Membrane-enabled heat pipe

Abstract

A modified heat pipe is provided which moves heat from a relatively elevated location to a relatively depressed location and which utilizes osmosis membranes to enable pumping of working fluid to the vaporizer after it has condensed in the condenser.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for moving thermal energy from a location of relatively higher elevation to a location of relatively lower elevation comprising:
 a membrane assembly comprising an external housing, one or more osmosis membranes, and two internal cavities, hereinafter known as the solution cavity and the distilled liquid cavity, wherein said osmosis membrane(s) forms (form) at least part of the barrier separating the two internal cavities;   a vaporizer capable of transferring thermal energy into a working fluid contained therein;   a heat exchanger capable of transferring thermal energy out of the working fluid;   a liquid conduit connecting said solution cavity of said membrane assembly to said vaporizer;   a vapor conduit connecting said vaporizer to said heat exchanger;   a liquid-vapor conduit connecting said heat exchanger to said distilled liquid cavity of said membrane assembly;   wherein said membrane assembly, liquid conduit, vaporizer, vapor conduit, heat exchanger, and liquid-vapor conduit are sealed so as to enclose a single contiguous volume and so as to enable the maintenance of a vacuum on the interior of the apparatus;   wherein a working solution of a solvent and some quantity of solute are contained within the contiguous volume contained by said solution cavity of said membrane assembly, said liquid conduit, and said vaporizer;   wherein the application of a quantity of thermal energy to said vaporizer induces a phase change in the solvent of said working solution, transforming it into vapor;   wherein said vapor produced in said vaporizer may freely flow throughout the contiguous volume contained by said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly excluding that volume occupied by liquid;   wherein the condensation of said vapor of said solvent within said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly transfers a quantity of heat out of said vapor contained in the contiguous volume enclosed by said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly, while transforming a quantity of said vapor into liquid;   wherein liquid condensed in said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly may pass, under the influence of gravity, centrifugal forces, or other means into said distilled liquid cavity of said membrane assembly;   and wherein the presence of a solution in said solution cavity of said membrane assembly and some quantity of distilled solvent in said distilled liquid cavity of said membrane assembly induces forward osmosis through said membrane(s) of said membrane assembly which moves said distilled solvent through said membrane(s) of said membrane assembly into said solution cavity of said membrane assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said vaporizer is a solar thermal energy capture system. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for moving thermal energy from a location of relatively higher elevation to a location of relatively lower elevation comprising:
 a membrane assembly comprising an external housing, one or more osmosis membranes, and two internal cavities, hereinafter known as the solution cavity and the distilled liquid cavity, wherein said osmosis membrane(s) forms (form) at least part of the barrier separating the two internal cavities;   a vaporizer capable of transferring thermal energy into a working fluid contained therein;   a liquid-vapor separator;   a heat exchanger capable of transferring thermal energy out of the apparatus;   a liquid conduit connecting said solution cavity of said membrane assembly to said vaporizer;   a liquid return conduit connecting said liquid-vapor separator to said liquid conduit;   a vapor conduit connecting said liquid-vapor separator to said heat exchanger;   a liquid-vapor conduit connecting said heat exchanger to said distilled liquid cavity of said membrane assembly;   wherein said membrane assembly, liquid-vapor separator, liquid return conduit, liquid conduit, vaporizer, vapor conduit, heat exchanger, and liquid-vapor conduit are sealed so as to enclose a single contiguous volume and so as to enable the maintenance of a vacuum on the interior of the apparatus;   wherein a working solution of a solvent and some quantity of solute are contained within the contiguous volume contained by said solution cavity of said membrane assembly, said liquid conduit, and said vaporizer;   wherein the application of thermal energy to said vaporizer induces a phase change in the solvent of said working solution, transforming it into vapor;   wherein said vaporizer is connected to said liquid-vapor separator so that vapor and liquid move out of said vaporizer and into said liquid-vapor separator as a result of the vaporization of liquid within the vaporizer;   wherein said liquid-vapor separator separates liquid and/or vapor ejected from said vaporizer, with the liquid moving into said liquid return conduit and vapor continuing on to said vapor conduit;   wherein said vapor produced in said vaporizer and separated from liquid in said liquid-vapor separator may freely flow throughout the contiguous volume contained by said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly excluding that volume occupied by liquid;   wherein the condensation of said vapor of said solvent within said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly transfers a quantity of heat and out of said vapor contained in the contiguous volume enclosed by said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly, while transforming said vapor into liquid;   wherein liquid condensed in said vapor conduit, said heat exchanger, said liquid-vapor conduit, and said distilled chamber of said membrane assembly may pass, under the influence of gravity, centrifugal forces, or other means, into said distilled liquid cavity of said membrane assembly;   and wherein the presence of a solution in said solution cavity of said membrane assembly and distilled solvent in said distilled liquid cavity of said membrane assembly induces forward osmosis through said membrane(s) of said membrane assembly which moves said distilled solvent through said membrane(s) of said membrane assembly into said solution cavity of said membrane assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said vaporizer is a solar thermal energy capture system.