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US 2012/0020741 A1Published application
Structural ice composite body with thermal conditioning capability
OwnerPadraig McAlisterinventor
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OwnerPadraig McAlisterinventor
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The invention discloses an ice composite body with a layer of water close to its freezing point within the body's armor shell at its base, with a pressurizing system for the water which maintains an upward pressure on the ice core at the set level needed to structurally support any burden resting on the top part of the shell, the top part of the shell & the ice core. The ice core has a separate non structural layer at its lowest level & a separate system of melting & freezing this layer of the ice core for thermal conditioning purposes, while using the pressurizing system to maintain hydrostatic and litho-static balance & thus maintain structural integrity. The pressurization system results in a more reliable structural support system for the top part of the shell particularly for dealing with thermal cycling & in warmer climates. The melting & freezing of the thermal conditioning ice layer can be used to shift air-conditioning demand from daytime peak to nighttime off-peak, without affecting the structural support system for the top section of the armor shell used to support equipment, traffic, buildings or for other purposes involving a load, or the capacity of the ice body to provide heating using the heat from the refrigeration system for the structural ice core.
An ice composite body comprising a constrained inner ice core, a protective outer armor shell having a base & side sections with a waterproof liner, a separate top section of the armor shell free to move vertically between the side sections, means for thermally insulating the ice core and means for maintaining the ice core in a frozen condition in use, characterized in that (a) the ice core is provided in two sections, an upper structural ice core always maintained in the solid state & below the base of the structural ice core, a separate lower ice core is provided initially entirely ice but providing after initial construction, a layer of ice here called a thermal conditioning ice layer & also a permanent layer of liquid water with a means for maintaining the permanent liquid water layer close to but above 0° C., which water layer is hydraulically connected from within the base of the armor shell to a water supply and means for controlling the pressure of the water supply, which water supply means is used to pressurize the ice core from within the shell at the pressure needed to structurally support the separate top section of the armor shell, any weight resting on the top section, the structural ice core & the thermal conditioning ice layer;
An ice composite body according to any preceding claim in which the pressure in the water supply pipe to the permanent water layer is varied to raise or lower the elevation of the structural ice core or top section of the armor shell.
An ice composite body according to any preceding claim which is used as a shelter pier, bridge, breakwater, causeway, pontoon, artificial island, jetty, building foundation or support, data center, dam, tidal barrage, wave power barrage, harbor wall, wind turbine support, aircraft runway, OTEC equipment support, to protect coastlines from erosion, to replace land lost to the sea or to simulate tectonic plate movements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.