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US 4,321,031 AGranted
Method and apparatus for condensation heating
OwnerRalph W. Woodgateinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for condensation heating. Articles to be heated are conveyed into a heating chamber which is filled with vapors of a fluid having a relatively high boiling point. When the vapors contact the article to be heated they condense thereon and transfer the latent heat of vaporization, thus heating the object. Vapors escaping from the heating chamber are trapped by flows of carrier gas at the inlet and outlet of the heating chamber. The carrier gas, which is thus partially saturated with vapor, is channeled into a gas/vapor separator wherein the vapor is extracted and recycled back to the heating chamber.
Claims29
A condensation heating apparatus comprising:
- means defining a chamber having a heating section, said heating section having an inlet and outlet, said chamber further having an entrance and an exit;
- means for carrying articles to be heated through said chamber;
- vapor input means for introducing a quantity of heat transfer vapor into said heating section;
- means for creating a flow of carrier gas relative to said chamber which mixes with the heat transfer vapor escaping from said heating section to produce a flow of gas/vapor mixture,
- means located in the path of said gas/vapor flow for extracting heat transfer vapor.
2 more elements
A gas/vapor separation device, comprising:
- a separation chamber fed by a carrier gas flow partially saturated with a fluid vapor;
- means located in said separation chamber for imparting a centrifugal motion to said carrier gas flow;
- means for cooling the walls of said separation chamber;
- means for collecting condensed fluid vapor from the walls of said separation chamber;
- an output port defined in said separation chamber to permit the output of carrier gas after extraction of said heat transfer vapor therefrom.
2 more elements
A vapor condensation soldering apparatus comprising:
- a heating section with at least one port means for providing entry and exit of articles to be soldered in said heating section;
- vaporization elements of porous material having interconnected pores;
- means for heating said elements;
- means for directing a flow of fluid into said elements for vaporization;
- means for controlling the interaction of said fluid feed means and said element heating means according to the entry and exit of said articles relative to said heating section.
2 more elements
A method for condensation heating of articles comprising:
- carrying articles to be heated in a condensation chamber having an entrance, an exit and a heating section;
- introducing a quantity of heat transfer vapor into said condensation chamber to condense on said articles and transfer heat thereto;
- creating a flow of carrier gas relative to the chamber, said carrier gas mixing with heat transfer vapor escaping from said heating section to produce a flow of gas/vapor mixture;
- collecting said flow of gas/vapor mixture and extracting the vapors from said flow for reuse.
1 more element
A method for extracting vapor from a gas comprising:
- channeling a flow of gas which is partially saturated with a vapor to be extracted into a centrifugal fan;
- regulating the speed of said fan so that particles of said vapor are thrown toward condensing walls surrounding said centrifugal fan;
- collecting the condensed vapor from said condensation walls and channeling the remaining gas flow to an output port.
A soldering method comprising:
- heating an electrically conductive porous material having interconnected pores by applying an electric current thereto;
- introducing fluid to be vaporized into said porous material to form a heat transfer vapor;
- and
- applying said heat transfer vapor to an article to be soldered.
1 more element
A condensation heating apparatus comprising:
- means defining a chamber having a heating section with an inlet and outlet defined therein;
- means for carrying articles to be heated through said chamber;
- means for introducing a quantity of heat transfer vapor into the heating section of the chamber;
- shutter means at the inlet and outlet of said heating section;
- control means responsive to the entry of articles into the heating section of the chamber to close the shutter means;
- and
- heat cycle time setting means to open the shutter means after a preset heat cycle time has elapsed after closing of the shutter means.
4 more elements
A condensation heating apparatus comprising:
- means defining a chamber having a heating section, said heating section having an inlet and outlet, said chamber further having an entrance and exit;
- means for carrying articles to be heated through said chamber;
- vapor input means for introducing a quantity of heat transfer vapor into said heating section, comprising vaporization elements of porous material having interconnected pores, means for heating said elements and means for directing a flow of fluid into said elements for vaporization;
- means for controlling the interaction of said fluid feed means and said element heating means responsive to the entry and exit of said articles relative to said heating section;
- means for creating a flow of carrier gas relative to said chamber which mixes with the heat transfer vapor escaping from said heating section to produce a flow of gas/vapor mixture;
- and
- means located in the path of said gas/vapor flow for extracting heat transfer vapor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.