System and method for producing and determining cooling capacity of two-phase coolants

Abstract

The invention provides systems and devices for producing two-phase coolants such as an ice slurry. Also provided are methods for producing two-phase coolants, and methods for using the two-phase coolants to lower the temperature or maintain a low temperature in any subject, system, object, device, or application where particular low temperatures are desired. Also provided are systems for determining the cooling capacity of two-phase coolants.

1 . A method for producing a flowable ice slurry comprising the steps of:
 supercooling a liquid;   moving the supercooled liquid in a stable flow through a passage; and   disturbing the stable flow of the supercooled liquid, thus inducing ice nucleation in the supercooled liquid and producing a flowable ice slurry.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moving step comprises moving the supercooled liquid in a stable flow through a tube or pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the supercooling step comprises supercooling a saline solution. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing step comprises producing a flowable ice slurry comprising from about 0% to about 60% ice. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing step comprises fluctuating a pressure of the supercooled liquid in the passage. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the disturbing step further comprises introducing an impinging jet of a second supercooled liquid into the stable flow of the supercooled liquid. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disturbing step is performed in a substantially closed system in which the second supercooled liquid is mixed with the supercooled liquid or in an at least partially open system in which the second supercooled liquid impinges against a substantially static surface of the supercooled liquid. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing step comprises ultrasonically disturbing the stable flow. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing step comprises generating an eddy or vortex in the stable flow. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing step comprises creating at least one stagnation point in the stable flow. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the disturbing step comprises contacting the stable flow with at least one ice crystal. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the disturbing step comprises contacting the stable flow with at least one trip. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the disturbing step comprises contacting the stable flow with at least one trip positioned near a center of the flow of the supercooled liquid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the disturbing step comprises contacting the stable flow with at least one trip positioned near a periphery of the flow of the supercooled liquid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the trip generates an eddy or a vortex. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the trip is selected from the group consisting of a post design trip, a cross-wire trip, a tooth design trip, a central tooth design trip, a sticky sphere trip, a pyramidal trip, a surface roughness trip, a teeth combination trip, a dimpled tube trip, and a cone with blades trip, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing heat from the ice slurry. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the heat removing step comprises contacting the ice slurry with a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of lowering the free energy of the stable flow with the use of an interface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the supercooling step comprises the steps of:
 supercooling a concentrated liquid;   supercooling water or a less concentrated liquid; and,   mixing the supercooled concentrated liquid and the supercooled water or less concentrated liquid to form a supercooled liquid.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moving step comprises moving the supercooled liquid in a laminar flow through the passage. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moving step comprises moving the supercooled liquid in a turbulent flow through the passage. 
     
     
         23 . A method for producing a flowable ice slurry comprising the steps of:
 supercooling a concentrated liquid;   supercooling water or a less concentrated liquid;   mixing the supercooled concentrated liquid and the supercooled water or less concentrated liquid to form a supercooled solution;   moving the supercooled solution in a stable flow through a passage; and   disturbing the stable flow of the supercooled solution, thus inducing ice nucleation in the supercooled solution and producing a flowable ice slurry.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the concentrated liquid is saline. 
     
     
         25 . A system for producing an ice slurry, comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to supercool a liquid solution;   a passage coupled to receive a stable flow of the supercooled liquid solution from the heat exchanger; and   means associated with the passage for disturbing the stable flow of the supercooled liquid in the passage and inducing ice nucleation in the supercooled liquid, thus producing a flowable ice slurry.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , said disturbing means comprising a jet configured to introduce an impinging supercooled liquid into the supercooled liquid solution. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , said disturbing means comprising an ultrasound transducer. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , said disturbing means comprising at least one stagnation point. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the stagnation point is a trip. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the trip is positioned near a center of the flow of the supercooled liquid solution. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the trip is selected from the group consisting of a post design trip, a cross-wire trip, a tooth design trip, a central tooth design trip, a sticky sphere trip, a pyramidal trip, a surface roughness trip, a teeth combination trip, a dimpled tube trip, and a cone with blades trip, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25 , said disturbing means comprising at least one eddy or vortex shedding point. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the passage comprises at least one interface to lower a free energy of the supercooled liquid solution. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising an inlet positioned to introduce supercooled water for mixing with the liquid solution. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a second heat exchanger coupled to receive ice slurry from the disturbing means and configured to remove heat from the ice slurry. 
     
     
         36 . A device for inducing ice nucleation in a supercooled liquid, comprising:
 a conduit configured to be coupled to a source of supercooled liquid, the conduit defining a passage positioned to receive a stable flow of the supercooled liquid; and   at least one stagnation point associated with the conduit and positioned to disturb the stable flow of the supercooled liquid, the at least one stagnation point being configured to induce ice nucleation in the supercooled liquid, thus producing a flowable ice slurry.   
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one stagnation point comprises a trip. 
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the trip is positioned near a center of the passage. 
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the trip is selected from the group consisting of a post design trip, a cross-wire trip, a tooth design trip, a central tooth design trip, a sticky sphere trip, a pyramidal trip, a surface roughness trip, a teeth combination trip, a dimpled tube trip, and a cone with blades trip, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbance comprises a seed piece of ice that presents a substantially stable heterogeneous nucleation site. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second supercooled liquid is different from the supercooled liquid.