US 6,386,968 B2 · Method and apparatus for performing confinement by thermal stratification

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of confining pollution generated in the top volume and/or in the bottom volume of an enclosure filled with a fluid, i.e. either a gas, which is in general air, or a liquid, which is in general water, the method confining the pollution by thermal stratification. In said method the mean temperature of said top volume is maintained higher than the mean temperature of said bottom volume by an amount that is sufficient to ensure that said two volumes are separated by a turbulent intermediate zone of narrow width, referred to as the “mixing zone”, within which a steep temperature gradient is maintained; said intermediate zone constituting a virtual confinement barrier in a horizontal plane. The present invention also relates to apparatus associated with the method.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of creating a virtual confinement barrier between a top portion and a bottom portion of a substantially vertically-disposed substantially closed volume that extends continuously and physically uninterruptedly between the top and bottom portions, each of the top and bottom portions containing a fluid intended to be substantially separately contained in a respective one of the top and bottom portions, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining the fluid in the bottom portion at a first mean temperature;
and
maintaining the fluid in the top portion at a second mean temperature selectively greater than said first mean temperature to thereby define a temperature differential between the fluids in said top and bottom portions and a temperature gradient in an intermediate mixing zone of constricted width between said top and bottom portions within which said temperature differential and said temperature gradient creates turbulence in said mixing zone sufficient to prevent unintended intermixing fluid flow between said top and bottom portions and thereby define by said temperature differential a virtual confinement barrier substantially confining within each of the top and bottom portions the fluid contained in the respective top and bottom portions of the vertically-disposed volume.

An apparatus for creating in a walled enclosure a virtual confinement barrier between a top portion and a bottom portion of a substantially vertically-disposed substantially closed volume of the enclosure that extends continuously and physically uninterruptedly between the top and bottom portions, each of the top and bottom portions containing a fluid intended to be substantially separately contained in a respective one of the top and bottom portions, said apparatus comprising:

a first temperature-maintaining means for maintaining the fluid in the bottom portion at a first mean temperature;
and
a second temperature-maintaining means for maintaining the fluid in the top portion at a second mean temperature selectively greater than said first mean temperature to thereby define a temperature differential between the fluids in said top and bottom portions and a temperature gradient in an intermediate mixing zone of constricted width between said top and bottom portions within which said temperature differential and said temperature gradient creates turbulence in said mixing zone sufficient to prevent unintended intermixing fluid flow between said top and bottom portions and thereby define by said temperature differential a virtual confinement barrier substantially confining within each of the top and bottom portions the fluid contained in the respective top and bottom portions of the vertically-disposed volume.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for performing confinement by thermal stratification

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for performing confinement by thermal stratification

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27