Variably insulating portable heater/cooler

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:871862

Potter, Thomas F ^[1]

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1. Denver, CO

A compact vacuum insulation panel comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning "on" and "off" the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls.

• Research Organization: Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• Assignee: Varitec Thermal, L.L.C. (Denver, CO)
• Patent Number(s): US 5813454
• OSTI ID: 871862
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

variably
insulating
portable
heater
cooler
compact
vacuum
insulation
panel
comprising
chamber
enclosed
sheets
metal
glass-like
spaces
disposed
sidewalls
high-grade
apparatus
methods
enabling
disabling
thermal
capability
type
method
hydride
releasing
hydrogen
gas
response
heat
grate
selectively
preventing
allowing
return
variable
emissivity
coating
controllably
electricity
metal-to-metal
contact
devices
actuated
establish
break
paths
circuits
releasing hydrogen
metal contact
vacuum insulation
hydrogen gas
metal hydride
thermal insulating
insulation panel
disabling apparatus
compact vacuum
spaces disposed
metal heat
selectively preventing
break metal-to-metal
allowing return
metal-to-metal heat
chamber enclosed
panel comprising
metal-to-metal contact
metal sidewalls
variable emissivity
emissivity coating
contact devices
heat paths
glass-like spaces
controllably variable
hydrogen grate
high-grade vacuum
insulating capability
metal sidewall
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