Heat Pipes: Construction and Application

This analysis of invention is the result of a study of patents, patent applications and some other technical and scientific lite­ rature published in the United States, Japan, Great Britain, Western Germany and France, as well as European (Munich) and PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) patent applications, in the period from about January 1975 to about January 1985. It provides a systematic review of research activities on the structural and operational development of heat pipes in the period covered, and on their applications. The study is in two parts: Part I relating to aspects of indi­ vidual heat pipes and Part II concerning the application of heat pipes to heat exchangers and mechanical and electrical components, in which the construction and operation of the in­ dividual heat pipes are of secondary importance. The material studied during the search has been derived from the search files of the European Patent Office, Rijswijk, The Nether­ lands, classified in accordance with the following international patent classes (IPC): F 28 D 15/02 relating to heat exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes. F 24 J 2/32 relating to heat pipes of solar heat collectors. Vlll G 21 D 5/02 relating to arrangements of nuclear reactor and engine, in which reactor produced heat is converted into mechanical energy and in which reactor and engine are structurally combined.

Contenu

I.- 1. Construction, Operation, Coatings, Heat Transferring Liquids, Sealings and Joints.- 1.1. Construction and operation of heat pipes.- 1.2. Heat pipe claddings or coatings.- 1.3. Heat transferring liquids.- 1.4. Sealings and joints.- 2. Inventions More Specifically Directed to Capillarity.- 2.1. General aspects.- 2.2. Details, wicks, wall surface ribs or grooves.- 2.2.1. Inventions directed to the construction and materials of wicks.- 2.2.2. Inventions directed to wall surface ribs, grooves and other capillary structures.- 3. Heat Pipes Having Deviating Configurations; Flexible Heat Pipes.- 3.1. Spirally wound and serpentine-like heat pipes.- 3.2. Heat pipes having other configurations.- 3.3. Flexible heat pipes.- 4. Heat Pipe Constructions More Specifically Designed for Controlling Purposes.- II.- 5. Application of Heat Pipes, Heat Pipe Equipped Heat Exchangers.- 5.1. Multiple heat pipe heat exchangers comprising parallel arranged heat pipes, e.g. flat radiators.- 5.2. Heat exchangers consisting of heat pipe bundles, e.g. rotary heat exchangers.- 5.3. Heat exchangers having their heat pipes in alternative arrangement.- 5.4. Solar heat exchangers using heat pipes.- 5.5. Heat pipe heat exchangers adapted to industrial applications.- 5.6. Heat pipe heat exchangers adapted to domestic or workshop applications.- 5.7. Heat pipe heat exchangers adapted to air conditioning systems.- 5.8. Heat exchangers having a heat pipe or heat pipes, mounted in refrigerators, cooling systems and heat pumps.- 5.8.1. Refrigerator defrosters equipped with heat pipes.- 5.8.2. Heat pumps equipped with heat pipes.- 5.9. Heat exchangers, with heat pipes, applied in nuclear fission or fusion plants.- 5.10. Heat exchangers used in space craft and missiles.- 5.11. Heat transfer, heat exchangers, heat pipes used for various (special) purposes:.- Heat pipes, heat exchangers in electric systems.- Heat pipes, heat exchangers used in electronic systems (mainly for cooling).- Cooling elements for the electronic systems of space craft.- Heating systems for hot gas engines.- Heat transfer, heat pipes in internal combustion engines (vehicles).- Heat exchangers, heat pipes in turbines, compressors.- Heat recuperation systems.- Molding, extrusion.- Soldering element.- Composite glass structures.- Catalytic cartridge S03 decomposer.- Cooling of wheels.- Heat pipes used in combination with geothermal systems.- Support structures, using heat pipes, for arctic or subarctic areas.- Using heat pipe type heat exchangers in lakes.- Fabrications process of heat pipe panels.- Thermal conditioning of garments.- List of Patentees.