Multiple electrostatic gas phase heat pump and method

In the method of the present invention, electrostatic fields are used to induce heat pumping action of a working fluid. A plurality of heat pumps with no moving parts are used. The operation of the one pump enhances the operation of the next. The method of the present invention is conducive to devices of a wide range of scales. Furthermore, operation at partial power levels is practicable, and precise control of temperature possible. Control is further enhanced by the addition or removal of further units to the system. Reliability should be enhanced, and peak power demands reduced. Wide selection of possible working fluids allows for the elimination of environmentally harmful halocarbons. In one embodiment of the present invention, chemical working fluids are eliminated entirely. In another embodiment, supercooled fluids such as liquid helium may be used while eliminating the wastage commonly encountered using such fluids.

BACKGROUND 
FIELD OF INVENTION 
The present invention relates to refrigerators, and in particular to an 
improved method of utilizing electrostatic heat pumps and similar devices. 
BACKGROUND 
PRIOR ART 
A heat pump, as used in refrigerators and similar systems, is a device 
which transfers heat from one place to another, generally against a 
thermal gradient. For example, in a refrigerator, heat is `pumped` from 
the cold box to the ambient air. This is commonly achieved by evaporating 
a refrigerant fluid. As the fluid evaporates, it takes up heat from its 
surroundings, a technique well known to the art. The resulting vapor is 
both moved to another part of the device and compressed by an electric 
pump. The now hot compressed vapor dissipates its heat to the surroundings 
and liquefies, whereupon the cycle may begin again. 
All such devices are subject to wear and tear insofar as they require the 
use of motorized elements and moving parts. Additionally, there is a 
danger that the compressor may be damaged if fluid condenses at the wrong 
stage in the process. Furthermore, such devices are noisy. Such devices 
are also inefficient insofar as the degree of heat transference which may 
be achieved is necessarily limited to the capacities of the individual 
unit. 
Typically, compressors are relatively inexpensive when used in conventional 
refrigerators. But when they are used in applications of a different 
scale, they become increasingly expensive. In very small-scale 
applications a suitable compressor may cost more than the entirety of the 
rest of the device. In industrial-scale applications, such as cold storage 
rooms, the process also commonly requires the use of a motorized fan to 
cool the electric pump at an additional cost in energy consumption, noise, 
and expense. 
Conventional refrigeration systems typically experience temperature 
fluctuations within the refrigerated compartment, caused by the `on` or 
`off` nature of the compressor based systems. They also suffer long delays 
when changing from one temperature to another. Previous refrigeration 
systems commonly used halocarbons as refrigerant fluids. These fluids are 
a known source of stratospheric chlorine, and are thus possibly linked to 
stratospheric ozone depletion. The use of such refrigerant fluids may be a 
cause of widespread public anxiety about possible environmental damage. 
Such fluids are increasingly likely to come under the control of 
environmental and other agencies. Improvements in the art have resulted in 
the use of hydrocarbon and halo-hydrocarbon fluids which do not deplete 
atmospheric ozone. These fluids can be made to operate as efficiently as 
halocarbons, but only in conjunction with improved design. These fluids 
also may be more expensive than conventional halocarbons. In any case, the 
problems of noise, wear and tear, temperature control and cost 
effectiveness at extreme scales of use are not solved by this improvement. 
Mori, in Japan, 4251178, dated Jul. 9,1992 addresses the problem of 
coolants containing a large proportion of water which may freeze and 
damage the delicate instruments whose cooling Mori envisages. Mori 
introduces a second return path of steam, which maintains the water 
coolant at a regular temperature. The steam is delivered by a gravity 
pipe, inclined to provide the correct mixture of steam and water to 
prevent freezing. Since it is the phase change of evaporation from liquid 
to gas which provides the cooling in Mori, the temperature of the coolant 
itself is of no consequence as long as it remains within reasonable 
limits. Mori's solution is ingenious, but involves somewhat cumbersome 
engineering, relying on auxiliary pipes, a separate source of steam, and 
the fixed orientation of the whole device in order that gravity may bear 
in the appropriate direction. 
Developments in electronics have been called in to assist the basic 
arrangement of working fluid, evaporator and condenser, with much work in 
the field of heat pipes. A heat pipe is a device which enhances the 
natural flow of heat from hot to cold, and as such is not a heat pump, 
which can also `pump` heat against the natural flow, that is, from cold to 
hot, as in a domestic refrigerator, where heat is removed from an already 
cold area--the inside of the refrigerated compartment--and pumped to a 
warmer area--typically, the area outside the refrigerator. The usefulness 
of heat pipes and heat pumps coincides where, for example, it is desired 
to cool hot objects down to ambient temperatures. 
Electrostatic pumping has been used in conjunction with heat pipes to 
return a working fluid from condenser to evaporator, as shown by V M 
Burmistrov, Soviet Union document number 0861916, dated Oct. 9, 1981. 
Burmistrov discloses an electro-hydrodynamic heat pipe in which needle 
electrodes in the condensation area charge the working fluid which is then 
electrostatically pumped back to the evaporation area. Burmistrov's device 
cannot however pump heat from cold to hot. 
In Soviet Union document number 0883664, As Mold Appld Phys, a wick of 
different sized meshes is used to enhance the flow of the dielectric fluid 
through the pipe. Again, this device cannot be used to pump heat from cold 
to hot. 
An exemplary application of the electro-hydrodynamic heat pipe is shown in 
Mitchell, Jr, U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,055 dated Aug. 2nd 1983, which 
summarizes with clarity efforts to use electricity as a means of aiding 
the return of the condensed working fluid to the evaporator, without using 
unwieldy motorized pumps. Again, it is stressed that in Mitchell, the 
electrostatic pumping is a device to move the fluid from condenser to 
evaporator, and the heat pipe is designed to enhance the flow of heat from 
hot to cold. 
These improvements relate to heat pipes, and no mention is made of the use 
of electrostatic devices which pump heat from cold to hot, acting as true 
heat pumps. The electrostatic pump element in these disclosures does not 
pump heat, but pumps the refrigerant fluid back to the evaporator. 
The electrostatically pumped heat pipe in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,798 to Pogson 
et al 1984 Sep. 6th uses an ion drag pump in place of the conventional 
motorized pump, used in conjunction with a heat pipe with a condensing 
area at one end and an evaporating area at the other end. The ion drag 
pump resides in the condensing area where it uses an electrostatic process 
to ionize a dielectric refrigerate condensate. The method includes cooling 
one end of the heat pipe to liquefy refrigerant therein to form a 
condensate. The ion drag pump applies a sufficiently high voltage across a 
cathode and anode to produce ions in the condensate, the ions then being 
accelerated toward the anode so as to create fluid motion and a pumping 
action through the pump inlet. On arrival at the other end of the heat 
pipe, heat is applied to evaporate the refrigerant into a vapor. This 
vapor then flows back to the end of the pipe where it is recovered as a 
condensate by cooling. 
The Pogson et al heat pipe enhances the flow from a hot body to a cold body 
with respect to the unassisted heat flow. It is intended for applications 
in avionics, the cooling of missile systems, and for use in cooling fuel 
carried by spacecraft and large satellite systems. It is accordingly of no 
relevance to terrestrial applications of the art where the object is to 
remove heat from a cold body and transfer it to a hot body or to warmer 
surroundings, as is the case with refrigerators and similar devices. 
It is a particular object of this prior art to enable a fluid refrigerant 
condensate to be transported over further distances than is possible using 
conventional heat pipes. This is also of no special advantage in 
applications of the art where there is no need for an especially long 
pipe. 
Also in the prior art is the thermo-electric cooler or "Peltier effect" 
device. This device is essentially a thermocouple operated in reverse, 
pumping heat from one junction to another while under the influence of an 
electric current. 
Typical of Peltier Effect applications is Hazen whose Apparatus for Cooling 
Circuits, U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,381, 1991, Aug. 20th, discloses with 
admirable clarity the principles of applying dielectric materials of 
differing conductivity in contiguous layers in order to induce heat to 
flow in a desired direction. 
Harwell, in his Thermoelectric Refrigeration Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,947,648, 1990, Aug. 14 1990, discloses a series of nested Peltier 
devices separated by thermally insulating domes, to combine these 
inefficient devices into a single refrigerator for cooling optical 
radiation detectors, while as long ago as 1966, Nov. 1st, William Eidus, 
in his Thermoelectric Hypothermia Instrument, U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,267, 
disclosed a group of Peltier Effect devices arranged in a hinged chain in 
order to reduce the swelling associated with post-operative convalescence 
from cosmetic surgery. 
Such devices are easily scalable and are particularly suited to small scale 
applications. They may also be used in multiple configurations to enhance 
the degree of heat transference obtainable. However such devices typically 
require expensive materials to produce, and are quite inefficient in their 
use of electricity. 
The Electrostatic Gas Phase Heat Pump and Method of Jonathan Edelson, 
Patent applied for 1995, 7th Mar., registration Ser. No. 08/401,038 uses 
two electrodes separated by a porous insulating material to form an 
electrostatic heat pump which solves most of the prior art disadvantages 
listed above, and is considerably more efficient than Peltier Effect 
devices. 
In this invention, a cathode ionizes a working fluid, which creates a phase 
change by which heat is absorbed from the surrounding area. This heat is 
carried by the extra electron which attaches itself to each molecule of 
the working fluid, and, being now charged, is attracted to the anode of 
the device, where the charge is neutralized, and the fluid condenses, to 
be returned once again to the cathode. 
However, in common with other prior art applications, the Edelson method 
still suffers from being inefficient when used as a unitary device in 
applications requiring wide temperature differentials. While a single unit 
might well provide a suitable level of heat transference for devices such 
as domestic refrigerators, it is inefficient as a means of achieving 
extreme temperatures such as those used in industrial processes where, for 
example, volatile gases may be stored as cryogenic liquids. 
The use of an electron flow as the working fluid for a refrigeration system 
is unknown to the art, excepting for a brief reference in the above 
Edelson application. 
However, the principles of thermionic emission are in themselves well-known 
to the art, in the construction of display systems, such as cathode ray 
tubes or flat panel displays, and in thermionic generators, such as 
Clarence Hansell's Heat-to-Electrical Energy Converter, U.S. Pat. No. 
2,510,397, of 1946, Oct. 2nd. 
Hansell's invention describes a device where electrons are `evaporated` 
from a surface into a working fluid, specified as a vapor, in order to 
ionize it. These electrons are carried to an anode where the heat they 
carry is converted to electricity, returning to the cathode as part of a 
load. The continuous emission of these electrons is ensured by maintaining 
a continuous application of external heat to the cathode. 
It is clear that Hansell's device cannot be used as a cooling device, and 
indeed, in certain applications requires to be cooled itself by external 
means, as Hansell recognized, but as an early account of the `evaporation` 
of electrons from a surface and their conveyance to an anode where they 
become neutralized, it is worthy of note in respect of the application of 
this phenomenon to cooling devices. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the methods of pumping 
heat in refrigerators and similar devices described in my above patent, 
several objects and advantages of the present invention are as follows: 
An advantage of the present invention is the elimination of inefficiencies 
arising from the use of single self-contained refrigeration units to 
achieve a desired level of heat transference. 
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
method of refrigeration which is more efficient than previous methods. 
Another advantage of the present invention is an improvement in the 
temperature gradient of refrigeration devices, such that using the present 
invention devices may be created which substantially broaden the 
temperature differentials which may be achieved by such devices without 
requiring disproportionate extra costs. 
Accordingly it is a further object of the invention to provide a method of 
refrigeration which can be used to achieve substantial temperature 
differentials at greater efficiency than previous methods. 
It is a yet further object of the invention to provide a method of 
refrigeration which achieves substantial temperature differentials more 
inexpensively than previous methods. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides greater 
flexibility and scalability in the creation of refrigeration devices 
allowing a manufacturer of such devices to manufacture devices of many 
different shapes and sizes and physical properties. 
Accordingly it is a further object of the present invention to provide a 
method of refrigeration which may be applied to devices of unusual as well 
as conventional dimensions. 
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates much 
of the work involved in designing new refrigeration devices for specific 
applications, insofar as it improves upon previous methods by allowing a 
measure of synergy in the construction of different devices. 
Accordingly it is a yet further object of the present invention to provide 
a method of refrigeration which introduces a greater opportunity for 
standardization into the manufacturing process. 
It is an advantage of the present invention that it improves directly upon 
the Electrostatic Gas Phase Heat Pump method of the Edelson prior art 
without sacrificing any of the advantages of that prior art. 
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of 
using the Electrostatic Gas Phase Heat Pump which substantially enhances 
the usefulness of that invention while maintaining its advantages over 
other applications of the art.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
10 Porous electrode 
12 Sharp ridge on surface of porous electrode 
14 Porous electrode 
16 Porous insulator 
18 Working fluid 
20 Electric field, represented by lines of equal voltage 
22 Direct Current power supply 
28 Thermostatic controller 
32 Enclosure 
33 Flexible Material 
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION OF THE INVENTION--FIGS. 1,2,3,4 
A typical embodiment of the Edelson electrostatic gas phase heat pump is 
illustrated in schematic aspect in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates a small 
section of FIG. 1, the better to demonstrate the details of the process in 
operation. FIGS. 3 and 4 represent possible configurations of a plurality 
of Edelson electrostatic gas phase heat pumps using the method of the 
present invention. It is in this plurality that the novelty and usefulness 
of the present invention resides. 
A porous electrode 10 is situated on one side of the device. The inner 
surface of electrode 10 may be characterized by a large number of sharp 
ridges 12 (FIG. 2). A surface with such ridges is preferred for the 
purposes of the embodiment, but other surface textures may be used in this 
and other possible embodiments of the invention. 
A porous electrode 14 is situated opposite electrode 10, on the other side 
of the device. Electrode 14 is of generally smooth surface, as compared to 
the large number of sharp ridges of electrode 10. A non-conductive porous 
insulator 16 is situated between electrode 10 and electrode 14. 
The distance between electrode 10 and electrode 14, and consequently the 
thickness of insulator 16, will be small, but both will vary depending on 
the application and applied voltage. A direct current electrical power 
supply 22 is connected via appropriate means to electrodes 10 and 14. Such 
means include wires and conductive plates, as is well known in the art. 
In this embodiment, a positive potential is applied to electrode 10 and a 
negative potential to electrode 14. In other embodiments of the present 
invention, a negative potential may be applied to electrode 10 and a 
positive potential to electrode 14. Such an opposite polarity may be used, 
for example if the present fluid ionizes to negative ions rather than 
positive ions, or if electrons are being used as the working fluid, 
requiring a negative charge on the evaporator plate. 
Insulator 16 and electrodes 10 and 14 contain dielectric fluid 18. Fluid 18 
may be passed through insulator 16 in vapor or liquid form. Arrows in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the direction of flow of fluid 18 through and around 
porous insulator 16. 
In the embodiment of a heat pump element in a refrigerator, heat would be 
carried to electrode 10 via heat conductive means as known in the art. 
Power supply 22 applies a direct current to electrode 10 and electrode 14. 
The action of the power supply is to produce a voltage differential 
between electrode 10 and electrode 14 generating a region of potential 
gradient between said electrodes 10 and 14. In the present embodiment a 
small potential difference will be associated with a very high potential 
gradient, as caused by the close proximity of electrodes 10 and 14. In 
other possible embodiments a larger potential difference may be used to 
maintain the desired high potential gradient in the case of greater 
distance between electrodes 10 and 14. Insulators 16 act to maintain 
proper spacing between electrodes 10 and 14. 
While the potential difference depends entirely upon the spacing of the 
electrodes, such that the greater the space between them, the higher the 
voltage required, the amount of heat pumped across that space is 
determined by the level of current applied. 
As a base for calculation, a current of 10 amperes per square centimeter 
will transfer 4.2 Watts per second of heat energy, where the refrigerant 
fluid is distilled water. Different current densities will be required for 
different refrigerant fluids, ranging from two orders of magnitude below, 
to half an order of magnitude above, the figures given. Thus a wide range 
of performance characteristics may be obtained, depending on whether 
economies in power consumption or material costs is most desirable. 
Insulators 16 are further composed of a porous material and act to provide 
a return path for dielectric fluid 18. In the present embodiment of the 
invention electrodes 10 and 14 and insulator 16 are composed of porous 
materials and act to distribute the liquid phase of dielectric fluid 18 by 
capillary action. Fluid 18 has the property of being readily ionizable. 
Accordingly under the influence of the potential gradient, ions tend to 
evaporate from the surface of electrode 10 and be thrust towards electrode 
14. It is the evaporation and ionization of molecules at electrode 10 that 
comprises the heat absorbing phase change of the heat pump. The 
corresponding condensation and neutralization of molecules at electrode 14 
comprises the heat releasing phase change of the heat pump. 
In this embodiment molecules of dielectric fluid 18 easily lose electrons 
to form positive ions. In this case, electrode 10 is provided with a 
positive charge. In another embodiment electrons are gained in the 
ionization process, requiring that electrode 10 be provided with a 
negative charge. To enhance the release of ions at electrode 10, electrode 
10 may be provided with a large number of xyresic striations, sharp raised 
ridges, or needle-like protrusions 12 on its inner surface. 
These surface structures all act to distort the electric field 20 (FIG. 2) 
causing at the tips of ridges 12 (FIG. 2) regions of extremely high 
localized potential gradient. At these locations the chances of ionization 
are greatly enhanced. In the method of this embodiment electrode 10 is 
provided with such a striated surface and electrode 14 is provided with a 
smooth surface, enhancing the evaporation of ions from electrode 10 over 
the detrimental evaporation of ions from electrode 14. 
In other possible embodiments smooth surfaces may be used on both 
electrodes. This would require the use of a higher potential difference to 
provide the required surface potential gradient. In yet another embodiment 
of the present invention, both surfaces may be provided with ridges, 
providing the capability of bipolar operation. 
Under some embodiments of the invention a thermostatic controller 28 (FIG. 
1) may be used to modulate power supplied by power supply 22. Such a 
device would allow for precise control of temperature of the system. Many 
such devices are known to the art. 
The present invention and method therefore comprises a plurality of devices 
such as that described above placed together such that the outer face of 
electrode 14 in one device abuts the outer face of electrode 10 in another 
similar device. FIGS. 3 and 4 demonstrate two possible embodiments of the 
present invention. 
In FIG. 3 the devices are stacked one upon another, such that dielectric 
fluid 16 may pass through porous electrodes 14a, 10b, 14b, 10c and 14c. 
FIG. 3 shows three such devices, for the purposes of illustration only. 
Therefore FIG. 3 should not be regarded as a limitation on the present 
invention, but merely a convenient means of illustrating the method. 
In FIG. 4 the devices are arranged horizontally such that dielectric fluid 
16 may pass through porous electrodes 14, 10, 14, 10 and 14. FIG. 4 shows 
three such devices, for the purposes of illustration only. Therefore FIG. 
4 should not be regarded as a limitation on the present invention, but 
merely a convenient means of illustrating the method. 
In both embodiments, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, fluid 18, upon reaching electrode 
14a, condenses and releases heat at electrode 14a. Electrode 14a is in 
thermal contact with electrode 10b, so the heat released at electrode 14a 
will enhance the evaporation and ionization of fluid 16 at electrode 10b, 
continuing the process already described. The present invention 
accordingly uses the heat transferred by one pump to enhance the operation 
of the next, thus providing a means whereby greater temperature 
differentials may efficiently be achieved. 
Possible embodiments of the present invention may involve the use of 
different materials and fluids in each unit, thus altering the properties 
of the system as a whole. This may be of particular application to systems 
where a fluid suitable for use at one temperature is no longer suitable at 
the much lower temperatures achieved in other units of the system. 
In another embodiment of the present invention, each distinct heat pump 
unit as described in FIGS. 1 and 2 might be mounted on racks such that 
individual units may be added or removed to alter the configuration and 
resultant temperature gradients of the complete system. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 3 where the devices are stacked vertically, the 
return path of fluid 18 may be enhanced by the action of gravity, so that 
in gas phase fluid 18 is pumped upwards by the electrostatic pump, while 
in liquid phase it flows back down through porous insulator 16 or through 
an alternative return path such as a pipe. 
In possible embodiments where thermostatic controller 28 (FIG. 1) is used, 
a plurality of such thermostatic controllers may be used, one for each 
device, capable of independent operation such that the operation of each 
individual device may be independently regulated. 
A factor to be considered in the present invention is the bulk evaporation 
of non-ionized molecules of fluid 16. The method of the present invention 
seeks to minimize such bulk evaporation as it will tend to carry heat 
detrimentally from electrode 14 to electrode 10. 
However in other embodiments of the present invention such bulk evaporation 
may be used beneficially. For example, if ion flow rate is great enough it 
will tend to pump the bulk evaporated material in the desired direction. 
In yet another embodiment the present invention is used to enhance heat 
pipe activity with each bulk evaporation being directly beneficial. As 
ions are thrust from electrode 10 towards electrode 14, these ions pass 
through the open space between electrode 10 and electrode 14. 
The flow of ions towards electrode 14 must be balanced by the flow of 
non-ionized liquid back towards electrode 10. As the density of the liquid 
is substantially higher than that of the ionized vapor the cross section 
of the return path is a correspondingly small part of the total area 
between electrodes 10 and 14. 
In general insulator 16 will be a porous material such as sintered glass, 
capable of carrying the return fluid flow by capillary action. Alternative 
materials may be used in this and other embodiments such as sintered 
fiberglass, various ceramics, or impermeable insulators combined with 
external piping or internal piping. 
When ions arrive at electrode 14 the electric current provided by direct 
current power supply 22 neutralizes the ions. In the present embodiment 
electrode 14 has a negative charge and provides electrons to neutralize 
the positive ions thrust towards electrode 14 from electrode 10. In 
another embodiment, the opposite polarity is also possible. 
In the present embodiment the ions condense to form a bulk liquid to be 
distributed by capillary action. In another embodiment of the present 
invention, a pure gas phase system may be constructed wherein the neutral 
gas is carried back to electrode 10 to complete the working fluid cycle. 
In a further variation on the present embodiment the use of a working 
fluid with ionization phase change is further generalized to the use of 
electrons as the working fluid. 
In such an embodiment electrode 10 would be negatively charged. Electrons 
are subject to thermionic emission, considered to be a form of evaporation 
for the purpose of the present invention. Electrons are emitted from the 
surface of electrode 10 and are thrust towards electrode 14 in the fashion 
of an ionized molecule as describe in the present embodiment. 
The emission of such electrons absorbs heat from electrode 10 and deposits 
the heat so absorbed at electrode 14. The return path for the working 
fluid is then the external electrical circuit, simplifying the selection 
of electrodes and the construction of the heat pump device. 
The whole process is contained within enclosure 32 which should be 
constructed to contain fluid 18 and provide support for electrodes 10 and 
14. It is likely that enclosure 32 will be constructed of an electrically 
insulating material, but it is possible to envisage applications where the 
use of electrically conductive materials enhances the flow of current to 
electrodes 10 and 14. In vacuum applications using electrons for heat 
pumping action it may be possible to eliminate enclosure 32 entirely. 
In the present invention, enclosure 32 should also be constructed so as to 
contain all the devices required by a specific embodiment. In other 
possible embodiments a flexible material 33 (FIG. 4) may be used to link 
the devices together so that they may be installed in varying 
configurations. Such configurations might include curved surfaces or 
narrow and awkward spaces. 
CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
Thus the heat pump of the invention provides a wide-ranging series of 
improvements to existing heat pumps used in refrigerators and similar 
devices which transport heat from one part of a system to another. The 
present invention requires no moving parts. It can be manufactured using 
inexpensive, readily available materials which do not release potentially 
harmful halogens into the atmosphere. It offers a wide range of choice of 
materials and working fluids, allowing applications to be created for 
maximum specific efficiency, or to take account of changes in the relative 
costs of different materials. Because it uses no mechanical compressors, 
the present invention is equally suitable for use in very small, medium 
and large-scale applications. The use of an electrostatic pumping process 
allows for continuous and accurate control of temperatures by varying the 
voltage applied to the electrodes, and for a swift change between 
temperatures, for example when defrosting or re-powering a domestic 
refrigerator. 
The invention further improves upon previous inventions by combining heat 
pump elements together to form larger systems, which will achieve a much 
greater level of heat transference than was possible in previous 
applications. It is therefore of especial value when applied to situations 
where very low temperatures a required, such as those used in supercooled 
electronic applications. 
Because the invention relies upon multiple units, the configuration of a 
particular application is more flexible. A number of small units may be 
combined in a long, thin, strip which can then be attached to surfaces of 
unusual or awkward shape, such as the surface of an engine housing. 
Units may also be combined in rack systems where an individual unit may be 
swiftly added or removed to alter the temperature maintained while 
conserving power efficiently. Such an application might be of especial 
value in the transportation of goods by refrigerated container, where the 
temperatures required for one set of goods transported differs from the 
temperature required for another load. 
While my above description contains many specificities these should not be 
construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an 
exemplification of some of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. 
Many other variations are possible. For example, the process could be 
applied to the control of temperatures in a sensitive environment where no 
great change in temperature is needed, but where swift and accurate 
maintenance is the priority. The process could also be applied to 
miniaturized heat control systems for microprocessors. The process could 
be applied on a large scale to cooling systems for cold stores, factory 
farming ships and similar large devices, especially where noisy 
compressors and fans are a drain on energy and render working conditions 
unpleasant and/or potentially unsafe. 
In particular, the stacking of devices allows manufacturers the benefit of 
synergy in constructing different devices for different applications using 
the same basic unit in combination with other such units. 
The direction of heat flow may also be reversed to improve upon the Pogson 
et al prior art by pumping heat from an already hot area to a cold one, 
for the cooling of hot engines, inflammable fuels and the areas around 
furnaces. In this case, the present invention would distinguish from the 
prior art by applying the ion pump to a vapor instead of through a 
condensate. The wide range of materials which can be used as an 
alternative to the preferred materials is a further strength of the 
process leading to many combinations of materials for the electrodes and 
insulator and working fluids. Sintered metals are an obvious alternative 
to sintered glass or sintered fiberglass. 
Any dielectric fluid can be used as the working fluid in the process. It is 
even possible that water could be used for warmer temperature 
applications. Further, the use of a separate chemical working fluid may be 
eliminated entirely through the use of electrons as the working fluid. 
Because the system is a closed system, substantial savings in cost are 
achieved in cooling applications where the working fluid is gaseous at 
ambient temperatures such as liquid helium. Such fluids in systems which 
are not closed tend to boil away, requiring the purchase of increased 
quantities. 
Accordingly the scope of the invention should be determined not by the 
embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal 
equivalents.