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US 4,355,518 AGranted
Refrigerator-vehicle combination method
AssigneeBipol Ltd.
InventorShlomo Beitner
Life of this patent
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AssigneeBipol Ltd.
InventorShlomo Beitner
Estimating the term…
There is disclosed a watercraft having a refrigerator powered by a thermo-electric element in which the hot face of the thermo-electric element is in direct contact with the water or air or in direct contact with the external wall of the watercraft or is in heat-transfer contact therewith through an external thermal sink having a face exposed to the ambient medium or in heat transfer therewith through the exterior wall. The external thermal sink can be a channel-shaped member, a solid block of heat-conducting metal, a heat pipe, or any energy-transfer device. The external thermal sink can be located entirely below the waterline or entirely above the waterline or adjacent to the waterline so that, in the first case, cooling is effected by heat transfer into the ambient water, in the second case by heat transfer into the ambient atmosphere and, in the third case, by the combined effects of these two, plus transfer of latent heat of vaporization of water resulting from water lapped or splashed on the external thermal sink.
In a watercraft having an exterior wall at least part of which is exposed to ambient water, and apparatus within said exterior wall for effecting refrigeration by means of a thermo-electric element having hot and cold faces adapted to be activated by the impression of a direct current potential across said faces, the improvement which comprises static heat-transfer means for conducting heat from said hot face into the water to which said exterior wall is exposed, said static heat-transfer means being openly and unrestrictedly exposed to said water and being free of moving parts and forced circulation of coolant.
In a method for effecting refrigeration in a watercraft by means of a thermo-electric element having a hot face and a cold face activated by impressing a direct current potential across said faces, the improvement which comprises cooling said hot face by statically conducting heat therefrom to the outside of an exterior wall of said craft through a thermal sink of heat-conducting material and thence into the ambient water which envelopes the outside of said exterior wall without the intervention of moving parts and without forced circulation of coolant.
In a watercraft having an exterior wall adapted to be at least partially submerged in ambient water, the combination therewith of a refrigerating unit powered by a thermo-electric element characterized in that the hot face of the thermo-electric element is in surface-to-surface contact with one face of a heat-conducting thermal sink, the other face of which is comprised in and constitutes a unitary portion of said exterior wall which is openly and unrestrictedly exposed to heat exchange contact with said ambient water.
In a device which is cooled by a thermo-electric element having hot and cold faces adapted to be activated by the impression of direct current potential across said faces and in which the heat from said hot face is dissipated into an external thermal sink and from there into ambient air, the improvement which comprises means for deliberately bringing water in contact with said external thermal sink while it is exposed to the ambient air in such a manner that the water is evaporated from said external thermal sink, whereby heat in said external thermal sink is dissipated as latent heat of vaporization of water.
In a method in which cooling is effected by a thermo-electric element having hot and cold faces adapted to be activated by the impression of direct current potential across said faces and in which the heat from said hot face is dissipated into an external thermal sink and from there into ambient air, the improvement which comprises deliberately applying water to said external thermal sink while it is exposed to the ambient air and evaporating at least a portion thereof while the water is in contact with said external thermal sink, whereby heat in said external thermal sink is dissipated as latent heat of vaporization of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.