Abstract: A heat exchanger which uses a drag reduction fluid as one of its two heat transfer media has a heat transfer plate formed with irregularities.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling temperature within a housing (200) comprises a thermal storage device (102) for maintaining a controlled temperature within the housing, and a thermal transfer arrangement (104) for selectively transferring heat between the thermal storage device and the external environment so as to effect thermal storage in the storage device, the thermal storage device comprising a thermal storage medium which is in direct contact with the thermal transfer arrangement. A further aspect of the invention is disclosed, in which a plurality of thermal storage devices are provided, each one being separate from the other such devices.

Abstract: Heat exchanger, consisting of a reservoir, having upwardly directed tubes that are flowed through by a liquid to be heated and by fluidized bed particles for cleaning the tubes internally. Connected to the reservoir is an external downcomer (2) for receiving fluidized bed particles coming from the top box (21) of the reservoir and to be conveyed again to the bottom box (25) of the reservoir. Provided in the downcomer (2) is an inner tube (1) of smaller diameter, which is open at its bottom end (5) and provided, directly below the closed top end (9), with openings (8) for effecting a circulation flow in the downcomer (2).

Abstract: A low electromagnetic radiation emissions heat sink that dissipates heat away from an integrated circuit package by means of conduction to the electronic chassis. The heat sink may also include a ferrite ring for reducing electromagnetic radiation emissions from the integrated circuit package by increasing the electrical impedance of the EMI transmission path between the integrated circuit package and the electronic chassis, thus reducing the capacitive coupling and RFI concerns of conductive heat dissipation. The heat sink of the present invention may also include fins that are external to the electronic chassis for greater heat dissipation by means of external air convection.

Abstract: A device for the storage and transfer of thermal energy that includes a thermal reservoir maintained at or about its freezing or melting point temperature for storing a quantity of latent thermal energy, a thermal conductor between the thermal reservoir and an external substance, and a means for recharging the reservoir to maintain it at or about its freezing point.

Abstract: A sorption cooling exchanger module and a process for its use in sorption cooling processes is described. The apparatus, provides high efficiency sorption cooling operations by maintaining a characteristic diffusion distance between fin plates such that the sorption cooling process can be carried out with short cycle times which increase the efficiency of the sorption cooling process and increases the specific power. The apparatus comprises an adsorption zone comprising an adsorbent layer comprising a coating of adsorbent or comprising a paper layer containing a selective adsorbent. For sorption cooling processes, the heat transfer zone is disposed in tubes disposed normal to the fin plates. The apparatus provides an opportunity to provide an adsorber/generator module having a high fin plate density per unit length of tube without the characteristic diffusion distance becoming equal to the height of the fin from the tube resulting in an improvement in efficiency.

Abstract: Venting difficulties in a heat battery including a first container (10) for housing a heat storage salt that may be in the solid phase or in the liquid phase, a heat exchanger (22) within the container (10) and a second container (12) surrounding the first container (10) in generally spaced relation to provide an insulating space (14) about the first container (10) along with coolant inlet and outlet connections (40, 42) to the heat exchanger (22) are avoided in a vent system (52) including a vent inlet (66) generally centrally located in the top wall (56) of the first container (10) generally centrally of the ends thereof. A vent passage includes a check valve (106) located in close proximity to the vent opening (66) and the vent opening is surrounded by a cup shaped baffle (60) having an opening (62) facing the interior of the container (10). A filter (78) is located between the check valve (106) and the opening (62) to the baffle (60).

Abstract: A refrigerant passage formed by a pair of metallic thin plates therebetween is divided into many subpassages by a corrugated inner fin. The subpassages are independent from one another and are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the thin plates. An inlet tank portion is provided at an end of the refrigerant passage, and communicating portions are provided between the inlet tank portion and the subpassages. One of the communicating portions provided at an air upstream side in an air flow direction has a flow resistance of refrigerant smaller than that of the other communicating portion provided on an air downstream side. Accordingly, an amount of the refrigerant flowing in the subpassages on the air downstream side is controlled to be smaller than that on the air upstream side.

Abstract: A new use for thermionic vacuum diode technology is disclosed wherein a vacuum diode is constructed using very low work function electrodes. A negative potential bias is applied to the cathode relative to the anode, and electrons are emitted. In the process of emission the electrons carry off kinetic energy, carrying heat away from the cathode and dissipating it at an opposing anode. The resulting heat pump is more efficient than conventional cooling methods, as well as being substantially scalable over a wide range of applications. Fabrication using conventional microelectronic fabrication techniques is possible.

Abstract: An improved thermal energy storage system and a process for thermal energy storage and transfer are disclosed. The cooling medium, a clathrate forming mixture, comprises water, and a hydrofluorocarbon having at least three carbon atoms and a molecular diameter less than about 7 .ANG.. Preferably the hydrofluorocarbon is selected from hydrofluoropropanes and more preferably is selected from the group consisting of CHF.sub.2 CHFCHF.sub.2, CF.sub.2 HCF.sub.2 CH.sub.2 F, CF.sub.3 CHFCH.sub.2 F, CF.sub.3 CH.sub.2 CF.sub.2 H, CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 CHFCF.sub.2 H, CF.sub.3 CH.sub.2 CF.sub.3, CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 H, CH.sub.2 FCF.sub.2 CF.sub.3, CHF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 H, and CF.sub.3 CFHCFHCF.sub.3.

Abstract: A spring clip manufactured from a single piece of metal for attaching an electronic component to a heat sink for defining a heat dissipation assembly. The spring clip comprises a main body having a bend with a cantilever on one side of the bend and a mounting region terminating in an engaging edge on the other side of the bend. Outriggers project perpendicularly from both sides of the mounting region and extend beyond the engaging edge In the assembly outriggers project through slots in the heat sink and the electronic component is secured between one side of the heat sink and the engaging edge of the spring clip. The outriggers preferably include retaining members which abut the opposite side of the heat sink thereby resisting rotation of the spring clip relative to the heat sink.

Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning system includes a controller for controlling operation of an air-conditioner unit and operation of a seat heating and cooling device in interlocked relation such that operating conditions of the air-conditioner unit are automatically changed on the basis of the temperature of a vehicle seat, operating conditions of the seat heating and cooling device, or setting information of the seat heating and cooling device, or alternatively operating conditions of the seat heating and cooling device are automatically changed on the basis of the operating conditions of the air-conditioner unit or setting information of the air-conditioner unit.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes a refrigerant tank having a surface to which heating devices are attached and containing liquid refrigerant which is boiled and evaporated by heat transferred from the heating devices, and a radiator for radiating heat of the boiled and vaporized refrigerant in a radiating passage thereof. In the radiating passage, a inner fin and a projection to position and fix the inner fin are provided, and a predetermined gap is provided between the projection and a bottom surface of the radiating passage. Thus the refrigerant condensed and liquefied in the radiating passage can reach an outflow communicating portion while flowing through the fluid passage formed as the gap.

Abstract: A control apparatus controls a vehicular air-conditioning system to control a fuel-combustion heater for producing combustion heat to heat a heating medium in a heating medium circuit which heats air flowing through a duct having air outlets openable into a passenger compartment, through heat exchange between the heating medium and the air with a heat exchanger disposed in the duct. The control apparatus has a shutdown controller for temporarily shutting down the fuel-combustion heater and an extinguishing controller for extinguishing the fuel-combustion heater based on a signal from the shutdown controller. The shutdown controller includes a shutdown signal entering unit for entering a shutdown signal to temporarily shut down the fuel-combustion heater and a shutdown signal canceler for canceling the shutdown signal in response to a canceling signal entered to cancel the shutdown of the fuel-combustion heater within a predetermined period of time after the shutdown signal has been entered.

Abstract: A passive cooling system for cooling an enclosure containing electronic components. A hollowed portion of the enclosure is formed as an integral heat pipe containing a working fluid. The hollowed portion has an evaporator section located at the top and a condenser section located at the bottom. The enclosure also has hollowed side walls which serve as passage ways for the working fluid to flow through in between the evaporator and condenser sections. Gravity and the pressure of evaporation force the working fluid down to the condenser section. A wick is provided for returning the working fluid to the evaporator section by capillary action. Additionally, an ultrasonic transducer driven by the heat rejected from the condenser section may be used to help return the working fluid to the evaporator section. Finally, a check valve may be employed before the evaporator section for the working fluid to flow through.

Abstract: Input/output chamber for a fluid, for part of a body (1) of an apparatus in which this fluid circulates, this part of the body including a face (3) for inlet or outlet of the said fluid, the chamber (6A) being intended to be connected with a leaktight joint to this face. At least part of the chamber consists of at least one spherical or ellipsoidal portion (20A) and of sectors of cones (22A) tangential to this spherical or ellipsoidal portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a casing for an electronic device which includes a heat dissipation layer, inner and outer insulative layers along either side of the heat dissipation layer, and a heat pipe which has a portion in thermal-transfer contact with the heat dissipation layer. The heat dissipation layer has a thermal conductivity in a first range whereas the insulative layers have a thermal conductivity in a different, lower range. Preferably, the inner layer is either thicker than the outer layer, has a lower thermal conductivity than the outer layer, or both. Vent holes can be provided through the heat dissipation layer, and, if so, the holes are preferably covered by either the inner or outer layers. Only a portion of the casing need have the foregoing heat dissipation layer, inner and outer insulative layers, and heat pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out a physical and/or chemical process, such as a heat exchanger, including a reservoir in which a series of riser pipes (2) are arranged. Disposed in the reservoir (1) is a fluidized bed of granular material. The apparatus includes means for circulating the particles of the fluidized bed through the riser pipes (2), which means include a downcomer (15) arranged outside the reservoir (1), this downcomer being closed off at the bottom end by an inclined closing plate (16). Above the closing plate (16), via a bypass line (17), a part of the medium to be treated is fed to the particle bed resting on the plate (16).

Abstract: A cooling apparatus using boiling and condensing refrigerant for cooling a heat generating unit, includes a refrigerant tank having a wall surface, for containing the refrigerant therein, a heat generating unit boiling the refrigerant in the refrigerant tank by heating, and a radiator disposed in communication with the refrigerant tank for condensing and liquefying the boiling refrigerant in the tank. An interior of the refrigerant tank is partitioned into a vapor passage for leading the boiling refrigerant to the radiator, a condensed liquid passage in which the condensed and liquefied refrigerant flows downwardly, and a communication path formed at a lower side thereof for communicating between the vapor passage and the condensed liquid passage. The condensed liquid passage is defined by a part of the wall surface.

Abstract: A separation device comprises a vessel (1) having an essentially circular cylindrical shape around a center axis (2), a first passage (4) provided in the cylindrical wall of the vessel and a second passage (5), provided in the cylindrical wall of the vessel on a diametrically opposite part thereof. An enclosure means (6) is provided in the vessel (1) to enclose a bed (7) of particulate material and comprises a first and second enclosure panel (8, 9) provided inside the first and second passages (4, 5), respectively, at a distance therefrom to provide a flow distribution space (11) therebetween and being perforated (15) to permit fluid flow therethrough. Each of said enclosure panels (8, 9) has an outer surface which is essentially parallel with the center axis (2) and convex seen from the respective passage (4,5).