Abstract: A highly effective and efficient dry cooling system for dissipating waste heat of a steam-electric generating power plant. The dry cooling system includes an assembly of cells or modules having passively acting heat pipes installed in a Y configuration in each module. These heat pipes thermally couple the exhaust steam from a turbine flowing in a graded duct with the atmosphere. A large fan mounted at the top of each module is driven to induce air flow past exterior heat pipe portions of the module to dissipate heat picked up from the steam in the duct. The steam condensate flows down the graded duct and collects in a hot well for return as boiler feedwater. Steam from the boiler drives the turbine and is exhausted into the graded duct to repeat the cycle.

Abstract: A separable heat pipe assembly for stabilizing the generally frozen soil adjacent and supporting a structural member or foundation in permafrost or similar regions, including a cooperative combination of a tubular structure installed in a permafrost environment, a heat pipe element having its lower portion installed in the structure and positioned at least in proximity longitudinally to the wall of the structure, and soil or other substance filling the space remaining between the lower element portion and the structure wall. The upper portion of the heat pipe element has a thicker wall than its lower portion and can be provided with threads thereon. A sleeve-type radiator can be provided with complementary threads therein so that the radiator can be threadedly engaged to the upper element portion. The depth and pitch of the threads can be changed to vary the heat transfer surface area obtainable between the engaged radiator and upper element portion.

Abstract: A separable heat pipe assembly for stabilizing the generally frozen soil adjacent and supporting a structural member or foundation in permafrost or similar regions, including a cooperative combination of a sheath installed in the frozen soil and a closely mating heat pipe element normally inserted into the sheath with a substance of good thermal conductivity filling the small void remaining therebetween. The underground sheath preferably has a plurality of heat gathering fins and the mated heat pipe element preferably has an integral radiator section protruding aboveground. The thermal substance is preferably a liquid mixture of water and ethylene glycol, for example, mixed in a selected ratio.