Inventor: Stephen C. Baer, Corrales, New Mexico
Assignee: Individual (Baer personally)
Filed: July 17, 1969
Granted: November 9, 1971
Status: Expired — Lifetime
Common name: "Stock Pond Melter" (steve-baer.md)
Prevents ice formation on livestock water tanks using a sealed convection loop filled with volatile liquid. Two enlarged ends connected by insulated straight sections exploit water's density anomaly (maximum density at 4°C): warmer bottom water transfers heat to the cold surface via the convection loop, preventing ice without electricity.
A sealed hollow tube loop with two enlarged ends connected by insulated tube portions, filled with heat-transfer fluid (e.g., alcohol), creating convection current from warmer deep water to freezing surface.