Gas-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation with gas gate
AssigneeMidwest Research Institute
InventorsDavid K. Benson, Thomas F. Potter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a dynamic vacuum insulation comprising sidewalls enclosing an evacuated chamber and gas control means for releasing hydrogen gas into a chamber to increase gas molecule conduction of heat across the chamber and retrieving hydrogen gas from the chamber. The gas control means includes a metal hydride that absorbs and retains hydrogen gas at cooler temperatures and releases hydrogen gas at hotter temperatures; a hydride heating means for selectively heating the metal hydride to temperatures high enough to release hydrogen gas from the metal hydride; and gate means positioned between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively allowing hydrogen to flow or not to flow between said metal hydride and said chamber.
Claims13
Dynamic vacuum insulation, comprising sidewalls enclosing an evacuated chamber and gas control means for releasing hydrogen gas into said chamber to increase gas molecule conduction of heat across said chamber and for retrieving said hydrogen gas from said chamber, wherein said gas control means includes a metal hydride that absorbs and retains hydrogen gas at cooler temperatures and releases hydrogen gas at hotter temperatures, a hydride heating means for selectively heating said metal hydride to temperatures high enough to release hydrogen gas from said metal hydride, and gate means positioned between said metal hydride and said chamber for selectively allowing hydrogen to flow or not to flow between said metal hydride and said chamber.
Dynamically variable vacuum insulation, comprising:
- an evacuated chamber,
- metal hydride hydrogen storage material for selectively releasing hydrogen gas into said evacuated chamber in response to heating said metal hydride and for reabsorbing and retaining said hydrogen gas in response to cooling said metal hydride;
- hydride heater means for selectively heating said metal hydride to cause the metal hydride to release hydrogen;
- and
- hydrogen gate means positioned between said metal hydride and said chamber for selectively allowing or prohibiting hydrogen gas from flowing between said metal hydride and said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.