Claims
- 1. A method of cooling an object, the method comprising: a) contacting a heat transfer fluid with a liquid cryogen to form a precooled heat transfer fluid; and b) contacting the object with the precooled heat transfer fluid to form a cooled object and a recycle flow of said heat transfer fluid, the precooled heat transfer fluid consisting essentially of a compound selected from the group consisting of substantially pure hydrogen, substantially pure helium, substantially pure argon, substantially pure nitrogen, and substantially pure carbon dioxide, and wherein the contacting the object is selected from the group consisting of directly contacting the object, indirectly contacting the object, and combinations thereof.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of contacting a heat transfer fluid with a liquid cryogen to form a precooled heat transfer fluid is selected from the group consisting of directly contacting the heat transfer fluid with the liquid cryogen, indirectly contacting the heat transfer fluid with the liquid cryogen, and combinations thereof.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the precooled heat transfer fluid has a concentration of at least 99 mole percent.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the precooled heat transfer fluid has a concentration of at least about 95 mole percent.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the precooled heat transfer fluid has a concentration of at least about 90 mole percent.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein a temperature of the cooled object and a temperature of the precooled heat transfer fluid are monitored.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said temperatures are used to control flow of said precooled heat transfer fluid, flow of said cryogen, and said recycle flow of heat transfer fluid.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said object is substantially stationary and said precooled heat transfer fluid moves past said object.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said object moves continuously through a space and said precooled heat transfer fluid moves through the space during said step of contacting said object with said precooled heat transfer fluid.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said precooled heat transfer fluid exchanges heat with a second heat transfer fluid, and said second heat transfer fluid contacts said object.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein said object is a substantially cylindrical object traversing through a substantially confined space.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said substantially cylindrical object is an optical fiber, and wherein said substantially confined space is a heat exchanger.
- 13. The method of claim 10 wherein said object is a substantially cylindrical object traversing through a substantially confined space.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said substantially cylindrical object is an optical fiber, and wherein said substantially confined space is a heat exchanger.
- 15. The method of claim 7 wherein one or more of said flows are made automatically or manually based upon one or more of said temperatures.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of contacting the precooled heat transfer fluid with the object comprises spraying the precooled heat transfer fluid onto said object.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer fluid is essentially all gaseous.
- 18. The method of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer fluid is essentially all liquid.
- 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer fluid comprises gas and liquid.
- 20. A method of cooling a substantially cylindrical object traversing a substantially confined space, the method comprising: a) directly contacting a heat transfer fluid with said substantially cylindrical object inside of the confined space, the confined space defined by a substantially cylindrical tube having a tube inlet and a tube outlet, the substantially cylindrical object entering the tube inlet and exiting the tube outlet, the substantially cylindrical tube having a heat transfer fluid inlet near the tube outlet and a heat transfer fluid outlet near the tube inlet; and b) substantially maintaining a temperature of the heat transfer fluid contacting the substantially cylindrical object by indirectly or directly contacting the heat transfer fluid with a cryogen to form a cooled substantially cylindrical object and an exit flow of said heat transfer fluid, the heat transfer fluid consisting essentially of a compound selected from the group consisting of substantially pure hydrogen, substantially pure helium, substantially pure argon, substantially pure nitrogen, and substantially pure carbon dioxide.
- 21. The method of claim 17 wherein step b) comprises monitoring the temperature of the heat transfer fluid and a temperature the exit flow of said heat transfer fluid.
- 22. The method of claim 18 wherein step b) comprises monitoring a flow of said cryogen.
- 23. The method of claim 17 wherein a temperature of the cooled substantially cylindrical object is monitored.
- 24. The method of claim 17 wherein a diameter of the cooled substantially cylindrical object is monitored.
- 25. The method of claim 17 wherein a flow of said cryogen and a flow of said heat transfer fluid are controlled.
- 26. The method of claim 17 comprising monitoring the temperature of the heat transfer fluid and a temperature the exit flow of said heat transfer fluid; monitoring a flow of said cryogen; monitoring a temperature of the cooled substantially cylindrical object; monitoring a diameter of the cooled substantially cylindrical object; and wherein a flow of said cryogen and a flow of said heat transfer fluid are controlled.
- 27. The method of claim 17 wherein the heat transfer fluid is essentially all gaseous.
- 28. The method of claim 17 the heat transfer fluid is essentially all liquid.
- 29. The method of claim 17 the heat transfer fluid comprises gas and liquid.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from provisional patent application serial number 60/287,491, filed Apr. 30, 2001, incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60287491 |
Apr 2001 |
US |