WO2006119946A1

WO2006119946A1 - Heat transfer using mobile atoms or molecules

Info

Publication number: WO2006119946A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/004281
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Hugues
Original assignee: John Hugues
Priority date: 2005-05-09
Filing date: 2006-05-08
Publication date: 2006-11-16
Also published as: GB0509323D0

Abstract

A device (70) and method for transferring heat from a first zone (71) to a second zone (72) using mobile (often gaseous or vaporous) atoms or molecules (4) in which in one embodiment, the chaotic motion of the atoms/molecules which usually frustrates the transfer of heat by simple molecular motion is overcome by using preferably elongated nanosized constraints (33) (such as a carbon nanotube) to align the atoms/molecules and then subjecting them to an accelerating force in the direction in which the heat is to be transferred. The accelerating force is preferably centripetal. In an alternative embodiment, molecules (4c) in a nanosized constraint may be arranged to transfer heat by means of an oscillation transverse of the elongation of an elongated constraint (40). In these ways, the transfer of heat is achieved with the input of minimum mechanical energy.

Description

HEAT TRANSFER USING MOBILE ATOMS OR MOLECULES

This invention relates to a device and method for transferring heat from a first zone to a second zone using mobile atoms or molecules. For brevity, in this description the word "molecule" will be used to mean "molecule and/or atom" unless the context demands otherwise. The temperature of the first zone need not be greater than that of the second zone, so this invention will amongst other things have value in the design of heat pumps or refrigeration systems.

The background to this invention is most easily explained with reference to hypothetical so-called "ideal gases". Ideal gases are discussed in elementary text books on physics such as for example on pages 318 to 322 of the second edition of "University Physics" by F W Sears and M W Zemansky published in 1955 by Addison-Wesley of Reading, Massachusetts, the contents of which pages are herein incorporated by reference. Sears et al state that ideal gases are defined as consisting of molecules which (if they existed in reality) would behave as if they were perfectly elastic rigid spheres which would exert no forces upon each other except during impacts. This concept would be equally relevant to a consideration of the atoms of an ideal inert gas even though Sears et al does not expressly say so. Sears et al goes on to explain how the temperature, T, in degrees Kelvin of such ideal gases is a function of the square of the mean velocity, ύ, of their molecules expressed as follows:

3k

where m is the mass of a single molecule and k is Boltzman's constant.

From this it follows that accelerating or decelerating the molecules of an ideal gas raises or lowers its temperature respectively. Similar affects occur in real gases comprising mobile molecules, though the equations are more complex. Molecules with a more spheroidal structure come closer to ideal gas behaviour than those having a lesser spheroidal (especially asymmetrical) structure. It is one of the objects of this invention to exploit the affects caused by acceleration and deceleration to transfer heat and the explanation of how this could in theory be done is again helped by the consideration of a hypothetical situation.

Consider the hypothetical situation in which there are first and second zones spaced apart and presume that both zones are initially at a temperature of T₁ and that there is just one molecule located between them and that the molecule is a mobile molecule of an ideal gas. The situation would be as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings which illustrate diagrammatically the hypothetical positioning of the single mobile molecule 4 between first and second zones 1 and 2 (indicated by chained lines) at various stages in a heat transfer process. Figure 1 shows mobile molecule 4 when it has just completed a perpendicular impact against wall 1 a which forms a boundary to first zone 1 and let it be presumed that wall 1 a is highly thermally conductive. If molecule 4 is colder than wall 1a, then during its impact against wall 1a it will be warmed by wall 1a and so it will extract heat from wall 1 a and consequently, wall 1a will likewise extract heat from zone 1. Let it be presumed that zone 1 is so large that any extraction of heat due to molecule 4 will not noticeably reduce the temperature T₁ of _zone 1 or of wall 1a. Let it also be presumed that wall 1a is sufficiently thermally conducting to ensure that immediately after impact, the temperature of molecule 4 will have become T₁. This means that molecule 4 will leave wall 1 a at a temperature of T₁ and T₁ will be equal to mu^/Sk where U₁ is the velocity of the molecule at the moment it leaves wall 1 a.

Suppose that after impact, molecule 4 rebounds perpendicularly from wall 1a in the direction of arrow A towards opposed wall 2a which forms a boundary to second zone 2 and let it be presumed that wall 2a is also highly thermally conductive. Let molecule 4 be subjected to an accelerating force, say force B acting in the direction of arrow B and created by some suitable acceleration means, for example a centripetal force generated by a centrifuge. Molecule 4 will accelerate acquiring an increasing velocity and therefore an increasing temperature. Velocity and temperature will continue to increase until molecule 4 impacts against highly thermally conductive wall 2a which it does perpendicularly in the direction of arrow A as shown in Figure 2. At the moment of impact, molecule 4 will have a velocity of say U₂ which will be greater than U₁ and therefore molecule 4 will also have an increased temperature of say T₂ which will likewise be greater than T₁. Whilst molecule 4 is in contact with wall 2a, it transfers some of its heat to wall 2a raising its temperature from the starting temperature of T₁ to at least a momentary temperature of say T₃ Heat extracted from molecule 4 will subsequently be delivered via wall 2a to zone 2. The loss of heat from molecule 4 causes it to cool to a temperature of say T₃ and to have a correspondingly a slower velocity of say U₃. Molecule 4 then rebounds perpendicularly back from wall 2a in the direction of arrow C and travels towards end wall 1 a with a velocity of U₃.

Molecule 4 is now travelling back in the direction of arrow C against force B which this time acts as a decelerating force and so the velocity and hence the temperature of molecule 4 is further reduced. Assuming molecule 4 has sufficient momentum to complete its journey back to end wall 1 a, its velocity and temperature will continue to decrease becoming say U₄ and T₄ until the moment when molecule 4 again impacts perpendicularly against wall 1a as shown in Figure 3. Because of the further decrease in velocity on its return journey, molecule 4 rebates energy back to the acceleration means. During its second perpendicular impact against end wall 1a, Molecule 4 will be reheated by heat again taken via end wall 1 a from first zone 1. Depending on the speed with which heat is conducted from zone 1 through wall 1a to molecule 4, the temperature of molecule 4 will approach or again reach Ti _whereup_on the whole method is then ready for repetition. If in the hypothetical^ perfect method described above, circumstances are such that molecule 4 regains the temperature of T₁, then the energy rebated by molecule 4 to the force generating means will have been replenished by heat extracted from zone 1. Therefore the theoretical net energy input from the force generating means will be zero. In short, the theoretical net effect of performing the method will be to transfer heat extracted from first zone 1 to second zone 2 with no net energy input other than the heat extracted from zone 1 when molecule 4 is re-heated from T₄ back up to T₁.

The above hypothetical method described with reference to a molecule of a hypothetical ideal gas does in theory offer a way of transferring heat from zone 1 to zone 2 but of course in practice the amount of heat transferred by a single molecule would be far too small for any industrial application. So for practical purposes, a huge number of molecules would be needed but this poses a problem because of the huge disruptions to the directions of molecular flow which will be caused by the enormous number of inevitable intermolecular impacts which will occur during an attempted performance of the method when using a huge number of molecules. The detailed consequences of these impacts will now be explained.

Consider a third hypothetical situation as illustrated in Figure 4 in which mobile molecule 44 of an ideal gas is accompanied by a huge number of other mobile molecules of the same ideal gas including molecules 45, 45a, 45b and 45c. Almost immediately on rebounding from wall 41a, molecule 44 will collide with another molecule, say molecule 45 whose velocity will be in a direction different from that of molecule 44. Molecule 44 will therefore be deflected away from the direction of arrow shown within molecule 44, ie away from the direction which leads directly to second zone 42 and after the impact, molecule 45 will be overwhelmingly unlikely to follow a direction which leads directly to second zone 42. Then, almost immediately, molecules 44 and 45 will collide with other molecules 45a and 45b causing deflections into further directions overwhelmingly unlikely to lead to zone 42. Enormous numbers of similar deflections involving all the molecules of the ideal gas will also be occurring so generating a chaos of molecules travelling in all directions and only a tiny fraction of such directions will lead to wall 42a. The result will be a chaotic dissipation of energy in all directions with virtually none being transferred to second zone 42. Clearly such chaos frustrates the useful transfer of energy from first zone 41 to second zone 42. Hence it is one of the objects of this invention to minimise the chaos generated so making possible a useful transfer of heat from one chosen zone to another with a theoretical zero input of energy other than the heat extracted from zone 41. For simplicity, the problem has been explained with reference to an ideal gas in hypothetical situations, but the same principles will broadly apply to real gases in real situations although energy transfer will be less efficient in that a net minimal amount of mechanical energy will be consumed by the force generating means.

Accordingly this invention provides a device for transferring energy (eg heat) from a first zone to a second zone using mobile atoms or molecules (often gaseous or vaporous atoms or molecules) wherein the device comprises a) a plurality of nanosized constraints each defined by outer limits wherein i) a first portion of the outer limits of a constraint communicates with conditions existing in the first zone whilst a second portion of its outer limits communicates with conditions existing in the second zone and ii) the constraints contain the mobile atoms or molecules and b) the device comprises means for accelerating the atoms or molecules in a direction away from the first zone.

By "nanosized", it is meant that the constraints have dimensions akin to those of the molecules within them. For example, if "d" is the largest dimension of the molecules within an elongated constraint, then in one type of embodiment, the largest internal dimension transverse of the elongation of the constraint preferably lies in the range of from 1.001d to 2d and most preferably 1.001d to 1.3d so that the molecule makes an essentially close fit in the constraint. In another type of embodiment, the largest internal dimension transverse of the elongation of an elongated constraint preferably lies in the range of from 1.3d to at least 6d (especially 1.3 to 1.7d) where the object is to leave enough space between molecules for a molecule oscillating transversely of the elongation of the constraint to be more likely to collide with the inside of the outer lateral limits of the constraints than with another molecule. The length of a nanosize constraint should be at least just greater than 1d and preferably at least 1.7d (especially at least 2d), but in practice they can be as long as possible, for example up to 1 mm. The use of nanosize constraints governs the movement of the molecules and so minimises the amount of chaos generated when the molecules are being used to transfer energy between the different zones. One way in which chaos can be minimised may be explained by reference to another hypothetical system in which mobile molecules of an ideal gas make a clearance fit in an elongated nanosize constraint so enabling the constraint to align them into a single line of adjacent spaced molecules as illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a constraint containing a single line of mobile molecules. More particularly, Figure 5 shows an elongated nanosize cylindrical constraint 3 whose outer limits are defined by smooth (ie theoretically frictionless) cylindrical lateral wall 3c and by highly thermally conductive end walls 3a and 3b which form respectively boundaries to first and second zones 31 and 32. Constraint 3 contains leading molecule 54 shown just after it has completed a perpendicular impact against wall 3a when its temperature has become say T₁ and its velocity U₁ as before. Constraint 3 also contains mutually adjacent molecules 55, 55a, 55b 55x, 55y and 55z (only six are shown for brevity) all constrained to lie in a single line by the clearance fit they make in elongated constraint 3. Molecule 55z is adjacent end wall 3b. As molecule 54 rebounds from wall 3a, it almost immediately impacts against adjacent molecule 55 which then in turn impacts against adjacent molecule 55a which then impacts against molecule 55b and so on until molecule 55y impacts on adjacent mobile molecule 55z which terminates the sequence by impacting on wall 3b. In this way a pulse of energy is transmitted from molecule 54 along the line of molecules to molecule 55z in much the same way as a pulse of energy is transmitted along the line of steel balls in a Newton's cradle. In particular and in this ideal case, the line of molecules is constrained to define a direct route from zone 31 to zone 32 and so the constraint inhibits chaos by inhibiting deflection of the direction of energy flow. Hence, in theory, very little energy is dissipated transversely of the elongated constraint, that is to say in the direction of arrow D. The transmitted energy is augmented as the molecules in the line are subjected to an accelerating force created by an acceleration means (not shown) which accelerating force acts in a direction away from the first zone 31 , for example as indicated by the arrow shown in molecule 54. After impact of molecule 55z against wall 3b and the consequent transfer of energy to zone 32, a return pulse is transmitted along the line of molecules till molecule 54 impacts on wall 3a in zone 31. During transmission of the return pulse, molecules in the line are decelerated and thus rebate energy back to the acceleration means with the result that molecule 4 returns to wall 3a with a velocity of say U₄ and a temperature of say T₄ Temperature T₄ is below the temperature T₁ which molecule 4 had on leaving wall 3a. On impact, heat extracted from highly first zone 31 via thermally conductive wall 3a causes the temperature of molecule 4 to return towards or reach T₁ Molecule 54 then again rebounds from wall 3a so initiating the next pulse towards zone 32. For simplicity, the essential concept has been described with reference to an ideal gas in a hypothetical situation, but the same principles are applicable to real gases in real situations so real gases can be used to transfer heat from one chosen zone to another chosen zone with theoretically no net energy input other than the heat extracted from zone 31. Of course, real molecules are not perfect spheres undergoing truly perpendicular impacts and in addition they will lose energy through impacts with the outer limits of the constraints which are not frictionless in reality. All these imperfections mean that a heat transfer with absolutely no net input of mechanical energy is only a theoretical notion. Nevertheless, the performance of this invention will substantially minimise the amount of mechanical energy which is unrecoverable.

In practice, the amount of heat transferred will be increased by using a plurality of parallel and/or contiguous constraints and because of the nanosize dimensions of the constraints, the number of parallel constraints may well reach trillions or more. When commercially available nanosize constraints are arranged end to end and usually co- axially, they are often called "ropes". Ropes offer a means for increasing elongation of constraints.

Clearance fits are advantageous for use with spheroidal molecules because they provide the most efficient alignments of the molecules. Preferred molecular dimensions tend to be from 0.16 to 2 nanometres (nm). Clearly the larger the diameter of the molecule, the closer is the fit that can be achieved for a given size of constraint and this suggests the use of molecules of, for example, tetrafluorethylene which have the additional advantage of being reasonably inert. Nominally spherical molecules are most efficient which suggests methane and the atoms of inert gases (atomic radius shown in brackets) such as helium (0.12nm), neon (0.16nm), argon (0.19nm), krypton (0.20nm) and xenon (0.22nm). Nanosize constraints containing xenon are now available and xenon atoms are preferred because of their size and high atomic weight. Nickel carbonyl is lethally toxic and in order to be vaporous, it requires a temperature above 316K or reduced pressure but nevertheless, it has the advantages being essentially spheroidal and having a high molecular weight. The molecules in vapours of carbon tetramethyl, carbon tetrachloride, carbon tetrabromide or carbon tetra-iodide are large and nominally spherical but they require low pressures (say below 5 millibar) or higher temperatures to form a stable gaseous state.

Larger molecules are also preferred because their higher molecular weights enable them to transfer larger amounts of energy for a given molecular velocity. Increasingly available and useful spheroidal molecules are the geodesic-like structures formed from interlinking rings of atoms. Structures comprising hexagonal and/or pentagonal rings of carbon as shown in Figure 6B of the drawings are becoming widely available as highly spheroidal molecules having radii of from 0.4 to 2nm. Typical structures are called Buckminster fullerenes or "Bucky Balls" and have a basic C₆o molecular formula. Buckminster fullerenes may be used as mobile molecules in the performance of this invention, especially where a clearance fit within a constraint is sought. Moreover, it is now possible to insert smaller molecules (eg an atom of an inert gas such as xenon) into the fullerene structure and then use the combination of fullerene and inserted molecule as a compound mobile molecule of enhanced molecular weight.

Suitable elongated constraints include the so-called carbon nanotubes, examples of which are described by Peter Harris in "Carbon Nanotube Science and Technology" available in 2005 on the website of http:// www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~scsharip/tubes.htm and in "Carbon Nanotubes" on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon nanotubes also available in 2005 in the Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia. The contents of these website articles are herein incorporated by reference.

Single layer carbon nanotubes are preferred and they essentially comprise seamless cylinders of graphene optionally closed at one or both ends by notional caps of hexagonal/pentagonal rings of carbon resembling approximate hemispheres or other segments of a fullerene. Figure 6A of the drawings illustrates one form of an elongated carbon nanotube 60 having an axially extending lateral wall 63 comprising a graphene structure and closed by notional caps 61a and 62a which are segments of a fullerene. The ends of the tube may alternatively be closed by, for example, a closed end of an abutting co-axial nanotube or by an end wall bounding one of the zones involved in the heat transfer. Closure of an end of a nanotube constraint does not necessarily obstruct the transfer of heat. The closed end merely serves as the second zone to which the mobile molecules in the nanotube deliver heat whilst at the same time it serves as a first zone from which molecules in an adjacent second nanotube extract heat for delivery onwards.

Carbon nanotubes have the added advantage of undergoing strong and spontaneous van der Waal's bonding to form the so-called ropes mentioned above which are akin to carbon fibre. Such ropes offer a convenient way of incorporating trillions of elongated constraints into a device according to this invention. Carbon nanotubes are currently available with transverse diameters of from 1 to 3nm and in lengths of up to 1 mm. Useful similarly dimensioned nanotubes are now becoming available in materials other than carbon.

Although a single fullerene such as a Bucky Ball may serve as a constraint if a mobile molecule is inserted into it, a single ball will be too small to be of much industrial application. However, it has now been discovered that adjacent spheroidal fullerenes (which may contain inserted mobile molecules) can undergo strong and presumably spontaneous van der Waal's bonding so that a plurality of contiguous fullerenes may bond together in a line to form "ropes" which can then serve in effect as useful elongated nanosized constraints. Van der Waal's forces may also enable fullerenes to assemble into three-dimensional structures which can be thought of as ropes of fullerenes surrounded above and below and to left and right by other ropes. Figure 6C of the drawings shows in side elevation a fragment of such a structure whilst Figure 6D shows an end elevation of the same fragment. For simplicity, the ropes of fullerene balls are represented diagrammatically as circles 67 and, again for simplicity, only five layers of circles 67 are shown. It will be seen that the structure is reminiscent of a honeycomb and can form a plurality of elongated constraints suitable for use in methods where molecules execute axial movement and in methods where they execute transverse movements.

When the temperature of the first zone does not exceed that of the second zone, the molecules will need to be subjected to an accelerating force somewhere between the two zones if energy is to be transferred from the first zone to the second. If the orientation of the constraints is such that the line of their elongation is vertical or contains a vertical component, it is at least theoretically possible for the accelerating force to be gravity. However, to obtain a useful acceleration, an enormously long nanotube constraint would be needed. A magnetic force may be possible, but the preferred force is centripetal and the preferred acceleration means is a centrifuge. The preferred speed of rotation of the centrifuge will depend on the size of the device, but centrifuges operating at from 1000 to over 12 000 revolutions per minute are available.

In one type of embodiment, elongated constraints will be positioned radially to the axis of rotation of the centrifuge and such radial positioning is preferred for highly spheroidal molecules. Alternatively, in another type of embodiment, elongated constraints are positioned with their axes of elongation transverse to the accelerating force whereupon energy is transferred by molecular oscillations transverse of the elongation of the constraint. For example, the axes of elongation may be positioned parallel to the axis of rotation of a centrifuge. This invention also provides a method for transferring energy from a first zone to a second zone using mobile (often gaseous or vaporous) atoms or molecules wherein the molecules are located within nanosized constraints and the molecules impact against at least one wall of the constraint being a wall in communication with conditions existing in the first zone and molecules are accelerated in a direction away from the first zone towards the second zone where molecules impact against at least one wall being a wall in communication with conditions existing in the second zone. Preferably when relatively large spheroidal molecules are used, the energy transfer is in the direction of the length of an elongated constraint, but when the molecules are smaller or less spheroidal, the direction is preferably transverse of the length of an elongated of the constraint.

One particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figure 7 of the drawings which shows a diagrammatic illustration of a diametric section through a cylindrical centripetal device according to this invention.

Figure 7 shows a housing 80 for a heat transfer device 70 for transferring heat from a central passage 81 to circumferential wall 82 of housing 80. Housing 80 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) by hose 83 so that the pressure within housing 80 can be reduced. Highly heat conductive blackened fins 71a protrude radially from passage 81 so as to define a zone 71 which because of the high conductivity of fins 71a is at the same temperature as passage 81. Fins 71a therefore provide an efficient means for extracting heat from say water or gases being passed through passage 81. In effect, passage 81 , fins 71 a and zone 71 are all part of a first zone from which heat can be extracted. Corresponding highly heat conductive blackened fins 72a protrude radially from circumferential wall 82 so as to define a zone 72 which (because of the high conductivity of the fins 72a) transfers heat efficiently from zone 72 to circumferential wall 82. In effect, wall 82, fins 72a and zone 72 are all part of a second zone to which heat can be delivered. Fins 71a are shown as being of smaller surface area than fins 72a, but it has been recently preferred that fins 71a should be of larger surface area than fins 72a if the temperature in zone 71 is lower than that in zone 72.

Elongated nanotube ropes 30 each comprising a bundle of parallel adjacent and approximately end to end abutting shorter elongated carbon nanotubes (too small to be shown) bonded together by van der Waal's forces are held in a toroidal core 33 made of resin with ends 31a and 32a of ropes 30 exposed to conditions in zones 71 and 72 respectively which means that ends of the outer limits of the constituent nanotubes will be in communication with the conditions in one or other of zones 71 or 72. The nanotubes contain mobile molecules of either methane or preferably xenon believed to be approximately aligned into a single line (not shown) and the tubes have a transverse diameter of 1.1 d where "d" is the diameter of a methane molecule or xenon atom. Ropes 30 extend in the general direction of the length of their component elongated nanotubes.

Core 33 is rotatably mounted within housing 80 by means of co-operating permanent magnet segments 34 and 35 and it is rotated by electromagnetic drive 36 to a suitable rotational speed. Rotation exerts a centripetal force on the molecules causing them to accelerate when moving away from zone 71 or to decelerate when returning to it. Rotation of the core therefore enables the mobile molecules in the nanotubes to transfer heat from zone 71 to zone 72 according to the principles explained with reference Figures 1 to 5. Figure 8 shows an arrangement for use in an alternative to device 70. The arrangement provides an elongated nanotube 40 containing molecules 4c which oscillate transversely within nanotube 40 between lateral wall 4a which is adjacent a first zone 91 and lateral wall 4b which is adjacent a second zone 92. Such transverse oscillation allows the use of molecules which do not permit close clearance fits within the nanotubes. The pressure, and therefore the number of molecules 4c within nanotube 40, is reduced (preferably to below 5 millibar) so that there is only a remote likelihood of collisions between molecules as they oscillate.

Such transverse oscillation is employed in an alternative embodiment of the invention comprising a modification to device 70 made by the replacing the radially disposed ropes 30 as shown in Figure 7 by a toroidal assembly of ropes (as shown in Figure 8) comprising a plurality on nanotubes 40, 40a, 40b... etc all disposed generally parallel to the axis of rotation, ie parallel to the axis of central passage 81. Passage 81 is in thermal contact with zone 91 associated with nanotube 40 as indicted in Figure 8 so that on rotation of the modified core, heat which has been conducted from passage 81 to zone 91 will be transferred from zone 91 to zone 92 by means of transverse oscillations of molecules across nanotube 40 as explained above by reference to Figure 8. In effect, passage 81 , lateral wall 4a and zone 71 are all part of a first zone from which heat can be extracted. Extracted heat is transferred via wall 4b to zone 92 from which it is extracted by molecules 4c in nanotube 40a and delivered to third zone 93. The transfer of heat is repeated across nanotube 40b using molecules 3d and across subsequent nanotubes (not shown) until heat is delivered to circumferential wall 82 which in effect is part of the second zone.

Transverse oscillation is well suited to use with atoms of inert gases and may be the only practical option if molecules are used which are barely sufficiently spheroidal. Nanotubes 40, 40a, 40b etc may be replaced by ropes of fullerene balls containing inserted molecules which molecules transfer heat by oscillations across the balls in a direction transverse to the length of the rope. Alternatively the fullerene ropes may be disposed radially of the axis of rotation, in which case the movement of the molecules is axial of the elongation of the ropes even though their motion is transverse of the axis of rotation of the device. In practice, a three dimensional structure such as that shown in Figures 6C and 6D comprising adjacent ropes of fullerene balls is more likely to be used than a single rope of fullerene balls.

In both the first and in the alternative embodiments described above, heat extracted from the first zone and delivered to the second zone may be usefully employed in many conventional ways. For example it may be used to heat a flow of gas or liquid or it may be converted to another form of energy using conventional engineering techniques, for example by activating thermocouples located in communication with the second zone. Some of the electrical energy from the thermocouples could be delivered to electromagnetic drive 36 to power at least some of its operation. Alternatively, the embodiments may be used in a cooling process for example they may be used to cool fluid passing through passage 81.

If the invention is performed in a high energy environment, molecules may become ionised but they will still be able to accelerate and decelerate so as to be able to transfer energy between the first and second zones.

Claims

1. A device (70) for transferring energy from a first zone (71) to a second zone (72) using mobile atoms or molecules (4) wherein the device comprises a) a plurality of nanosized constraints (3) each defined by outer limits (3a, 3b, 3c) wherein i) a first portion (3a) of the outer limits of a constraint communicates with conditions existing in the first zone whilst a second portion (3b) of the outer limits communicates with conditions existing in the second zone and ii) the constraints contain the mobile atoms or molecules and b) the device comprises means for accelerating the atoms or molecules in a direction away from the first zone.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the nanosized constraints comprise carbon structures.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the nanosized constraints are held within a rotatable member (33) and the means for accelerating the atoms or molecules comprises means (36) for rotating the member.

4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein the nanosized constraint is disposed radially of the axis of rotation of the rotatable member.

5. A device according to Claim 3 wherein the nanosized constraint is disposed axially of the axis of rotation of the rotatable member.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein a plurality of nanotubes or balls are held together by van der Waal's forces.

7. A method for transferring energy from a first zone to a second zone using mobile atoms or molecules wherein the atoms or molecules are located within nanosized constraints and wherein atoms or molecules impact against at least one wall of the constraint being a wall in communication with conditions existing in the first zone and atoms or molecules are accelerated in a direction away from the first zone towards the second zone where atoms or molecules impact against at least one wall being a wall in communication with conditions existing in the second zone.

8. A method according to Claim 7 wherein the atoms or molecules are subjected to acceleration in the direction of elongation of an elongated nanosized constraint.

9. A method according to Claim 7 wherein the molecules are subjected to acceleration in a direction transverse to the direction of elongation of an elongated nanosized constraint.

10. A device or method according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the device or method employs fullerene molecules optionally containing inserted smaller atoms or molecules.