Abstract: In a device for elevating liquids a heat exchanging vessel to be neated by an exterior source of heat is connected with a discharge pipe arranged to elevate doses of liquid, so that for performing a thermodynamic cycle the liquid to be elevated is used as a working medium, the liquid is introduced into the heat exchanger after an end or before a beginning of each thermodynamic cycle in a quantity which does not exceed a quantity required for one thermodynamic cycle and is heated in the heat exchanger, and issuance of the elevated liquid is performed under the action of pressure difference which acts on the discharge pipe and which has a value not exceeding a value of pressure difference which elevates a dose of liquid.

Abstract: A geyser pump and a geyser pumped heat transfer system having a multitude of heat absorbing tubes from which heated liquid is pumped into a vapor/liquid separator by geyser action enhanced by positive vapor bubble generation apparatus and flow control methods. A vapor condenser in communication with the separator recovers heat contained in the vapor bubbles and maintains low separator pressure. Pumping starts and stops in response to temperature differences and the pumping rate is proportional to the heating rate. For bubble generation a small volume of the working fluid is isolated in good thermal contact with the absorbing tube and an aperture is formed in communication between the isolated volume and the main volume of working fluid. The small volume of working fluid can be enclosed by inserting into the geyser pump tube a device in the form of a flanged cylinder or a U-shaped tube. Vapor forms readily in the isolated volume and a vapor.+-.

Abstract: A passive heat transfer system is provided wherein the vapor generated by the boiling of a working fluid is harnessed to transport the working fluid from a heat source to a heat sink below the heat source. A passive circulation unit is installed in a heat transfer system between the outlet port of a heat collector and a collector drain duct that leads to a heat sink that is positioned below the heat collector. In preferred embodiments, a collector feed duct permits fluid to return to the heat collector from the heat sink and a check valve prevents flow in the opposite direction. The passive circulation unit includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber disposed in vertical array, with the lower end of the lower chamber being positioned above the heat collector outlet port. In the simplest embodiment the two chambers are connected by a vent duct that leads from the bottom region of the lower chamber to the top region of the upper chamber.

Abstract: A liquid film evaporation type heat exchanger including a plurality of heat transfer units, with each unit including a plurality of flat heat transfer ducts of square cross section formed with a plurality of warm water passageways extending perpendicular to the direction of flow of a liquid medium, and a plurality of liquid distributing beams formed with a pluraity of cutouts. The heat transfer ducts and the liquid distributing beams being alternately arranged in the respective units, with the heat transfer units being arranged at locations spaced apart from each other in the direction of flow of the liquid medium. Vapor releasing ports are formed in positions between the adjacent heat transfer units. Each heat transfer duct has on either side surface thereof a porous material layer providing a heat exchange surface on which a film of the liquid medium is formed for evaporation.

Abstract: A vapor pressure pump for delivering a liquid into a system operating at a higher pressure or located at a higher level by action of a vapor pressure produced from a portion of the liquid to be delivered. The pump comprises a closed reservoir for liquid, which includes an unidirectional liquid inlet, an unidirectional liquid outlet, a vapor exhaust valve adapted to balance the pressure between the unidirectional liquid inlet and the reservoir during its filling. The pump also comprises a vapor generator for producing vapor inside the reservoir at a pressure sufficient to force out the liquid contained therein through the liquid outlet, and a control device for operating the vapor generator only when the liquid fed by the liquid inlet has reached a predetermined level in the reservoir.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for circulating a heat transfer liquid from a heat collector, which is generally but not essentially a solar collector, to a heat exchanger or heat storage means which is located at a level below that of the heat collector without the use of any externally powered pumps. The heat transfer liquid is at least partially vaporized in the steeply sloped collector and the vapor/liquid rises in a series of "slugs" to a condenser located adjacent the top end thereof. The vapor is condensed and the hot liquid is forced downwardly to the heat exchanger by the pressure of the rising slugs of vapor and liquid. After giving up useful heat in the heat exchanger the now cooled liquid is recirculated to the condenser and thence to the collector.

Abstract: A heat transfer apparatus comprises an evaporating chamber having arranged in the interior thereof essentially coaxially therewith a vaporizer fabricated from capillary material permeable to a heat transfer fluid and adapted to maintain a thermal contact with a heat source, and a condenser chamber. The vaporizer is provided with vapor release passages communicable with a vapor header, and a longitudinal axial passage communicable with each of two end cavities. Each of the end cavities is defined by the end surface of the vaporizer and the walls of the chamber. A zone of the condenser chamber containing the heat transfer fluid in a vapor phase communicates with the vapor header of the vaporizer by way of a first pipe, while the zone thereof containing the heat transfer fluid in a liquid phase communicates by way of a second pipe with the evaporating chamber.

Abstract: A method for thermally pumping volatile liquids and a pump for use therewith. The pump has an inlet liquid cooled pump chamber having therein a porous inlet membrane and a porous exit membrane defining between them a pump volume. The membranes are permeable to the liquid phase of the fluid being pumped but, when saturated with liquid, are not permeable to the vapor phase of the fluid. A passive check valve system permitting the passage of liquid but preventing the passage of vapor therethrough is thus formed by the membranes. A baffle plate with a heater located in a concavity therein is positioned in the pump volume adjacent the inlet membrane. The pump output is connected to the inlet of a suitable heat transfer system preferably of the heat-pipe type. With the pump filled with liquid, pumping is initiated by turning on the heater, forming a vapor bubble in the liquid in the pump volume.

Abstract: A heat-transporting device includes an evaporating chamber containing a coaxially-arranged evaporator in a capillary material soaked with a heat-transfer agent, said evaporator being in thermal contact with a source of heat and having an axial bore with a transverse partition in the capillary material, a vapor-jet pump serving to transform the dynamic pressure of the heat-transfer agent in the vapor phase into the static pressure of the heat-transfer agent in the liquid phase, and a heat-exchanging chamber. The evaporating chamber is provided with two end face cavities each bounded by the corresponding end face of the evaporator and walls of the chamber.

Abstract: An electric thermostatically controlled drip coffeemaker has a generally upright C-shaped housing with a lower horizontal leg having a heated carafe support, an upper horizontal leg having a water spreader, and a vertical leg enclosing an accessible water reservoir. An electrically heated hot water generator in the lower leg has an inlet connected to the water reservoir and an outlet connected to the spreader by tubes through a separate definitive condenser located in the vertical leg entirely below the reservoir. The condenser includes an elongated generally cylindrical member larger in cross section than the connecting tubes and having an off-center radially directed water inlet from the hot water generator at the bottom thereof. Shaped and aligned baffle and flow directing means are disposed in the member to impart a non-swirling, vortex preventing, upward flow to the heated water. A captured, limited travel ball check valve disposed in an outlet at the top of the member permits vertical outflow only.

Abstract: An electric drip coffeemaker has a generally upright C-shaped housing with a lower horizontal leg having a heated carafe support, an upper horizontal leg having a water spreader, and a vertical leg enclosing an accessible water reservoir. An electrically heated hot water generator in the lower leg below the carafe support has an inlet connected to the reservoir through a one-way inlet valve and an outlet connected to the spreader by tubes through an interposed separate definitive steam condenser located in the vertical leg entirely below the reservoir. The condenser includes a plenum chamber larger in cross section than the connecting tubes and has a single inlet for water from the hot water generator at its bottom and a single outlet to the spreader at its top. A check valve in the chamber outlet permits only unidirectional water outflow from the condenser to create a "scrubbing" effect cleansing the passages of mineral deposits and preventing clogging.

Abstract: A high concentration gradient across a solvent permeable membrane (20), separating the solution and solvent reservoirs (12, 16) or an osmotic pumped heat pipe (10), is effected by inducing convection currents across the membrane material on its solution reservoir side (34). The induced convection current is created by the difference in densities of rich and lean solute-solvent mixtures which are caused respectively to traverse separate paths (40, 42). These convection currents sweep and mix with the solvent which has been freshly pumped through the membrane from the solution reservoir side (34).

Abstract: A refrigerating apparatus with at least two evaporators which are controlled at different temperatures by a refrigerant, a vapor bubble pump for pumping the refrigerant, a vapor bubble pump for pumping the refrigerant and a delayer located in the conduit path in which the refrigerant flows when said vapor bubble pump is not in operation for delaying the refrigerant flow therethrough.

Abstract: A plant watering system that is controlled and operated in cycles by the heating effects of the sun, the system including a sealed water supply tank; a metering reservoir having a water supply conduit connected to the supply tank for delivering water from the supply tank to the metering reservoir, a float operated ball valve, and a triggering mechanism for releasing water from the metering reservoir; and, a distribution tank having an air relief conduit connected to the supply tank, a float operated pressure relief valve for releasing vapor pressure in the water supply tank through the air relief conduit; and, a distribution network for distributing the water to one or more plants, the system being operated by exposing the water supply tank to the sun causing delivery of water to the metering reservoir by vapor pressure in the tank, the metering tank releasing the water to the distribution tank for distribution when a predetermined quantity of water in the metering reservoir is obtained, the released water in

Abstract: A coffee brewing device of the percolator type. Fundamentally, the invention comprises a pot for receiving liquid therein and having positioned at the bottom thereof a cylindrical pump member characterized by an essentially flat top and by a tubular pump chamber of greater radial length than the vertical depth of the pump chamber at the top of the pump member. Six to ten uniform holes or orifices of a total area of between about 0.0258 and 0.043 square inches are provided in uniformly spaced relationship about the bottom of the pump assembly. Received within the pump is a dual element fat-topped heater consisting of a core having two heating element wires wrapped thereabout in a parallel spiraling fashion. The flat top of the pump member is spaced from between 1/16" and 1/8" from the flat top of the heater.

Abstract: A coffee maker pump for conveying fluid from a well area to a container for coffee grounds is provided with a restricted outlet opening for controlling the delivery of such fluid to the grounds in said container, and a by-pass opening intermediate the ends of said pump for relieving back pressure therewithin produced by said restriction. The amount of water which is supplied to the coffee grounds by said pump may be controlled by changing the size of the outlet restriction, or the size of the by-pass opening, or both thereby changing the back pressure in the pump stem which directly effects the amount of water delivered by the outlet end to the grounds retained within the container.

Abstract: Fluid heating arrangements and methods are provided wherein liquid is caused to flow through a fluid permeable electrical resistance heater body. Prior to the heater body, the liquid passes through a fluid permeable flow control member which offers a uniform resistance to the entire flow of the liquid. Static pressure head of the fluid varies over the entry surface of the flow control member, and the permeability of the combination of the heater body and the flow control member are such as to cause a pressure drop in the fluid greater than the variations in static pressure head of the fluid at the entry surface of the flow control member. This promotes a uniform flow of the fluid through the heater body even in the presence of significant differences in static pressure head over the fluid entry surface of the flow control member.