US3556205A

US3556205A - Underwater heat generator

Info

Publication number: US3556205A
Application number: US780431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ness Jr Van Harwood
Original assignee: Aro Corp
Current assignee: Aro Corp
Priority date: 1968-12-02
Filing date: 1968-12-02
Publication date: 1971-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-19

Abstract

The fuel used is concentrated hydrogen peroxide which has high energy content and has a simple decomposition into water and oxygen. It is stored in an expulsion tank and responsive to control temperature is fed through a warmup heat exchanger to a catalyst reactor where it breaks down into steam and hot oxygen. This passes through a main heat exchanger where it heats a heat transfer medium being recirculated by a pump through the apparatus being served and then again passes through the warmup heat exchanger to preheat the incoming hydrogen peroxide fuel. In a more complex form, the hot water or steam and hot oxygen drive a turbine motivating the pump; the water is removed from the oxygen to permit the latter to be used for breathing purposes; and a substantially constant buoyance is maintained by an oxygen filled bellows in the expulsion tank.

Description

United States Patent Van Ness Harwood, Jr.

[72] Inventor Amherst, N.Y. [21] Appl. No. 780,431 [22] Filed Dec. 2, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 19, 1971 [73] Assignee The Arc Corporation Bryan, Ohio a corporation of Delaware [54] UNDERWATER HEAT GENERATOR 12 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 165/46, 23/282, 126/204 [51] Int. Cl F28b 13/00 [50] Field of Search 165/46; 126/204; 128/142.5, 399, 400; 2/2, 2.1; 23/282; 128/203 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,182,653 5/1965 Mavleus et al 126/204 3,367,319 2/1968 Carter Jr. 2/2.1X 3,385,286 5/1968 Jones 126/204 Primary ExaminerRobert A. OLeary Assistant Examiner-Theophil W. Streule Attorney-Sommer and Weber ABSTRACT: The fuel used is concentrated hydrogen peroxide which has high energy content and has a simple decomposition into water and oxygen. It is stored in an expulsion tank and responsive to control temperature is fed through a warmup heat exchanger to a catalyst reactor where it breaks down into steam and hot oxygen. This passes through a main heat exchanger where it heats a heat transfer medium being recirculated by a pump through the apparatus being served and then again passes through the warmup heat exchanger to preheat the incoming hydrogen peroxide fuel. In a more complex form, the hot water or steam and! hot oxygen drive a turbine motivating the pump; the water is removed from the oxygen to permit the latter to be used for breathing purposes; and a substantially constant buoyance is maintained by an oxygen filled bellows in the expulsion tank.

PATENTED JAN 1 9 l9?| sum 1 or 2 Kr B d E T WN W w v w T N IO A H S S e N W F VM 6 CATALYST REACTOR PATENTEUJAMQIBII Y 3556.205

' suznzurz T0 BREATHING EQUIPMENT INVENTOR.

Von Ness Horwood, Jr. BY

ATTORNE YS wa ww UNDERWATER HEAT GENERATOR The generator is illustrated as serving a diver's suit and in exchange relationlwith the body of theldiver. FIG. 2 is an enlarged section through thesetubes-and the undergarment to which they are attached and through the outer wet suit of the diver. FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates the components of the heat generator of FIG. 1 and which heats the recirculating water supplied to the diver's suit. FIG. .4 is a view similar to FIG. '1 showinga modified form of heat generator for heating oxygen for breathing. FIG. 5 is a viewl similar to FIG. 3 showing the components of the modified. form .of'heat generator shown in FlG d. J

. olven'ssuirxuoirs HEAT EXCHANGE svsrerv respectively, these outer garments being loosely and removably joined togetherso that water 23 can enter the suit and come in contact with the body of the diver.

A systemj of flexible heat exchange tuhes is built into the undergarment for heating the body of the diver. Water as a heat transfer medium is recirculated from a heating pack via a line 30 through a disconnect 31 to a line '32 leading to a ,main supply manifold34 suitably attached to the middle portion of the diver's undergarment 10. From this manifold a seriesof flexible heat exehange tubes 35 extend in spaced relation to one another along the leg and foot portions l4, of the diver's undergarment to a manifold 36 attached to these foot portions; As best shown in FIG. 2, these tubes are preferably stitched to the exterior of the cloth forming the undergarment 10 on the exterior sideflthereof so asto be immersed in'the water 23 between the body of the diver and theouter garment 16 so that the heat of the liquid passing through these tubes is transmitted through this water to the body of the diver. A return line 38 receives the warm liquid from each boot manifold 36 and conducts it to a pair of manifolds 39 attached to the hood portion 11 of the undergarment 10. Flexible heat exchange tubes 40 stitched in spacedrelation to the exterior of the hoodiportion ll of the diver's undergarment 10 conduct this warm heat transfer liquid in heat exchange relation to the diver's head to an outlet manifold 41. The outlet line 42 from this manifold 41 is attached by a quick disconnect 43 to i the return line 44 to the heating pack.

i To heat the torso, arms, and hands of the diver, a plurality HEAT GENERATOR FIGURES 1 AND 3 A simpler form of underwater heat generator is designated at 50 in which the heated water supply. line 30 is shown as connected with the discharge of a water circulating pump 52 the inlet line 53 of which extends into a thermally insulated rigid closed cell foam shell 55 although other forms of thermal insulation could be used. This pump is shown as driven by a batthe recirculating water supplied to the diver's suit, as well as tery-actuatedelectric motor 54, but other forms of motivation of the pumpcould be used, asshown in the modified form of the invention.

The pump inlet line 53 connects with a main heat exchanger 56. In this heat exchanger the water is heated to the required temperature and passes to the pump inlet line 53 to be returnedby the pump 52 to the suit via the heated water supply line 30. A thermostat valve 59 has its sensitive element 60 immersed in the water admitted through the return line 44 to the main heat exchanger 56, so as to be responsive to a control temperature, and it is set by means of a manual control shaft 61 extending exteriorly of the insulated shell 55 and having a manual knob 62 which can be turned. by the diver to in crease or decrease the suit temperature.

This heat is derived from a, body 65 of concentrated hydrogen peroxide contained within a chamber 66 of an expulsion tank 68 preferably made. from aluminum both because it is a preferred material for use in contact with concentrated hydrogen peroxide and also because it is conveniently light in weight. This tank is shown as being in; the form of two cylindrical end heads 68a and 68b which are fitted together at their mating ends between which ends is'held the rim of a rolling diaphragm 70. This rolling diaphragm is of cup-shaped cylindrical form with a cup-shaped cylindrical piston 71 secured centrally to the side of the rolling diaphragm remote from the chamber 66 and opening into the chamber 72 formed by the cylindrical end head 68a. This piston 71, and hence the rolling The chamber 66 is filled with the body 65 of hydrogen peroxide in any suitable manner as through an inlet line 75 andexternal fill coupling76 and the hydrogen peroxide passes from the body 65 via a supply line 77, containing a quick disconnect 78, past amanual shutoff valve 79 t0 the manually adjustable thermostatic valve 59 and thence via a line 80 to a hydrogen peroxide warmup coil 81 in a warmup heat exchanger. The quick disconnect 78 permits a quick resupply of the hydrogen peroxide 65 by exchanging an empty fuel tank 68 with a full one. A relief valve 84 connects with the fill line 75 and can dump via a vent line 84a into the sea water in preventing the buildup of excessive [hydrogen peroxide pressures in the hydrogen peroxide storage tank 68. Although a mechanical expulsion tank activated by the spring 73 is shown, other methods of pressurizing the hydrogen peroxide fuel 65 and delivering it to the heat generator could, of course,

be used, such as pressure self-generated from fuel decomposition or stored hydrogen peroxide gas or gas pressure developed from a breathing supply.

The line 85 from the warmup coil 81 contains a restricted orifice 86 and check valve 88 and discharges into a catalyst reactor 89 in the form of a tube housing a dense wire mesh which forms the catalyst bed. The mesh material is of silver and nickel or any other material capable of decomposing the hydrogen peroxide into hot water or steam plus oxygen. This hot fluid passes via a line 90 to the main heat exchanger 56 where it serves to heat the water being recirculated through the apparatus being served, illustrated as being the suit, the spent gas and water serving, via line 91, to'provide heat for the warmup coil 81 and then escaping through a waste line 92 containing a checkvalve 93.

OPERATION F IGURES 1-3 Preparatory to being connected with the apparatus to be served such as the divers suit illustrated, the heating pack 50 has its compartment 66 filled with the hydrogen peroxide so as to expand this chamber to its maximum extent in which the rolling diaphragm 70 is in its fully extended position into the chamber 72. This filling is through the fill line 75 and for a 6 hour heat supply 2.91 liters or 4,030 kg. of 90 percent hydrogen peroxide 65 would be used. Typically a minimum pressure of 5 p.s.i. and a maximum pressure of 10 p.s.i. would be maintained in the chamber 66 by the spring 73 and relief valve 84, respectively.

' The pack 50, if carried by the diver could be mounted on or attached to the divers suit in an area accessible to him, most likely in the stomach area, and so as to leave his arms free for all activity and the disconnect 31 joined to connect the outline 30from the heating pack 50 with the inlet line 32 to the suit and the disconnect 43 is joined to connect the outlet line 42 of the suit to the inlet line 44 of the heating pack.

The generator is started by energizing the motor 54 to drive the pump 52. This draws the water, warmed as hereinafter described, from the main heat exchanger 56 in the heating pack and discharges it through the

lines

30, 32, to the inlet manifold 34 of the apparatus being served, such as the suit illustrated, where it is distributed to the various flexible heat exchange tubes 35 stitched to the leg and boot

portions

14, 15 of the undergarment 10. As illustrated, in each boot portion of the diver's suit this water from these tubes 35 enters the manifold 36 and is conducted via the corresponding line 38 to the inlet manifold 39 for the flexible heat exchange tubes 40 which are stitched to the helmet portion 11 of the undergarment 10. The liquid from these heat exchange tubes 40 is discharged into the outlet header 41 and thence via the line 42 into the return line 44 to the heating pack 50.

Another part of the heated liquid so forced into the inlet 3 header 34, FIG. 1, passes through the flexible heat exchange tubes 45 stitched to the torso and arm and glove portions 12,

13 and 22 of the divers suit so as to warm the water 23 surrounding the upper part of the body and the arms and hands of the diver. This liquid enters the outlet manifold 46 of each glove and flows via the lines 48 into the corresponding line 38 m join the liquid being supplied to the hood portion 11 of the divers undergarrnent as previously described. 1 The shutoff valve 79 is then opened which permits hydrogen :peroxide to flow through the supply line 77, manually adjustable thermostatic valve 59, line 80, wam'iup coil 81, orifice 86,

- check valve 88 and line 85 into the catalyst reactor 89. In stabilized operation an example of the flow of hydrogen peroxide 365 through the supply line 77 would be 11.1 g./hr.; its temperature on entering the warmup coil 81 would be C. and

' on leaving this warmup coil would be 25 C.

In the catalyst reactor 89 the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into a hot fluid of water or steam and oxygen, leaving the reactor at a rate of 48.55 l.p.m. and at a temperature of, say, 635 C. On passing through the main heat exchanger 56 this heat is transmitted to the recirculating heat exchange HEAT GENERATOR FIGURES 4 AND 5 This heat generator can be used for any underwater service and the apparatus being served is again illustrated as being the divers suit illustrated in FIGS. 13, the same reference numerals having been employed and the description not being repeated.

This more elaborate form of heat generator is designated at 100 in which the heated water supply line 30 is shown as connected with the discharge of a water circulating pump 102, the inlet line 103 of which extends into a thermally insulated closed-cell foam shell 105 although other forms of insulation could be used. This pump is shown as. driven by a turbine motor 104 which in turn is driven by the oxygen and steam generated by the hydrogen peroxide, as hereinafter described.

The pump inlet line 103 connects with a main heat exchanger 106. In this main heat exchanger the water is heated to the required control temperature and passes to the pump inlet line 103 to be returned by the pump 102 to the apparatus being served. i

This heat is derived from a body 108 of concentrated hydrogen peroxide contained'within a "chamber 109 of an expulsion tank 110 preferably made from aluminum. This tank is shown as being in the form of two cylindrical end heads 110a and 1l0b which are fitted together at their mating ends between which ends is held the rim of a rolling'diaphragm 111. This rolling diaphragm is of cup-shaped cylindrical form with a cup-shaped cylindrical piston 112 secured centrally to the side of the rolling diaphragm remote from the chamber 109 and opening into the chamber 113 formed by the cylindrical end head 110a. This piston 112, and hence the rolling diaphragm 111, are biased toward the chamber 109 by a helical compression spring 114 in the chamber 113 which is also vented to the surrounding sea water as indicated at 115.

To provide buoyancy compensation for changes in depth, an oxygen filled cylindrical bellows 116 is arranged coaxially in the chamber 109 so as to be surrounded by the liquid hydrogen peroxide 108 therein and has one end head 118 connected to the piston 112 of the rolling diaphragm 111 and its opposite end head 119 connected to the expulsion shell end head 110b. The interior of this bellows 116 is connected to the oxygen system of the apparatus by a line 121 as hereinafter described. 1

The chamber 109 is filled with a body 108 of hydrogen peroxide in any suitable manner as by an inlet line 122 and ex ternal fill coupling 123 and the hydrogen peroxide passes from the body 108 via a supply line 124 past a manual shutoff valve 125 to a line 126. A relief valve 127 connects with the fill line 122 to prevent excessive pressure buildup in the supply-tank 110. Flow of hydrogen peroxide through the line 126 is under control of a thermostatic valve 128 the sensitive part 129 (FIG. 4) of which can be a mercury bulb in the apparatus being served to control, via a capillary control line 130, the

flow of liquid hydrogen peroxide past the thermostatic valve 128 into a line 131. A relief valve 133 in a bypass line 134 around the

valves

125 and 128 allows a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to pass to the catalyst chamber 139 during descent to balance pressures in the buoyancy compensating bellows 1 16 and breather system hereinafter described.

The line 131 contains a check valve 135 and supplies hydrogen peroxide to the shell 136 for a warmup coil 137 and from which it is conducted, via line 138, to a catalyst reactor 139 which can be of the same type as'the catalyst reactor 89 in the simpler form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-'3. This reactor converts the hydrogen peroxide into steam and oxygen which is conducted, via line 140, to the turbine 104 to drive it and the pump 102 which recirculates the heated water through the apparatus being served, such as the divers suit 10.

This heat is supplied by this hot gas leaving the gas turbine 104 via line 141 and through the coil 142 of the main heat exchanger 106 and line 143 to the warmup coil 137 for the liquid hydrogen peroxide.

The steam condenses into water in the main heat exchanger 106 and warmup coil 137 and passes with the oxygen into a water separator 145. This water separator comprises a casing lined with a wicking material 146 forming a central chamber 148 which receives the oxygen and water from the warmup coil 137. This wicking material is in contact with the inside surface of a porous plug 149 in a sump in the bottom of the water separator casing and from which porous plug the water passes via a check valve 150 and drain line 151 into the sea. 7

the water separator 145.

OPERATION FIGS. 4-5

Preparatory to use, thechamber 109 has been filled with, say, 90 percent concentration hydrogen'peroxide so as to move the rolling diaphragm 111 to its fullyextended position in the chamber 113, this also expanding the gaseous oxygen filled compensating bellows 116. This filling is through the line 122. The heating pack 100 is then connected to the apparatus being served such as the suit by the

disconnects

31, 43 and in descending the shutoff valve 125 is opened to permit the liquid hydrogen peroxide 108 to flow from the chamber 109 through the

supply lines

124, 126, thermostatic valve 128, line 131 and its check valve 135, casing 136 for the warmup coil 137 and line 138 into thecatalyst reactor 139.

ln this catalyst reactor the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into a hot gas of steam and oxygen, leaving via line 140 through the turbine 104 which it activates to drive the pump 102 to recirculate water through the suit "10 and easing of the main heat exchanger 106. The hot steam and oxygen leaving the turbine .104 pass through the coil 142 of this main heat exchanger to heat this recirculating heat exchange medium and then pass via line 143 through the warmup coil 137 where the condensation of the water is completed.

This water and the oxygen flow into the chamber 148 of the water separator 145 where the water absorbs into the liner 146 of wickingthrough which it settles onto the porous plug 149. The water so channeled through the wicking to the plug is forced through the plug due to the pressure differential into the ambient sea..This occurs only if the plug 149 is completely wet. Surface. tension effects stop the flow if the inside or wicking contacted surface of the plug dries up, thereby preventing loss of oxygen The check valve 150 prevents sea water from entering the system during descent.

The gaseous oxygen from the chamber 148 is bled out through the back pressure valve 155. This valve maintains the pressure head in 148 necessary to expel the water through the porous plug 149.. a a v a g i The temperature control preferablyoperates on an on-off basis. The main heat exchanger 106runs at peak power until the suit 10 reaches the set temperature when the mercury bulb 129 through the capillary tube 130 closes the thermostatic valve 128 to shutoff the supply ofliquid oxygen to the main heat exchanger. This type of on-offcontrol assures that the turbine 104 will operateand not stall when flow is reduced to a trickle as might occur with modulating thermostat control.

The bellows 116 provides a void volume in the hydrogen peroxide chamber 109 which acts to balance the effect of change in buoyancy as the tank empties. in operation,- the size of this void varies directly with the amount of liquid hydrogen peroxide left. The void acts as flotation for the liquid hydrogen peroxide so that as the amount of liquid hydrogen peroxide decreases so does its flotation Theresult is that buoyancy does not change during operation. The relief valve 133 allows a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to pass to the catalyst chamber 139 during descent to balance pressures in the buoyancy compensating bellows 116 a'ndbreather system.

with both forms of the invention it is to be observed that hydrogen peroxide .in its more concentrated forms is a high energy chemical. It does not react directly or explosively with most substances, the presence of many materials will cause it to decompose into water and oxygen. High temperature accelerates this decomposition. When the amount of heat produced is more than enough to vaporize all the decomposition water, temperatures may become high enough to ignite the material causing the decomposition. Since an oxygen rich atmosphere prevails, such combustion is rapid. For every percent concentration there is a corresponding adiabatic decomposition temperature. A 65 percent concentration will just vaporize all the water formed (at sea level pressure) and not increase in temperature beyond 212 F. Ninety percent hydrogen peroxide will vaporize all the water formed and in crease the temperature to approximately 635 C. Liquid hydrogen peroxide has never been known to explode in any way with percent release of its energy'instantaneously.

lclaim:

1. An underwater heat generator wherein the improvement comprises means confining a body of hydrogen peroxide, a catalyst reactor for breaking down such hydrogen peroxide into a hot fluid composed of oxygen and water, a main heat exchanger, means conducting said hydrogen peroxide from said body through said catalyst reactor and the resulting hot fluid through said main heat exchanger, means conducting a heat transfer medium through said main heat exchanger in heat exchange relation with said hot fluid, and means conducting said heat transfer medium from said main heat exchanger to the apparatus being served.

2. An underwater heat generator as: set forth in claim 1 wherein said body of hydrogen peroxide is in excess of about 6 5 percent concentration.

3. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 additionally including thermostat means responsive to internal temperatures of said apparatus being served for varying the rate of flow of said hydrogen peroxide to said catalyst reactor.

4. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 additionally including a warmup heat exchanger and means passing the hydrogen peroxide flowing to said catalyst reactor throughsaid warmup heat exchanger in heat exchange relation with said hot fluid leaving said main heat exchanger.

5. An underwater heat generator as. set forth in claim 1 wherein the water and oxygen from said warmup heat exchanger is vented to the ambient water.

6. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means confining a body of hydrogen peroxide comprises an expulsion tank having at least one wall movable to increase and decrease the volume thereof, and means biasing said wall to decrease the size of said expulsion tank.

7. An underwater heat generator as. set forth in claim 1 wherein said means confining a body of hydrogen peroxide comprises an expulsion tank, a piston head in said expulsion tank, a cylindrical diaphragm connected at one end to said piston head and at its other end to a central part of the interior of said expulsion tank to provide a first chamber containing said body of hydrogen peroxide and a second chamber vented to the ambient water, and means biasing said piston to reduce the size of said first chamber and to increase the size of said second chamber. g

.8. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 7 including a bellows in said first chamber connected at one end to said expulsion tank and at its other end to said piston head and supplied with oxygen to provide a void volume varying in size directly with the amount of hydrogen peroxide left in said first chamber thereby to provide substantially constant buoyancy of the apparatus during operation.

9. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 additionally including a water separator and means conducting the oxygen and water from said main heat exchanger through said water separator.

10. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 8 additionally including means forming a chamber receiving oxygen from said water separator and adapted to be used for breathing purposes.

l 1. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 additionally including means forming a chamber receiving oxygen from said main heat exchanger and adapted to be used for breathing purposes.

12. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means conducting a heat transfer medium through said main heat exchanger includes a pump, a turbine motor driving said pump and conducting the said hot fluid generated in said catalyst reactor through said turbine motor to energize the same.

Claims

2. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body of hydrogen peroxide is in excess of about 65 percent concentration.

4. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 additionally including a warmup heat exchanger and means passing the hydrogen peroxide flowing to said catalyst reactor through said warmup heat exchanger in heat exchange relation with said hot fluid leaving said main heat exchanger.

5. An undeRwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein the water and oxygen from said warmup heat exchanger is vented to the ambient water.

7. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means confining a body of hydrogen peroxide comprises an expulsion tank, a piston head in said expulsion tank, a cylindrical diaphragm connected at one end to said piston head and at its other end to a central part of the interior of said expulsion tank to provide a first chamber containing said body of hydrogen peroxide and a second chamber vented to the ambient water, and means biasing said piston to reduce the size of said first chamber and to increase the size of said second chamber.

8. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 7 including a bellows in said first chamber connected at one end to said expulsion tank and at its other end to said piston head and supplied with oxygen to provide a void volume varying in size directly with the amount of hydrogen peroxide left in said first chamber thereby to provide substantially constant buoyancy of the apparatus during operation.

11. An underwater heat generator as set forth in claim 1 additionally including means forming a chamber receiving oxygen from said main heat exchanger and adapted to be used for breathing purposes.