초록 ▼

A heat pipe heat exchanger is provided in the form of a serpentine heat pipe that does not have the ends of the individual tubes manifolded to one another via a straight pipe or via any other common connector. Instead, it has been discovered that heat pipes connected via U-bends to form a continuous

A heat pipe heat exchanger is provided in the form of a serpentine heat pipe that does not have the ends of the individual tubes manifolded to one another via a straight pipe or via any other common connector. Instead, it has been discovered that heat pipes connected via U-bends to form a continuous coil function adequately. The serpentine heat pipe may include integral condenser and evaporator portions separated by a divider to form a one-slab heat exchanger, or separate evaporator and condenser coils connected to one another by vapor and return lines to form a two-section heat pipe. The heat pipe heat exchanger may be formed in a continuous closed-loop pipe so that the heat exchanger can operate with or without the aid of gravitational effects. A method of producing a serpentine heat pipe includes providing a plurality of U-shaped tubes which are interconnected to form a single serpentine heat pipe, one of the tubes having an open end, and inserting sufficient refrigerant in the one tube to allow each of the tubes to function as a separate heat pipe. The serpentine heat pipe heat exchanger may be used to increase the dehumidification capacity of an air conditioner.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A device, comprising:a continuous valve-less closed-loop pipe, said continuous closed-loop pipe having at least first, second, third, and fourth generally longitudinal sections which are all spaced laterally from one another;a wall that extends across each of said section

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A device, comprising:a continuous valve-less closed-loop pipe, said continuous closed-loop pipe having at least first, second, third, and fourth generally longitudinal sections which are all spaced laterally from one another;a wall that extends across each of said sections to divide each of said sections into a first portion and a substantially adjoining second portion of said continuous valve-less closed-loop pipe, wherein said first and second sections lie at least generally in a first plane and said third and fourth sections lie at least generally in a second plane which is spaced from said first plane; anda refrigerant contained within said continuous valve-less closed-loop pipe, said refrigerant being capable of flowing 1) from said first section and into said second sections and 2) from said third and second and into said fourth section,wherein said first portion of each of said sections serves as an evaporator and said second portion of said sections serves as a condenser so that said continuous valve-less closed-loop pipe forms a heat pipe, andwherein said continuous valve-less closed-loop heat pipe, said wall, and said refrigerant are configured and arranged relative to one another such that, in operation, generally regardless of the orientation of said continuous valve-less closed-loop heat pipe relative to a horizontal plane, 1) a first portion of the refrigerant continuously flows though the entire continuous valve-less closed-loop pipe in a loop and 2) a second portion of the refrigerant continuously and bi-directionally flows within each of said sections between said evaporator and said condenser, the first portion of the refrigerant thereby transferring heat from the evaporator to the condenser and the second portion of the refrigerant thereby transferring heat within each of said sections.