Heat exchange – Intermediate fluent heat exchange material receiving and... – Liquid fluent heat exchange material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2001-04-03
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Intermediate fluent heat exchange material receiving and...
Liquid fluent heat exchange material
C165S104270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209625
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved heat pipe and, more particularly, pertains to a heat pipe with a more efficient means to remove unwanted hydrogen gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of heat pipes is known in the prior art. Furthermore, heat pipes which employ hydrogen oxidation means are also known. The prior art discloses various heat pipes. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,628 to En-Jian et al. discloses a heat pipe with a hydrogen oxidation means, specifically a sintered mixture containing Cu and CuO. U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,890 to Shimodaira et al. discloses a heat pipe with a solid oxidizing agent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,561 to Franco discloses a low temperature heat pipe with a zirconium intermetallic alloy getter material. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,561 discloses a heat pipe with a residual gas collector vessel.
In this respect, the heat pipe according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of more efficiently removing hydrogen gas from the interior of the pipe.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a heat pipe which enables improved heat transference. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of heat pipes now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new and improved heat pipe with improved hydrogen oxidization means.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a new and improved heat pipe device which reduces the amount of non-condensable hydrogen gas within its interior. The device includes a tubular enclosure formed from a lower region, an upper region, an upper end and a lower opened end, a tubular wall extending in between the upper and lower ends. The wall is formed from a ferrous metal alloy selected from the class of ferrous metal alloys including carbon steel, stainless steel and iron nickel. A first end cap is welded to the lower opened end of the enclosure. A communication port is positioned within the first end of the cap and in communication with the interior of the tubular enclosure. A second end cap is welded to the upper opened end of the enclosure. A volume of water is positioned within the lower region of the tubular enclosure, the upper region being evacuated. An active agent container is formed from a porous tube having a closed lower end and an opened upper end. A current-collecting bar is formed from copper interconnecting an interior portion of the container and the second end of the cap, the active agent being 96 percent by weight of PbO
x
and 4 percent by weight PbSO
4
, wherein x varies between 1.85 and 2.05. The active agent functions such that when non-condensable hydrogen gas is formed within the upper region of the heat pipe, it comes into contact with the active agent through the porous tube such that the hydrogen gas reacts with the active agent to form water and PbO.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved heat pipe which enables improved hydrogen gas oxidization.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat pipe which utilizes improved active agent compositions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heat pipe which employs improved containers for use in holding the active agent.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a heat pipe which, through improved materials and construction, delivers increased heat transference.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular enclosure with upper and lower ends enclosed by end caps. One such end cap employs a communication port such that a working fluid can be introduced into the interior of the pipe. Water is disclosed as the working fluid in the preferred embodiment. The water is adapted absorb heat from the surrounding atmosphere evaporate and condense in the upper portion of the pipe. Typically, a portion of the water reacts with the container to evolve non-condensable hydrogen gas. Such gas diminishes the effectiveness of the pipe. To reduce the hydrogen gas an active agent is employed. The opposite end cap of the pipe includes a container into which a volume of the active agent is positioned. A preferred active agent composition includes 96 percent by weight PbO
x
and 4 percent by weight PbSo
4
. The PbO
x
is preferably electrochemically formed, with x varying between 1.85 and 2.05.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3896042 (1975-07-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4043387 (1977-08-01), Lamp
patent: 4455998 (1984-06-01), Kroontje et al.
patent: 4586561 (1986-05-01), Franco et al.
patent: 4668424 (1987-05-01), Sandrock
patent: 4782890 (1988-11-01), Shimodaira et al.
patent: 4884628 (1989-12-01), En-Jian et al.
patent: 5703378 (1997-12-01), Sheppodd et al.
Duong Tho
Lazarus Ira S.
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