liquid-phase working fluid. A space above the channels of the substrate provides comparatively unobstructed space for the transport motion of a vapor phase of the working fluid effecting a heat-pipe effect in a multi-dimensional device. Channels may typically be formed in an orthogonal grid providing capillary return of liquids from a comparatively cooler condensation region to a comparatively warmer evaporation region, without any wicks other that the adhesion of the liquid phase working fluid to the vertices of the channels. Interference between the boundary layers of the liquid phase and the vapor phase of the working fluid are minimized by the depth of the channels, and the pedestals formed by the channel walls. Extremely small temperature differentials are thereby achieved between an outer surface of the substrate and an inner surface of the substrate when the liquid phase floods the substrate. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100257781 | SOLAR-AUGMENTED, NOX- AND CO2-RECYCLING, POWER PLANT - Stack gases of a burner, such as a power plant or other combustion source, may be remediated by a captive algae farm cycling some portion of the stack gases through a scrubber, and ultimately out into a manifold feeding a farm composed of tubes hosting the growth of algae. Liquids from the scrubber, including water capturing volatile organic compounds, solid particulates, nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds, carbon dioxide, and the like, remediate the water and feed the algae farm. Meanwhile, the vapors and other gases provide an environment rich in water vapor, nitrogen compounds acting as fertilizer, and carbon dioxide to feed the algae to promote increased rates of growth. The algae may be recycled as a fuel itself, or may be harvested for use as a soil amendment to enrich the organic content of soils. | 10-14-2010 |
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| 20080289801 | Modular Thermal Management System for Spacecraft - A composite panel provides structural strength and rigidity for modular assembly of spacecraft while serving the dual purposes of structure and heat transfer for thermal management of an environment for equipment, such as a spacecraft. Instruments, gimbals, surveillance, imaging, detectors, and the like may be mounted in a spacecraft designed and constructed from standard panels to provide the structural and heat transfer requirements to support the onboard equipment. Extremely small temperature differentials required by the panels support a substantially isothermal perimeter for the structure, able to sink heat from any location on a panel, transport it to a rejection site, and reject it to the cold environment of space, thus easing the task of design and packaging of instrumentation and infrastructure of satellites and other spacecraft. Two-phase mass transport of fluids inside the panels aids high heat flux rates with minimal temperature differentials, even with reinforced, composite, polymeric materials for the structural elements of the panels. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090250196 | RELIEVED-CHANNEL, BONDED HEAT EXCHANGER - A panel assembly for exchanging heat with an ambient environment maintains minimal temperature differential by virtue of operation as a heat pipe apparatus. Panels of a composite material having excellent structural strength and structural stiffness but comparatively modest thermal conductivity are machined as mirror images of one another. Two orthogonal arrays of parallel channels are machined in the faces of two panels, each intersection of channels forming and bounded by pedestals having a lower, broader base with a narrower upper portion extending from a shoulder of the base portion of the pedestals. The pedestals, in turn, form the bounds of the channels, each having a deeper and a narrower aspect extending along the bases of all the pedestals. Channels have a broader aspect extending along near the tops of the pedestals. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100175983 | Mutual Remediation of Effluents of Petroleum Production - Petroleous production is associated with effluents well known to foul lines, nozzles, and containers while consuming substantial energy to assist in both production and remediation. A heat exchanger and manifold system maximizes flows, minimizes changes in flow cross-section, and maximizes heat transfer area, while recycling both water and heat between processes. Dirty regions and clean regions result from scrubbing horizontal exhaust stacks and evaporation of production water in concert to remediate one another, while recycling a significant portion of the energy consumed by each. The heat exchanger relies on a manifold having many layered conduits, each connected to a single layer level of one or more cylindrical conduits in the exchanger. The cylinders of the exchanger themselves are arranged in multiple layers, each layer of a heat exchanger element being connected to a single layer of the manifold. Any shape of cylinder may work, but a right circular cylinder having corrugated sheets spacing the layers may be simple to construct. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100176064 | Back Pressure-Matched, Integrated, Environmental-Remediation Apparatus and Method - Production brines are used to scrub a horizontal stack receiving exhaust from an energy source, controlling, reducing, or both noxious chemicals. Mutual remediation of flows from petroleous production cool and scrub exhausts from flares burning waste hydrocarbons, heaters lowering viscosity of crude oil, engines driving oil pumps or natural gas compressors, and the like. Resulting evaporation of production brines results in distilled water, more concentrated brines to reduce hauling, or, optionally, dehydrated dry waste minerals from the brines. Year-round operation of brine evaporation ponds is facilitated, and may be another source of process pre-heating. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100252238 | TWO-PHASE-FLOW, PANEL-COOLED, BATTERY APPARATUS AND METHOD - Two-phase, boiling heat transfer in confined channels close to a source of heat, such as an electrical component or device, carries the latent heat of vapors away to remote locations where “real estate” demands of air convection are tolerable operationally, economically, and technologically. Liquid-to-vapor, phase-change, heat transfer in a narrow channel (e.g., typically less than 0.200 inches total thickness, and often less than 0.150 in the channel itself) improves by several hundred percent the heat extraction from modest temperature (e.g., about 120 degree F.) devices, when compared to heat fluxes in pool boiling. Saturated working fluids provide nearly isothermal conditions in the working fluid. Minimal conduction paths provide minimal temperature gradients, and capillary action may maintain nearly constant temperature conditions about a surface of a heat source, while carrying heat of vaporization away to a condensation location. | 10-07-2010 |
