Device of Downward Heat-Transfer Using Reverse Thermosiphon Loop

Abstract

A device of heat transfer is provided. A heating pipe is connected with an external heat source. A communicating pipe set is contacted with a heat sink. A heat-transfer fluid spontaneously circulates inside reverse thermosiphon loop and transfers heat downwardly. A heat source is located at a higher level and the heat sink is located at a lower level. Heat transfer distance is long and no additional power is required. The heat transferred can be used for heating other fluid or solid. Besides, the heat can be used for transforming thermal energy into electric energy in conjunction with a Stirling engine, an organic Rankine engine or a thermoelectric module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device of downward heat-transfer using reverse thermosiphon loop, comprising a buffer tank;
 a heating pipe, said heating pipe being connected with said buffer tank and a heat exchange pipe;   a heat exchange pipe, said heat exchange pipe being located inside said buffer tank, said heat exchange pipe being communicated with said heating pipe and an inlet pipe;   a communicating pipe set, said communicating pipe set being communicated with said buffer tank and said heat exchange pipe; and   a heat-transfer fluid, said heat-transfer fluid being filled inside said buffer tank, said heating pipe, said heat exchange pipe and said communicating pipe set.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, after filling the whole loop of the device with said heat-transfer fluid, a said space region is formed at the upper side in the interior of said buffer tank by accumulated vapor; said buffer tank is used to absorb volume expansion change and uncondensed vapor; and, under room temperature or operation temperature, said space region is at the saturated vapor pressure of said heat-transfer fluid.   
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said heating pipe is contacted with an external heat source to provide heat needed to said heat-transfer fluid.   
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein said external heat source is selected from solar heat, or waste heat, or a fuel combustion heat; said solar heat is from solar irradiation; said waste heat is from a boiler or a furnace; and the fuel combustion heat is obtained by burning fossil or biomass fuels.   
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said communicating pipe set is connected with a heat sink to absorb heat of said heat-transfer fluid.   
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein said heat sink is selected from a group consisting of a heat exchanger, a heat storage device, a thermoelectric power module, a Stirling engine, an organic Rankine engine and a cooling fin set.   
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein said communicating pipe set comprises   an outlet pipe, said outlet pipe being communicated with said buffer tank and said cooling pipe;   a cooling pipe, said cooling pipe being communicated with said outlet pipe and said inlet pipe, said cooling pipe being contacted with said heat sink; and   an inlet pipe, said inlet pipe being communicated with said cooling pipe and said heat exchange pipe.   
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein said communicating pipe set comprises
 an outlet pipe, said outlet pipe being communicated with said buffer tank and said cooling pipe; 
 an inlet pipe, said inlet pipe being communicated with said cooling pipe and said heat exchange pipe; and 
 a cooling pipe, said cooling pipe being communicated with said outlet pipe and said inlet pipe. 
   
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said heat-transfer fluid is selected from a group consisting of pure fluid and mixture thereof; and   wherein said pure fluid is two-phase flow and is selected from a group consisting of water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, refrigerant, alkane, alcohol, benzene and liquid metal.   
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a thermal-insulating layer is obtained on outer surface of each of said buffer tank, said outlet pipe and said inlet pipe, separately.