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WO1992002770A1 - Dispositif refrigerant comprenant un agent de sorption et isole par une chambre a vide - Google Patents

Dispositif refrigerant comprenant un agent de sorption et isole par une chambre a vide Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1992002770A1
WO1992002770A1 PCT/US1991/005321 US9105321W WO9202770A1 WO 1992002770 A1 WO1992002770 A1 WO 1992002770A1 US 9105321 W US9105321 W US 9105321W WO 9202770 A1 WO9202770 A1 WO 9202770A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
chamber
valve
sorbent
diaphragm
liquid
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US1991/005321
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English (en)
Inventor
Gary V. Steidl
Cullen N. Sabin
Dennis A. Thomas
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Thermal Packaging Inc
Original Assignee
International Thermal Packaging Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Thermal Packaging Inc filed Critical International Thermal Packaging Inc
Publication of WO1992002770A1 publication Critical patent/WO1992002770A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B17/00—Sorption machines, plants or systems, operating intermittently, e.g. absorption or adsorption type
    • F25B17/08—Sorption machines, plants or systems, operating intermittently, e.g. absorption or adsorption type the absorbent or adsorbent being a solid, e.g. salt
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
    • F25D2400/28—Quick cooling

Definitions

  • Ice cubes have also been used independently to cool food or beverages rapidly. However, use of ice independently for cooling is often undesirable because ice may be stored only for limited periods above 0"C. Moreover, ice may not be available when the cooling action is desired.
  • a portable cooling device is extremely desirable. These include medical applications, including cooling of tissues or organs; preparation of cold compresses and cryogenic destruction of tissues as part of surgical procedures; industrial applications, including production of cold water or other liquids upon demand; preservation of biological specimens; cooling of protective clothing; and cosmetic applications
  • a portable cooling apparatus could have widespread utilit in all these areas.
  • An alternate procedure for providing a cooling effect in a portable device is to absorb or adsorb the refrigerant vapor in a chamber separate from the chamber in which the evaporation takes place.
  • the refrigerant liquid boils under reduced pressure in a sealed chamber and absorbs heat from its surroundings.
  • the vapor generated from the boiling liquid is continuously removed from the first chamber and discharged into a second chamber containing a desiccant or sorbent that absorbs the vapor.
  • one objective of the present invention is to provide a self-contained sorption cooling device with a means for isolating the heat produced in the sorbent so that heat transfer back to the material being cooled is minimized.
  • Another objective is to provide a cooling device with a valve that will open in response to a pressure change.
  • the present invention is a self-contained cooling apparatus comprising a first evacuated chamber containing a sorbent. and a second chamber which substantially surrounds the first chamber.
  • the second chamber contains a vaporizable liquid that is supported adjacent to the outer wall of the chamber by a wettable material.
  • a valve is placed between the chambers to prevent gaseous communication between them until desirable.
  • An actuator opens the valve, thereby connecting the first and second chambers and permitting the liquid to vaporize and diffuse into the first chamber, where it is received by the sorbent.
  • Actuating the valve causes a drop in pressure in the second chamber because the initial vacuum in the first chamber draws the majority of the gas pressure out of the second chamber. This drop in pressure over the liquid in the second chamber causes it to boil and vaporize, thereby absorbing heat.
  • An amount of heat equal to the latent heat of vaporization of the liquid must be absorbed by th liquid for vaporization to occur. Since the liquid i supported adjacent to the outer wall of the second chambe by the wettable material, most of this heat is draw through this wall, from the exterior of the device, causin the cooling effect.
  • the vapor then diffuses out of th second chamber and into the first chamber, where it i absorbed or adsorbed by the sorbent.
  • the sorbent the gains the heat contained in the absorbed or adsorbed vapor, and, if the absorption-adsorption process involves a exothermic chemical reaction, the sorbent must also absorb the reaction heat.
  • the heat contained within the sorbent may optionally be removed from the sorbent by a heat removing material.
  • that heat removing material is a phase change material which is thermally coupled to the sorbent. It has a thermal mass different from the material comprising the first chamber in contact with the sorbent and has a heat capacity greater than that of the sorbent.
  • Heat is isolated within the first chamber by a vacuum which insulates and largely surrounds the first chamber.
  • a vacuum insulates and largely surrounds the first chamber draws the majority of the gas and vapor out of the second chamber and into the first chamber, thereby creating a partial vacuum within the second chamber. Since the second chamber substantially surrounds the first chamber, the vacuum in the second chamber functions as a thermal insulator of the first chamber.
  • the vacuum in the second chamber is not total, it need not be. Any significant vacuum will greatly reduce the amount of heat conduction because there are simply fewer gas molecules available to transfer the heat. Indeed, a perfect vacuum is unobtainable in any application due to technological difficulties in removing all molecules of gas from a given space and because some water vapor molecules are always present.
  • the flow of the vapor from the second chamber into the first chamber also functions to sweep heat escaping from the first chamber back into the first chamber, along with the vapor. This feature aids the device in retaining accumulated heat within its first chamber and away from the unvaporized liquid in the second chamber.
  • the exterior wall of the first chamber is polished or metallized to produce a reflective finish, which reduces heat escape by radiation.
  • the exterior of the first chamber is coated with a thin thermal insulator which further reduces the escape of heat from the first chamber. The exterior surface of this insulator may also be polished or metallized.
  • the first chamber is supported within the second chamber at points by thermally insulating materials, and in another, the exterior of the device is fluted.
  • the liquid is water and in one, the wettable material supporting the liquid is a highly hydrophilic polymer.
  • the liquid may be mixed with a nucleating agent that promotes ebullition of the liquid.
  • the present invention provides a self-contained rapid cooling, device that cools a food, beverage or other material article from ambient temperature on demand in a timely manner, exhibits a useful change in temperature, retains the heat produced from the cooling process or retards the transfer of the heat from the sorbent back to the material being cooled, can be stored for unlimited periods without losing its cooling potential, and is able to meet government standards for safety in human use.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fluted cooling device according to the present invention, wherein the first chamber is wholly contained within the second chamber.
  • Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-section of the device taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1.
  • Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same device taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1.
  • Figure 4 is a close up vertical cross-section of the valve of the same device, again taken along the line 3-3, but with the valve in the open position.
  • Figure 5 is a partial vertical cross-section of the device, incorporating an optional insulative coating about the first chamber.
  • Figure 6 is a partial vertical cross-section of the device wherein a different valve design has been used
  • Figure 7 is the same view as Figure 6, but with the valve in an open position.
  • Figure 8 is the same view as Figure 6 , wherein a mechanical valve retainer has been incorporated.
  • Figure 9 is the same view of the device as Figure 8, but with the valve retainer disengaged and the valve in an open position.
  • the cooling device 10 has a first chamber 12 that is at least partially filled with a sorbent 14, which is optionally in contact with a heat- removing material 16.
  • This first chamber 12 is initially evacuated, but the vacuum need not be total.
  • the initial pressure in the first chamber is preferably significantly lower than normal atmospheric pressure.
  • the cooling device also includes a second chamber 18 which surrounds the first chamber 12 and insulates it when evacuated.
  • the second chamber can be evacuated either during operation of the device, by connecting it to the first evacuated chamber via the valve 20, or it can be initially evacuated. Again, the vacuum need not be total.
  • the interior surface of the outer wall of the second chamber 18 (cooling wall 26) is wetted with a refrigerant liquid 22 and is preferably lined with a wettable material 24 which supports the refrigerant liquid 22.
  • the wettable material 24 holds the refrigerant liquid against the cooling wall 26 prior to and during operation of the device 10 and increases the surface area of the liquid 22.
  • the liquid vaporizes and absorbs heat from the cooling wall 26.
  • a valve 20 Positioned between the first chamber 12 and the second chamber 18 is a valve 20, which allows gaseous communication between the chambers 12 and 18 only when the valve 20 is open.
  • the operation of the cooling device 10 is suspended (i.e., the system is static and no cooling occurs) until the valve 20 is opened, at which time gaseous communication between the first chamber 12 and second chamber 18 occurs. Opening the valve 20 between the first and second chambers 12 and 18 causes a drop in pressure in the second chamber 18 because the first chamber 12 is initially evacuated. The drop in pressure in the second chamber 18 upon opening of the valve 20 results in a vacuum forming within the second chamber 18 which causes the liquid 22 to boil at ambient temperature to form a vapor. This liquid-to-gas phase change can occur only if the liquid 22 removes heat equal to the latent heat of vaporization of the evaporated liquid 22 from its surroundings.
  • the vaporized liquid diffuses into the first chamber 12, the vapor is absorbed or adsorbed by the sorbent 14. This facilitates the maintenance of a reduced vapor pressure in the second chamber 18 and allows more of the liquid 22 to boil and become vapor, further reducing the temperature of the fluted wall 26.
  • the continuous removal of the vapor maintains the pressure in the second chamber 18 below the vapor pressure of the liquid 22, so that the liquid 22 boils and produces vapor continuously until the sorbent 14 is saturated, until the liquid 22 has boiled away, or until the temperature of the liquid 22 has dropped below its boiling point.
  • the optional heat-removing material 16 which is thermally coupled to the sorbent 14 (and preferably is mixed with the sorbent 14) removes heat from the sorbent 14, preventing or slowing a rise in temperature in the sorbent 14. This reduction of temperature in the sorbent 14 slows the absorption and conduction of heat by the interior wall 30 and thereby reduces the amount of interior heat escaping from the first chamber 12, which absorption might compromise the cooling capacity of the device by reducing the amount of exterior heat absorbed by the device.
  • the spatial relationship of the chambers and the wettable material function to maximize the exterior cooling effect of the device.
  • the channeling of the vapor flow from the second chamber 18 around and then into the first chamber 12 functions to sweep any heat escaping from the first chamber 12 back into the first chamber 12, along with the vapor.
  • the wettable material 24 is located on the inside surface of the exterior fluted wall 26, as far away from the first chamber as possible. The wettable material 24 is thus separated from the warm first chamber 12 by the vacuum within the second chamber 18. This spacing slows the escape of heat from the first chamber 12, thereby forcing the liquid 22 within the wettable material 20 to absorb the majority of its heat of vaporization from the exterior of the device.
  • the vacuum maintained in the second chamber 18 during operation of the device 10, and its insulative effect, can be enhanced by designing the first chamber 12 with a larger open volume than the second chamber 18. With this design, when the initially evacuated first chamber 12 is connected to the second chamber 18 by the valve 20, a substantial vacuum will still remain in both chambers. This occurs because most of the gas pressure from the second chamber 18 will escape to the first chamber 12, where it will not significantly increase the gas pressure due to its larger volume.
  • Another preferred means of increasing the vacuum in the second chamber 18 is to evacuate it during construction of the device, as is done with the first chamber 12.
  • the exterior surface of the interior wall 30 is polished or metallized to achieve a high gloss finish. This finish slows the escape of heat from the interior wall 30 by radiation.
  • the first chamber 12 is also coated with a thin thermal insulator 32 (fig. 5) which helps retain heat within the first chamber 12.
  • the insulator 32 can be comprised of plastic, glass, ceramic or another material known by those skilled in the art to be a poor conductor of heat.
  • the exterior surface of the insulation coating can also be metallized or polished to a high gloss to reduce heat loss by radiation.
  • insulating supports 34 are placed between the first chamber 12 and the second chamber 18 at points where they must be -in contact for structural support. These supports thermally separate the two chambers 12 and 18 to further increase the efficiency of the device.
  • the outer surface of the device is fluted. Fluting the device serves two important functions. First, it increases the ability to absorb heat by increasing the surface area of the cooling wall 26. Second, since fluting has a superior ability to withstand exterior pressure, it strengthens the wall so it can support the vacuum within the device.
  • the device ensures that a vacuum will remain in the second chamber 18 at the most critical time to ensure insulation about the first chamber 12 after the sorption process is complete.
  • the chambers themselves may be constructed of any of a number of different materials including both metals (i.e. aluminum, tin, steel) and plastics (i.e. injection molded plastic, vacuum molded plastic) .
  • metals i.e. aluminum, tin, steel
  • plastics i.e. injection molded plastic, vacuum molded plastic
  • a material exhibiting poor thermal conductivity should be chosen for the first chamber 12 and a highly conductive material is preferred for the second chamber 18. This will result in maximum thermal absorption and retention.
  • inexpensive materials such as plastics may be substituted for more efficient materials. The particular application will dictate what materials are preferred.
  • the first and second chambers 12, 18 are each formed of drawn aluminum, preferably with an integral bottom and sides and a crimp-sealed top formed as a separate piece.
  • the liquid and the sorbent must be complimentary (i.e., the sorbent must be capable of absorbing or adsorbing the vapor produced by the liquid) , and suitable choices for these components would be any combination able to make a useful change in temperature in a short time, meet government standards for safety and be compact.
  • the refrigerant liquids used in the present invention preferably have a high vapor pressure at ambient temperature, so that a reduction of pressure will produce a high vapor production rate.
  • the vapor pressure of the liquid at 20*C is preferably at least about 9 mm Hg, and more preferably is at least about 15 or 20 mm Hg.
  • the liquid should conform to applicable government standards in case any discharge into the surroundings, accidental or otherwise, occurs.
  • Liquids with suitable characteristics for various uses of the invention include: various alcohols, such as methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol; ketones or aldehydes, such as acetone and acetaldehyde; water; and freons, such as freon C318, 114, 21, 11, 114B2, 113 and 112.
  • the preferred liquid is water.
  • the refrigerant liquid may be mixed with an effective quantity of a miscible nucleating agent having a greater vapor pressure than the liquid to promote ebullition so that the liquid evaporates even more quickly and smoothly, and so that supercooling of the liquid does not occur.
  • Suitable nucleating agents include ethyl alcohol, acetone, methyl alcohol, propyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol, all of which are miscible with water.
  • a combination of a nucleating agent with a compatible liquid might be a combination of 5% ethyl alcohol in water or .5% acetone in methyl alcohol.
  • the nucleating agent preferably has a vapor pressure at 25 ⁇ C of at least about 25 mm Hg and, more preferably, at least about 35 mm Hg.
  • solid nucleating agents may be used, such as the conventional boiling stones used in chemical laboratory applications.
  • the sorbent material used in the first chamber 12 is preferably capable of absorbing and adsorbing all the vapor produced by the liquid, and also preferably will meet government safety standards for use in an environment where contact with food may occur.
  • Suitable sorbents for various applications may include barium oxide, magnesium perchlorate, calcium sulfate, calcium oxide, activated carbon, calcium chloride, glycerine, silica gel, alumina gel, calcium hydride, phosphoric anhydride, phosphoric acid, potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, lithium chloride, ethylene glycol and sodium sulfate.
  • the heat-removing material may be one of three types: (1) a material that undergoes a change of phase when heat is applied; (2) a material that has a heat capacity greater than the sorbent; or (3) a material that undergoes an endothermic reaction when brought in contact with the liquid refrigerant.
  • Suitable phase change materials for particular applications may be selected from paraffin, naphthalene, sulphur, hydrated calcium chloride, bromocamphor, cetyl alcohol, cyanamide, eleudic acid, lauric acid, hydrated sodium silicate, sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, disodiu phosphate, hydrated sodium carbonate, hydrated calcium nitrate, Glauber's salt, potassium, sodium and magnesium acetate.
  • the phase change materials remove some of the heat from the sorbent material simply through storage of sensible heat. In other words, they heat up as the sorbent heats up, removing heat from the sorbent. However, the most effective function of the phase change material is in the phase change itself.
  • phase change material in connection with the phase change (i.e., change from a solid phase to a liquid phase, or change from a liquid phase to a vapor phase) .
  • phase change material which change from a solid phase to a liquid, absorbing from the sorbent their latent heat of fusion, are the most practical in a closed system.
  • a phase change material changing from a liquid to a vapor is also feasible.
  • an environmentally-safe liquid could be provided in a separate container (not shown) in contact with the sorbent material (to absorb heat therefrom) but vented in such a way that the boiling phase change material carries heat away from the sorbent material and entirely out of the system.
  • phase change materials change phase at a temperature greater than the expected ambient temperature of the material to be cooled, but less than the temperature achieved by the sorbent material upon absorption of a substantial fraction (i.e., one-third or one-quarter) of the refrigerant liquid.
  • the phase change material could change phase at a temperature above about 30"C, preferably above about 35°C but preferably below about 70*C, and most preferably below about 60°C.
  • substantially higher or lower phase change temperatures may be desirable.
  • phase change materials with phase change temperatures as high as 90 ⁇ C, 100 ⁇ c or ll ⁇ °c may be appropriate in certain systems.
  • Various materials which have a high specific heat include cyanamide, ethyl alcohol, ethyl ether, glycerol, isoamyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, lithium hydride, methyl alcohol, sodium acetate, water, ethylene glycol and paraffin wax.
  • the heat-absorbing material for example, is a liquid, it may be necessary to package that liquid or otherwise prevent physical contact between the heat- absorbing material and the sorbent. Small individual containers of heat-absorbing material scattered throughout the sorbent may be utilized when the sorbent and the heat- absorbing material cannot contact one another. Alternatively, the heat-absorbing material may be placed in a single package having a relatively high surface area in contact with the sorbent to facilitate heat transfer from the sorbent into the heat-absorbing material.
  • the third category of heat-removing material (material that undergoes an endothermic reaction) has the advantage of completely removing heat from the system and storing it in the form of a chemical change.
  • the endothermic material may advantageously be a material that undergoes an endothermic reaction when it comes in contact with the refrigerant liquid (or vapor) .
  • the valve 20 when the valve 20 is opened and vapor is permitted to flow from the second chamber 18 into the first chamber 12, the vapor comes in contact with some of the endothermic material, which then undergoes an endothermic reaction, removing heat from the sorbent 14.
  • Such endothermic materials have the advantage that the heat is more or less permanently removed from the sorbent, and little, if any, of that heat can be retransferred to the material being cooled. This is in contrast to phase change materials and materials having a heat capacity greater than the sorbent material, both of which may eventually give up their stored heat to the surrounding materials, although such heat exchange (because of design factors that retard heat transfer, such as poor thermal conductivity of the sorbent 14) generally does not occur with sufficient rapidity to reheat the cooled material prior to use of that material.
  • Heat-absorbing materials which undergo an endothermic reaction may variously be selected from such compounds as H 2 B0 3 , PbBr 2 , KBr0 3 , KC10 3 , K 2 Cr 2 0 7 , KC10 4 , K 2 S, Snl 2 , NH4CI, KMn ⁇ 4 and CSCIO4.
  • the heat-removing material may be advantageously in contact with the sorbent.
  • the sorbent and heat-removing material could be blended, the heat-removing material could be in discrete pieces mixed with the sorbent, or the material could be a mass in contact with, but not mixed into, the sorbent.
  • the wettable material 24 any of a number of materials may be chosen, depending upon the requirements of the system and the particular refrigerant liquid 22 being used.
  • the wettable material may be something as simple as cloth or fabric having an affinity for the refrigerant liquid 22 and a substantial wetting ability.
  • the wettable material may be cloth, sheets, felt or flocking material which may be comprised of cotton, filter material, natural cellulose, regenerated cellulose, cellulose derivatives, blotting paper or any other suitable material.
  • the most preferred wettable material would be highly hydrophilic, such as gel-forming polymers which would be capable of coating the interior surface of the evaporation chamber.
  • Such materials preferably consist of alkyl, aryl and amino derivative polymers of vinylchloride acetate, vinylidene chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, methyl methacrylate, hexanedoic acid, dihydro-2,5-furandione, propanoic acid, 1,3-isobenzofurandione, 1 h-pyrrole-2,5- dione or hexahydro-2 h-azepin-2-one.
  • the wettable material may be sprayed, flocked, or otherwise coated or applied onto the interior surface of the second chamber 18.
  • the wettable material is electrostatically deposited onto that surface.
  • the wettable material is mixed with a suitable solvent, such as a non-aqueous solvent, and then the solution is applied to the interior surface of the second chamber 18.
  • the wettable material is able to control any violent boiling of the evaporator and thus reduces any liquid entrainment in the vapor phase.
  • the wettable material is a polymer forming a porous space-filling or sponge-like structure.
  • the valve 20 may be selected from any of the various types shown in the prior art, or may be of novel construction.
  • the valve 20 is located between the first chamber 12 and the second chamber 18 so that it .prevents vapor from being received by the sorbent 14 until desirable.
  • a pressure responsive valve can be used which can actuate the cooling device upon the release of the pressure within the container.
  • the valye consists of a valve seat 36 at the opening of the first chamber 12 and a diaphragm 38 located above the valve seat 36.
  • the diaphragm 38 is adapted to flex downward against the valve seat 36 when the pressure exterior to the device is above normal atmospheric pressure, thereby closing the valve 20 and sealing the first chamber 12.
  • the diaphragm 38 moves upward, pulling away from the valve seat 36 and unsealing the first chamber 12.
  • the diaphragm 38 may be affixed to the second chamber 18 or may be an integral part of it. In one embodiment, the lid of the second chamber serves as the diaphragm 38.
  • the diaphragm 38 is made of a flexion resistant material, such as spring steel, and is preferably coated with a resilient sealing agent proximate to the valve seat to enhance the seal.
  • a seal 40 is affixed to the interior surface of the diaphragm 38 proximate to the valve seat.
  • the seal 40 is adapted to seal the first chamber 12 when the diaphragm 38 is in its flexed position, instead of the diaphragm 38 sealing the first chamber 12 itself.
  • This configuration allows for a greater variety of valve seat designs because the seal 40 is not as limited in its shape as the diaphragm and may be constructed of any number of materials which can be bonded to the diaphragm and can effectively seal the first chamber. Suitable materials include rubber, synthetic rubber, metal, silicone, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, elastomers, and other polymers.
  • the seal 40 may also be made of a hard substance such as metal, but preferably the hard substance is coated with a resilient sealing agent proximate to the valve seat, to enhance the seal. Such a sealing agent may also be desirable when using other materials.
  • a mechanical means is incorporated into the device for holding the valve in a closed position until the device is placed in an environment where the pressure is above normal atmospheric, at which time the means is deactivated and the valve is held closed by the above normal pressure alone.
  • this is accomplished by affixing a cocking post 42 and cocking yoke 44 to the device at a point where it exerts pressure on the diaphragm 38, causing it to flex and seal the first chamber 12.
  • the cocking post 42 is held in a cocked position by a soluble substance 46 (as shown in Figure 3) , which will dissolve and release the cocking post 42 from t h e yoke 44 when the device is placed in contact with an appropriate solvent.
  • a soluble substance 46 as shown in Figure 3
  • This configuration holds the valve in a closed position until it can be placed in a pressurized container with a solvent in it, such as a beverage can.
  • the solvent e.g. , the liquid beverage
  • the pressure is released, such as when a soda can is opened, the valve can open and the device commences operation.
  • the cocking yoke 44 and post 42 are not used, and instead, a valve retainer 48 is attached to the device 10 at a point where it exerts pressure on the diaphragm 40, causing it to flex and seal the first chamber 12.
  • the valve retainer 48 is attached to the device 10 at one or more points by a soluble substance, which will dissolve when the device is placed in contact with an appropriate solvent, returning the device to pressure activation.
  • a pressure sensitive valve is not incorporated and only a valve retainer or cocking yoke and post assembly are used, which again are held in place by a soluble substance.
  • the device is simply placed in the liquid to be cooled under conditions of normal pressure, the soluble substance dissolves, and the device commences operation.
  • the soluble substance will preferably dissolve in an aqueous liquid and is preferably comprised of a sugar compound or a water soluble salt or polymer.
  • the invention also includes a method of using the cooling device described herein.
  • This method includes the step of providing a cooling device of the type set forth herein in its various embodiments; opening the valve between the first chamber 12 and the second chamber 18, whereby the pressure in the second chamber is reduced, causing the liquid to boil, forming a vapor, which vapor is collected by the sorbent material; removing vapor from the second chamber by collecting the same in the sorbent until an equilibrium condition is reached wherein the sorbent is substantially saturated or substantially all of the liquid originally in the first chamber has been collected in the sorbent; and simultaneously removing heat from the sorbent by means of the heat-removing material described above.
  • the process is preferably a one-shot process; thus, opening of the valve 20 connecting the first chamber 12 and the second chamber 18 is preferably irreversible.
  • the system is a closed system; in other words, the refrigerant liquid does not escape the system, and there is no means whereby the refrigerant liquid or the sorbent may escape the device 10.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Sorption Type Refrigeration Machines (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif autonome de refroidissement rapide (10) qui garde la chaleur issue du procédé de refroidissement et qui peut être stocké indéfiniment sans perdre son potentiel de refroidissement. L'invention concerne également un procédé d'utilisation dudit dispositif. Le dispositif est constitué de deux chambres (12, 18), une deuxième chambre (18) entourant pratiquement la première chambre (12). Un liquide se trouve en suspension par l'intermédiaire d'une matière mouillable (24) adjacente à la surface interne de la deuxième chambre. Ce liquide subit un changement de phase pour se trouver à l'état de vapeur qui refroidit la surface extérieure (26) du dispositif. La vapeur sort de la deuxième chambre (18) en s'écoulant et pénètre dans la première chambre (12) qui renferme un agent de sorption (14) de la vapeur. Le dispositif est autonome étant donné qu'un matériau (16) se trouvant au contact de l'agent de sorption élimine la chaleur de l'agent de sorption pour éviter une réduction de l'effet de refroidissement produit par le liquide de vaporisation. En outre, on crée un vide à l'intérieur de la deuxième chambre (18), ce qui permet d'isoler la première chambre (12) et ce qui empêche l'agent de sorption (14) chauffé de réduire l'effet de refroidissement recherché.
PCT/US1991/005321 1990-08-01 1991-07-26 Dispositif refrigerant comprenant un agent de sorption et isole par une chambre a vide Ceased WO1992002770A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US56114290A 1990-08-01 1990-08-01
US561,142 1990-08-01

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WO1992002770A1 true WO1992002770A1 (fr) 1992-02-20

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PCT/US1991/005321 Ceased WO1992002770A1 (fr) 1990-08-01 1991-07-26 Dispositif refrigerant comprenant un agent de sorption et isole par une chambre a vide

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AU (1) AU8712591A (fr)
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Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0726433A1 (fr) * 1995-02-08 1996-08-14 ZEO-TECH Zeolith Technologie GmbH Dispositif de refroidissement
WO1999037958A1 (fr) * 1998-01-24 1999-07-29 The University Of Nottingham Dispositif de transfert de chaleur
EP1022523A1 (fr) 1999-01-25 2000-07-26 Bass Public Limited Company Dispositif de transfert de chaleur
WO2000077463A1 (fr) * 1999-06-11 2000-12-21 Schieder Hans B Dispositif refrigerant autonome active par la pression
WO2000077462A1 (fr) * 1999-06-11 2000-12-21 Schieder Hans B Soupape reagissant a la pression pour dispositif refrigerant autonome
EP0935108A3 (fr) * 1998-01-24 2000-12-27 Bass Public Limited Company Conteneur
EP0931998A3 (fr) * 1998-01-24 2000-12-27 Bass Public Limited Company Récipient réfrigérant à boisson
EP1143210A1 (fr) * 2000-04-03 2001-10-10 ZEO-TECH Zeolith Technologie GmbH Refroidisseur à sorption
US6341491B1 (en) 1999-01-25 2002-01-29 Bass Public Limited Company Heat transfer device

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2871674A (en) * 1956-12-12 1959-02-03 Sulo C Koivisto Portable refrigeration unit
WO1989008806A1 (fr) * 1988-03-17 1989-09-21 International Thermal Packaging, Inc. Dispositif et procede de chauffage et de refroidissement simultanes de zones distinctes
WO1990001660A1 (fr) * 1988-08-02 1990-02-22 Schieder Hans B Clapet reagissant a la pression dans un dispositif changeant de temperature
WO1990007684A1 (fr) * 1989-01-05 1990-07-12 International Thermal Packaging, Inc. Dispositif de refrigeration a vide isolant commande par un sorbant

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2871674A (en) * 1956-12-12 1959-02-03 Sulo C Koivisto Portable refrigeration unit
WO1989008806A1 (fr) * 1988-03-17 1989-09-21 International Thermal Packaging, Inc. Dispositif et procede de chauffage et de refroidissement simultanes de zones distinctes
WO1990001660A1 (fr) * 1988-08-02 1990-02-22 Schieder Hans B Clapet reagissant a la pression dans un dispositif changeant de temperature
WO1990007684A1 (fr) * 1989-01-05 1990-07-12 International Thermal Packaging, Inc. Dispositif de refrigeration a vide isolant commande par un sorbant

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0726433A1 (fr) * 1995-02-08 1996-08-14 ZEO-TECH Zeolith Technologie GmbH Dispositif de refroidissement
WO1999037958A1 (fr) * 1998-01-24 1999-07-29 The University Of Nottingham Dispositif de transfert de chaleur
EP0935108A3 (fr) * 1998-01-24 2000-12-27 Bass Public Limited Company Conteneur
EP0931998A3 (fr) * 1998-01-24 2000-12-27 Bass Public Limited Company Récipient réfrigérant à boisson
EP1022523A1 (fr) 1999-01-25 2000-07-26 Bass Public Limited Company Dispositif de transfert de chaleur
US6341491B1 (en) 1999-01-25 2002-01-29 Bass Public Limited Company Heat transfer device
WO2000077463A1 (fr) * 1999-06-11 2000-12-21 Schieder Hans B Dispositif refrigerant autonome active par la pression
WO2000077462A1 (fr) * 1999-06-11 2000-12-21 Schieder Hans B Soupape reagissant a la pression pour dispositif refrigerant autonome
EP1143210A1 (fr) * 2000-04-03 2001-10-10 ZEO-TECH Zeolith Technologie GmbH Refroidisseur à sorption
JP2002013835A (ja) * 2000-04-03 2002-01-18 Zeo-Tech Zeolith-Technologie Gmbh 収着冷却器

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