Patent ID: 7744671
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: C05F,F24V,F28D,Y02P,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A method of recovering heat energy from a quantity of biomass material residing in a composting array while in a bacteria active stage, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a biomass composting vessel constructed and arranged to define a first chamber and containing the quantity of the biomass material in an array for undergoing aerobic decomposition to thereby generate heat energy in the biomass material, (b) providing a heat energy recovery system, (c) providing a heat pipe having a gas/liquid phase changeable fluid contained therein, said heat pipe having an evaporator section disposed in non-contacting but operable heat transfer relationship to the biomass material in said vessel and having a condenser section in operable heat transfer relation with said heat energy recovery system to thereby transfer, by change of phase between gas and liquid phases of the phase-changeable fluid internally contained within said heat pipe, heat energy generated by decomposition of the biomass material from the first chamber to the heat energy recovery system, and (d) transferring such decomposition-generated heat energy from the biomass material to the heat pipe evaporation section by causing a flow of an atmosphere containing oxygen into and through the biomass material to support aerobic decomposition of the biomass material and also thereby entrain in such flow of such atmosphere water vapor generated by such aerobic decomposition and then causing such water-vapor-laden flow exiting the biomass material to contact and thereby condense on the external surface of the heat pipe evaporator section so that the heat of condensation of such condensed water vapor is given up to such heat pipe evaporator section.