AU770173B2

AU770173B2 - Method of conducting thermal energy, thermal conductor, and electrical appliance using the thermal conductor

Info

Publication number: AU770173B2
Application number: AU10005/02A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Chin-Kuang Luo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-02
Filing date: 2002-01-02
Publication date: 2004-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-02
Also published as: AU1000502A

Description

-1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): CHIN-KUANG LUO Invention Title: METHOD OF CONDUCTING THERMAL ENERGY, THERMAL CONDUCTOR, AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE USING THE THERMAL

CONDUCTOR

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: iN METHOD OF CONDUCTING THERMAL ENERGY, THERMAL CONDUCTOR, AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE USING THE THERMAL CONDUCTOR The invention relates to a method of conducting thermal energy, more particularly to ,a method of conducting thermal energy which can be used in a cooking utensil or an electrical appliance to permit quick and efficient conduction of thermal energy.

Figure 1 shows a conventional portable icebox which includes a housing 101 confining an enclosed chamber, a metal plate 102 mounted on an upper surface of a bottom :wall of the housing 101, a thermoelectric cooling unit oooo 103 disposed in the bottom wall of the housing 101 and having one side in contact with the metal plate 102, and an electric power supply 104 connected to the thermoelectric cooling unit 103 to supply electric power to the latter. In use, when electric currents flow through the thermoelectric cooling unit 103, the heat in the chamber is absorbed by the thermoelectric eooee cooling unit 103 via the metal plate 102 and is released to the exterior of the housing 101. However, as the thermal conductivity of the metal plate 102 is not good, o: o it takes one to two hours to lower the temperature inside the chamber for cold storage purposes. Besides, the temperature inside the chamber will quickly rise once the housing 101 is opened, and it takes another one or two hours to lower the temperature inside the chamber.

This entails a large amount of energy loss, and the 2 efficiency is very low.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides an electrical icebox comprising a thermal conductor and a thermoelectric cooling unit for removing heat from the thermal conductor, the thermal conductor comprising an enclosed chamber defined between inner and outer walls of heat-conducting material and containing a superconductor material.

Preferably, the thermal conductor forms an internal floor and internal walls of the icebox, the internal walls upstanding from the perimeter of the internal floor and the thermal conductor being housed within an external housing.

Preferably, the thermoelectric cooling unit comprises a heat-absorbing portion contacting the thermal conductor for the removal of heat therefrom and a heatreleasing portion having a heat sink for releasing heat from the thermoelectric cooling unit.

Preferably, the electrical icebox further comprises a fan arranged to induce air currents over the heat sink.

Preferably, the thermoelectric cooling unit is a semiconductor device that includes an array of heatresistant N-type and P-type semiconductor units.

25 In a second aspect, the present invention ooo provides an electrical oven comprising a thermal conductor oee and an electric heater contacting the thermal conductor 0 for supplying heat to the thermal conductor, the thermal conductor comprising an enclosed chamber defined between inner and outer walls of heat-conducting material and containing a superconductor material.

Other features and advantages of the present S invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the 35 accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional portable icebox having a thermoelectric eeoc H:\IsabeIH\SpeCi\44 5 3 9 .doc Ri12/03 3 cooling unit mounted in a bottom wall of a housing thereof; Figure 2 is a schematic partly sectional view illustrating a pot that embodies a thermal conductor; Figure 3 is a schematic partly sectional view illustrating a pan that embodies a thermal conductor; Figure 4 is a schematic partly sectional view of an icebox according to the present invention; Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a schematic partly sectional view of an

S

H:\IsabelH\Speci\44539.doc 8/12/03 4 electric water kettle according to the present invention; and Figure 7 is a schematic partly sectional view of an electric oven according to the present invention.

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a method of conducting thermal energy according to the present invention includes: forming a hollow member 3 made of a heat-conducting material and having inner and outer walls 31, 32 that confine a vacuum enclosed chamber 33 therebetween; filling the chamber 33 with a superconductor material 2; and subjecting the hollow member 3 to a thermal energy source. The energy source is one of a solar energy source, a burner, an electric heater, and a thermoelectric .:e.ei cooling unit. It is noted that the superconductor material 2 can quickly distribute all over the vacuum interior of the chamber 33 by virtue of the selfadhesion characteristic thereof. Due to the superconductor material 2, thermal energy from the energy source can be transmitted effectively throughout the hollow member 3. In this embodiment, the superconductor material 2 is prepared from inorganic elements to inhibit generation of hydrogen and oxygen molecules so as to avoid possible explosion.

The hollow member 3 is preferably formed from a metal material so as to be able to adapt to a temperature ranging from -50 C to the melting point of metals (about 1700 0 C) In this embodiment, the hollow member 3 can be formed from aluminum, copper, metal alloys or other non-metal materials with good thermal conductivity.

A thermal conductor employed in the method of the invention includes a hollow member 3 made of a 10 heat-conducting material and having inner and outer walls 31, 32 that confine an enclosed chamber 33 therebetween; and a superconductor material 2 that fills the chamber 33. The hollow member 3 can be formed as a pot body 110 having a handle 111 connected thereto, 15 such as that shown in Figure 2, or a pan body 120 having a handle 121 connected thereto, such as that shown in Figure 3.

The thermal conductor can be incorporated in an electrical appliance to permit quick conduction of 20 thermal energy. Figure 4 shows an icebox according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the hollow member 3 is surrounded by an insulator housing 100. An electrically operable thermal energy source in the form of a thermoelectric cooling unit 4 is disposed in contact with the hollow member 3. An electric power supply 5 is connected to the thermoelectric cooling 6 unit 4 for supplying electric power thereto. The thermoelectric cooling unit 4 has a heat-absorbing side 41 in contact with the outer wall 32 of the hollow member 3 externally of the chamber 33, and a heat-releasing side 42 opposite to the heat-absorbing side 41. The heat-releasing side 42 has a heat sink 7 disposed thereon. A heat conducting material 6, such as a heat conducting paste, can be applied to both the heat absorbing side 41 and the heat-releasing side 42 to enable attachment of the heat-absorbing side 41 of the thermoelectric cooling unit 4 to the outer wall 32 of eeoc the hollow member 3 and attachment of the heat sink 7 to the heat-releasing side 42. To enhance the e heat-dissipating effect, a fan 8 can be further disposed to induce air currents toward the heat sink 7. In this embodiment, the thermoelectric cooling unit 4 is a semiconductor device that includes an array of 00.0:heat-insulated N-type and P-type semiconductor units, as best shown in Figure Furthermore, the electric power supply 5 can be an alternating current adapter, an automobile lighter socket plug, or a battery unit 5' mounted on the housing 100. In use, when electric currents pass through the thermoelectric cooling unit 4, by virtue of the characteristic of the superconductor material 2 inside the chamber 33, heat in a space confined by the hollow member 3 will be "pumped out" instantly to thereby lower the temperature rapidly in the space.

Referring to Figure 6, the hollow member 3 forms a part of an electric water kettle 130, and the thermal energy source is an electric heater 131 mounted on the outer wall 32 of the hollow member 3 and connected electrically to an electric power supply Referring to Figure 7, the hollow member 3 forms a part of a housing of an electric oven 140.

It can thus be appreciated from the foregoing that, as compared to the aforesaid prior art which entails huge energy loss but does not achieve satisfactory oo efficiency, the present invention permits quick and efficient conduction of thermal energy.

For the purposes of this specification it will be clearly understood that the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and that the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Claims

2. An electrical icebox as. claimed in claim 1 wherein the thermal conductor forms an internal floor and internal walls of the icebox, the internal walls upstanding from the perimeter of the internal floor and the thermal conductor being housed within an external housing.
3. An electrical icebox as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the thermoelectric cooling unit comprises a heat-absorbing portion contacting the thermal conductor for the removal of heat therefrom and a heat- releasing portion having a heat sink for releasing heat from the thermoelectric cooling unit.
4. An electrical icebox as claimed in claim 3 25 further comprising a fan arranged to induce air currents over the heat sink. •go• An electrical icebox as claimed in any one ooooo emolcticcoln •of the preceding claims wherein the thermoelectric cooling unit is a semiconductor device that includes an array of heat-resistant N-type and P-type semiconductor units.
6. An electrical icebox substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the 35 accompanying drawings. e• H:\hsabeH\Speci\44539 .doc Ui12/03 9'-
7. An electrical oven comprising a thermal conductor and an electric heater contacting the thermal conductor for supplying heat to the thermal conductor, the thermal conductor comprising an enclosed chamber defined between inner and outer walls of heat-conducting material and containing a superconductor material.
8. An electrical oven substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 8 th day of December 2003 Chin-Kuang Luo By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK *o e **e ease H:\IsabelHkSpeci'44539 doc l, 12 03