Importance

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Abstract

In a heat transfer system (10), an upper coolant chamber (31) and a lower coolant chamber (24) of a typical engine, such as an internal combustion engine, fuel cell, boiler, or other engine for converting fuel to thermal energy, are formed adjacent to the heat-rejecting components of the engine and are hermetically sealed to prevent exposure of heat-transfer liquid within the chambers to the engine's ambient atmosphere. The heat-transfer liquid is preferably a substantially anhydrous, boilable liquid having a saturation temperature higher than that of water, and the heat-transfer liquid is pumped at a predetermined flow rate, and distributed through the heat-transfer fluid chamber so that the liquid within the chambers substantially condenses the heat-transfer liquid vaporized by the heat-rejecting components of the engine. Thermally-expanded heat-transfer liquid, non-condensable gas, and trace amounts of vapor, if any, are received within a hermetically-sealed accumulator (78) coupled in fluid communication with a relatively low-pressure area of the heat-transfer fluid chambers (24, 31), and the accumulator (78) defines at least one chamber (86, 88, 90), which may form a liquid-free space (88), for receiving the non-condensable gas and trace vapors. The at least one accumulator chamber defines a predetermined volume (V), which may be a variable volume, selected to maintain the pressure within the accumulator within a predetermined pressure limit (e.g., about 5 psig) during engine operation.

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First Claim