Refrigeration – Consumable products produced by cooling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2001-06-12
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Consumable products produced by cooling
C062S076000, C062S330000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244052
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing phase change ice particulate perfluorocarbon slurries of very high fluidity, cooling capacity and stability.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Phase change slurries in the form of high concentrations of small ice particles in a liquid carrier have dramatically increased coolant capacity as compared to other liquids such as single phase water or other liquids involving no heat of fusion effects. Phase change ice slurries developed by the present inventor Kenneth F. Kasza have been used for cooling in large building complexes. The development of ice slurries by the inventor for cooling buildings has shown that ice particles suspended in water or other carrier liquid, if engineered to have the correct characteristics, can be pumped as readily as water and are stable for significant periods of time without agglomeration where ice particles freeze together or entangle in clusters. The cooling capacity of such a slurry can be 5 to 10 times, depending on the particular loading in the carrier liquid, that of an equal amount of water which exhibits only sensible heat cooling capacity. For use in cooling buildings, the particles preferably are small relative to the conduit diameter, not loaded to a level of more than 30% ice in order to enhance delivery to the target cooling zone, and relatively smooth to avoid particle entanglement and formation of large clusters. Small additions of certain types of chemicals, such as freezing point depressants, when added to a slurry during an appropriate time when making the slurry, have been shown to dramatically improve the fluidity and storability of the slurry by altering the microscale features (smoothing) of the individual particles comprising the slurry.
A need exists for an improved method and apparatus for producing phase change ice particulate perfluorocarbon slurries. It is desirable to produce phase change particulate perfluorocarbon slurries with high cooling capacity, fluidity, and stability, for example for use to induce targeted protective hypothermia of human organs/tissue during medical treatment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for producing phase change particulate perfluorocarbon slurries.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a phase change ice particulate perfluorocarbon slurry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In brief, a phase change particulate perfluorocarbon slurry and a method and apparatus are provided for producing phase change particulate perfluorocarbon slurries. A known amount of perfluorocarbon liquid is provided. A set percentage of a phase change liquid is added to the known amount of perfluorocarbon liquid. The phase change liquid and the perfluorocarbon liquid are mixed to produce an emulsion of small droplets of the phase change liquid in the perfluorocarbon liquid. The emulsion is cooled to produce the phase change particulate perfluorocarbon slurry.
A phase change ice particulate perfluorocarbon slurry comprises a known amount of perfluorocarbon liquid and a set percentage of a phase change liquid added to the known amount of perfluorocarbon liquid. An emulsion is formed by the set percentage of a phase change liquid and the known amount of perfluorocarbon liquid. The phase change ice particulate perfluorocarbon slurry is formed by cooling the emulsion to a freezing point.
In accordance with features of the invention, the phase change liquid includes water or a saline solution. The phase change liquid is immiscible in the perfluorocarbon liquid and has a higher freezing point than the perfluorocarbon liquid. The phase change particulate perfluorocarbon slurry is formed by cooling the emulsion to a freezing point of the phase change liquid to produce the phase change ice particulate perfluorocarbon slurry. A set percentage of water is provided in a range between about 5% and 50%. A set percentage of saline solution is provided in a range between about 0.5% and 6.0%.
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patent: 5218828 (1993-06-01), Hino
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patent: 6012298 (2000-01-01), Goldstein
Copending provisional application by Kenneth E. Kasza et al., filed Aug. 2, 1999, provisional application No. 60/146,753 and entitled Method for Inducing Hypothermia.
Pennington Joan
Tapolcai William E.
The University of Chicago
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