摘要 |
PURPOSE:To take out heat from heat accumulator at a high efficiency, by reducing resistance to heat transfer from heat accumulating material to cooler. CONSTITUTION:When coolant is passed through cooler 3 for absorbing heat, volatile liquid 5 existing in the vicinity of cooler 3 is cooled. By the temperature difference thus caused, volatile liquid 5 existing inside communicating passages 7 receives heat produced from heat accumulating material 2, from the inner surface of passages 7. As the result, liquid 5 is boiled and carried near to the upper cooler 3, where it is condensed through releasing of condensation heat. This volatile liquid 5 is carried back to the lower passages 7. Through repetition of the above cycle, liquid-like heat accumulating material 2 is condensed and crystal 2a of heat accumulating material sticks onto the inner wall surface of passages 7 in reservoir chamber 6. When thickness of the crystal 2a has increased to a certain value, supply of coolant to cooler 3 is interrupted and heating medium is passed through heater 4. With such an arrangement, resistance to heat transfer from heat accumulating material 2 to cooler 3 can be reduced with no need of considerably increasing the overall length of pipes constituting the cooler 3 and heater 4. |