System and method for producing and determining cooling capacity of two-phase coolants
View Patent ↗The invention provides systems and devices for producing two-phase coolants such as an ice slurry. Also provided are methods for producing two-phase coolants, and methods for using the two-phase coolants to lower the temperature or maintain a low temperature in any subject, system, object, device, or application where particular low temperatures are desired. Also provided are systems for determining the cooling capacity of two-phase coolants.
1. A device for producing an ice slurry, comprising:
a housing comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one coolant and is configured to control the freezing temperature of a fluid;
a driveshaft;
at least one scraper blade coupled to the driveshaft, wherein the blade is configured to scrape ice from the side walls of the heat exchanger;
an internal disk coupled to the distal end of the heat exchanger, wherein the internal disk is configured to hold a bearing positioned at a distal end of the driveshaft;
a mixing vessel housing coupled to the housing comprising the heat exchanger, wherein the mixing vessel housing comprises a mixing vessel configured to receive ice slurry from the heat exchanger and to receive a high concentration saline solution, wherein the mixing vessel comprises a mixing blade.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises two concentric tubes, wherein the inner tube comprises a lumen through which the fluid flows, and wherein the outer tube comprises a lumen accommodating the inner tube and the coolant.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a physiological saline solution.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the coolant is dry ice or a compressed gas.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a heat pipe.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the ice slurry comprises about 30% to about 70% ice.
7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a first pump, wherein the first pump is configured to transport the ice slurry through one or more components of the device.
8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second pump, wherein the second pump is configured to pump the coolant through the heat exchanger.
9. A method for producing an ice slurry, comprising the steps of:
contacting a low concentration saline solution with a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one coolant and is configured to control the freezing temperature of the saline solution, and wherein a portion of the saline solution freezes within the heat exchanger and the remainder of the saline solution remains in the liquid state to form the ice slurry; and
admixing a high concentration saline solution with the ice slurry.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises two concentric tubes, wherein the inner tube comprises a lumen through which the low concentration saline solution flows, and wherein the outer tube comprises a lumen accommodating the inner tube and the coolant.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a heat pipe.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the low concentration saline solution is a physiological saline solution.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ice slurry comprises about 30% to about 70% ice.