Microwave heat pipe heating system

A microwave heat pipe heating system is provided and consists of at least one sealed heat pipe having self contained water therein. The heat pipe extends from a microwave containment enclosure into a domestic hot water tank. The self contained water heated by microwave beams will cause the sealed heat pipe extending into the domestic hot water tank to heat water therein for use in a normal water circulation system. In an alternate embodiment a microwave permeable pipe extends through two opposite walls of a microwave containment enclosure for conveying water capable of being heating by microwave beams. The pipe is divided into smaller pipes after entering through one of the walls and reconvening before exiting through other of the walls of the microwave containment enclosure to expose more water surface area to the microwave beams to enhance the heating efficiency of the microwave beams.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The instant invention relates generally to microwave water heaters and more 
specifically is relates to a microwave heat pipe heating system. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Numerous microwave water heaters have been provided in prior art that are 
adapted to heat water by utilizing electromagnetic energy confined within 
a resonant cavity. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,029,927 to McMillan; 
4,114,011 to Stubbs; 4,152,567 to Mayfield and 4,284,869 to Pinkstaff all 
are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for 
the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as 
suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore 
described. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a microwave heat 
pipe heating system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art 
devices. 
Another object is to provide a microwave heat pipe heating system that 
would heat a domestic water supply indirectly by a sealed heat pipe with 
self-contained water between a domestic hot water tank and a microwave 
containment enclosure. 
An additional object is to provide a microwave heat pipe heating system in 
which a microwave permeable pipe inside a microwave containing enclosure 
is divided into smaller pipes upon entering and reconvening before exiting 
to expose more water surface area to a microwave beam for more heating 
efficiency. 
A further object is to provide a microwave heat pipe heating system that is 
simple and easy to use. 
A still further object is to provide a microwave heat pipe heating system 
that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may 
be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 
attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are 
illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific 
construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended 
claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference 
characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 
illustrates a microwave heat pipe heating system 10 consisting of a 
domestic hot water tank 12 having a cold water inlet pipe 14 and a hot 
water outlet pipe 15 connected to a normal water circulation system (not 
shown). A microwave containment enclosure 16 is mounted to the underside 
of a bottom wall 18 of the domestic hot water tank 12. A microwave 
generator 20 has a wave guide 22 for directing microwave beams into the 
microwave containment enclosure 16. At least one sealed heat pipe 24 is 
provided having self contained water 26 therein. The heat pipe 24 extends 
from the microwave containment enclosure 16 into the domestic hot water 
tank 12 so that the self contained water 26 heated by the microwave beams 
will cause the sealed heat pipe 24 extending into the domestic hot water 
tank 12 to heat water 28 therein for use in the normal water circulation 
system. 
The sealed heat pipe 24 contains a top portion 30 fabricated out of a heat 
conductive metal that will extend through the bottom wall 18 of the 
domestic hot water tank 12. A protective coating 32 is applied onto the 
interior surface of the top portion 30 to prevent microwave damage. A 
bottom portion 34 is fabricated out of microwave permeable material that 
will extend through the top wall 37 of the microwave containment enclosure 
16. A connector 35 is for sealing the top portion 30 to the bottom portion 
34 to keep the self contained water 26 therein. 
The sealed heat pipe 24 is slightly slanted from a vertical position 
between the domestic hot water tank 12 and the microwave containment 
enclosure 16. When the self contained water 26 inside the sealed heat pipe 
24 is boiled to steam 36 inside the bottom portion 34, it will convert to 
the top portion 30 to heat the water 28 in the domestic hot water tank 12. 
The steam 36 will then cool and condense back into water droplets 38 to 
drip down the slightly slanted sealed heat pipe 24 back into the bottom 
portion 34 in which the water 26 can be heated again into steam 36. 
Am alternate microwave heat pipe heating system 40 is shown in FIG. 3 and 
contains a microwave generator 42 having a wave guide 44 for directing 
microwave beams. A microwave heat insulation containment enclosure 46 has 
microwave reflecting walls 48 for containing the microwave beams generated 
by the microwave generator 42. A microwave permeable pipe 50 extends 
through two opposite walls 48 of the microwave containment enclosure 46 
for convening water 52 capable of being heated by the microwave beams. The 
pipe 50 is divided into smaller pipes 54 after entering through one of the 
walls 48 and reconvening before exiting through other of the walls 48 of 
the microwave containment enclosure 46 to expose more water surface areas 
to the microwave beams to enhance the heating efficiency of the enclosure 
beams reflected off of the reflecting walls 48 of the microwave 
containment enclosure 46. FIG. 4 shows one of the smaller pipes 54 with 
the water 52 therein. 
FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a typical heating system 56 using the 
alternate heat pipe heating system 40 shown in FIG. 3. The alternate heat 
pipe heating system 40 is fluidly connected between a thermal storage tank 
58 and a main circulating pump 60 and is controlled by sensors 62 and 64 
and a microwave differential thermostat 66. A heating unit 68 is also 
fluidly connected to the thermal storage tank 58. A pump 69 is fluidly 
connected between a domestic hot water tank 70 and the thermal storage 
tank 58 and is controlled by sensors 72 and 74 and hot water differential 
thermostat 76. 
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
10--microwave heat pipe heating system 
12--domestic hot water tank 
14--cold water inlet pipe 
15--hot water outlet pipe 
16--microwave containment enclosure 
18--bottom wall of 12 
20--microwave generator 
22--wave guide 
24--sealed heat pipe 
26--self contained water in 24 
28--water in 12 
30--top portion of 24 
32--protective coating 
34--bottom portion of 24 
35--connector 
36--steam 
37--top wall of 16 
38--water droplets 
40--alternate microwave heat pipe heating system 
42--microwave generator 
44--wave guide 
46--microwave heat insulation containment enclosure 
48--microwave reflecting wall 
50--microwave permeable pipe 
52--water 
54--smaller pipe of 50 
56--typical heating system 
58--thermal storage tank 
60--main circulating pump 
62--sensor 
64--sensor 
66--microwave differential thermostat 
68--heating unit 
69--pump 
70--domestic hot water tank 
72--sensor 
74--sensor 
76--hot water differentail thermostat 
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or 
more together, may also find a useful application in other types of 
methods differing from the type described above. 
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and 
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to 
be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various 
omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and 
details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by 
those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of 
the present invention. 
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of 
the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, 
readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, 
from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential 
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.