Hybrid thermosiphon system
AssigneeAlaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
InventorsJohn A. Warren, William Fraser, Bailey Gamble
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to a thermosiphon system operable to consistently maintain the permafrost and active frost layer in a frozen condition to adequately support buildings and other structures. During cooler seasons, the thermosiphon system uses a passive refrigeration cycle to efficiently maintain the frozen layers using the cold air. When the air temperature rises during the warmer months, the system transitions into an active refrigeration mode that uses a refrigeration system to minimize thawing or degradation of the permafrost and active frost layers.
Claims15
A hybrid thermosiphon system comprising:
- a thermosiphon pipe mountable along a ground surface, the pipe including a tail section extending below the ground surface and into an active frost layer when the pipe is mounted;
- a condenser in fluid communication with the thermosiphon pipe;
- an evaporator coupled to the pipe and positioned between the condenser and the ground surface;
- a shell including separate shell sections removably coupled to one another, each shell section having an insulating layer housed within an interior compartment thereof, the shell enclosing the evaporator, wherein the evaporator and the shell are removably installable onto and around an exterior surface of the thermosiphon pipe without modification of the thermosiphon pipe;
- and
- a refrigeration system in fluid communication with the evaporator, the refrigeration system operable to cool and deliver a refrigerant to the evaporator,
- wherein when an ambient air temperature is less than a threshold temperature, the thermosiphon pipe, condenser, evaporator, and refrigerant cooperate to cool the active frost layer and maintain a frozen state thereof without the refrigeration system cooling the refrigerant, and wherein when the ambient air temperature exceeds the threshold temperature, the refrigeration system cools the refrigerant prior to delivery to the evaporator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.