Thermal diffusion chamber with cooling tubes

Abstract

Preferably, a frame supporting a containment chamber, which in turn confines a sealed process chamber, is provided. Further, at least one fluid inlet box in fluidic communication with an exterior of the sealed process chamber is presented, in which the fluid inlet box includes at least a flow adjustment structure to control a fluid flow from a fluid source around the exterior of the sealed process chamber; and an open loop heat exchange system in fluidic communication with an interior of the sealed process chamber is present, within at least a portion of the open loop heat exchange system resides internal to the sealed process chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a frame supporting a containment chamber;   a sealed process chamber confined within the containment chamber;   at least one fluid inlet box in fluidic communication with an exterior of the sealed process chamber, the fluid inlet box including at least a flow adjustment structure to control a fluid flow from a fluid source around the exterior of the sealed process chamber; and   an open loop heat exchange system in fluidic communication with an interior of the sealed process chamber, wherein the open loop heat exchange system includes cooling tubes that extend into the sealed process chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heat source module disposed between the containment chamber and the process chamber; and   a thermal sensor assembly disposed within an interior of the sealed process chamber contactingly adjacent a wall of the sealed thermal chamber, the thermal sensor assembly measures an internal temperature value of the sealed process chamber, and wherein the cooling tubes extend into the sealed process chamber a distance less than to a mid-point along the length of the sealed process chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller communicating with the flow adjustment structure and the thermal sensor assembly, the controller sets a flow position of the flow adjustment structure to regulate fluid flow from the fluid source, through the fluid inlet box, and around the exterior of the sealed process chamber in response to the measured internal temperature value of the sealed process chamber, and wherein the cooling tubes extend into the sealed process chamber a distance to a mid-point portion of the sealed process chamber, along the length of the sealed process chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising:
 an inlet manifold communicating with a collar secured to said sealed process chamber, wherein said collar is adjacent an open end of said sealed process chamber; and   an outlet manifold communicating with said collar and offset from said inlet manifold, and wherein the cooling tubes extend into the sealed process chamber a distance beyond a mid-point portion of the sealed process chamber, along the length of the sealed process chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the cooling tubes of the open loop heat exchange system comprising:
 an inlet cooling tube adjacent an interior surface of said sealed process chamber; and   an outlet cooling tube adjacent said interior surface of said sealed process chamber and offset from said inlet cooling tube, and wherein each the inlet cooling tube and the outlet cooling tube extend a distance adjacent a mid-point portion of the sealed process chamber, along the length of the sealed process chamber.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising:
 an inlet header adjacent an exterior surface of a collar secured to said sealed process chamber, wherein said collar is further adjacent an end of said containment chamber; and   an outlet header adjacent said end of said containment chamber and offset from said inlet header.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising:
 an inlet accumulator adjacent an exterior surface of said containment chamber; and   an outlet accumulator adjacent said exterior surface of said containment chamber and offset from said inlet accumulator.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising:
 a fluid supply conduit adjacent an exterior surface of said containment chamber; and   a fluid return conduit adjacent said exterior surface of said containment chamber and offset from said fluid supply conduit.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising, a heat exchanger adjacent an exterior surface of said containment chamber, and in which said heat exchanger comprises:
 a heat exchange core;   a coolant input port communicating with said heat exchange core;   a coolant output port communicating with said heat exchange core and offset from said coolant input port;   a fluid input port in fluid communication with said heat exchange core; and   a fluid output port in fluid communication with said heat exchange core and offset from said fluid input port.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising, a fluid handling unit for exchanging fluid contained internal to said sealed process chamber. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a frame supporting a containment chamber;   a sealed process chamber confined within the containment chamber;   at least one fluid inlet box in fluidic communication with an exterior of the sealed process chamber, the fluid inlet box including at least a flow adjustment structure to control a fluid flow from a fluid source around the exterior of the sealed process chamber;   an open loop heat exchange system in fluidic communication with an interior of the sealed process chamber;   a controller communicating with the flow adjustment structure; and   a control signal buss communicating with at least the flow adjustment structure, and the controller, the control signal buss sends a control signal to the flow adjustment structure in response to measured internal temperature value of an interior of said sealed process chamber, wherein the open loop heat exchange system includes cooling tubes that extend into the sealed process chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , in which the open loop heat exchange system comprising:
 an inlet manifold communicating with a collar secured to said sealed process chamber, wherein said collar is adjacent an open end of said sealed process chamber; and   an outlet manifold communicating with said collar and offset from said inlet manifold.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising:
 an inlet cooling tube adjacent an interior surface of said sealed process chamber; and   an outlet cooling tube adjacent said interior surface of said sealed process chamber and offset from said inlet cooling tube.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising:
 an inlet header adjacent an exterior surface of a collar secured to said sealed process chamber, wherein said collar is further adjacent an end of said containment chamber; and   an outlet header adjacent said end of said containment chamber and offset from said inlet header.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising:
 an inlet accumulator adjacent an exterior surface of said containment chamber; and   an outlet accumulator adjacent said exterior surface of said containment chamber and offset from said inlet accumulator.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising:
 a fluid supply conduit adjacent an exterior surface of said containment chamber; and   a fluid return conduit adjacent said exterior surface of said containment chamber and offset from said fluid supply conduit.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising, a heat exchanger adjacent an exterior surface of said containment chamber, and in which said heat exchanger comprises:
 a heat exchange core;   a coolant input port communicating with said heat exchange core;   a coolant output port communicating with said heat exchange core and offset from said coolant input port;   a fluid input port with said heat exchange core; and   a fluid output port communicating with said heat exchange core and offset from said fluid input port.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising, a fluid handling unit for exchanging a fluid contained internal to said sealed process chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising;
 a first isolation valve disposed between said fluid supply conduit and said fluid handling unit; and   a second isolation valve disposed between said fluid return conduit and said fluid handling unit.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , in which the open loop heat exchange system further comprising;
 a first set of thermal dispersion baffles secured to said inlet manifold; and   a second set of thermal dispersion baffles secured to said outlet manifold, wherein said first and said second thermal dispersion baffles mitigate transfer of heat from internal said sealed process chamber to a door sealing said sealed process chamber.