Patent ID: 7093454
Filing Date: 2006-08-22
Classification: F25B

Abstract:
1. A heat transfer engine for transferring heat between first and second heat exchanging circuits, comprising: a stationary housing having first and second heat transfer chambers, and a thermal isolation barrier disposed therebetween, said first and second heat transfer chambers each having first and second ports and a continuous passageway therebetween; and a rotatable heat transfer structure rotatably supported within said stationary housing about an axis of rotation and having a substantially symmetrical moment of inertia about said axis of rotation, said rotatable heat transfer structure having said rotatable heat transfer structure embodying a closed fluid circuit symmetrically arranged about said axis of rotation, and having said first end portion of said rotatable heat transfer structure being disposed in thermal communication with said first heat exchanging circuit, said second end portion rotatable heat transfer structure being disposed in thermal communication with said second heat exchanging circuit, said intermediate portion being physically adjacent to said thermal barrier so that said thermal barrier presents a substantially high thermal resistance to heat transfer between said first and second heat transfer chambers during operation of said heat transfer engine, and said heat carrying medium being characterized by a predetermined heat of evaporation at which said heat carrying medium transforms from liquid phase to vapor phase, and a predetermined heat of condensation at which said heat carrying medium transforms from vapor phase to liquid phase, and wherein the direction of phase change of said heat carrying liquid is reversible; a flow restriction means disposed along said intermediate portion for restricting the flow of said heat carrying fluid through said closed fluid circuit; first connection means for interconnecting a first heat exchanging circuit to said first and second ports of said first heat transfer chamber, so as to permit a first heat exchanging medium to flow through said first heat exchanging circuit and said first chamber during the operation of said reversible heat transfer engine; second connection means for interconnecting a second heat exchanging circuit to said first and second ports of said second heat transfer chamber, so as to permit a second heat exchanging medium to flow through said second heat exchanging circuit and said second heat transfer chamber during the operation of said heat transfer engine, while said first and second heat exchanging circuits are in substantial thermal isolation of each other; temperature sensing means for measuring the temperature of said heat exchanging medium flowing through said first and second ports of said first and secondary heat transfer chambers; torque generation means for imparting torque to said rotatable heat transfer structure and causing said rotatable heat transfer structure to rotate about said axis of rotation; and torque control means for controlling said torque generating means in response to the temperature of said heat exchanging medium sensed at said first and second ports in said first and second heat transfer chambers.