Thermal insulation system using evaporative cooling
AssigneeRed Leaf Resources, Inc.
InventorJames Bunger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal insulation system can include a body of heated material at an elevated temperature. A layer of porous insulating material can be placed adjacent to and in fluid communication with the body of heated material. The insulating layer can contain distributed liquid water in an amount sufficient to cool the insulating layer through evaporative vapor flow toward the body of heated material. The amount of water can be sufficient to provide water vapor for inhibiting the diffusion and adsorption of hydrocarbons from the heated material. The insulating layer can include a continuous vapor phase. A heat sink material at a lower temperature can be placed adjacent to the insulating layer and opposite from the body of heated material.
Claims32
A thermal insulation system comprising:
- a body of heated material at a first temperature;
- an insulating layer comprising an insulating material adjacent to and in fluid communication with the body of heated material, wherein the insulating layer contains a distributed liquid water in an amount sufficient to cool the insulating layer through evaporative vapor flow toward the body of heated material;
- and
- a heat sink material adjacent to the insulating layer and opposite from the body of heated material, wherein the heat sink material is at a second temperature lower than the first temperature.
A method of insulating a body of heated material, comprising:
- providing a body of heated material;
- providing an insulating layer having a hot side adjacent to and in fluid communication with the body of heated material at a first temperature and a cold side opposite from the body of heated material at a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature, wherein the insulating layer comprises a porous insulating material containing an amount of water sufficient to cool the insulating layer through evaporative vapor flow toward the body of heated material;
- heating the body of heated material for a finite heating time, wherein the insulating layer has a thickness selected so that the second temperature is maintained lower than the first temperature throughout the finite heating time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.