US 4,131,785 AGranted

Electrically heated liquid tank employing heat pipe heat transfer means

AssigneeElectro-Therm, Inc.

InventorJames R. Shutt

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Abstract

The heating apparatus for applying heat to the interior of a chamber includes a modular, removable, electrical, heat-producing unit and a heat pipe mountable in a wall of the chamber with one end of the pipe arranged to receive heat from the electrical heat producing unit exterior of the housing and with another end of the pipe constructed and arranged to apply heat to the medium within the chamber. The heat pipe has high conductivity with a low temperature differential between the ends thereof and the heat producing unit includes an electric coil positioned about and removably secured to the one end of the heat pipe. The electric coil is embedded in a high thermal conductivity, low electrical conductivity filler material which is surrounded by a low thermal conductivity insulating jacket and which is received around a metal core member which is removably secured to the one end of the heat pipe.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A heating apparatus for applying heat to the interior of a substantially closed container containing a liquid therein to be heated, comprising:

a modular, removable heat transfer member having a heat absorbing end and a heat transmitting end and having high conductivity with a low temperature differential between the ends thereof, mounting means for removably mounting said heat transfer member on the exterior wall surface of a container with said heat absorbing end positioned exterior of the container and said heat transmitting end positioned to apply heat to the liquid within the container, and modular, removable, electrical heat producing means including an electric heating coil positioned about and removably secured to said heat absorbing end of said heat transfer member exterior of the container, whereby said heat transfer member and said heat producing means can be removed from the container and replaced, said electric heating coil being embedded in a high thermal conductivity, low electrical conductivity filler material which is surrounded by a low conductivity insulating jacket and which is received around a metal core member which is removably secured to said heat absorbing end of said heat transfer member.

A heater comprising:

a substantially closed chamber for receiving a liquid to be heated therein, a modular, removable heat transfer member having a heat absorbing end and a heat transmitting end and having high conductivity with a low temperature differential between the ends thereof, said heat transfer member being removably secured to a wall of said chamber with said heat absorbing end positioned exterior of said chamber and said heat transmitting end positioned to heat the interior of said chamber, mounting means for removably mounting said heat transfer member to an exterior wall surface of said chamber, and modular, removable, electrical heat producing means including an electric heating coil positioned about and removably secured to said heat absorbing end of said heat transfer member exterior of said chamber, whereby said heat transfer member and said heat producing means can be removed from said chamber, said electric heating coil being embedded in a high thermal conductivity, low electrical conductivity filler material which is surrounded by a low thermal conductivity insulating jacket and which is received around a metal core member which is removably secured to said heat absorbing end of said heat transfer member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.