Fluid or Gas Cooling and/or Condensing Apparatus, System and Method

Abstract

A fluid or gas cooling and/or condensing apparatus, system and method provides a cooling apparatus for cooling and condensing material, such as, for example, refrigerant from air conditioners, refrigerators, and other like mechanical cooling devices for collecting the same. Specifically, the cooling apparatus comprises a cold plate having a cooling coil, a heat plate with one or more heat sinks attached thereto wherein heat is transferred from the cold plate to the heat plate, and a fan for cooling the heat plate, further wherein a cooling fluid, such as water, for example, is sent through the coil, and heat is removed therefrom and transferred to the heat plate. The cooled fluid is then circulated through a condenser coil within a cooling cylinder to condense the same for easy collection within a tank or other receptacle. Other gases and/or fluids may be condensed and/or chilled in a similar fashion, such as wine, for example.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for cooling a material, the apparatus comprising:
 a thermoelectric cooler comprising a cold plate, a heat plate and a thermoelectric material between the cold plate and the heat plate for cooling the cold plate and heating the heat plate when voltage is applied across the thermoelectric material;   a first cooling coil adjacent the cold plate;   a cooling chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet and a second cooling coil disposed between the first inlet and the first outlet   wherein a cooling fluid is sent through the first cooling coil to be cooled by the cold plate and thereafter to the second cooling coil within the cooling chamber,   wherein the cooling chamber further comprises a second inlet and a second outlet, and configured to allow a material to be cooled to traverse through the second inlet, the chamber and the second outlet to be chilled by the second coiling coil.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a pump for circulating the cooling fluid through the first cooling coil and the second cooling coil. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of a gaseous material and a liquid material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the material is a refrigerant. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the material is wine. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a fan disposed adjacent the hot plate for cooling the hot plate. 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the fan is disposed within a vented housing, and further wherein an airflow is pulled in the vented housing by the fan, propelled towards the heat plate, and subsequently pushed out of the vented housing. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first cooling coil is a twelve-pass coil. 
     
     
         9 . A system for cooling a material comprising:
 a cooling apparatus comprising a thermoelectric cooler comprising a cold plate, a heat plate and a thermoelectric material between the cold plate and the heat plate for cooling the cold plate and heating the heat plate when voltage is applied across the thermoelectric material; a first cooling coil adjacent the cold plate; a cooling chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet and a second cooling coil disposed between the first inlet and the first outlet and a second inlet and a second outlet; a cooling fluid circulating through the first cooling coil and cooled by the cold plate, the cooling fluid thereafter circulated to the second cooling coil within the cooling chamber; and   a material within the cooling chamber chilled by the cooling fluid circulating within the second cooling coil.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the material is refrigerant 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising
 a refrigeration unit having refrigerant therein, wherein the refrigeration unit comprises refrigerant, the refrigeration unit comprising an outlet configured to send the refrigerant to the second inlet in the cooling chamber to form chilled refrigerant within the cooling chamber; and 
 a collection tank comprising an inlet configured to receive the chilled refrigerant from the second outlet of the cooling chamber. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a refrigerant reclaimer configured to move refrigerant from a refrigeration unit to the first inlet of the cooling chamber. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the material is a fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a pump configured to circulate the cooling fluid through the first cooling coil and the second cooling coil. 
 
     
     
         15 . A method of cooling a material comprising the steps of:
 providing a cooling apparatus comprising a thermoelectric cooler comprising a cold plate, a heat plate and a thermoelectric material between the cold plate and the heat plate for cooling the cold plate and heating the heat plate when voltage is applied across the thermoelectric material; a first cooling coil adjacent the cold plate; a cooling chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet and a second cooling coil disposed between the first inlet and the first outlet and a second inlet and a second outlet;   moving a cooling fluid through the first cooling coil and cooled by the cold plate;   moving the cooling fluid from the first cooling coil to the second cooling coil within the cooling chamber;   disposing a material within the cooling chamber; and   chilling the material within the cooling chamber via heat exchange with the cooling fluid moving within the second cooling coil.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the cooling fluid moves through the first cooling coil and the second cooling coil via a pump. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the cooling fluid is circulating from the second cooling coil back to the first cooling coil via a recirculation pump. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of a gas and a fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of:
 providing a refrigeration unit having refrigerant therein, wherein the refrigeration unit comprises refrigerant, the refrigeration unit comprising an outlet; 
 providing a collection tank comprising an inlet; 
 moving the refrigerant from the refrigeration unit into the cooling chamber to form chilled refrigerant; and 
 moving the chilled refrigerant from the cooling chamber to the collection tank. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of:
 moving wine into the cooling chamber to form chilled wine; and 
 moving the chilled wine out of the cooling chamber.