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US-12618594-B2 - Nested heating system

US12618594B2US 12618594 B2US12618594 B2US 12618594B2US-12618594-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to nested heating systems. The heating system uses nested thermoelectric heating assemblies, and hot temperatures can be increased by adding intermediate nested heating assemblies. Intermediate and/or inner assemblies may be removed from the outer assembly to allow for easy transport.

Inventors

  • Uttam Ghoshal

Assignees

  • SHEETAK, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240131

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A nested thermal heating system, the system comprising: a first heating assembly comprising: a first housing; a first heating apparatus inside the first housing comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the first housing; a first thermal conductive layer forming a first cavity inside the first housing; a second heating assembly disposed within the first cavity, the second heating assembly comprising: a second housing; a second heating apparatus comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the second housing; and a second thermal conductive layer forming a second cavity inside the second housing; and a power circuit configured to communicate power to the second heating apparatus, wherein the power circuit is one of: an inductive power circuit, an inductive resonance circuit, and an optical power circuit.
  2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inductive power circuit comprises: a first wire wound magnetic core disposed inside the first housing; a second wire wound magnetic core disposed outside the first housing, wherein the second wire-wound magnetic core is proximate to the first wire wound magnetic core; a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the first wire wound magnetic core; and a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.
  3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wherein the inductive resonance circuit comprises: a pair of resonant inductive circuits disposed on opposite sides of a wall of the first housing; a first magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with one of the pair of resonant inductive circuits; a signal oscillator in electrical communication with the magnetic antenna coil; a second magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with the other of the pair of resonant inductive circuits; a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the second magnetic antenna coil; and a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.
  4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical power circuit comprises: an electromagnetic radiation transmitter disposed outside the first housing; wherein the first housing comprises a window transparent to selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation and thermally insulated; an electromagnetic radiation receiver disposed inside the first housing and configured to convert the selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to electrical power; and a power regulator in electrical communication with the electromagnetic radiation receiver.
  5. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprises: a thermally conductive material; and a phase change material embedded in the thermally conductive material.
  6. 6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the phase change material in the first conductive layer is different from the phase change material in the second conductive layer.
  7. 7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are thermally insulated.
  8. 8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second heating assembly is configured for removal and insertion into the first heating assembly.
  9. 9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a third heating assembly disposed within the second cavity, the third heating assembly comprising: a third housing; a third heating apparatus comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the heating housing; and a third thermal conductive layer forming a third cavity inside the third housing.
  10. 10 . A method of heating using a nested thermal heating system, the system, the system comprising: a first heating assembly comprising: a first housing; a first heating apparatus inside the first housing comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the first housing; a first thermal conductive layer forming a first cavity inside the first housing; and a second heating assembly disposed within the first cavity, the second heating assembly comprising: a second housing; a second heating apparatus comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the second housing; and a second thermal conductive layer forming a second cavity inside the second housing; and a power circuit configured to communicate power to the second heating apparatus, wherein the power circuit is one of: an inductive power circuit, an inductive resonance circuit, and an optical power circuit; the method comprising: energizing the first heating assembly and the second heating assembly.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising: removing the second heating assembly from the first cavity.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising: inserting the second heating assembly into the first cavity.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the inductive power circuit comprises: a first wire wound magnetic core disposed inside the first housing; a second wire wound magnetic core disposed outside the first housing, wherein the second wire-wound magnetic core is proximate to the first wire wound magnetic core; a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the first wire wound magnetic core; and a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the wherein the inductive resonance circuit comprises: a pair of resonant inductive circuits disposed on opposite sides of a wall of the first housing; a first magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with one of the pair of resonant inductive circuits; a signal oscillator in electrical communication with the magnetic antenna coil; a second magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with the other of the pair of resonant inductive circuits; a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the second magnetic antenna coil; and a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical power circuit comprises: an electromagnetic radiation transmitter disposed outside the first housing; wherein the first housing comprises a window transparent to selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation and thermally insulated; an electromagnetic radiation receiver disposed inside the first housing and configured to convert the selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to electrical power; and a power regulator in electrical communication with the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 1. Field of the Disclosure The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for thermal regulation, and nested heating and refrigeration involving thermoelectric devices. 2. Description of the Related Art Refrigeration technologies have been around for centuries, from use of running water and evaporation to the ice box and the motorized, compressor-based refrigeration systems. Thermoelectric devices have been used since the 1900s to heat, cool, and generate power; however, widespread use has been held back due to poor performance and low efficiency when compared with other available heating, cooling, and power generation technologies. A shortcoming in prior art refrigeration systems is their limited temperature differential and dependence on vapor compressor cooling, which limits the ability to nest cooling systems. Another shortcoming in prior art refrigeration systems is the use of moving parts that are subject to wear, breakage, noise product. Another shortcoming in prior art refrigeration systems is the size and mass of the compressor and associated parts, which greatly reduce the ease of portability and placement of the refrigeration system. Another shortcoming in prior art refrigeration is the difficulty of interfacing renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, to the compressor-based refrigeration systems. Another shortcoming in prior art refrigeration is the difficulty in providing fault-tolerant, distributed multiple compressors systems. What is needed is a refrigeration system that can be nested with new or existing cooling or heating systems, does not require greenhouse gases as a refrigerant, uses non-moving parts to provide cooling, and is lightweight and easily transportable, and can achieve ultracold temperatures. In addition, a refrigeration system is needed that can be powered by non-power grid alternative power sources, such as solar panels, and exhibits fault-tolerant redundancy. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE In aspects, the present disclosure is related to an apparatus and method for using nested heating and refrigeration systems, and, in particular, using thermoelectric devices to provide refrigeration. One embodiment according to the present disclosure includes a nested thermal cooler system, the system including a first cooling assembly and a second cooling assembly disposed inside the first cooling assembly. The first cooling assembly includes a first housing; a first cooling apparatus inside the first housing; and a first thermal conductive layer forming a first cavity inside the first housing. The second cooling assembly is disposed within the first cavity and includes a second housing; a second cooling apparatus including at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the second housing; and a second thermal conductive layer forming a second cavity inside the second housing. The first housing and the second housing may be thermally insulated. The first cooling assembly may cool based on thermoelectric modules or vapor compression. The thermally conductive layers may include a thermally conductive material and, optionally, a phase change material embedded in the thermally conductive material. The phase change materials may be different based on the particular thermally conductive layer. The system may also include one or more power sources to power to cooling assemblies. In some embodiments, different cooling assemblies may operate, at least for a time, off separate power sources. The second cooling assembly may be configured for removal and reinsertion into the first cooling assembly. In some embodiments, the first and second cooling assemblies may have corresponding threads to facilitate insertion and removal. In some embodiments, there is a third cooling assembly that may be disposed within the second cooling assembly. The third cooling assembly may include a third housing, a third cooling apparatus including at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the third housing, and a third thermal conductive layer forming a third cavity inside the third housing. In some embodiments, the third cooling assembly is removable and insertable into the second cooling assembly. The third cooling assembly may even have threads corresponding to threads on the second cooling assembly to facilitate removal and insertion. Another embodiment according to the present disclosure includes a nested thermal heater system, the system including a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly disposed inside the first heating assembly. The first heating assembly includes a first housing; a first heating apparatus inside the first housing; and a first thermal conductive layer forming a first cavity inside the first housing. The second heating assembly is disposed within the first cavity and includes a second housing; a second heating apparatus including at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the second housing; and a second ther