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US 4,300,356 AGranted
Refrigeration storage assembly
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorsFrank Notaro, Arun Acharya, Kenneth C. Kather
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigeration storage assembly for the storage of biological materials and the like wherein a higher temperature mechanical refrigeration source and a very low temperature cyrogenic liquid refrigeration source coact to maintain an intermediate low storage temperature.
Claims19
A refrigeration storage assembly comprising:
- (A) a storage container comprising:
- (i) an inner shell forming an enclosed volume having means for providing access to said enclosed volume;
- (ii) an outer shell substantially coextensive with and spaced from said inner shell arranged and constructed with respect to said inner shell so as to form a first evacuable space therebetween;
- (iii) insulation material disposed within said first evacuable space;
- (iv) a highly thermally conductive shield disposed in said insulation material generally coextensive with and transversely spaced from said inner shell and said outer shell wherein the ratio of the distance from said shield to said outer shell D.sub.0 to the distance from said shield to said inner shell Di is from about 1:10 to 1:1;
- (B) means for cooling said shield to temperature about 160.degree. K. to 200.degree. K. including:
- (i) mechanical refrigeration means external to said storage container (A);
- (C) a vessel located within said storage container (A) for holding a cryogenic liquid having a boiling point below 90.degree. K. at one standard atmosphere being arranged and constructed for restricted vapor flow communication with the inner shell enclosed volume (A)(i);
- (D) means for evaporating cryogenic liquid in said vessel (C) to form vapor for flow into said inner shell enclosed volume (A)(i) in an amount sufficient to maintain the temperature of said inner shell enclosed volume (A)(i) intermediate to the temperature of said cryogenic liquid and the temperature of said shield (A)(iv).
6 more elements
A refrigeration storage assembly comprising:
- (A) a storage container comprising:
- (i) an inner shell forming an enclosed volume having an opening for access to said enclosed volume;
- (ii) an outer shell substantially coextensive with and spaced from said inner shell arranged and constructed with respect to said inner shell so as to form a first evacuable space therebetween;
- (iii) insulation material disposed within said first evacuable space;
- (iv) a removable lid in said opening of (A)(i) said lid comprising a double walled construction having a second evacuable space therebetween;
- (v) insulation material disposed within said second evacuable space;
- (vi) a high termally conductive shield disposed in said insulation material within said first evacuable space generally coextensive with and transversely spaced from said inner shell and said outer shell wherein the ratio of the distance from said shield to said outer shell D.sub.o to the distance from said shield to said inner shell Di is about 1:5 to 1:3 and wherein D.sub.o is about 1/2 to 2 inches;
- (vii) at least one high thermally conductive conduit positioned between said shield and said outer shell joined by a high thermally conductive connection with said shield;
- (B) mechanical refrigeration means external to said storage container (A) in fluid communication with said conduit (A)(vii) for passage of a fluid refrigerant through said conduit to maintain said shield (A)(vi) at temperature of about 160.degree. K. to 200.degree. K;
- (C) vacuum pump means external to said storage container (A) for dynamically pumping said first and second evacuable space to maintain pressure therein at less than about 100 microns mercury;
- (D) an insulated vessel located within said storage container (A) for holding a cryogenic liquid having a boiling point below 90.degree. K. at one standard atmosphere, said vessel being arranged and constructed for restricted vapor flow communication with said inner shell enclosed volume (A)(i) and to evaporate said cryogenic liquid to form vapor for flow into said inner shell enclosed volume (A)(i) in an amount sufficient to maintain temperature of said inner shell enclosed volume (A)(i) at about 100.degree. K. to 150.degree. K.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.