Purified Liquid Storage Receptacle and a Heat Transfer Assembly and Method of Heat Transfer

The present invention relates to a storage receptacle for purified liquids and more particularly to a novel heat transfer assembly and method for transferring heat in various structures such as a liquid storage receptacle containing purified liquids.

Various types of liquid storage receptacles combined with structures and methods for altering the temperatures of the liquids received in the liquid receptacle are known in the art of liquid purification. In this regard, attention is directed to recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,284, issued to S. L. Miller et al on May 21, 1991. FIGS. 21 and 22 of this patent teach a novel liquid receiving, insulated storage receptacle having an aluminum plate with the cold side of a thermoelectric module connected to the plate to chill liquid received in the storage receptacle and the hot side thereof connected to a heat exchange unit. Attention further is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,541, issued to Kovats et al on Aug. 16, 1983, which teaches a Peltier device for temperature control of a laser and to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,548,259, issued to S. Tezuka et al on Oct. 28, 1985 and to U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,061, issued to R. E. Shelton on Apr. 22, 1986, both of which patents teach Peltier devices associated with liquid receptacles through heat exchange devices.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved and novel apparatus and method of accomplishing cooling and heating liquid in a storage receptacle of a liquid purification system such as that disclosed in the abovementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,284 is provided. The apparatus and method of the present invention are not only straightforward, efficient and economical in manufacture and assembly, but in addition, involve a minimum of required space occupying structural parts and a minimum of method steps to accomplish rapid isothermic heat transference with an optimum usage of energy and a maximized heat transfer capability. In addition, the present invention provides a novel heat exchange assembly and a method of transferring heat in a structure which includes the provision of an extended isothermic thermally conductive surface in conjunction with a heat pipe and heat exchanger assembly, the assembly and method requiring a minimum of parts and a minimum of steps and at the same time being straightforward and efficient in manufacture and assembly with an optimum of energy usage during operations.

Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.

More particularly, the present invention provides a liquid storage receptacle for a liquid purification system comprising: liquid plenum storage means adapted to receive and store liquids therein; thermoelectric module means including two differing electrical conductors to provide hot and cold sides with one side thereof thermally cooperative with the liquid plenum to regulate the temperature of liquid stored therein; and, a heat transfer means cooperative with the other side of the thermoelectric module means, the heat transfer means including a thermally conductive surface having an enclosed extended passage conductively cooperative therewith, the enclosed extended passage including a fluid medium disposed therein at a preselected pressure to be alternatively vaporized and condensed to uniformly and adiabatically transfer the heat from the other side of the thermoelectric module to the conductive surface to bring it to an isothermic condition; and, a heat exchange means having a heat exchange barrier cooperative with the isothermic temperature conductive surface to transfer the heat on one side of the heat exchange barrier to the other side of the barrier. Further, the present invention provides a novel heat transfer assembly which includes an extended conductive surface incorporating an enclosed extended passage therein with a fluid disposed therein at a preselected pressure to be alternatively vaporized and condensed to uniformly and adiabatically transfer heat to the extended conductive surface to bring it to an isothermic condition. In addition, the present invention provides a novel heat transfer method comprising: regulating heat in a first zone; transferring heat from the first zone to a second zone through alternative expansion and condensation of a preselected medium in an enclosed passageway maintained at a preselected pressure to uniformly and adiabatically transfer the heat to the second zone to bring the second zone to an isothermic condition; and transferring the heat from the isothermic zone to a third zone.

It is to be understood that various changes can be made by one skilled in the art in one or more of the several parts of the apparatus disclosed herein and in one more of the several steps of the disclosed novel method without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings which disclose one advantageous embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a typical liquid receiving storage receptacle incorporating a bag assembly and having a conductive plate extending therethrough to include a turned portion with which the novel heat transfer assembly is cooperative;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the storage receptacle of FIG. 1 taken in a plane through line 2-2 of FIG. 1, further disclosing the novel heat transfer assembly connected to the turned portion of the conductive plate extending through the storage receptacle;

FIG. 3 is an enclosed view of the novel heat transfer assembly of FIG. 2, disclosing in phantom the closed passageway extending within the confines of the longitudinally extending thermally conductive plate to be brought to an isothermic condition;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the heat transfer assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3, disclosing in phantom the longitudinally extending enclosed passageway in the longitudinally extending thermally conductive plate and the flow-through heat exchange unit associated with the isothermic conductive plate; and,

FIG. 5 is a side view of the heat transfer assembly of FIGS. 3 and 4 disclosing in phantom a cross-section of the longitudinally extending enclosed passageway in the thermally conductive plate and a side view of the flow-through heat exchange unit with flow arrows indicating the selected direction of flow through the heat exchanger.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a liquid receiving appropriately insulated, storage receptacle 2 is disclosed similar to that set forth in abovementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,284 with a conductive plate 3, advantageously of aluminum extending therethrough below communicating cold and hot compartments 4 and 6 respectively. Each of the compartments 4 and 6 serves to receive and hold a portion of a unified liquid receiving storage bag 7 therein with larger portion 8 being disposed in cold compartment 4 and smaller portion 9, being disposed in hot compartment 6. Portions 8 and 9 are connected by throat section 11 disposed in connection channel 12. The storage receptacle 2 aforedescribed substantially conforms with that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,284 and further details thereof are not set forth herein. It is to be noted that conductive plate 3 can even include a gripping handle 15. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,284, the cold side of a thermoelectric couple of the Peltier type is disclosed as connected to the undersurface of the conductive plate with a heat exchange unit depending from the hot side thereof.

In accordance with the disclosed embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2, a unique space saving structure is employed with one extreme portion 13 of conductive plate 3 extending through storage receptacle 2 and turned upwardly at a right angle, to face an outer insulated side of receptacle 2 and to thermally and conductively support thermoelectric module 14 through which an electric current is passed and including cold and hot sides 16 and 17 respectively, with the cold side 16 connected to right angle portion 13 and the hot side 17 connected to the inventive heat transfer assembly 18. It is to be understood that the present invention is not to be considered as limited to the particular two compartment bag containing liquid storage receptacle as shown, but that storage receptacles of any one of a number of different geometric configurations and insulative arrangements with differently located and differently sized thermally conductive plate members can be utilized. Also, it is to be understood that a number of different thermoelectric modules can be used, the modules being made from different semiconductor materials, heavily doped to create an excess and deficiency of electrons with the heat absorbed at the cold junction or side 16 being pumped to the hot junction or side 17 in a manner known in the Peltier thermocouple art at a rate proportional to the carrier current passing through the circuit and to the number of couples employed.

The novel heat transfer assembly 18 of the present invention thermally and conductively communicating with the hot side 17 of thermo-electric module 14 includes a longitudinally extending conductive plate member 19 having one side face thereof in facing conductive contact with the hot side 17 of the thermo-electric module 14 and the opposite side face in facing thermally conductive contact with heat exchange unit 21. Advantageously, longitudinally extending plate member 19 can be of a suitable aluminum material having high thermally conductive qualities. It is to be understood that plate member 19 can be of a number of geometric configurations and sections conductively joined or it can be integrally formed. In the embodiment disclosed plate member 19 is formed of one integral thermally conductive longitudinally extending rectangular member of two stepped sections 22 and 23 which are coincident in length, but different in breadth and thickness with step section 22 being of smaller breadth than step section 23, the stepped sections 22 and 23 serve to include a longitudinally extending, fully enclosed recess or passageway 24 therein. This passageway 24 advantageously is configured to provide two subpassages 26 and 27 which longitudinally extend upwardly from a lower communicating centrally disposed apex portion upwardly and outwardly to subtend an angle of at least approximately one hundred and seventy degrees (170.degree.) and advantageously an angle of approximately one hundred and sixty-five degrees (165.degree.). The recess itself, since it is closed at the extremities thereof, can serve to create a heat pipe effect or it can incorporate a commercially available sealed thermally conductive heat pipe 29 therein of similar configuration but of lesser diameter than the recess. Heat pipe 29 is arranged to include a preselected small quantity of vaporizable and condensible fluid medium which advantageously can be non-corrosive, purified water maintained at a preselected temperature relative to ambient to be evaporated and condensed in the heat pipe 29 so as to uniformly and adiabatically transfer heat from the hot side 17 of the thermoelectric module 14 to the small section 22 and the large section 23 of the integral, longitudinally extending conductive plate member 19 to bring plate member 19 to an isothermic condition so as to isothermically conduct heat. Since the heat pipe functions effectively with a low differential temperature by using latent heat through evaporation and condensation of the fluid in a fully enclosed environment, this serves to lessen the differential temperature experienced by thermoelectric module 14, thus increasing the heat pumping capacity of module 14 and requiring comparatively less energy input. The heat of plate member 19 is conducted to the open-end, flow-through housing 31 of heat exchange unit 21 conductively fastened to the other side of the large section 23 of thermally conductive plate member 19. Flow-through housing 31 also can be of a thermally conductive material, such as aluminum. Flow-through housing 31 advantageously can include a heat exchange barrier comprised of at least one tier of thermally conductive v-shape pleated fin members 32 which can be of aluminum foil. Pleated fin members 32 are so positioned in flow-through arrangement in open-end flow-through housing 31 to allow heat conducted thereby to be transferred to an ambient air stream directed to flow through housing 31 as indicated in FIG. 5 by the flow arrows. It is to be understood that in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention temperatures on the hot side of thermoelectric module can reach as high as approximately 100.degree. F. and the pressure within heat pipe 29 can be preselected accordingly. It further is to be understood that the cold and hot side of the thermoelectric module structure disclosed can be utilized in reverse to apply heat to the liquid receptacle 2 through hot side 17 of thermoelectric module 14 with temperatures on the cold side 16 being at approximately 34.degree. F. and the pressure within heat pipe 29 being preselected accordingly. It further is to be understood that various configurations can be utilized for passageway 24, including spaced parallel passageways and subpassageways with the communication apex portion above the subpassageways. Further, if the configuration of the passageway or sub-passageways warrant, heat pipe wicks and wick linings can be employed, as deemed warranted.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention a unique heat transfer method for heat transfer is provided including the steps of regulating heat in a first thermally conductive zone, transferring the heat from the first thermally conductive zone to a second thermally conductive zone through alternative expansion and condensation of a preselected medium such as water in an enclosed thermally conductive passageway maintained at a preselected pressure to uniformly and adiabatically transfer the heat to the second thermally conductive zone to bring the second zone into an isothermic condition, and then transferring the heat from the isothermic zone to a third conductive zone.

From the above, it can be seen that a unique compact and efficient heat transfer assembly and method for regulating heat in a liquid storage receptacle is provided. The inventive arrangement provides for straightforward manufacture and assembly with a minimum of parts and a minimum of steps, requiring a comparatively minimum of energy in operation .