Claims
- 1. A heat transfer fluid mixture consisting essentially of substantially pure hydrogen and substantially pure helium for use in heat transfer applications, wherein:
a) the mixture will not be capable of mixing with air in any proportions to produce a self-sustaining flammable or combustible mixture, or b) wherein a concentration of hydrogen is sufficient to reduce cost of the mixture to an amount substantially less than cost of pure helium.
- 2. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 0.1 mole percent to about 1 mole percent.
- 3. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 1 mole percent to about 10 mole percent.
- 4. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 10 mole percent to about 20 mole percent.
- 5. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 20 mole percent to about 30 mole percent.
- 6. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 30 mole percent to about 40 mole percent.
- 7. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 40 mole percent to about 50 mole percent.
- 8. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 50 mole percent to about 99.9 mole percent.
- 9. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 1, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 10. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 2, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 11. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 3, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 12. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 4, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 13. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 5, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 14. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 6, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 15. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 7, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 16. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 8, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 17. A method of cooling or heating an item traversing through a substantially confined space, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 1, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 18. A method of cooling a cylindrical optical fiber traversing through a heat exchanger, the method comprising contacting the optical fiber with the gas mixture of claim 1, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 19. A method of improving the cooling of a cylindrical optical fiber traversing through a heat exchange device, the method comprising contacting the optical fiber with the gas mixture of claim 1, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof, and making an adjustment, either intermittently or continuously, of a parameter during the cooling, the parameter selected from the group consisting of a composition of the gas mixture, flow rate of the gas mixture into the heat exchange device, an amount of gas mixture contacting the fiber in counter-current fashion, an amount of gas mixture contacting the fiber in co-current fashion, a composition of the gas mixture contacting the fiber in counter-current fashion, a composition of gas mixture contacting the fiber in co-current fashion, a temperature of the gas mixture before injection into the heat exchange device, a temperature of the gas mixture either before, during or after contacting the fiber in counter-current fashion, a temperature of the gas mixture either before, during, or after or contacting the fiber in a co-current fashion, a pressure of the gas mixture before injection into the heat exchange device, a pressure of the gas mixture contacting the fiber in countercurrent fashion, and a pressure of the gas mixture contacting the fiber in a co-current fashion.
- 20. A method of improving cooling or heating of any hot or cold object in contact with a stagnant or flowing gas mixture, the method comprising directly or indirectly contacting the object with the gas mixture of claim 1, and making an adjustment (either intermittently or continuously) of a parameter during the cooling or heating process: the parameter selected from the group consisting of a composition of the gas mixture before contacting the object, a flow rate of the gas mixture in contact with the object, an amount of gas mixture contacting the object, a composition of the gas mixture contacting the object, a temperature of the gas mixture before, during and/or after contacting the object, a temperature of the gas mixture either before, during, and/or after contacting the object, a pressure of the gas mixture before it contacts the object, and a pressure of the gas mixture contacting the object.
- 21. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said parameter adjustment is made automatically or manually based upon some measured parameter that may change during a heat exchange process (cooling or heating) such as the temperature of (or temperature distribution within) the object being cooled or heated by the gas mixture of claim 1.
- 22. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein said parameter adjustment is made automatically or manually based upon some measured parameter that may change during a heat exchange process (cooling or heating) such as the temperature of (or temperature distribution within) the object being cooled or heated by the gas mixture of claim 1.
- 23. A heat transfer fluid mixture consisting of substantially pure hydrogen and substantially pure helium for use in heat transfer applications.
- 24. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 23 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 10 mole percent to about 40 mole percent.
- 25. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 23 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 40 mole percent to about 50 mole percent.
- 26. A gas mixture in accordance with claim 23 wherein the hydrogen has a concentration ranging from about 50 mole percent to about 99.9 mole percent.
- 27. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 23, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 28. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 24, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 29. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 25, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 30. A method of cooling or heating an item, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 26, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 31. A method of cooling or heating an item traversing through a substantially confined space, the method comprising contacting the item with the gas mixture of claim 23, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 32. A method of cooling a cylindrical optical fiber traversing through a heat exchanger, the method comprising contacting the optical fiber with the gas mixture of claim 24, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof.
- 33. A method of improving the cooling of a cylindrical optical fiber traversing through a heat exchange device, the method comprising contacting the optical fiber with the gas mixture of claim 23, said contacting selected from the group consisting of directly contacting, indirectly contacting, or combination thereof, and making an adjustment, either intermittently or continuously, of a parameter during the cooling, the parameter selected from the group consisting of a composition of the gas mixture, flow rate of the gas mixture into the heat exchange device, an amount of gas mixture contacting the fiber in counter-current fashion, an amount of gas mixture contacting the fiber in co-current fashion, a composition of the gas mixture contacting the fiber in counter-current fashion, a composition of gas mixture contacting the fiber in co-current fashion, a temperature of the gas mixture before injection into the heat exchange device, a temperature of the gas mixture either before, during or after contacting the fiber in counter-current fashion, a temperature of the gas mixture either before, during, or after or contacting the fiber in a co-current fashion, a pressure of the gas mixture before injection into the heat exchange device, a pressure of the gas mixture contacting the fiber in countercurrent fashion, and a pressure of the gas mixture contacting the fiber in a co-current fashion.
- 34. A method of improving cooling or heating of any hot or cold object in contact with a stagnant or flowing gas mixture, the method comprising directly or indirectly contacting the object with the gas mixture of claim 23, and making an adjustment (either intermittently or continuously) of a parameter during the cooling or heating process: the parameter selected from the group consisting of a composition of the gas mixture before contacting the object, a flow rate of the gas mixture in contact with the object, an amount of gas mixture contacting the object, a composition of the gas mixture contacting the object, a temperature of the gas mixture before, during and/or after contacting the object, a temperature of the gas mixture either before, during, and/or after contacting the object, a pressure of the gas mixture before it contacts the object, and a pressure of the gas mixture contacting the object.
- 35. A method in accordance with claim 34 wherein said parameter adjustment is made automatically or manually based upon some measured parameter that may change during a heat exchange process (cooling or heating) such as the temperature of (or temperature distribution within) the object being cooled or heated by the gas mixture of claim 1.
- 36. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein said parameter adjustment is made automatically or manually based upon some measured parameter that may change during a heat exchange process (cooling or heating) such as the temperature of (or temperature distribution within) the object being cooled or heated by the gas mixture of claim 1.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from provisional patent application serial No. 60/287,476, filed Apr. 30, 2001, which is incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60287476 |
Apr 2001 |
US |