EP1669710A1 - Loop type thermo siphon, stirling cooling chamber, and cooling apparatus - Google Patents
Loop type thermo siphon, stirling cooling chamber, and cooling apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- EP1669710A1 EP1669710A1 EP04771575A EP04771575A EP1669710A1 EP 1669710 A1 EP1669710 A1 EP 1669710A1 EP 04771575 A EP04771575 A EP 04771575A EP 04771575 A EP04771575 A EP 04771575A EP 1669710 A1 EP1669710 A1 EP 1669710A1
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- pipe
- condenser
- evaporator
- working fluid
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
- F28D15/02—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
- F28D15/0266—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
- F28D15/02—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B25/00—Machines, plants or systems, using a combination of modes of operation covered by two or more of the groups F25B1/00 - F25B23/00
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D1/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators
- F28D1/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid
- F28D1/04—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits
- F28D1/047—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, in which the other heat-exchange medium is a large body of fluid, e.g. domestic or motor car radiators with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid with tubular conduits the conduits being bent, e.g. in a serpentine or zig-zag
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B23/00—Machines, plants or systems, with a single mode of operation not covered by groups F25B1/00 - F25B21/00, e.g. using selective radiation effect
- F25B23/006—Machines, plants or systems, with a single mode of operation not covered by groups F25B1/00 - F25B21/00, e.g. using selective radiation effect boiling cooling systems
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2500/00—Problems to be solved
- F25B2500/01—Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
- F25B9/14—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/068—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the fans
- F25D2317/0682—Two or more fans
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
- F28D15/02—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
- F28D2015/0216—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes having particular orientation, e.g. slanted, or being orientation-independent
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to loop thermosyphons, Stirling refrigerators having the loop thermosyphon mounted, and cooling apparatuses equipped with a Stirling refrigerating machine.
- heat radiation systems employing heat sinks, heat pipes, thermosyphons and the like have been known as heat radiation systems radiating heat generated from heat sources.
- the heat sink For a heat radiation system with a heat sink attached to a heat source, the heat sink has a significant distribution in temperature. As such, the remoter it is from the heat source, the less it contributes to heat radiation. It thus has its limit in improving heat radiation performance.
- heat radiation systems employing a heat pipe, a thermosyphon or the like employ a working fluid to transfer heat generated at a heat source. As such, they have a significantly higher ability to transfer heat than a heat sink and can thus maintain high heat radiation performance.
- thermosyphon is a gravity driven heat transfer device utilizing a difference in density of a working fluid that is caused as the working fluid evaporates and condenses.
- a loop thermosyphon is a thermosyphon configured to circulate a working fluid in a closed circuit formed in a loop.
- FIGs. 17A and 17B schematically show the first conventional example of loop thermosyphon in structure, as seen in front and side views, respectively.
- a loop thermosyphon 100I includes an evaporator 110 depriving a heat source of heat and a condenser 130I externally discharging heat.
- Evaporator 110 and condenser 130I are connected by a feed pipe 120 and a return pipe 140, and evaporator 110, feed pipe 120, condenser 130I and return pipe 140 together form a closed circuit.
- condenser 130I is disposed at a position higher than evaporator 110.
- evaporator 110 a working fluid deprives the heat source of heat and thus evaporates, and ascends by a vapor pressure difference between evaporator 110 and condenser 130I against gravity through feed pipe 120 and enters condenser 130I.
- Condenser 130I cools and thus condenses the working fluid, which is in turn pulled by gravity, and thus descends through return pipe 140 and enters evaporator 110.
- Such convection of the working fluid involving a change in phase as described above allows the heat source to externally radiate heat.
- Fig. 20 is a side view schematically showing a configuration of the cooling apparatus in the second conventional example.
- the figure shows a cooling apparatus 50 including a heat transfer cycle 5 associated with a cold portion and extracting cold generated at Stirling refrigerating machine 1, and a heat transfer cycle 4 associated with a heated portion and externally radiating hot.
- Stirling refrigerating machine 1 includes a cold portion 3 absorbing heat to generate cold as an internally sealed working medium (e.g., helium) expands, and a heated portion 2 generating hot as the working medium expands.
- an internally sealed working medium e.g., helium
- Heat transfer cycle 5 associated with the cold portion is generally a circulation circuit including a condenser 12 associated with the cold portion and attached around and in contact with cold portion 3, and an evaporator 15 associated with the cold portion and connected to condenser 12 via a condensate coolant pipe 13 and a vapor coolant pipe 14.
- This circuit has carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon or the like sealed therein as a coolant to form a thermosyphon therein.
- Evaporator 15 has a plurality of fins 16 each in the form of a flat plate to exchange heat over an increased area.
- evaporator 15 is arranged to be lower than condenser 12. Below condenser 15 is arranged a drain plate 17 to reserve drainage condensed on and dropping from a surface of evaporator 15.
- Heat transfer cycle 4 associated with the heated portion is a thermosyphon employing water, hydrocarbon or a similar natural coolant, and generally a circulation circuit including an evaporator 6 associated with the heated portion and attached to Stirling refrigerating machine 1 at heated portion 2, a condenser 8 associated with the heated portion and arranged to be higher than evaporator 6 to condense the natural coolant, and a vapor coolant pipe 7 and a condensate coolant pipe 11 connecting evaporator 6 and condenser 8 together to circulate the coolant.
- the circuit has water (including an aqueous solution), hydrocarbon or a similar natural coolant sealed therein as the coolant.
- condensate coolant pipe 11 is connected to evaporator 6 at a topmost end.
- Condenser 8 has a plurality of fins 18 each in the form of a flat plate attached thereto to exchange heat over an increased area and behind condenser 8 is provided a pair of heat radiating fans 19 operated to externally discharge heat.
- Fig. 21 is a perspective view specifically showing a structure of the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion in the cooling apparatus described as the second conventional example.
- heat transfer cycle 4 will further more specifically be described in structure.
- Evaporator 6 as a whole forms a ring, which is adapted to have a structure formed of two semi-rings 6A and 6B joined together along the ring's diameter to help to attach evaporator 6 to Stirling refrigerating machine 1 at heated portion 2.
- Each semi-ring 6A, 6B is an arc-having opposite ends or surfaces closed.
- Semi-rings 6A and 6B are arranged to surround heated portion 2 and joined together vertically thereabove and therebelow, and have their respective lower ends connected by a U-letter communication pipe 6C for communication.
- Semi-rings 6A and 6B have their internal coolant's condensate communicated through connection pipe 6C and thus mixed together.
- Vapor coolant pipe 7 is formed of two vertical pipes 7A and 7B connected to semi-rings 6A and 6B, respectively, and a lateral pipe 7C (also referred to as a header pipe) connected to vertical pipes 7A and 7B.
- Vertical pipes 7A and 7B are connected to semi-rings 6A and 6B at their respective outer circumferential, upper ends, respectively, and lateral pipe 7C at a bottommost portion vertically.
- Lateral pipe 7C has longitudinally opposite end surfaces closed and is arranged in a direction orthogonal to an axis of Stirling refrigerating machine 1 and horizontally.
- Condensate coolant pipe 11 is similar in structure to pipe 7, although to form a thermosyphon, vapor coolant pipe 7 has lateral pipe 7C arranged at a position higher than a lateral pipe 11C of condensate coolant pipe 11, and to efficiently operate the thermosyphon, the vertical and lateral pipes are both relatively larger in diameter for vapor coolant pipe 7 than condensate coolant pipe 11.
- Condenser 8 is formed of six serpentine tubes 8A-8F arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of lateral pipes 7C and 11C, or horizontally.
- Serpentine tubes 8A-8F each have one end connected to lateral pipe 7C and the other end to lateral pipe 11C and together connect lateral pipes 7C and 11C together equally in their longitudinal direction.
- the plurality of fins 18 are arranged at a linear portion of serpentine tubes 8A-8F in parallel and thermally coupled therewith.
- Heat transfer cycle 4 operates as described hereinafter. Heated portion 2 generates heat which is in turn transferred from around heated portion 2 to evaporator 6 and evaporates the coolant in semi-rings 6A and 6B.
- the coolant evaporated in semi-ring 6A and that evaporated in semi-ring 6B ascend through the vapor coolant pipe 7 vertical pipes 7A and 7B, respectively, and are joined in lateral pipe 7C and then branched to flow into serpentine tubes 8A-8F.
- the coolant's vapor passes through condenser 8 arranged at a position higher than evaporator 6 and exchanges heat via fin 18 with the surrounding ambient and thus becomes a condensate.
- condensate (or that having gas mixed together) conflows in condensate coolant pipe 11 at lateral pipe 11C and furthermore branches to vertical pipes 11A and 11B and flows downward to return to evaporator 6 and is again evaporated by heat of heated portion 2.
- a significantly larger amount of heat is transferred than by utilizing exchange heat through sensible heat. This allows heat to be exchanged significantly effectively.
- a difference in level between condenser 8 and evaporator 6 vertically arranged and a difference in specific gravity between gas and liquid provide a difference in pressure providing a driving force to circulate the coolant. This can eliminate the necessity of employing a pump or a similar external force to circulate the coolant and thus save energy.
- first conventional example's loop thermosyphon 100I often has condenser 130I with a variety of pipes and radiating fins combined together in an assembly and thus unitized and thus fabricated. More specifically, it is fabricated as an assembly formed of a header pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe and branching a working fluid introduced through a feed pipe 120, a header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe and allowing the branched working fluid to rejoin, a plurality of aligned pipes 133 extending in the same direction and connecting header pipes 131 and 132 together (see Fig. 18), and a radiating fin (not shown) assembled in contact with the plurality of aligned pipes 133.
- each aligned pipe 133 has linear portions 134a-134d extending linearly in one direction and arranged in parallel in layers to form a plurality of vertically arranged stages (in Fig. 18, four stages), and curved portions 135a-135c connecting linear portions 134a-134d together. More specifically, each aligned pipe 133 is formed to be a serpentine tube as shown in Fig. 18. The plurality of linear portions 134a-134d are arranged in parallel layers mainly in order to facilitate fabrication and also ensures a maximum heat transfer area with a smaller space.
- Condenser 130I implemented by the assembly thus configured is arranged in equipment (e.g., a Stirling refrigerator) having loop thermosyphon 100I mounted, at a casing 300 above a bottom surface 301, as shown in Fig. 17. Note that condenser 130I implemented by the assembly is arranged parallel to bottom surface 301.
- equipment e.g., a Stirling refrigerator
- condenser 130I When the equipment having loop thermosyphon 100I mounted has casing 300 with bottom surface 301 parallel to a surface on which it is disposed, or a floor surface 401, as shown in Fig. 18, condenser 130I has aligned pipe 133 with linear portions 134a-134d also parallel to floor surface 401. In that case, the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in condenser 130I at aligned pipe 133 smoothly flows through aligned pipe 133 and is delivered through header pipe 132 and return pipe 140 to evaporator 110. Note that in the figure the working fluid flows in a direction indicated by an arrow 500.
- the equipment is disposed such that the casing has the bottom surface parallel to the floor surface, it does not cause a particular problem. If the casing has the bottom surface inclined relative to a horizontal floor surface or a floor surface itself is inclined and the casing is arranged parallel to the inclined floor surface, however, the loop thermosyphon will also be inclined relative to horizon and the working fluid's flow can be significantly affected thereby.
- condenser 130I having aligned pipe 133 with linear portions 134a-134d also parallel to the casing 300 bottom surface 301, will be inclined relative to the horizontal plane by angle ⁇ 0 .
- the shown condition shows that the equipment's casing 300 inclined and thus arranged so that the bottommost stage or linear portion 134d has an end adjacent to curved portion 135c lower in level than that adjacent to header pipe 132 associated with the return pipe.
- condenser 130I If in that condition condenser 130I is arranged, the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in condenser 130I at the bottommost stage or linear portion 134d is pulled by gravity and thus flows back and will stay in the bottommost stage or linear portion 134d closer to curved portion 135c.
- the condensed working fluid 502 will not flow into header pipe 132 associated with the return pipe, and as the equipment operates, working fluid 502 is gradually accumulated and finally will have a level 503 raised to close aligned pipe 133.
- thermosyphon can provide a defective operation depending on how it is arranged, and this has been a significantly serious issue to be addressed.
- cooling apparatus 50 including Stirling refrigerating machine 1 is itself assembled independently and thereafter mounted in a refrigerator (not shown) and thus shipped as a product. Note that cooling apparatus 50 is incorporated so that when the refrigerator is disposed at a horizontal place lateral pipes 7C and 11C are horizontal.
- the second conventional example's cooling apparatus it cannot be expected that the user ensures that the refrigerator is disposed at a horizontal place, and in reality the refrigerator can be placed at a slanting place.
- the entirety of the system will be inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and condensate coolant pipe 11 will have a condensate coolant 20 staying in a lateral pipe 11C at a portion lower than an upper end of a vertical pipe (in Fig. 22, 11B) lower in the direction of gravity.
- the coolant circulates in a reduced amount resulting in impaired heat radiation efficiency.
- the present invention contemplates a loop thermosyphon capable of preventing defective operation regardless of disposition, and a Stirling refrigerator equipped therewith.
- the present invention also contemplates a cooling apparatus capable of reliably circulating a coolant in a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine if the apparatus is inclined.
- a loop thermosyphon in a first aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source.
- a "loop thermosyphon mounted at a casing" as referred to herein includes a loop thermosyphon entirely accommodated in the casing and a loop thermosyphon partially accommodated in the casing and partially exposed.
- the closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser.
- the condenser has a serpentine tube having a linear portion extending in one direction and forming a plurality of stages in layers, and a curved portion connecting such linear portions together, and the serpentine tube has a bottommost one of the linear portions inclined in a direction allowing the bottommost linear portion to be closer to a bottom surface of the casing as the bottommost linear portion approaches the return pipe.
- a loop thermosyphon in a second aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source.
- the closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser.
- the condenser is an assembly including a header pipe associated with the feed pipe, and connected to the feed pipe to branch the working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe associated with the return pipe, and connected to the return pipe and joining together the working fluid branched, and a plurality of aligned pipes extending in a same direction and connecting the header pipes together.
- the aligned pipes are each a serpentine tube having a linear portion extending in one direction and forming a plurality of stages in layers, and a curved portion connecting such linear portions together.
- the assembly or condenser is entirely inclined relative to a bottom surface of the casing such that of the linear portions, a bottommost linear portion is inclined in a direction allowing the bottommost linear portion to be closer to the bottom surface as the bottommost linear portion approaches the header pipe associated with the return pipe.
- the condenser is fabricated to be a unit such that the serpentine tube has the linear portion arranged in vertically parallel layers, the possibility that the working fluid condensed and liquefied will stay in the serpentine tube can nonetheless be reduced.
- the loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can thus be reduced.
- the condenser is arranged to incline relative to the bottom surface of the casing at an angle larger than 0° and at most 6°.
- the condenser that is previously inclined to satisfy such condition can significantly prevent the loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition.
- the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends in a second direction traversing the first direction
- the return pipe is connected in a vicinity of one end of the header pipe associated with the return pipe and extending in the second direction
- the header pipe associated with the return pipe is inclined in a direction allowing the header pipe associated with the return pipe to be closer to the bottom surface of the casing as the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends toward the one end from the other end positionally opposite the one end.
- a loop thermosyphon in a third aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source.
- the closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser.
- the condenser is an assembly including a header pipe associated with the feed pipe, and connected to the feed pipe to branch the working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe associated with the return pipe, and connected to the return pipe and joining together the working fluid branched, and a plurality of aligned pipes extending in a same direction and connecting the header pipes together.
- the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends in one direction.
- the return pipe is connected in a vicinity of one end of the header pipe associated with the return pipe and extending in the one direction.
- the header pipe associated with the return pipe is inclined in a direction allowing the header pipe associated with the return pipe to be closer to a bottom surface of the casing as the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends toward the one end from the other end positionally opposite the one end.
- a loop thermosyphon in a fourth aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source.
- the closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser.
- the condenser is an assembly including a header pipe associated with the feed pipe, and connected to the feed pipe to branch the working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe associated with the return pipe, and connected to the return pipe and joining together the working fluid branched, and a plurality of linear tubes arranged in parallel and connecting the header pipes together.
- the linear tubes are each inclined in a direction allowing each the linear tube to be closer to a bottom surface of the casing as each the linear tube approaches the header pipe associated with the return pipe.
- a condenser that has a linear tube, rather than a serpentine tube, connecting together header pipes associated with feed and return pipes, respectively, the condenser will not have a working fluid convected in the pipe, and the loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can thus be reduced.
- the present Stirling refrigerator is a Stirling refrigerator having a Stirling refrigerating machine mounted.
- the Stirling refrigerating machine includes any of the loop thermosyphons in the first to fourth aspects of the present invention and the loop thermosyphon has an evaporator configured to exchange heat with a heated portion of the Stirling refrigerating machine.
- the Stirling refrigerator thus configured is not affected in performance by how a casing is disposed.
- a cooling apparatus in a first aspect of the present invention has a heat transfer cycle associated with a cold portion and extracting cold generated by a Stirling refrigerating machine at the cold portion, and a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion and externally radiating hot generated by the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion.
- the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion includes an evaporator associated with the heated portion and attached to the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion and a condenser associated with the heated portion and arranged to be higher in level than the evaporator, with a vapor coolant pipe and a condensate coolant pipe connecting the evaporator and the condenser to form a coolant circulation circuit, and the condensate coolant pipe includes a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and connected to the condenser and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting the evaporator and the lateral pipe together, the pair of vertical pipes having one and the other, upper ends connected to the lateral pipe at one and the other ends, respectively. If the cooling apparatus is inclined, the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion will not have the coolant's condensate staying in the lateral pipe.
- the vertical pipe has an upper end with a lateral pipe connected thereto and a lower end with the evaporator associated with the heated portion connected thereto, however, the connections' ports do not necessarily, positionally match with each other as seen horizontally. Accordingly, the vertical pipe is provided with an inclined portion having a downward gradient.
- a refrigerator is installed at a place having an inclination within 5° for safety, and providing the vertical pipe with an inclined portion having a downward gradient of at least 5° with reference to the cooling apparatus placed in a horizontal position allows the downward gradient to be maintained if the cooling apparatus is inclined, and the coolant's condensate can be prevented from clogging.
- a cooling apparatus in a second aspect of the present invention has a heat transfer cycle associated with a cold portion and extracting cold generated by a Stirling refrigerating machine at the cold portion, and a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion and externally radiating hot generated by the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion.
- the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion includes an evaporator associated with the heated portion and attached to the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion and a condenser associated with the heated portion and arranged to be higher in level than the evaporator, with a vapor coolant pipe and a condensate coolant pipe connecting the evaporator and the condenser to form a coolant circulation circuit.
- the condensate coolant pipe includes a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and connected to the condenser and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting the evaporator and the lateral pipe together
- the vapor coolant pipe includes a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and connected to the condenser and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting the evaporator and the lateral pipe together.
- the lateral pipe of the vapor coolant pipe is arranged to be higher in level than the lateral pipe of the condenser coolant pipe and a degassing charge pipe is attached to the vapor coolant pipe at the lateral pipe.
- the charge pipe attached at such a high position can prevent water from being sucked in vacuuming and also contribute to improved efficiency in vacuuming.
- the loop thermosyphon in the first to fourth aspects of the present invention can be prevented from defective operation regardless of disposition. Furthermore the Stirling refrigerator of the present invention can exhibit high performance regardless of how the casing is disposed.
- a heated portion generates heat, which is transferred and externally radiated by a thermosyphon utilized in a heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion and having a condensate coolant pipe passing the coolant's condensate naturally downward toward an evaporator associated with the heated portion, that is configured of a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and disposed at an outlet of a condenser associated with the heated portion and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting together the lateral pipe and the evaporator associated with the heated portion, with each vertical pipe having an upper end connected to the lateral pipe at one and the other ends, respectively.
- the cooling apparatus is inclined, the coolant's condensate does not stay in the lateral pipe of the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion. The cycle can thus circulate the coolant reliably.
- Fig. 1 a loop thermosyphon in the present embodiment and a structure of a Stirling refrigerating machine installed with the loop thermosyphon attached thereto.
- a Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is placed on a supporting platform 250 and supported by supports 254a, 254b provided on platform 250 at a bottom plate 252. Furthermore, a loop thermosyphon 100A is also placed on platform 250 and supported thereon by support 254a, 254c provided at a bottom plate 252. Stirling refrigerating machine 200 and loop thermosyphon 100A supported by platform 250 are disposed in a casing of prescribed equipment (e.g., a refrigerator). Note that platform 250 has bottom plate 252 parallel to a bottom surface of the casing of the equipment.
- prescribed equipment e.g., a refrigerator
- Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is structured and operates, as described hereinafter.
- Stirling refrigerating machine 200 includes a pressure chamber 202 provided therein with a cylinder having a piston and a displacer fitted and thus attached thereto.
- the cylinder is filled with helium or a similar working medium.
- the cylinder has an internal space sectioned by the piston and the displacer to provide a compression section and an expansion section.
- the compression section is surrounded by a heated portion 204 and the expansion section is surrounded by a cold portion 206.
- the piston fitted in the cylinder is driven by a linear actuator to reciprocate in the cylinder.
- the displacer reciprocates in the cylinder with a constant phase difference from the piston's reciprocation.
- an inverted Stirling cycle is implemented in the cylinder.
- heated portion 204 surrounding the compression section rises in temperature
- cold portion 206 surrounding the expansion section is cooled to cryogenic temperature.
- Loop thermosyphon 100A has a structure and operates as described hereinafter.
- loop thermosyphon 100A includes an evaporator 110 and a condenser 130A.
- Evaporator 110 is arranged in contact with heated portion 204 of Stirling refrigerating machine 200 to deprive heated portion 204 of heat to evaporate a working fluid introduced in evaporator 110.
- Condenser 130A is arranged at a position higher than evaporator 110 to condense the working fluid evaporated at evaporator 110.
- Evaporator 110 and condenser 130A are connected by a feed pipe 120 and a return pipe 140 to together form a closed circuit.
- a heat source, or heated portion 204 has a cylindrical geometry. Accordingly, evaporator 110 is formed of two arcuate components.
- condenser 130A is formed of a header pipe 131 associated with the feed pipe, a header pipe 132 associated with the return pipe, a plurality of aligned pipes 133 connecting headers 131 and 132, and a radiating fin 136 provided in contact with aligned pipes 133, assembled together to be a unit.
- Header pipe 131 is a distributor connected to feed pipe 120 to branch the working fluid introduced.
- header pipe 132 is connected to return pipe 140 to collect pipes to join branches of the working fluid together.
- aligned pipe 133 is each defined by linear portions 134a-134d (in four stages for condenser 130A in the present embodiment) linearly extending in a first direction (in the figure, a direction A), and curved portions 135a-135c connecting linear portions 134a-134d.
- Linear portions 134a-134d are arranged, one on another, vertically in parallel.
- Curved portions 135a-135c connect linear portions 134a-134d at their respective ends together.
- condenser 130A is configured of aligned pipes 133 configured of laterally arranged serpentine tubes.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 at linear portions 134a-134d have a plurality of radiating fins 136 assembled thereto.
- evaporator 110 the working fluid deprives heated portion 204 of Stirling refrigerating machine 200 of heat and thus evaporates, and ascends by a vapor pressure difference between evaporator 110 and condenser 130A against gravity through feed pipe 120 and enters condenser 130A.
- Condenser 130A cools and thus condenses the working fluid, which is in turn pulled by gravity, and thus descends through return pipe 140 and enters evaporator 110.
- Such convection of the working fluid involving a change in phase as described above allows heated portion 204 to externally radiate heat.
- loop thermosyphon 100A has condenser 130A arranged as described hereinafter.
- loop thermosyphon 100A has condenser 130A arranged to incline relative to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of a refrigerator or similar equipment. More specifically, condenser 130A formed of an assembly is arranged to incline by an angle ⁇ 1 so that an end of condenser 130A that is closer to header pipe 132 is closer to bottom surface 301 than that of condenser 130A farther away from header pipe 132 is
- condenser 130A is arranged to entirely incline by angle ⁇ 1 to have aligned serpentine tube 133 with the bottommost linear portion 134d inclined to be closer to bottom surface 301 as the serpentine tube approaches header pipe 132.
- Condenser 130A is inclined relative to bottom surface 301 by angle ⁇ 1 preferably of larger than 0° and at most 6°, more preferably approximately 3°. This can be done for example by adjusting support 254c of supporting platform 250 in height (see Fig. 1).
- condenser 130A previously arranged to incline relative to bottom surface 301 by angle ⁇ 1 , will also be arranged to incline relative to a horizontal plane by angle ⁇ 1 .
- aligned pipe 133 passes the working fluid, which is condensed and liquefied in the bottommost stage's linear portion 134d, and pulled by gravity to flow through the inclined linear portion 134d toward header pipe 132 and thus flow out of aligned pipes 133. Consequently, aligned pipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein. Thus the working fluid can smoothly flow and loop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate.
- casing 300 having bottom surface 301 inclined relative to a horizontal floor surface.
- equipment has casing 300 inclined in a direction B.
- condenser 130A after installation will have an inclination of an angle larger than angle ⁇ 1 relative to the horizontal plane.
- the working fluid flowing in condenser 130A through aligned pipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommost linear portion 134d, and pulled by gravity to flow through the inclined linear portion 134d toward header pipe 132 and flows out of aligned pipes 133.
- aligned pipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein.
- the working fluid can smoothly flow and loop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate.
- aligned pipe 133 occasionally has the working fluid condensed and liquefied not only at the bottommost linear portion 134d but also linear portion 134c immediately overlying linear portion 134d. In that case, the condensed working fluid may stay in a vicinity of curved portion 135b adjacent to linear portion 134c and thus close aligned pipe 133. Such phenomenon occurs at a critical angle of approximately 6°, as confirmed by the inventor, although it slightly varies depending on how condenser 130A is designed in dimension or the like.
- equipment has casing 300 inclined in a direction C by an angle ⁇ 1 , wherein ⁇ 1 ⁇ ⁇ 1 .
- casing 300 thus inclined, condenser 130A after it is arranged will incline by an angle ⁇ 1 - ⁇ 1 relative to a horizontal plane.
- the working fluid flowing in condenser 130A through aligned pipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommost linear portion 134d.
- condenser 130A is inclined relative to the horizontal plane by angle ⁇ 1 - ⁇ 1 . Accordingly the working fluid liquefied in the bottommost linear portion 134d flows through linear portion 134d toward header pipe 132 and flows out of aligned pipes 133. As such, aligned pipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein. As a result, the working fluid can smoothly flow and loop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate.
- casing 300 thus inclined, condenser 130A after it is disposed will be arranged horizontally.
- the working fluid flowing in condenser 130A through aligned pipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommost linear portion 134d.
- the convection of the working fluid caused in aligned pipe 133 allows the liquefied working fluid to flow toward header pipe 132 and flow out of aligned pipe 133.
- aligned pipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein.
- the working fluid can smoothly flow and loop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate.
- equipment has casing 300 inclined in direction C by an angle ⁇ 3 , wherein ⁇ 3 > ⁇ 1 .
- casing 300 thus inclined, condenser 130A after it is arranged will incline by an angle ⁇ 3 - ⁇ 1 relative to the horizontal plane.
- the working fluid flowing in condenser 130A through aligned pipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommost linear portion 134d.
- the working fluid liquefied in linear portion 134d is pulled by gravity to flow through linear portion 134d to move away from header pipe 132.
- the liquefied working fluid 502 will stay in the bottommost linear portion 134d closer to curved portion 135c.
- condenser 130A is further inclined, i.e., if aligned pipe 133 at the connection of the bottommost linear portion 134d and curved portion 135d has an upper portion (indicated in Fig. 5 by point D) upper than a lower portion of the connection of the bottommost linear portion 134d and header pipe 132, then aligned pipe 133 will be closed by the liquefied working fluid, and the working fluid will be prevented from flowing.
- thermosyphon can reliably operate, and as a result the Stirling refrigerating machine can be protected against damage attributed to unexpected defective operation, and can also have a heated portion reliably cooled and hence operate significantly efficiently.
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100B also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first embodiment are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- the present embodiment provides loop thermosyphon 100B with a condenser 130B similar to condenser 130A of loop thermosyphon 100A described in the first embodiment. More specifically, condenser 130B is unitized as an assembly formed of header pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe, header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe, the plurality of aligned pipes 133 connecting header pipes 131 and 132 together, and a radiating fin 136 provided in contact with aligned pipes 133.
- Aligned pipe 133 has a linear portion extending in a first direction (indicated in the figure by an arrow A), and header pipe 132 associated with the return pipe extends in a second direction (indicated in the figure by an arrow E) traversing the first direction.
- Return pipe 140 is connected in a vicinity of one end of header pipe 132 extending in this one direction.
- Condenser 130B is arranged to incline relative to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of a refrigerator or similar equipment. More specifically, condenser 130B formed of an assembly is arranged to entirely incline by an angle ⁇ 2 such that one end having return pipe 140 connected thereto is positioned to be closer than the other end corresponding to that opposite to one end.
- condenser 130B is arranged to entirely incline by angle ⁇ 2 such that condenser 130A has header pipe 132 inclined in a direction allowing header pipe 132 to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 for one end having return pipe 140 connected thereto than the other end located opposite to one end.
- condenser 130B is not particularly limited in inclination or angle ⁇ 2 , although it is preferably several degrees to an angle between 10 degrees and 20 degrees. Such inclination can be done for example by adjusting in geometry an upper and of support 254c of supporting platform 250 (see Fig. 1).
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100C also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first or second embodiment. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first or second embodiment are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- the present embodiment provides loop thermosyphon 100C with a condenser 130C similar to condensers 130A and 130B of loop thermosyphons 100A and 100B described in the first and second embodiments. More specifically, condenser 130C is unitized as an assembly formed of header pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe, header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe, the plurality of aligned pipes 133 connecting header pipes 131 and 132 together, and radiating fin 136 provided in contact with aligned pipes 133.
- condenser 130C is arranged to entirely incline by angle ⁇ 1 to have aligned serpentine tube 133 with linear portions 134a-134d inclined to be closer to bottom surface 301 as the serpentine tube approaches header pipe 132. Furthermore condenser 130B is arranged to entirely incline by angle ⁇ 2 such that header pipe 132 is inclined in a direction allowing header pipe 132 to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 for one end having return pipe 140 connected thereto than the other end located opposite to one end.
- the effect of the first embodiment and that of the second embodiment can both be achieved.
- This can significantly reduce a defective operation of the loop thermosyphon attributed to disposition.
- the loop thermosyphon can reliably operate and the Stirling refrigerating machine can be operated highly efficiently.
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100D also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to third embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to third embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- loop thermosyphon 100D has a condenser 130D with each aligned pipe 133 defined by linear portions 134a-134e linearly extending in a first direction (in the figure, direction A), and curved portions 135a-135d connecting linear portions 134a-134e.
- Linear portions 134a-134e are arranged, one on another, vertically in parallel.
- Curved portions 135a-135d connect linear portions 134a-134e at their respective ends together.
- condenser 130D is configured of aligned pipes 133 configured of laterally arranged serpentine tubes.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 at linear portions 134a-134e have a plurality of radiating fins 136 assembled thereto.
- condenser 130D needs to be arranged to incline to have its rear side to be closer to bottom surface 301. This allows aligned serpentine tubes 133 to have linear portions 134a-134e inclined in a direction allowing them to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 as they approach header pipe 132. Condenser 130D can be arranged to incline relative to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 for example by adjusting support 254C of support platform 250 in height (see Fig. 1).
- a condenser having aligned pipes 133 in an odd number of stages in layers that is entirely inclined relative to a bottom surface of a casing by angle ⁇ 1 also allows a loop thermosyphon to reliably operate regardless of how the casing is disposed.
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100E also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to fourth embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to fourth embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- loop thermosyphon 100E has a condenser 130E with aligned pipes 133 each defined by linear portions 134a-134c linearly extending in a first direction (in the figure, direction A) parallel to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of equipment, linear portion 134d located at a bottommost stage and inclined relative to bottom surface 301, and curved portions 135a-135c connecting linear portions 134a-134d.
- Linear portions 134a-134d have their respective ends connected together by curved portions 135a-135c.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 at linear portions 134a-134d have a plurality of radiating fins 136 assembled thereto.
- Condenser 130E has the bottommost linear portion 134d inclined in a direction allowing linear portion 134d to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 as linear portion 134d approaches header pipe 132.
- linear portion 134d is inclined relative to bottom surface 301 by an angle ⁇ 3 .
- the working fluid flowing in condenser 130E through aligned pipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommost linear portion 134d and pulled by gravity to flow through the inclined linear portion 134d toward header pipe 132 and flow out of aligned pipe 133.
- aligned pipe 133 will not have the liquefied working fluid staying therein.
- the bottommost linear portion 134d previously alone inclined relative to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 by a prescribed angle allows the working fluid to smoothly flow regardless of how the casing is disposed, and loop thermosyphon 100E can reliably operate.
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100F also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to fifth embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to fifth embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- the present embodiment provides loop thermosyphon 100F having a condenser 130F with the plurality of aligned pipes 133 each defined by linearly extending portions 134a-134d and curved portions 135a-135c connecting linear portions 134a-134d together.
- Linear portions 134a-134d have their respective ends connected together by curved portions 135a-135c.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 at linear portions 134a-134d have a plurality of radiating fins 136 assembled thereto.
- Condenser 130E has linear portions 134a-134d each arranged to incline in a direction allowing linear portions 134a-134d to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of the equipment as the linear portions extend downstream (or extend from header pipe 131 toward header pipe 132).
- the bottommost linear portion 134d is inclined relative to bottom surface 301 by an angle ⁇ 4 .
- aligned pipe 133 The working fluid flowing in condenser 130E through aligned pipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommost linear portion 134d.
- aligned pipe 133 occasionally has the working fluid condensed and liquefied not only at the bottommost linear portion 134d but also linear portions 134a-134c overlying linear portion 134d.
- Linear portions 134a-134d each arranged to incline by a prescribed angle to allow the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in linear portions 134a-134d to be pulled by gravity to return through the inclined linear portions 134a-134c toward header pipe 132, can prevent aligned pipe 133 from having the working fluid staying therein.
- Linear portions 134a-134d thud previously arranged to incline relative to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 by a prescribed angle allows the working fluid to smoothly flow regardless of how casing 300 is disposed, and as a result allow loop thermosyphon 100F to reliably operate.
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100G also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to sixth embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to sixth embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- the present embodiment provides loop thermosyphon 100G including a condenser 130G having header pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe and extending vertically, header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe and also extending vertically, and the plurality of aligned pipes 133 connecting header pipes 131 and 132 together.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 are each a linearly extending pipe and a plurality of such linear tubes are vertically arranged in parallel layers to form condenser 130G.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 has a plurality of radiating fins 136 assembled thereto. Note that in condenser 130G header pipe 131 extends in a direction orthogonal that in which each aligned pipe 133 extends and header pipe 132 extends in a direction orthogonal to that in which each aligned pipe 133 extends.
- loop thermosyphon 100G has condenser 130G arranged to entirely incline relative to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of equipment by an angle ⁇ 5 so that condenser 130G has aligned pipes 133 each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of the equipment as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends from header pipe 131 toward header pipe 132).
- Condenser 130G previously, entirely inclined to allow the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in aligned pipe 133 to be pulled by gravity to return through aligned pipe 133 toward header pipe 132, can prevent aligned pipe 133 from having the working fluid staying therein.
- the working fluid can smoothly flow regardless of how casing 300 is disposed, and as a result loop thermosyphon 100F can reliably be operated.
- the header pipes may be arranged to extend horizontally. If the header pipes are thus arranged, the header pipes will be connected by parallel or linear tubes arranged horizontally in parallel. In that case, the condenser is similarly arranged to entirely incline relative to a bottom surface of a casing of equipment by a prescribed angle so that the condenser has the aligned pipes each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance to the bottom surface as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends from the header pipe associated with the feed pipe toward that associated with the return pipe).
- the loop thermosyphon can reliably operate.
- header pipes associated with the feed and return pipes, respectively may not be connected by aligned pipes arranged in a single row.
- the aligned pipes may be staggered in a direction traversing that in which the aligned pipes extend.
- the present embodiment provides a loop thermosyphon 100H also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to seventh embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to seventh embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters.
- the present embodiment provides loop thermosyphon 100H including a condenser 130H having header pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe and extending vertically, header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe and also extending vertically, and the plurality of aligned pipes 133 connecting header pipes 131 and 132 together.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 are each a linearly extending pipe and a plurality of such linear tubes are vertically arranged in parallel layers to form condenser 130H.
- the plurality of aligned pipes 133 has a plurality of radiating fins 136 assembled thereto. Note that for loop thermosyphon 100H header pipes 131 and 132 are arranged such that header pipes 131 and 132 extend in a direction overlapping a normal to bottom surface 301 of casing 300 of equipment.
- loop thermosyphon 100H has linear aligned pipes 133 arranged to entirely incline relative to bottom surface 301 by an angle ⁇ 6 so that condenser 130G has aligned pipes 133 each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance to bottom surface 301 as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends from header pipe 131 toward header pipe 132).
- Aligned pipe 133 previously inclined to allow the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied therein to be pulled by gravity to return therethrough toward header pipe 132, can be prevented from having the working fluid staying therein.
- the working fluid can smoothly flow regardless of how casing 300 is disposed, and as a result loop thermosyphon 100G can reliably be operated.
- the header pipes may be arranged to extend horizontally. If the header pipes are thus arranged, the header pipes will be connected by parallel, linear tubes arranged horizontally in parallel.
- the condenser is similarly arranged to entirely incline relative to a bottom surface of a casing of equipment by a prescribed angle so that the condenser has the aligned pipes each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance to the bottom surface as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends from the header pipe associated with the feed pipe toward that associated with the return pipe).
- the loop thermosyphon can reliably operate.
- header pipes associated with the feed and return pipes, respectively may not be connected by aligned pipes arranged in a single row.
- the aligned pipes may be staggered in a direction traversing that in which the aligned pipes extend.
- the present embodiment provides a Stirling refrigerator having the loop thermosyphon of any of the first to eighth embodiments as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine disposed in a casing.
- the present embodiment provides a Stirling refrigerator 1000 including a freezer section 1028 and a chiller section 1029 as a refrigeration section.
- Stirling refrigerator 1000 includes loop thermosyphon 100 as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion to cool a heated portion 204 of a Stirling refrigerating machine 200.
- Stirling refrigerating machine 200 has a cold portion 206 generating cryogenic temperature utilized by a heat transfer system 1020 associated with the cold portion (indicated in Fig. 14 by a broken line) to cool the refrigerator's interior.
- the heat transfer system associated with the cold portion may also be configured of a loop thermosyphon or may be a heat transfer system utilizing forced convection.
- the heat transfer system associated with the heated portion, or loop thermosyphon 100 includes evaporator 110 attached to surround and thus contact heated portion 204 of Stirling refrigerating machine 200, and condenser 130 connected to evaporator 110 by a feed pipe and a return pipe.
- Evaporator 110, condenser 130 and feed and return pipes 120 and 140 form a circulation circuit having ethanol-added water or the like sealed therein as a coolant.
- condenser 130 is arranged to be upper (or higher) than evaporator 110.
- Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is arranged in Stirling refrigerator 1000 at a rear, upper portion. Furthermore, heat transfer system 1020 associated with the cold portion is arranged in Stirling refrigerator 1000 closer to the rear side. In contrast, the heat transfer system associated with the heated portion, or loop thermosyphon 100, is arranged in Stirling refrigerator 1000 at an upper portion. Note that thermosyphon 100 has condenser 130 provided in a duct 1024 provided in Stirling refrigerator 1000 at an upper portion.
- Stirling refrigerating machine 200 When Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is operated, heated portion 204 generates heat, which is thermally exchanged via condenser 130 of thermosyphon 100 with air present in duct 1024.
- An air blowing fan 1025 exhausts warm air present in duct 1024 to outside Stirling refrigerator 100 and also introduces air external to Stirling refrigerator 1000 to help to exchange heat.
- cold portion 206 In contrast, cold portion 206 generates cryogenic temperature, which is thermally exchanged with an air stream present in cold duct 1023, as indicated in Fig. 14 by an arrow.
- a fan 1026 associated with a freezer section and a fan 1027 associated with a chiller section blow cooled, cold air toward freezer section 1028 and chiller section 1029, respectively.
- Each refrigeration section 1028, 1029 provides a warm air stream which is again introduced into cold duct 1023 and repeatedly cooled.
- loop thermosyphon 100 mounted in Stirling refrigerator 1000 as described above is any of loop thermosyphons 100A-100H described in the first to eighth embodiments, it can reliably operate regardless of how Stirling refrigerator 100 has a casing disposed.
- Stirling refrigerating machine 200 can be operated significantly efficiently and Stirling refrigerator 1000 can also be improved in performance.
- the present embodiment provides a cooling apparatus having a major portion common in structure to that of the second conventional example described hereinbefore. Accordingly, components identical to those of the cooling apparatus of the second conventional example are identically labeled.
- the present embodiment provides a cooling apparatus having condensate coolant pipe 11 having vertical pipes 11A and 11B with their respective upper ends connected to a lateral pipe 11C at one and the other ends, respectively, and their respective lower ends connected to semi-rings 6A and 6B at their respective outer circumferential upper ends, respectively, similarly as has been done in the second conventional example.
- vertical pipes 11A and 11B are connected at upper and lower ports that do not match as seen horizontally.
- vertical pipes 11A and 11B are implemented by bent pipes having inclined portions 11Aa and 11Ba having a downward gradient (see Fig. 16A). If cooling apparatus 50 (see Fig.
- lateral pipe 11C will have one of the ends lowest in level of the entirety of lateral pipe 11C.
- the coolant's condensate will flow through the vertical pipe having a lower inlet and thus be prevented from staying in lateral pipe 11C.
- refrigerators are to be installed at places having an inclination of at most 5° including no inclination. Accordingly by setting at least 5° for a downward gradient ⁇ of inclined portions 11Aa and 11Ba of the vertical pipes with reference to cooling apparatus 500 placed with no inclination (see Fig. 16A), the vertical pipes can have inclined portions 11Aa and 11Ba with the downward gradient maintained if cooling apparatus 50 is inclined by 5°, and the thermosyphon can be prevented from failing to function. Thus the coolant can reliably be circulated.
- vapor coolant pipe 11 has lateral pipe 11C with a degassing charge pipe 21 attached thereto. If the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion is operated with water used as a coolant, an uncondensed gas (or air) solved and thus present in water needs to be removed. Accordingly, after the water or coolant is shielded charge pipe 21 is used to vacuum a shielded system internal to the cycle. Charge pipe 21 attached at a location high in level can prevent water from being sucked in vacuuming the shielded system and can also improve efficiency in vacuuming the system.
- the first to tenth embodiments have been described by exemplifying a loop thermosyphon employed in a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, the present invention is as a matter of course also applicable to other devices having a heat source.
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Abstract
A loop thermosyphon (100A) includes a closed circuit configured of an evaporator (110), a condenser (130A), a feed pipe (120) and a return pipe (140), and the evaporator (130A) is an assembly including a header pipe (131) associated with the feed pipe, a header pipe (132) associated with the return pipe, and a plurality of aligned pipes. Each of the aligned pipes is a portion condensing a working fluid evaporated and is a serpentine tube defined by a linear portion forming a plurality of stages in vertically parallel layers, and a curved portion connecting such linear portions together. The condenser (130A) in the form of an assembly is entirely inclined relative to a bottom surface (301) of a casing (300) mounting the loop thermosyphon (100A) such that the serpentine tube's linear portions have a bottommost linear portion inclined in a direction allowing the bottommost linear portion to be closer to the bottom surface (301) of the casing (300) as the bottommost linear portion approaches the header pipe (131) associated with the return pipe. The loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can be reduced.
Description
- The present invention relates generally to loop thermosyphons, Stirling refrigerators having the loop thermosyphon mounted, and cooling apparatuses equipped with a Stirling refrigerating machine.
- Conventionally, heat radiation systems employing heat sinks, heat pipes, thermosyphons and the like have been known as heat radiation systems radiating heat generated from heat sources. For a heat radiation system with a heat sink attached to a heat source, the heat sink has a significant distribution in temperature. As such, the remoter it is from the heat source, the less it contributes to heat radiation. It thus has its limit in improving heat radiation performance. In contrast, heat radiation systems employing a heat pipe, a thermosyphon or the like employ a working fluid to transfer heat generated at a heat source. As such, they have a significantly higher ability to transfer heat than a heat sink and can thus maintain high heat radiation performance.
- A heat pipe is a capillarity driven heat transfer device circulating a working fluid through a capillary action of a wick arranged in a closed circuit. By contrast, a thermosyphon is a gravity driven heat transfer device utilizing a difference in density of a working fluid that is caused as the working fluid evaporates and condenses. Note that a loop thermosyphon is a thermosyphon configured to circulate a working fluid in a closed circuit formed in a loop.
- Initially as a first conventional example a typical loop thermosyphon will be described. Figs. 17A and 17B schematically show the first conventional example of loop thermosyphon in structure, as seen in front and side views, respectively.
- As shown in the figures, a loop thermosyphon 100I includes an
evaporator 110 depriving a heat source of heat and a condenser 130I externally discharging heat.Evaporator 110 and condenser 130I are connected by afeed pipe 120 and areturn pipe 140, andevaporator 110,feed pipe 120, condenser 130I andreturn pipe 140 together form a closed circuit. Note that condenser 130I is disposed at a position higher thanevaporator 110. - In evaporator 110 a working fluid deprives the heat source of heat and thus evaporates, and ascends by a vapor pressure difference between
evaporator 110 and condenser 130I against gravity throughfeed pipe 120 and enters condenser 130I. Condenser 130I cools and thus condenses the working fluid, which is in turn pulled by gravity, and thus descends throughreturn pipe 140 and entersevaporator 110. Such convection of the working fluid involving a change in phase as described above allows the heat source to externally radiate heat. - Stirling refrigerators equipped with a loop thermosyphon thus configured are disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2003-50073, 2001-33139 and 2003-302117 (
Patent Documents - As a second conventional example a cooling apparatus equipped with a conventional Stirling refrigerating machine described in
Patent Document 3 will be described more specifically. Fig. 20 is a side view schematically showing a configuration of the cooling apparatus in the second conventional example. The figure shows acooling apparatus 50 including aheat transfer cycle 5 associated with a cold portion and extracting cold generated at Stirling refrigeratingmachine 1, and aheat transfer cycle 4 associated with a heated portion and externally radiating hot. Stirling refrigeratingmachine 1 includes acold portion 3 absorbing heat to generate cold as an internally sealed working medium (e.g., helium) expands, and a heatedportion 2 generating hot as the working medium expands. -
Heat transfer cycle 5 associated with the cold portion is generally a circulation circuit including acondenser 12 associated with the cold portion and attached around and in contact withcold portion 3, and anevaporator 15 associated with the cold portion and connected tocondenser 12 via acondensate coolant pipe 13 and avapor coolant pipe 14. This circuit has carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon or the like sealed therein as a coolant to form a thermosyphon therein.Evaporator 15 has a plurality offins 16 each in the form of a flat plate to exchange heat over an increased area. Furthermore, to allow the coolant's evaporation and condensation and resultant natural circulation to be utilized,evaporator 15 is arranged to be lower thancondenser 12. Belowcondenser 15 is arranged adrain plate 17 to reserve drainage condensed on and dropping from a surface ofevaporator 15. -
Heat transfer cycle 4 associated with the heated portion is a thermosyphon employing water, hydrocarbon or a similar natural coolant, and generally a circulation circuit including anevaporator 6 associated with the heated portion and attached to Stirling refrigeratingmachine 1 at heatedportion 2, acondenser 8 associated with the heated portion and arranged to be higher thanevaporator 6 to condense the natural coolant, and avapor coolant pipe 7 and acondensate coolant pipe 11 connectingevaporator 6 andcondenser 8 together to circulate the coolant. The circuit has water (including an aqueous solution), hydrocarbon or a similar natural coolant sealed therein as the coolant. The use of water (including the aqueous solution), hydrocarbon or the like as a coolant can eliminate negative effect on environment, human body and the like. Note that to allow the coolant's evaporation and condensation and resultant natural circulation to be smoothly provided,condensate coolant pipe 11 is connected toevaporator 6 at a topmost end.Condenser 8 has a plurality offins 18 each in the form of a flat plate attached thereto to exchange heat over an increased area and behindcondenser 8 is provided a pair ofheat radiating fans 19 operated to externally discharge heat. - Fig. 21 is a perspective view specifically showing a structure of the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion in the cooling apparatus described as the second conventional example. With reference to the figure,
heat transfer cycle 4 will further more specifically be described in structure.Evaporator 6 as a whole forms a ring, which is adapted to have a structure formed of twosemi-rings evaporator 6 to Stirling refrigeratingmachine 1 at heatedportion 2. Each semi-ring 6A, 6B is an arc-having opposite ends or surfaces closed.Semi-rings portion 2 and joined together vertically thereabove and therebelow, and have their respective lower ends connected by aU-letter communication pipe 6C for communication.Semi-rings connection pipe 6C and thus mixed together. -
Vapor coolant pipe 7 is formed of twovertical pipes semi-rings lateral pipe 7C (also referred to as a header pipe) connected tovertical pipes Vertical pipes semi-rings lateral pipe 7C at a bottommost portion vertically.Lateral pipe 7C has longitudinally opposite end surfaces closed and is arranged in a direction orthogonal to an axis of Stirling refrigeratingmachine 1 and horizontally. -
Condensate coolant pipe 11 is similar in structure topipe 7, although to form a thermosyphon,vapor coolant pipe 7 haslateral pipe 7C arranged at a position higher than alateral pipe 11C ofcondensate coolant pipe 11, and to efficiently operate the thermosyphon, the vertical and lateral pipes are both relatively larger in diameter forvapor coolant pipe 7 thancondensate coolant pipe 11. -
Condenser 8 is formed of sixserpentine tubes 8A-8F arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction oflateral pipes Serpentine tubes 8A-8F each have one end connected tolateral pipe 7C and the other end tolateral pipe 11C and together connectlateral pipes fins 18 are arranged at a linear portion ofserpentine tubes 8A-8F in parallel and thermally coupled therewith. -
Heat transfer cycle 4 operates as described hereinafter. Heatedportion 2 generates heat which is in turn transferred from around heatedportion 2 toevaporator 6 and evaporates the coolant insemi-rings vapor coolant pipe 7vertical pipes lateral pipe 7C and then branched to flow intoserpentine tubes 8A-8F. Thus the coolant's vapor passes throughcondenser 8 arranged at a position higher thanevaporator 6 and exchanges heat viafin 18 with the surrounding ambient and thus becomes a condensate. - The condensate (or that having gas mixed together) conflows in
condensate coolant pipe 11 atlateral pipe 11C and furthermore branches tovertical pipes evaporator 6 and is again evaporated by heat of heatedportion 2. By thus utilizing latent heat in the coolant's evaporation and condensation a significantly larger amount of heat is transferred than by utilizing exchange heat through sensible heat. This allows heat to be exchanged significantly effectively. Furthermore in the present invention, as described above, a difference in level betweencondenser 8 andevaporator 6 vertically arranged and a difference in specific gravity between gas and liquid provide a difference in pressure providing a driving force to circulate the coolant. This can eliminate the necessity of employing a pump or a similar external force to circulate the coolant and thus save energy. - Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-050073
- Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-033139
- Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-302117
- The above described, first conventional example's loop thermosyphon 100I often has condenser 130I with a variety of pipes and radiating fins combined together in an assembly and thus unitized and thus fabricated. More specifically, it is fabricated as an assembly formed of a
header pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe and branching a working fluid introduced through afeed pipe 120, aheader pipe 132 associated with a return pipe and allowing the branched working fluid to rejoin, a plurality of alignedpipes 133 extending in the same direction and connectingheader pipes pipes 133. - Typically, as shown in Fig. 18, the plurality of aligned
pipes 133 each havelinear portions 134a-134d extending linearly in one direction and arranged in parallel in layers to form a plurality of vertically arranged stages (in Fig. 18, four stages), andcurved portions 135a-135c connectinglinear portions 134a-134d together. More specifically, each alignedpipe 133 is formed to be a serpentine tube as shown in Fig. 18. The plurality oflinear portions 134a-134d are arranged in parallel layers mainly in order to facilitate fabrication and also ensures a maximum heat transfer area with a smaller space. - Condenser 130I implemented by the assembly thus configured is arranged in equipment (e.g., a Stirling refrigerator) having loop thermosyphon 100I mounted, at a
casing 300 above abottom surface 301, as shown in Fig. 17. Note that condenser 130I implemented by the assembly is arranged parallel tobottom surface 301. - When the equipment having loop thermosyphon 100I mounted has
casing 300 withbottom surface 301 parallel to a surface on which it is disposed, or afloor surface 401, as shown in Fig. 18, condenser 130I has alignedpipe 133 withlinear portions 134a-134d also parallel tofloor surface 401. In that case, the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in condenser 130I at alignedpipe 133 smoothly flows through alignedpipe 133 and is delivered throughheader pipe 132 and returnpipe 140 toevaporator 110. Note that in the figure the working fluid flows in a direction indicated by anarrow 500. - If the equipment is disposed such that the casing has the bottom surface parallel to the floor surface, it does not cause a particular problem. If the casing has the bottom surface inclined relative to a horizontal floor surface or a floor surface itself is inclined and the casing is arranged parallel to the inclined floor surface, however, the loop thermosyphon will also be inclined relative to horizon and the working fluid's flow can be significantly affected thereby.
- For example, if the equipment has casing 300 inclined relative to a
horizontal floor surface 401 by an angle α0, as shown in Fig. 19, then condenser 130I, having alignedpipe 133 withlinear portions 134a-134d also parallel to thecasing 300bottom surface 301, will be inclined relative to the horizontal plane by angle α0. Note that the shown condition shows that the equipment'scasing 300 inclined and thus arranged so that the bottommost stage orlinear portion 134d has an end adjacent tocurved portion 135c lower in level than that adjacent toheader pipe 132 associated with the return pipe. - If in that condition condenser 130I is arranged, the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in condenser 130I at the bottommost stage or
linear portion 134d is pulled by gravity and thus flows back and will stay in the bottommost stage orlinear portion 134d closer tocurved portion 135c. The condensed workingfluid 502 will not flow intoheader pipe 132 associated with the return pipe, and as the equipment operates, workingfluid 502 is gradually accumulated and finally will have alevel 503 raised to close alignedpipe 133. - In such condition unless aligned
pipe 133 has a considerably increased pressure at a portion closer toheader pipe 131 associated with the feed pipe the working fluid will be prevented from flowing. The working fluid circulates in an unexpected operation, and the heat generated at the heat source cannot be radiated sufficiently. As a result, the loop thermosyphon operates defectively, and in the worst case, the main body of the equipment having the loop thermosyphon mounted may fails. - Thus the first conventional example's loop thermosyphon can provide a defective operation depending on how it is arranged, and this has been a significantly serious issue to be addressed.
- Furthermore the second conventional example's
cooling apparatus 50 includingStirling refrigerating machine 1 is itself assembled independently and thereafter mounted in a refrigerator (not shown) and thus shipped as a product. Note that coolingapparatus 50 is incorporated so that when the refrigerator is disposed at a horizontalplace lateral pipes - However, if the second conventional example's cooling apparatus is thus incorporated, it cannot be expected that the user ensures that the refrigerator is disposed at a horizontal place, and in reality the refrigerator can be placed at a slanting place. In that case, as shown in Fig. 22, the entirety of the system will be inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and
condensate coolant pipe 11 will have acondensate coolant 20 staying in alateral pipe 11C at a portion lower than an upper end of a vertical pipe (in Fig. 22, 11B) lower in the direction of gravity. As a result, the coolant circulates in a reduced amount resulting in impaired heat radiation efficiency. - Accordingly the present invention contemplates a loop thermosyphon capable of preventing defective operation regardless of disposition, and a Stirling refrigerator equipped therewith.
- The present invention also contemplates a cooling apparatus capable of reliably circulating a coolant in a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine if the apparatus is inclined.
- A loop thermosyphon in a first aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source. Note that a "loop thermosyphon mounted at a casing" as referred to herein includes a loop thermosyphon entirely accommodated in the casing and a loop thermosyphon partially accommodated in the casing and partially exposed. The closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser. The condenser has a serpentine tube having a linear portion extending in one direction and forming a plurality of stages in layers, and a curved portion connecting such linear portions together, and the serpentine tube has a bottommost one of the linear portions inclined in a direction allowing the bottommost linear portion to be closer to a bottom surface of the casing as the bottommost linear portion approaches the return pipe.
- This can reduce the possibility that the working fluid condensed and liquefied will stay in the serpentine tube, and the loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can be reduced.
- A loop thermosyphon in a second aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source. The closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser. The condenser is an assembly including a header pipe associated with the feed pipe, and connected to the feed pipe to branch the working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe associated with the return pipe, and connected to the return pipe and joining together the working fluid branched, and a plurality of aligned pipes extending in a same direction and connecting the header pipes together. The aligned pipes are each a serpentine tube having a linear portion extending in one direction and forming a plurality of stages in layers, and a curved portion connecting such linear portions together. The assembly or condenser is entirely inclined relative to a bottom surface of the casing such that of the linear portions, a bottommost linear portion is inclined in a direction allowing the bottommost linear portion to be closer to the bottom surface as the bottommost linear portion approaches the header pipe associated with the return pipe.
- If the condenser is fabricated to be a unit such that the serpentine tube has the linear portion arranged in vertically parallel layers, the possibility that the working fluid condensed and liquefied will stay in the serpentine tube can nonetheless be reduced. The loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can thus be reduced.
- Preferably in the loop thermosyphon in the second aspect of the present invention the condenser is arranged to incline relative to the bottom surface of the casing at an angle larger than 0° and at most 6°.
- The condenser that is previously inclined to satisfy such condition can significantly prevent the loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition.
- Preferably in the loop thermosyphon in the second aspect of the present invention the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends in a second direction traversing the first direction, the return pipe is connected in a vicinity of one end of the header pipe associated with the return pipe and extending in the second direction, and the header pipe associated with the return pipe is inclined in a direction allowing the header pipe associated with the return pipe to be closer to the bottom surface of the casing as the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends toward the one end from the other end positionally opposite the one end.
- This can reduce the possibility that the working fluid condensed and liquefied will stay in the header pipe associated with the return pipe. The loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can thus be reduced.
- A loop thermosyphon in a third aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source. The closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser. The condenser is an assembly including a header pipe associated with the feed pipe, and connected to the feed pipe to branch the working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe associated with the return pipe, and connected to the return pipe and joining together the working fluid branched, and a plurality of aligned pipes extending in a same direction and connecting the header pipes together. The header pipe associated with the return pipe extends in one direction. The return pipe is connected in a vicinity of one end of the header pipe associated with the return pipe and extending in the one direction. The header pipe associated with the return pipe is inclined in a direction allowing the header pipe associated with the return pipe to be closer to a bottom surface of the casing as the header pipe associated with the return pipe extends toward the one end from the other end positionally opposite the one end.
- This can reduce the possibility that the working fluid condensed and liquefied will stay in the header pipe associated with the return pipe. The loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can thus be reduced.
- A loop thermosyphon in a fourth aspect of the present invention is mounted at a casing of equipment having a heat source, and employs a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to externally radiate heat from the heat source. The closed circuit includes: an evaporator depriving the heat source of heat to evaporate the working fluid; a condenser condensing the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; a feed pipe feeding to the condenser the working fluid evaporated at the evaporator; and a return pipe returning to the evaporator the working fluid condensed at the condenser. The condenser is an assembly including a header pipe associated with the feed pipe, and connected to the feed pipe to branch the working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe associated with the return pipe, and connected to the return pipe and joining together the working fluid branched, and a plurality of linear tubes arranged in parallel and connecting the header pipes together. The linear tubes are each inclined in a direction allowing each the linear tube to be closer to a bottom surface of the casing as each the linear tube approaches the header pipe associated with the return pipe.
- If a condenser is employed that has a linear tube, rather than a serpentine tube, connecting together header pipes associated with feed and return pipes, respectively, the condenser will not have a working fluid convected in the pipe, and the loop thermosyphon's defective operation attributed to disposition can thus be reduced.
- The present Stirling refrigerator is a Stirling refrigerator having a Stirling refrigerating machine mounted. The Stirling refrigerating machine includes any of the loop thermosyphons in the first to fourth aspects of the present invention and the loop thermosyphon has an evaporator configured to exchange heat with a heated portion of the Stirling refrigerating machine.
- The Stirling refrigerator thus configured is not affected in performance by how a casing is disposed.
- A cooling apparatus in a first aspect of the present invention has a heat transfer cycle associated with a cold portion and extracting cold generated by a Stirling refrigerating machine at the cold portion, and a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion and externally radiating hot generated by the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion. The heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion includes an evaporator associated with the heated portion and attached to the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion and a condenser associated with the heated portion and arranged to be higher in level than the evaporator, with a vapor coolant pipe and a condensate coolant pipe connecting the evaporator and the condenser to form a coolant circulation circuit, and the condensate coolant pipe includes a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and connected to the condenser and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting the evaporator and the lateral pipe together, the pair of vertical pipes having one and the other, upper ends connected to the lateral pipe at one and the other ends, respectively. If the cooling apparatus is inclined, the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion will not have the coolant's condensate staying in the lateral pipe.
- In the cooling apparatus in the first aspect of the present invention the vertical pipe has an upper end with a lateral pipe connected thereto and a lower end with the evaporator associated with the heated portion connected thereto, however, the connections' ports do not necessarily, positionally match with each other as seen horizontally. Accordingly, the vertical pipe is provided with an inclined portion having a downward gradient. In general, a refrigerator is installed at a place having an inclination within 5° for safety, and providing the vertical pipe with an inclined portion having a downward gradient of at least 5° with reference to the cooling apparatus placed in a horizontal position allows the downward gradient to be maintained if the cooling apparatus is inclined, and the coolant's condensate can be prevented from clogging.
- A cooling apparatus in a second aspect of the present invention has a heat transfer cycle associated with a cold portion and extracting cold generated by a Stirling refrigerating machine at the cold portion, and a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion and externally radiating hot generated by the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion. The heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion includes an evaporator associated with the heated portion and attached to the Stirling refrigerating machine at the heated portion and a condenser associated with the heated portion and arranged to be higher in level than the evaporator, with a vapor coolant pipe and a condensate coolant pipe connecting the evaporator and the condenser to form a coolant circulation circuit. The condensate coolant pipe includes a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and connected to the condenser and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting the evaporator and the lateral pipe together, and the vapor coolant pipe includes a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and connected to the condenser and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting the evaporator and the lateral pipe together. The lateral pipe of the vapor coolant pipe is arranged to be higher in level than the lateral pipe of the condenser coolant pipe and a degassing charge pipe is attached to the vapor coolant pipe at the lateral pipe. The charge pipe attached at such a high position can prevent water from being sucked in vacuuming and also contribute to improved efficiency in vacuuming.
- The loop thermosyphon in the first to fourth aspects of the present invention can be prevented from defective operation regardless of disposition. Furthermore the Stirling refrigerator of the present invention can exhibit high performance regardless of how the casing is disposed.
- Furthermore in the cooling apparatus in the first and second aspects of the present invention as a Stirling refrigerating machine is driven a heated portion generates heat, which is transferred and externally radiated by a thermosyphon utilized in a heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion and having a condensate coolant pipe passing the coolant's condensate naturally downward toward an evaporator associated with the heated portion, that is configured of a lateral pipe having opposite ends closed and disposed at an outlet of a condenser associated with the heated portion and a pair of vertical pipes vertically connecting together the lateral pipe and the evaporator associated with the heated portion, with each vertical pipe having an upper end connected to the lateral pipe at one and the other ends, respectively. If the cooling apparatus is inclined, the coolant's condensate does not stay in the lateral pipe of the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion. The cycle can thus circulate the coolant reliably.
-
- Fig. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a structure of the present loop thermosyphon in the first embodiment installed.
- Fig. 2 schematically shows a configuration of a condenser of the Fig. 1 loop thermosyphon.
- Figs. 3A and 3B schematically show how the condenser of the present loop thermosyphon in the first embodiment is installed, with the loop thermosyphon seen in front and side views, respectively.
- Fig. 4 shows how a working fluid flows in the first embodiment when the condenser inclines relatives to a horizontal plane.
- Fig. 5 shows how a working fluid flows in the first embodiment when the condenser inclines relatives to a horizontal plane.
- Figs. 6A and 6B schematically show how the condenser of the present loop thermosyphon in a second embodiment is installed, with the loop thermosyphon seen in front and side views, respectively.
- Figs. 7A and 7B schematically show how the condenser of the present loop thermosyphon in a third embodiment is installed, with the loop thermosyphon seen in front and side views, respectively.
- Fig. 8 schematically shows a configuration of a condenser of the present loop thermosyphon in a fourth embodiment.
- Fig. 9 schematically shows how the present loop thermosyphon in the fourth embodiment is installed, as seen in a side view.
- Figs. 10-13 schematically show configurations of the present loop thermosyphon in fifth to eighth embodiments, respectively.
- Fig. 14 is a schematic cross section of a structure of the present Stirling refrigerator in a ninth embodiment.
- Fig. 15 is a perspective view specifically showing a structure of a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion in a tenth embodiment of the present invention.
- Figs. 16A and 16B are front and side views, respectively, of the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion in the tenth embodiment.
- Figs. 17A and 17B schematically show a structure of a loop thermosyphon in a first conventional example, as seen in front and side views, respectively.
- Fig. 18 schematically shows a structure of a condenser of the loop thermosyphon in the first conventional example, showing how a working fluid flows with the condenser disposed horizontally.
- Fig. 19 shows how the working fluid flows with the Fig. 18 condenser inclined relative to a horizontal plane.
- Fig. 20 is a side view schematically showing a structure of a cooling apparatus in a second conventional example.
- Fig. 21 is a perspective view specifically showing a structure of a heat transfer cycle associated with a heated portion of the cooling apparatus of the second conventional example.
- Fig. 22 is a front view of a main portion of the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion with the Fig. 20, second conventional example's cooling apparatus inclined.
- 1: Stirling refrigerating machine, 2: heated portion, 3: cold portion, 4: heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion, 5: heat transfer cycle associated with the cold portion, 6: evaporator associated with the heated portion, 6A, 6B: semi-ring, 7, 14: vapor coolant pipe, 7A, 7B: vertical pipe, 7C: lateral pipe, 8: condenser associated with the heated portion, 8A-8F: serpentine tube, 11, 13,: condensate coolant pipe, 11A, 11B: vertical pipe, 11Aa, 11Ba: inclined portion, 11C: lateral pipe, 12: condenser associated with the cold portion, 15: evaporator associated with the cold portion, 16, 18: fin in the form of a flat plate, 17: drain plate, 19: heat radiating fan, 20: coolant's condensate, 21: charge pipe, 50: cooling apparatus, 100, 100A-100I: loop thermosyphon, 110: evaporator, 112: inner circumferential surface, 120: feed pipe, 130, 130A-130I: condenser, 131: header pipe associated with feed pipe, 132: header pipe associated with return pipe, 133: aligned pipe, 134a-134e: linear portion, 135a-135d: curved portion, 136: radiating fin, 140: return pipe, 200: Stirling refrigerating machine, 202: pressure chamber, 204 heated portion, 206: cold portion, 250: supporting platform, 252: bottom plate, 254a-254c: support, 300: casing, 301: bottom surface, 401: floor surface, 500: direction in which working fluid flows, 502: liquefied working fluid, 503: surface of liquid, 1000: Stirling refrigerator, 1020: heat transfer system associated with cold portion, 1023: cold duct, 1024: duct, 1025: air blowing fan, 1026: fan associated with freezer section, 1027: fan associated with chiller section, 1028: freezer section. 1029: chiller section
- Hereinafter the present invention in embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
- Initially reference will be made to Fig. 1 to describe a loop thermosyphon in the present embodiment and a structure of a Stirling refrigerating machine installed with the loop thermosyphon attached thereto.
- As shown in the figure, a
Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is placed on a supportingplatform 250 and supported bysupports platform 250 at abottom plate 252. Furthermore, aloop thermosyphon 100A is also placed onplatform 250 and supported thereon bysupport bottom plate 252.Stirling refrigerating machine 200 andloop thermosyphon 100A supported byplatform 250 are disposed in a casing of prescribed equipment (e.g., a refrigerator). Note thatplatform 250 hasbottom plate 252 parallel to a bottom surface of the casing of the equipment. -
Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is structured and operates, as described hereinafter. - As shown in Fig. 1,
Stirling refrigerating machine 200 includes apressure chamber 202 provided therein with a cylinder having a piston and a displacer fitted and thus attached thereto. The cylinder is filled with helium or a similar working medium. The cylinder has an internal space sectioned by the piston and the displacer to provide a compression section and an expansion section. The compression section is surrounded by aheated portion 204 and the expansion section is surrounded by acold portion 206. - The piston fitted in the cylinder is driven by a linear actuator to reciprocate in the cylinder. As the piston reciprocates and pressure accordingly varies, the displacer reciprocates in the cylinder with a constant phase difference from the piston's reciprocation. As the piston and the displacer reciprocate, an inverted Stirling cycle is implemented in the cylinder. Thus
heated portion 204 surrounding the compression section rises in temperature andcold portion 206 surrounding the expansion section is cooled to cryogenic temperature. -
Loop thermosyphon 100A has a structure and operates as described hereinafter. - As shown in Fig. 1,
loop thermosyphon 100A includes anevaporator 110 and acondenser 130A.Evaporator 110 is arranged in contact withheated portion 204 ofStirling refrigerating machine 200 to depriveheated portion 204 of heat to evaporate a working fluid introduced inevaporator 110.Condenser 130A is arranged at a position higher thanevaporator 110 to condense the working fluid evaporated atevaporator 110.Evaporator 110 andcondenser 130A are connected by afeed pipe 120 and areturn pipe 140 to together form a closed circuit. Note that inloop thermosyphon 100A as shown in the figure a heat source, orheated portion 204, has a cylindrical geometry. Accordingly,evaporator 110 is formed of two arcuate components. - With reference to Figs. 1 and 2,
condenser 130A is formed of aheader pipe 131 associated with the feed pipe, aheader pipe 132 associated with the return pipe, a plurality of alignedpipes 133 connectingheaders fin 136 provided in contact with alignedpipes 133, assembled together to be a unit. -
Header pipe 131 is a distributor connected to feedpipe 120 to branch the working fluid introduced. In contrast,header pipe 132 is connected to returnpipe 140 to collect pipes to join branches of the working fluid together. - As shown in Fig. 2, aligned
pipe 133 is each defined bylinear portions 134a-134d (in four stages forcondenser 130A in the present embodiment) linearly extending in a first direction (in the figure, a direction A), andcurved portions 135a-135c connectinglinear portions 134a-134d.Linear portions 134a-134d are arranged, one on another, vertically in parallel.Curved portions 135a-135c connectlinear portions 134a-134d at their respective ends together. More specifically,condenser 130A is configured of alignedpipes 133 configured of laterally arranged serpentine tubes. The plurality of alignedpipes 133 atlinear portions 134a-134d have a plurality of radiatingfins 136 assembled thereto. - In
evaporator 110 the working fluid deprivesheated portion 204 ofStirling refrigerating machine 200 of heat and thus evaporates, and ascends by a vapor pressure difference betweenevaporator 110 andcondenser 130A against gravity throughfeed pipe 120 and enterscondenser 130A.Condenser 130A cools and thus condenses the working fluid, which is in turn pulled by gravity, and thus descends throughreturn pipe 140 and entersevaporator 110. Such convection of the working fluid involving a change in phase as described above allowsheated portion 204 to externally radiate heat. - In the present
embodiment loop thermosyphon 100A hascondenser 130A arranged as described hereinafter. - As shown in Figs. 3A and 3B the present
embodiment loop thermosyphon 100A hascondenser 130A arranged to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of a refrigerator or similar equipment. More specifically,condenser 130A formed of an assembly is arranged to incline by an angle θ1 so that an end ofcondenser 130A that is closer toheader pipe 132 is closer tobottom surface 301 than that ofcondenser 130A farther away fromheader pipe 132 is - More specifically,
condenser 130A is arranged to entirely incline by angle θ1 to have alignedserpentine tube 133 with the bottommostlinear portion 134d inclined to be closer tobottom surface 301 as the serpentine tube approachesheader pipe 132.Condenser 130A is inclined relative tobottom surface 301 by angle θ1 preferably of larger than 0° and at most 6°, more preferably approximately 3°. This can be done for example by adjustingsupport 254c of supportingplatform 250 in height (see Fig. 1). - Thus arranging
condenser 130A to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 by angle θ1 allowsloop thermosyphon 100A to reliably operate regardless of howcasing 300 is disposed, for the following reasons: - Initially, if casing 300 has
bottom surface 301 parallel to a horizontal floor surface, then condenser 130A, previously arranged to incline relative tobottom surface 301 by angle θ1, will also be arranged to incline relative to a horizontal plane by angle θ1. - In
condenser 130A alignedpipe 133 passes the working fluid, which is condensed and liquefied in the bottommost stage'slinear portion 134d, and pulled by gravity to flow through the inclinedlinear portion 134d towardheader pipe 132 and thus flow out of alignedpipes 133. Consequently, alignedpipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein. Thus the working fluid can smoothly flow andloop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate. - Hereinafter will be considered four cases with
casing 300 havingbottom surface 301 inclined relative to a horizontal floor surface. - In a first case, with reference to Fig. 3B, equipment has casing 300 inclined in a direction B. In that case,
condenser 130A after installation will have an inclination of an angle larger than angle θ1 relative to the horizontal plane. - As has been described above, the working fluid flowing in
condenser 130A through alignedpipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommostlinear portion 134d, and pulled by gravity to flow through the inclinedlinear portion 134d towardheader pipe 132 and flows out of alignedpipes 133. As such, alignedpipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein. As a result, the working fluid can smoothly flow andloop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate. - If
condenser 130A is arranged to incline by an angle larger than a prescribed angle, however, and the surrounding temperature or the like varies, alignedpipe 133 occasionally has the working fluid condensed and liquefied not only at the bottommostlinear portion 134d but alsolinear portion 134c immediately overlyinglinear portion 134d. In that case, the condensed working fluid may stay in a vicinity ofcurved portion 135b adjacent tolinear portion 134c and thus close alignedpipe 133. Such phenomenon occurs at a critical angle of approximately 6°, as confirmed by the inventor, although it slightly varies depending on howcondenser 130A is designed in dimension or the like. - Typically, however, it is hardly conceivable that equipment is arranged on a floor surface having an inclination of 3° or larger and it is also hardly conceivable that the equipment's casing is arranged to incline relative to a horizontal floor surface by 3° or larger, and inclination or angle θ1 set to be approximately 3° relative to
bottom surface 301 ofcondenser 130A would substantially completely prevent such a situation as described above. Thus in mostcases loop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate. - In a second case, with reference to Fig. 3B, equipment has casing 300 inclined in a direction C by an angle α1, wherein α1 < θ1. With casing 300 thus inclined,
condenser 130A after it is arranged will incline by an angle θ1 - α1 relative to a horizontal plane. - As has been described above, the working fluid flowing in
condenser 130A through alignedpipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommostlinear portion 134d. However,condenser 130A is inclined relative to the horizontal plane by angle θ1 - α1. Accordingly the working fluid liquefied in the bottommostlinear portion 134d flows throughlinear portion 134d towardheader pipe 132 and flows out of alignedpipes 133. As such, alignedpipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein. As a result, the working fluid can smoothly flow andloop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate. - In a third case, with reference to Fig. 3B, equipment has casing 300 inclined in a direction C by an angle α2, wherein α2 = θ1. With casing 300 thus inclined,
condenser 130A after it is disposed will be arranged horizontally. - As has been described above, the working fluid flowing in
condenser 130A through alignedpipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommostlinear portion 134d. In that case, with the bottommostlinear portion 134d horizontally disposed, the convection of the working fluid caused in alignedpipe 133 allows the liquefied working fluid to flow towardheader pipe 132 and flow out of alignedpipe 133. As such, alignedpipe 133 will not have the working fluid staying therein. As a result, the working fluid can smoothly flow andloop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate. - In a fourth case, with reference to Fig. 3B, equipment has casing 300 inclined in direction C by an angle α 3, wherein α3 > θ1. With casing 300 thus inclined,
condenser 130A after it is arranged will incline by an angle α3 -θ1 relative to the horizontal plane. - As has been described above, the working fluid flowing in
condenser 130A through alignedpipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommostlinear portion 134d. As shown in Fig. 5, the working fluid liquefied inlinear portion 134d is pulled by gravity to flow throughlinear portion 134d to move away fromheader pipe 132. As a result, the liquefied workingfluid 502 will stay in the bottommostlinear portion 134d closer tocurved portion 135c. - However, with
condenser 130A previously arranged to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300, there is a smaller possibility that workingfluid 502 staying in alignedpipe 133 has alevel 503 closing alignedpipe 133 than whencondenser 130A is arranged parallel tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, as long as alignedpipe 133 at a connection of the bottommostlinear portion 134d andcurved portion 135d has an upper portion (indicated in Fig. 5 by a point D) upper than a lower portion of the connection of the bottommostlinear portion 134d andheader pipe 132, workingfluid 502 flowing back and thus staying will not close alignedpipe 133. As a result, the working fluid is not prevented from flowing and can flow smoothly. - It should be noted, however, that if
condenser 130A is further inclined, i.e., if alignedpipe 133 at the connection of the bottommostlinear portion 134d andcurved portion 135d has an upper portion (indicated in Fig. 5 by point D) upper than a lower portion of the connection of the bottommostlinear portion 134d andheader pipe 132, then alignedpipe 133 will be closed by the liquefied working fluid, and the working fluid will be prevented from flowing. Typically, however, it is also hardly conceivable that equipment has a casing arranged with an inclination of 3° or larger relative to a horizontal floor surface, and inclination or angle θ1 set to be approximately 3° relative tobottom surface 301 ofcondenser 130A would substantially completely prevent such a situation as described above. Thus in mostcases loop thermosyphon 100A can reliably operate. - Note that while in the above description a casing is arranged to incline relative to a horizontal floor surface by way of example, the above also similarly applies if the casing is arranged parallel to an originally inclined floor surface.
- Thus, as described in the present embodiment, previously arranging a condenser formed of an assembly to incline in a prescribed direction by a prescribed angle can prevent a loop thermosyphon from defective operation attributed to disposition. The loop thermosyphon can reliably operate, and as a result the Stirling refrigerating machine can be protected against damage attributed to unexpected defective operation, and can also have a heated portion reliably cooled and hence operate significantly efficiently.
- The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100B also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first embodiment are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the present embodiment provides
loop thermosyphon 100B with acondenser 130B similar tocondenser 130A ofloop thermosyphon 100A described in the first embodiment. More specifically,condenser 130B is unitized as an assembly formed ofheader pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe,header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe, the plurality of alignedpipes 133 connectingheader pipes fin 136 provided in contact with alignedpipes 133. -
Aligned pipe 133 has a linear portion extending in a first direction (indicated in the figure by an arrow A), andheader pipe 132 associated with the return pipe extends in a second direction (indicated in the figure by an arrow E) traversing the first direction.Return pipe 140 is connected in a vicinity of one end ofheader pipe 132 extending in this one direction. -
Condenser 130B is arranged to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of a refrigerator or similar equipment. More specifically,condenser 130B formed of an assembly is arranged to entirely incline by an angle θ2 such that one end havingreturn pipe 140 connected thereto is positioned to be closer than the other end corresponding to that opposite to one end. - More specifically,
condenser 130B is arranged to entirely incline by angle θ2 such thatcondenser 130A hasheader pipe 132 inclined in a direction allowingheader pipe 132 to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 for one end havingreturn pipe 140 connected thereto than the other end located opposite to one end. Note that relative tobottom surface 301condenser 130B is not particularly limited in inclination or angle θ2, although it is preferably several degrees to an angle between 10 degrees and 20 degrees. Such inclination can be done for example by adjusting in geometry an upper and ofsupport 254c of supporting platform 250 (see Fig. 1). - Thus by arranging
condenser 130B to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 by angle θ2 and connectingreturn pipe 140 toheader pipe 132 at an end closer tobottom surface 301, allowsloop thermosyphon 100B to reliably operate regardless of howcasing 300 is disposed, for the following reason: - The working fluid condensed and liquefied in the plurality of aligned
pipes 133 flows through each alignedpipe 133 intoheader pipe 132 and thus joins to flow together, and further flows throughreturn pipe 140 intoevaporator 110. - If
header pipe 132 is arranged parallel tobottom surface 301,header pipe 132 is not necessarily arranged horizontally, depending on howcasing 300 is arranged relative to a floor surface, how the floor surface inclines, and the like. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 17, a conventional loop thermosyphon hasreturn pipe 140 connected toheader pipe 132 at a center to provide a minimum distance to each alignedpipe 133 to allow the working fluid to smoothly flow. - If such arrangement is adopted, however, and
header pipe 132 is arranged to incline, the working fluid is more, significantly prevented from flowing inheader pipe 132 at a location lower than the portion connectingheader pipe 132 and returnpipe 140 together than at a location higher than that portion. Consequently in the plurality of alignedpipes 133 the working fluid experiences different flow resistances and the loop thermosyphon cannot operate efficiently. - In the present
embodiment loop thermosyphon 100B hasheader pipe 132 arranged to previously incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of equipment and hasreturn pipe 140 connected toheader pipe 132 at an end closer tobottom surface 301 to allow the working fluid to smoothly flow. As a result the loop thermosyphon can be prevented from defective operation attributed to disposition and thus reliably operate. - The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100C also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first or second embodiment. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first or second embodiment are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Figs. 7A and 7B, the present embodiment provides
loop thermosyphon 100C with acondenser 130C similar tocondensers loop thermosyphons condenser 130C is unitized as an assembly formed ofheader pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe,header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe, the plurality of alignedpipes 133 connectingheader pipes fin 136 provided in contact with alignedpipes 133. - In the
present embodiment condenser 130C is arranged to entirely incline by angle θ1 to have alignedserpentine tube 133 withlinear portions 134a-134d inclined to be closer tobottom surface 301 as the serpentine tube approachesheader pipe 132. Furthermore condenser 130B is arranged to entirely incline by angle θ2 such thatheader pipe 132 is inclined in a direction allowingheader pipe 132 to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 for one end havingreturn pipe 140 connected thereto than the other end located opposite to one end. - Thus the effect of the first embodiment and that of the second embodiment can both be achieved. This can significantly reduce a defective operation of the loop thermosyphon attributed to disposition. Thus the loop thermosyphon can reliably operate and the Stirling refrigerating machine can be operated highly efficiently.
- The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100D also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to third embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to third embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Fig. 8,
loop thermosyphon 100D has acondenser 130D with each alignedpipe 133 defined bylinear portions 134a-134e linearly extending in a first direction (in the figure, direction A), andcurved portions 135a-135d connectinglinear portions 134a-134e.Linear portions 134a-134e are arranged, one on another, vertically in parallel.Curved portions 135a-135d connectlinear portions 134a-134e at their respective ends together. More specifically,condenser 130D is configured of alignedpipes 133 configured of laterally arranged serpentine tubes. The plurality of alignedpipes 133 atlinear portions 134a-134e have a plurality of radiatingfins 136 assembled thereto. - Thus if a condenser formed of an assembly having an odd number of aligned
pipes 133 each formed of a serpentine tube is employed,header pipe 131 associated with the feed pipe andheader pipe 132 associated with the return pipe will separately be arranged at opposite ends of the condenser. Accordingly, in contrast to the first or third embodiment,condenser 130D needs to be arranged to incline to have its rear side to be closer tobottom surface 301. This allows alignedserpentine tubes 133 to havelinear portions 134a-134e inclined in a direction allowing them to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 as they approachheader pipe 132.Condenser 130D can be arranged to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 for example by adjusting support 254C ofsupport platform 250 in height (see Fig. 1). - Thus a condenser having aligned
pipes 133 in an odd number of stages in layers that is entirely inclined relative to a bottom surface of a casing by angle θ1 also allows a loop thermosyphon to reliably operate regardless of how the casing is disposed. - The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100E also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to fourth embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to fourth embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Fig. 10,
loop thermosyphon 100E has acondenser 130E with alignedpipes 133 each defined bylinear portions 134a-134c linearly extending in a first direction (in the figure, direction A) parallel tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of equipment,linear portion 134d located at a bottommost stage and inclined relative tobottom surface 301, andcurved portions 135a-135c connectinglinear portions 134a-134d.Linear portions 134a-134d have their respective ends connected together bycurved portions 135a-135c. The plurality of alignedpipes 133 atlinear portions 134a-134d have a plurality of radiatingfins 136 assembled thereto. -
Condenser 130E has the bottommostlinear portion 134d inclined in a direction allowinglinear portion 134d to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 aslinear portion 134d approachesheader pipe 132. In other words,linear portion 134d is inclined relative tobottom surface 301 by an angle θ3. - The working fluid flowing in
condenser 130E through alignedpipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommostlinear portion 134d and pulled by gravity to flow through the inclinedlinear portion 134d towardheader pipe 132 and flow out of alignedpipe 133. As such, alignedpipe 133 will not have the liquefied working fluid staying therein. The bottommostlinear portion 134d previously alone inclined relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 by a prescribed angle allows the working fluid to smoothly flow regardless of how the casing is disposed, andloop thermosyphon 100E can reliably operate. - The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100F also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to fifth embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to fifth embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Fig. 11, the present embodiment provides
loop thermosyphon 100F having acondenser 130F with the plurality of alignedpipes 133 each defined by linearly extendingportions 134a-134d andcurved portions 135a-135c connectinglinear portions 134a-134d together.Linear portions 134a-134d have their respective ends connected together bycurved portions 135a-135c. The plurality of alignedpipes 133 atlinear portions 134a-134d have a plurality of radiatingfins 136 assembled thereto. -
Condenser 130E haslinear portions 134a-134d each arranged to incline in a direction allowinglinear portions 134a-134d to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of the equipment as the linear portions extend downstream (or extend fromheader pipe 131 toward header pipe 132). In particular, the bottommostlinear portion 134d is inclined relative tobottom surface 301 by an angle θ4. - The working fluid flowing in
condenser 130E through alignedpipe 133 is condensed and liquefied mainly at the bottommostlinear portion 134d. However, as the surrounding temperature or the like varies, alignedpipe 133 occasionally has the working fluid condensed and liquefied not only at the bottommostlinear portion 134d but alsolinear portions 134a-134c overlyinglinear portion 134d.Linear portions 134a-134d each arranged to incline by a prescribed angle to allow the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied inlinear portions 134a-134d to be pulled by gravity to return through the inclinedlinear portions 134a-134c towardheader pipe 132, can prevent alignedpipe 133 from having the working fluid staying therein. -
Linear portions 134a-134d thud previously arranged to incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 by a prescribed angle allows the working fluid to smoothly flow regardless of howcasing 300 is disposed, and as a result allowloop thermosyphon 100F to reliably operate. - The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100G also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to sixth embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to sixth embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Fig. 12, the present embodiment provides
loop thermosyphon 100G including a condenser 130G havingheader pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe and extending vertically,header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe and also extending vertically, and the plurality of alignedpipes 133 connectingheader pipes pipes 133 are each a linearly extending pipe and a plurality of such linear tubes are vertically arranged in parallel layers to form condenser 130G. The plurality of alignedpipes 133 has a plurality of radiatingfins 136 assembled thereto. Note that in condenser130G header pipe 131 extends in a direction orthogonal that in which each alignedpipe 133 extends andheader pipe 132 extends in a direction orthogonal to that in which each alignedpipe 133 extends. - In the present
embodiment loop thermosyphon 100G has condenser 130G arranged to entirely incline relative tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of equipment by an angle θ5 so that condenser 130G has alignedpipes 133 each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of the equipment as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends fromheader pipe 131 toward header pipe 132). - Condenser 130G previously, entirely inclined to allow the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied in aligned
pipe 133 to be pulled by gravity to return through alignedpipe 133 towardheader pipe 132, can prevent alignedpipe 133 from having the working fluid staying therein. The working fluid can smoothly flow regardless of howcasing 300 is disposed, and as aresult loop thermosyphon 100F can reliably be operated. - While the present embodiment has been described by exemplifying a condenser with header pipes associated with feed and return pipes, respectively, arranged to vertically extend, the header pipes may be arranged to extend horizontally. If the header pipes are thus arranged, the header pipes will be connected by parallel or linear tubes arranged horizontally in parallel. In that case, the condenser is similarly arranged to entirely incline relative to a bottom surface of a casing of equipment by a prescribed angle so that the condenser has the aligned pipes each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance to the bottom surface as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends from the header pipe associated with the feed pipe toward that associated with the return pipe). The loop thermosyphon can reliably operate.
- Furthermore, the header pipes associated with the feed and return pipes, respectively, may not be connected by aligned pipes arranged in a single row. For example the aligned pipes may be staggered in a direction traversing that in which the aligned pipes extend.
- The present embodiment provides a
loop thermosyphon 100H also utilized as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, similarly as described in the first to seventh embodiments. Accordingly, the components similar to those of the first to seventh embodiments are shown in the figures with identical reference characters. - As shown in Fig. 13, the present embodiment provides
loop thermosyphon 100H including a condenser 130H havingheader pipe 131 associated with a feed pipe and extending vertically,header pipe 132 associated with a return pipe and also extending vertically, and the plurality of alignedpipes 133 connectingheader pipes pipes 133 are each a linearly extending pipe and a plurality of such linear tubes are vertically arranged in parallel layers to form condenser 130H. The plurality of alignedpipes 133 has a plurality of radiatingfins 136 assembled thereto. Note that forloop thermosyphon 100H header pipes header pipes bottom surface 301 ofcasing 300 of equipment. - In the present
embodiment loop thermosyphon 100H has linear alignedpipes 133 arranged to entirely incline relative tobottom surface 301 by an angle θ6 so that condenser 130G has alignedpipes 133 each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance tobottom surface 301 as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends fromheader pipe 131 toward header pipe 132). -
Aligned pipe 133 previously inclined to allow the working fluid condensed and thus liquefied therein to be pulled by gravity to return therethrough towardheader pipe 132, can be prevented from having the working fluid staying therein. The working fluid can smoothly flow regardless of howcasing 300 is disposed, and as aresult loop thermosyphon 100G can reliably be operated. - While the present embodiment has been described by exemplifying a condenser with header pipes associated with feed and return pipes, respectively, arranged to vertically extend, the header pipes may be arranged to extend horizontally. If the header pipes are thus arranged, the header pipes will be connected by parallel, linear tubes arranged horizontally in parallel. In that case, the condenser is similarly arranged to entirely incline relative to a bottom surface of a casing of equipment by a prescribed angle so that the condenser has the aligned pipes each arranged to incline in a direction allowing the aligned pipe to have a smaller distance to the bottom surface as the aligned pipe extends downstream (or extends from the header pipe associated with the feed pipe toward that associated with the return pipe). The loop thermosyphon can reliably operate.
- Furthermore, the header pipes associated with the feed and return pipes, respectively, may not be connected by aligned pipes arranged in a single row. For example the aligned pipes may be staggered in a direction traversing that in which the aligned pipes extend.
- The present embodiment provides a Stirling refrigerator having the loop thermosyphon of any of the first to eighth embodiments as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine disposed in a casing.
- As shown in Fig. 14, the present embodiment provides a
Stirling refrigerator 1000 including afreezer section 1028 and achiller section 1029 as a refrigeration section.Stirling refrigerator 1000 includesloop thermosyphon 100 as a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion to cool aheated portion 204 of aStirling refrigerating machine 200.Stirling refrigerating machine 200 has acold portion 206 generating cryogenic temperature utilized by aheat transfer system 1020 associated with the cold portion (indicated in Fig. 14 by a broken line) to cool the refrigerator's interior. As well as the heat transfer system associated with the heated portion, the heat transfer system associated with the cold portion may also be configured of a loop thermosyphon or may be a heat transfer system utilizing forced convection. - The heat transfer system associated with the heated portion, or
loop thermosyphon 100, includesevaporator 110 attached to surround and thus contactheated portion 204 ofStirling refrigerating machine 200, andcondenser 130 connected toevaporator 110 by a feed pipe and a return pipe.Evaporator 110,condenser 130 and feed and returnpipes heated portion 204,condenser 130 is arranged to be upper (or higher) thanevaporator 110. - As shown in Fig. 14,
Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is arranged inStirling refrigerator 1000 at a rear, upper portion. Furthermore,heat transfer system 1020 associated with the cold portion is arranged inStirling refrigerator 1000 closer to the rear side. In contrast, the heat transfer system associated with the heated portion, orloop thermosyphon 100, is arranged inStirling refrigerator 1000 at an upper portion. Note thatthermosyphon 100 hascondenser 130 provided in aduct 1024 provided inStirling refrigerator 1000 at an upper portion. - When
Stirling refrigerating machine 200 is operated,heated portion 204 generates heat, which is thermally exchanged viacondenser 130 ofthermosyphon 100 with air present induct 1024. Anair blowing fan 1025 exhausts warm air present induct 1024 to outsideStirling refrigerator 100 and also introduces air external toStirling refrigerator 1000 to help to exchange heat. - In contrast,
cold portion 206 generates cryogenic temperature, which is thermally exchanged with an air stream present incold duct 1023, as indicated in Fig. 14 by an arrow. Afan 1026 associated with a freezer section and afan 1027 associated with a chiller section blow cooled, cold air towardfreezer section 1028 andchiller section 1029, respectively. Eachrefrigeration section cold duct 1023 and repeatedly cooled. - As
loop thermosyphon 100 mounted inStirling refrigerator 1000 as described above is any of loop thermosyphons 100A-100H described in the first to eighth embodiments, it can reliably operate regardless of howStirling refrigerator 100 has a casing disposed.Stirling refrigerating machine 200 can be operated significantly efficiently andStirling refrigerator 1000 can also be improved in performance. - The present embodiment provides a cooling apparatus having a major portion common in structure to that of the second conventional example described hereinbefore. Accordingly, components identical to those of the cooling apparatus of the second conventional example are identically labeled.
- As shown in Figs. 15, and 16A and 16B, the present embodiment provides a cooling apparatus having
condensate coolant pipe 11 havingvertical pipes lateral pipe 11C at one and the other ends, respectively, and their respective lower ends connected to semi-rings 6A and 6B at their respective outer circumferential upper ends, respectively, similarly as has been done in the second conventional example. Thusvertical pipes vertical pipes lateral pipe 11C will have one of the ends lowest in level of the entirety oflateral pipe 11C. The coolant's condensate will flow through the vertical pipe having a lower inlet and thus be prevented from staying inlateral pipe 11C. - In general, refrigerators are to be installed at places having an inclination of at most 5° including no inclination. Accordingly by setting at least 5° for a downward gradient α of inclined portions 11Aa and 11Ba of the vertical pipes with reference to cooling
apparatus 500 placed with no inclination (see Fig. 16A), the vertical pipes can have inclined portions 11Aa and 11Ba with the downward gradient maintained if coolingapparatus 50 is inclined by 5°, and the thermosyphon can be prevented from failing to function. Thus the coolant can reliably be circulated. - Furthermore,
vapor coolant pipe 11 haslateral pipe 11C with adegassing charge pipe 21 attached thereto. If the heat transfer cycle associated with the heated portion is operated with water used as a coolant, an uncondensed gas (or air) solved and thus present in water needs to be removed. Accordingly, after the water or coolant is shieldedcharge pipe 21 is used to vacuum a shielded system internal to the cycle.Charge pipe 21 attached at a location high in level can prevent water from being sucked in vacuuming the shielded system and can also improve efficiency in vacuuming the system. - The first to tenth embodiments have been described by exemplifying a loop thermosyphon employed in a heat transfer system associated with a heated portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine, the present invention is as a matter of course also applicable to other devices having a heat source.
- Furthermore, characteristic configurations described in the first to tenth embodiments can be combined together.
- The above disclosed embodiments are by way of illustration and example only and are not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and encompassing any variation falling within a meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.
Claims (14)
- A loop thermosyphon mounted at a casing (300) of equipment having a heat source, and employing a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to transfer heat from said heat source, said closed circuit including:an evaporator (110) depriving said heat source of heat to evaporate said working fluid;a condenser (130A) condensing said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110);a feed pipe (120) feeding to said condenser (130A) said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110); anda return pipe (140) returning to said evaporator (110) said working fluid condensed at said condenser (130A), whereinsaid condenser (130A) has a serpentine tube having a linear portion (134a-134d) extending in one direction and forming a plurality of stages in layers, and a curved portion (135a-135c) connecting such linear portions (134a-134d) together, andsaid serpentine tube has a bottommost one (134d) of said linear portions (134a-134d) inclined in a direction allowing said bottommost linear portion (134d) to be closer to a bottom surface (301) of said casing (300) as said bottommost linear portion (134d) approaches said return pipe (140).
- A Stirling refrigerator having a Stirling refrigerating machine (200) mounted, wherein:said Stirling refrigerating machine (200) includes the loop thermosyphon of claim 1; andsaid evaporator (110) is configured to exchange heat with a heated portion (204) of said Stirling refrigerating machine (200).
- A loop thermosyphon mounted at a casing (300) of equipment having a heat source, and employing a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to transfer heat from said heat source, said closed circuit including:an evaporator (110) depriving said heat source of heat to evaporate said working fluid;a condenser (130A) condensing said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110);a feed pipe (120) feeding to said condenser (130A) said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110); anda return pipe (140) returning to said evaporator (110) said working fluid condensed at said condenser (130A), whereinsaid condenser (130A) is an assembly including a header pipe (131) associated with said feed pipe (120), and connected to said feed pipe (120) to branch said working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe (140), and connected to said return pipe (140) and joining together said working fluid branched, and a plurality of aligned pipes (133) extending in a same direction and connecting said header pipes (131 and 132) together,said aligned pipes (133) are each a serpentine tube having a linear portion (134a-134d) extending in one direction and forming a plurality of stages in layers, and a curved portion (135a-135c) connecting such linear portions (134a-134d) together, andsaid condenser (130A) is entirely inclined relative to a bottom surface (301) of said casing (300) such that of said linear portions (134a-134d), a bottommost linear portion (134d) is inclined in a direction allowing said bottommost linear portion (134d) to be closer to said bottom surface (301) as said bottommost linear portion (134d) approaches said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe.
- The loop thermosyphon according to claim 3, wherein said condenser (130A) is arranged to incline relative to said bottom surface (301) of said casing (300) at an angle larger than 0° and at most 6°.
- The loop thermosyphon according to claim 3, wherein:said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe extends in a second direction traversing said first direction;said return pipe (140) is connected in a vicinity of one end of said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe and extending in said second direction; andsaid header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe is inclined in a direction allowing said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe to be closer to said bottom surface (301) of said casing (300) as said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe extends toward said one end from the other end positionally opposite said one end.
- A Stirling refrigerator having a Stirling refrigerating machine (200) mounted, wherein:said Stirling refrigerating machine (200) includes the loop thermo syphon of claim 3; andsaid evaporator (110) is configured to exchange heat with a heated portion (204) of said Stirling refrigerating machine (200).
- A loop thermosyphon mounted at a casing (300) of equipment having a heat source, and employing a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to transfer heat from said heat source, said closed circuit including:an evaporator (110) depriving said heat source of heat to evaporate said working fluid;a condenser (130B) condensing said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110);a feed pipe (120) feeding to said condenser (130B) said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110); anda return pipe (140) returning to said evaporator (110) said working fluid condensed at said condenser (130B), whereinsaid condenser (130B) is an assembly including a header pipe (131) associated with said feed pipe (120), and connected to said feed pipe (120) to branch said working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe (140), and connected to said return pipe (140) and joining together said working fluid branched, and a plurality of aligned pipes (133) extending in a same direction and connecting said header pipes (131 and 132) together,said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe extends in one direction,said return pipe (140) is connected in a vicinity of one end of said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe and extending in said one direction, andsaid header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe is inclined in a direction allowing said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe to be closer to a bottom surface (301) of said casing (300) as said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe extends toward said one end from the other end positionally opposite said one end.
- A Stirling refrigerator having a Stirling refrigerating machine (200) mounted, wherein:said Stirling refrigerating machine (200) includes the loop thermosyphon of claim 7; andsaid evaporator (110) is configured to exchange heat with a heated portion (204) of said Stirling refrigerating machine (200).
- A loop thermosyphon mounted at a casing (300) of equipment having a heat source, and employing a working fluid enclosed in a closed circuit to transfer heat from said heat source, said closed circuit including:an evaporator (110) depriving said heat source of heat to evaporate said working fluid;a condenser (130G) condensing said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110);a feed pipe (120) feeding to said condenser (130G) said working fluid evaporated at said evaporator (110); anda return pipe (140) returning to said evaporator (110) said working fluid condensed at said condenser (130G), whereinsaid condenser (130G) is an assembly including a header pipe (131) associated with said feed pipe (120), and connected to said feed pipe (120) to branch said working fluid introduced thereinto, a header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe (140), and connected to said return pipe (140) and joining together said working fluid branched, and a plurality of linear tubes (133) arranged in parallel and connecting said header pipes (131 and 132) together, andsaid linear tubes (133) are each inclined in a direction allowing each said linear tube (133) to be closer to a bottom surface (301) of said casing (300) as each said linear tube (133) approaches said header pipe (132) associated with said return pipe.
- A Stirling refrigerator having a Stirling refrigerating machine (200) mounted, wherein:said Stirling refrigerating machine (200) includes the loop thermosyphon of claim 9; andsaid evaporator (110) is configured to exchange heat with a heated portion (204) of said Stirling refrigerating machine (200).
- A cooling apparatus having a heat transfer cycle (5) associated with a cold portion (3) and extracting cold generated by a Stirling refrigerating machine (1) at said cold portion (3), and a heat transfer cycle (4) associated with a heated portion (2) and externally radiating hot generated by said Stirling refrigerating machine (1) at said heated portion (2), wherein:said heat transfer cycle (4) associated with said heated portion (2) includes an evaporator (6) associated with said heated portion and attached to said Stirling refrigerating machine (1) at said heated portion (2) and a condenser (8) associated with said heated portion and arranged to be higher in level than said evaporator (6), with a vapor coolant pipe (7) and a condensate coolant pipe (11) connecting said evaporator (6) and said condenser (8) to form a coolant circulation circuit, andsaid condensate coolant pipe (11) includes a lateral pipe (11C) having opposite ends closed and connected to said condenser (8) and a pair of vertical pipes (11A, 11B) vertically connecting said evaporator (6) and said lateral pipe (11C) together, said pair of vertical pipes (11A, 11B) having one and the other, upper ends connected to said lateral pipe (11A, 11B) at one and the other ends, respectively.
- The cooling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said vertical pipe (11A, 11B) has an inclined portion (11Aa, 11Ba) having a downward gradient.
- The cooling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said downward gradient is at least 5° with reference to said cooling apparatus placed in a horizontal position.
- A cooling apparatus having a heat transfer cycle (5) associated with a cold portion (3) and extracting cold generated by a Stirling refrigerating machine (1) at said cold portion (3), and a heat transfer cycle (4) associated with a heated portion (2) and externally radiating hot generated by said Stirling refrigerating machine (1) at said heated portion (2), wherein:said heat transfer cycle (4) associated with said heated portion (2) includes an evaporator (6) associated with said heated portion and attached to said Stirling refrigerating machine (1) at said heated portion (2) and a condenser (8) associated with said heated portion and arranged to be higher in level than said evaporator (6), with a vapor coolant pipe (7) and a condensate coolant pipe (11) connecting said evaporator (6) and said condenser (8) to form a coolant circulation circuit,said condensate coolant pipe (11) includes a lateral pipe (11C) having opposite ends closed and connected to said condenser (8) and a pair of vertical pipes (11A, 11B) vertically connecting said evaporator (6) and said lateral pipe (11C) together, and said vapor coolant pipe (7) includes a lateral pipe (7C) having opposite ends closed and connected to said condenser (8) and a pair of vertical pipes (7A, 7B) vertically connecting said evaporator (6) and said lateral pipe (7C) together, andsaid lateral pipe (7C) of said vapor coolant pipe (7) is arranged to be higher in level than said lateral pipe (11C) of said condenser coolant pipe (11) and a degassing charge pipe (21) is attached to said vapor coolant pipe (7) at said lateral pipe (7C).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2003309708A JP2005077018A (en) | 2003-09-02 | 2003-09-02 | Loop type thermo siphon, stirling refrigerator, and assembling structure of loop type thermo siphon |
JP2004020679A JP3689761B2 (en) | 2004-01-29 | 2004-01-29 | Cooling system |
PCT/JP2004/011600 WO2005024331A1 (en) | 2003-09-02 | 2004-08-12 | Loop type thermo siphon, stirling cooling chamber, and cooling apparatus |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1669710A1 true EP1669710A1 (en) | 2006-06-14 |
Family
ID=34277682
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP04771575A Withdrawn EP1669710A1 (en) | 2003-09-02 | 2004-08-12 | Loop type thermo siphon, stirling cooling chamber, and cooling apparatus |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20070028626A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1669710A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100746795B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005024331A1 (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2005024331A1 (en) | 2005-03-17 |
US20070028626A1 (en) | 2007-02-08 |
KR20060061365A (en) | 2006-06-07 |
KR100746795B1 (en) | 2007-08-06 |
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