the present invention is predicated on the principles of heat conduction in solids slidably engaged with each other . a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a heat - transfer system as described above wherein : the at least first element comprises a hollow cylinder , the interior wall of which comprises the heat - conducting material ; the at least second element comprises a piston - like member , the ends of which connect the containers and the exterior wall of which comprises the heat conducting material , the piston - like member being reciprocatable within the cylinder ; and the means for establishing oscillatory movement being adapted to reciprocate the piston - like member axially within the cylinder with respect to the reservoirs . an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a heat - transfer system as described above wherein : the heat - conducting surface of the at least second element is planar , two ends of which connect the containers , the heat - conducting surface being slidably engaged with the heat - conducting planar surface of the at least first element ; and the means for establishing oscillatory movement being adapted to axially slide the heat - conducting surface of the at least second surface with respect to the ends of the heat - conducting surface of the at least first element connecting the reservoirs . a further preferred embodiment of the invention is as described above wherein : the heat - conducting surface of the at least second element is a cylinder which rotates on its axis and which is slidably engaged with and between the two zones of different temperatures . while the novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims , the invention , both as to organization and content , will be better understood and appreciated , along with other objects and features thereof , from the following detailed description , taken in conjunction with the drawings in which : fig1 ( fig1 ( a ), 1 ( b ) and 1 ( c )) is an elevational view of one form of heat transfer device in accordance with the invention . fig2 is a similar elevational view of another form of the system . fig3 is an elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the system of the invention . fig4 ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) are elevational views of an alternative , embodiment of the invention . fig5 ( fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b )) is a side elevational view of the embodiments depicted in fig4 ( a ) and 4 ( b ). the present invention relates to a cooling device which does not require a coolant . it allows the transfer of large amounts of heat from an area of high temperature to an area of lower temperature without transfer of a substance which carries the heat . the mechanism is based on a heat transfer principle which is augmented by several orders of magnitude wherein the heat from the heat source is transferrd to a solid by conduction , then moving the solid a predetermined distance , and unloading the heat again by conduction . referring to fig1 the system 10 consists of a solid piston 12 mounted within a cylinder 14 . piston and cylinder are constructed of a heat conducting material such as copper or aluminum . the piston which is typically about twice as long as the cylinder moves back and forth at a predetermined frequency and amplitude . heat is applied by the heat source at one end of the piston and removed at the other end by the heat sink . heat is transported from the hot end to the cool end by the several mechanisms described below . referring to fig2 an experimental system 100 was set up with a 65 cm brass rod 102 of 0 . 62 cm diameter engineered to run smoothly , but tightly within a 32 cm brass cylinder 104 of approximately the same internal diameter ( thickness : 0 . 1 cm ). the piston was activated by an excenter 106 . two zones or reservoirs 108 and 110 were positioned at each end of the piston - cylinder combination . the reservoir 108 was typically circulated with one gallon of 80 ° c . water per minute from a constant temperature water bath . the reservoir 110 was typically circulated with cooler water at 100 to 200 ml / min . the first control consisted of measuring the heat conduction of the system with the rod at rest . the heat was conducted from the heated reservoir 108 to the reservoir 110 , which was circulated with room temperature distilled water . a heat flow of 18 . 1 cal / min was measured which compares with an estimated conductive heat flow of 15 . 8 cal / min . the difference is , presumably , dependent on measuring errors . the second control estimated the heat produced by friction . the pump was activated at 4 . 7 and 10 . 6 hz with strokes of 15 . 2 , 20 . 3 , 25 . 4 , and 30 . 5 cm , respectively . a heat production varying between 30 and 114 cal / min was measured . both frequency and stroke affected the heat production . the third control determined the heat transport by the oscillating piston alone ( the cylinder was removed ). ten experiments were performed , in which the frequency was varied between 2 . 2 and 10 . 6 hz and the stroke between 15 . 2 and 25 . 4 cm . the heat transport ranged from 33 to 360 cal / min . there was no effect of frequency . increased stroke caused a linear increase of heat transfer . the heat transfer was negligible when the stroke was less than 15 . 2 cm . ( the heat transfer is best described by the following regression equation : heat transfer ( in cal / min )= 25 . 6 stroke ( in cm ) - 381 ; correlation coefficient r = 0 . 83 ). the total heat transfer was studied in a forth series of 12 separate experiments with frequency ranging from 2 . 2 to 10 . 6 hz and stroke being varied between 15 . 2 and 30 . 5 cm . the reservoir 108 was maintained at 80 ° c ., the reservoir 110 was perfused with ice water at 100 to 200 ml / min . the temperature of the water exiting reservoir 110 was carefully monitored and varied between 4 ° and 25 ° c . the total heat transfer varied between 511 and 3655 cal / min and is best described by a regression of the form : where f is the frequency in hz and δz the stroke in cm . all of the above measurements were obtained at steady state , i . e ., after the system had been allowed to run at the same conditions for 1 / 2 to 1 hour . steady state was assumed to be established when the temperature measured with a thermocouple was constant for 5 minutes . the piston - cylinder setup used in this series transports heat up to a rate of 3566 cal / min . this rate varies with frequency and the square of stroke amplitude . this represents a heat flow of up to 890 watt / cm 2 . the transport occurs presumably , by several mechanisms : the first mechanism is heat conduction through the 32 cm long piston - cylinder combination . it accounts in the experiment for 15 - 18 cal / min or 0 . 4 % of the total heat transport . the second mechanism is friction . it is not considered a transport , per se , but rather a side effect . the third mechanism consists of the piston moving alternatively between the two reservoirs in such a way that parts of the heated rod get close to the heat sink without ever actually reaching it . this in effect shortens the distance of heat conduction between the reservoirs to just a few cm . this mechanism accounts for about 11 % of the observed transport . the last mechanism accounts for the majority of the heat transported ( about 89 %). this mechanism is related to the mechanism of enhanced diffusion in an oscillating fluid column discussed above . its action may be described in four cycles as follows : piston 12 is initially heated by some heat source while in position a ( cycle 1 , fig1 a ). the piston or rod then moves to the right position b ( cycle 2 , fig1 b ); in this position the heated left half of the rod is now located within cylinder 14 . some of the heat of piston 12 is transferred by conduction from the rod 12 to the cylinder 14 . the piston then moves back into position a ( cycle 3 , fig1 c ). the left half of the rod moves back into the heat source while the cool , right half of the rod moves into the heated section of cylinder 14 . heat is now transferred from the cylinder to the right half of the rod . the fourth cycle of the mechanism consists of moving the rod again into position b . in that position the right half of the rod gives off heat to the heat sink . it will be understood that the four cycles described above are a simplified , schematic way of analyzing the mechanism of this invention . in fact , heat is transferred continuously back and forth over the entire length of rod and cylinder , while the rod oscillates . this increases the surface of conduction of heat and also is analogous to the boundary layer effect mentioned above . sinusoidal motion is the preferred , but not exclusive , mode of operation . at steady state , the temperature at any site of the inner surface of the cylinder varies with time above and below an average value . this average declines linearly along the inner surface of the cylinder from a high value close to the heat source to a low value close to the heat sink . it will also be understood that heat diffuses into the rod and into the cylinder . the depth of penetration of the heat is dependent on how long heat is applied , i . e ., it is dependent on frequency . it may be derived from classical work of heat conduction , that the penetration of the temperature fluctuations depends on heat conductivity k ( in cm 2 / sec ), which is a material constant , and on oscillation frequency f ( in hz ) according to : ## equ1 ## in good heat conductors such as copper or aluminum , k approximates 1 . 0 . for steel , the value of k is about 0 . 2 cm 2 / sec . thus , the heat penetration at 10 hz using copper approximates about 0 . 2 cm , i . e ., only a thin skin of metal participates in the heat exchanged between rod and cylinder . if the rod &# 39 ; s radius is greater than the depth of heat penetration , the inner core is not part of the heat exchange . if the cylinder is thicker than the depth , its outer segment is also inactive . the system may be optimized by reducing the diameter of the rod and the thickness of the cylinder . it will also be understood that the mechanism of this new process is based on heat conduction between two solids , one of which moves with respect to the other . therefore , a good contact is essential to the optimal function of the system . this contact is obtained by proper engineering of the parts and , optionally , by lubrication of the slidably engaged surfaces with a heat - conducting lubricant such as water , mercury , graphite , etc . referring to fig2 system 100 may also be used as follows : assume that a heat source ( not shown ) is applied to cylinder 104 and that reservoirs 108 and 110 are kept at a low temperature . system 100 then transports heat from cylinder 104 by way of piston 102 to the heat sinks 108 and 110 . fig3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention . the system 20 consists of a multiplicity of oscillating plates 22 sandwiched between stationary plates 24 . all plates are made of heat - conducting material , preferably a metal such as copper , aluminum , or brass . the plates 22 are typically at least twice as long as plates 24 , but have the same width . as an example , plates 24 would measure 100 cm by 100 cm ; plates 22 , 200 cm by 100 cm . plates 22 move back and forth in an axial direction , driven by an excenter 25 or some other appropriate source of motion . the amplitude of motion is typically equal to the length of plates 24 ( 100 cm in our example ). the frequency of motion is typically about 10 hz . the thickness of the plates is dictated by considerations of optimization and is linked to the frequency ; theoretically they could be made as thin as one - half centimeter if made of copper , but structural stability may require thicker plates and different materials . springs 26 are adjusted to provide optimal contact between plates 22 and 24 without excessive friction . the plates 22 are exposed at one end to a heat source 27 in zone 31 which may be a furnace , a heated space , or a heat exchanger . at the other end , the plates are exposed to a heat zone 30 which may be a heat exchanger circulated by a gaseous or liquid coolant through ports 28 and 29 . the difference between this system and that of fig1 and 2 is simplified geometry which allows for easier construction , easier maintenance , larger heat - exchange surfaces , and simpler control of the contact between moving and stationary parts . it should also be noted that if the amplitude of motion of plates 22 is smaller than the length of plates 24 , no section of plates 22 exposed to the heat source is ever exposed to the heat sink , thus providing for a separation of heat source and heat sink . fig4 shows a further alternative embodiment of the system of the invention . the main feature of this alternative is that the oscillatory motion of the rod / cylinder system and of the plate system is replaced by an energy - saving rotational system . fig4 shows three variants of this embodiment of the invention . fig4 ( a ) is a simplified schematic of the basic system . the system 40 consists of a cylinder 42 rotating on its longitudinal axis 41 . it is enclosed by two stationary zones comprising half - shells of cylindrical shape engineered to provide tight contact with the cylinder with minimal friction . one half - shell 43 contains the heat source and cylinder 41 is heated by its contact . the other half - shell 44 is a heat sink and cylinder 42 is cooled by its contact . when cylinder 42 rotates , heat is transported from the heat source 43 to the heat sink 44 . preferably , all parts shown in fig4 ( a ) are made of heat - conducting material such as copper , aluminum , brass or some other heat - conducting material . the springs 47 are designed to optimize the contact between the half - shells 43 and 44 and the cylinder 42 and the heat conduction . the cylinder 42 has a radius varying typically between 10 and 30 cm . it may be solid or hollow . if hollow , its minimal thickness is about 0 . 5 cm , if made of copper . as clearly shown in fig4 ( a ), the exterior surface of cylinder 42 is a continuous , solid , cylindrical surface . fig4 ( b ) shows a variant of this embodiment in which the heat source is represented by heat - producing computer components 48 , such as microchips , which are fixed to the heat - conducting half - shell 43 . the cooling is provided by a hollow half - shell 44 circulated by a coolant with an inlet 45 and outlet 46 . fig4 ( c ) shows a further variant of this embodiment in which the heat - producing components are loacted inside half - shell 43 and heat sink 44 is provided with coolant inlet and outlet parts 45 and 46 , respectively . cylinder 42 provides for the heat transport . this variant provides for tighter packing of the computer elements to be cooled . pulley 49 is employed to impart motion to the cylinder . fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ) depict systems for driving cylinders 42 in the embodiments shown in fig4 ( a ) and 4 ( b ), respectively , consisting of drive motors 50 and drive belts 51 which attach to motors 50 via wheels 49 . the heat transport in systems such as the ones described above can be increased by increasing either the frequency or the stroke length . in addition , the process described above can be further optimized since the conduction of heat from the piston to the cylinder and reverse heats only a thin skin of metal . frequency f : it was found that the heat transfer increased with frequency ( fig2 ). the use of a fairly high frequency in the order of 10 hz should , therefore , be used . the upper limit of frequency may depend on structural considerations , especially for the planar embodiment of the invention ( fig3 ). another factor which may limit frequency is the efficiency of the heat transfer across structural gaps such as between the plates in fig3 . amplitude δz : it was further found that the heat transfer increased with the square of oscillation amplitude . the increase of amplitude beyond the 30 . 5 cm value described above would increase the transfer notably . optimization : one may reduce the thickness of the plates and of the cylinder used since heat penetrates only through a thin skin of the heat - conducting parts involved . in the system of fig2 a maximal transport of 3566 cal / min or 825 watts / cm 2 was achieved . this includes 114 cal / min of heat generated by friction . it is presumed that by reducing the diameter of the piston to 0 . 31 cm the heat transport could be increased to approximately 3600 watts / cm 2 . in addition , it is presumed to be able to increase the heat transport approximately 10 - fold by increasing the amplitude from 30 . 5 cm to 100 cm because of the square relationship between transport and amplitude . in the system of plates as shown in fig3 one would predict a heat transport of about 2500 to 3000 kwatt for three plates measuring 200 × 100 cm at a frequency of 10 hz and an amplitude of 100 cm . the heat transfer potential of the system of the invention is considerable . for efficient use , embodiments are employed utilizing multiple cylinders or plates . the preferred heat - transfer system of the invention is one wherein the means for establishing oscillatory movement establishes sinusoidal motion . the heat conducting materials may be the same or different and are preferably metallic . the heat - conducting materials may be selected from the group consisting of aluminum , copper , zinc , silver and iron which have heat conductivities of 2 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1 . 2 , 4 . 2 , and 0 . 7 watts /° kcm , respectively , and alloys thereof . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the &# 34 ; zones &# 34 ; described herein may comprise reservoirs or any container of heated material , fluid ( liquid or gas ) or solid . the various applications to which the system of the invention may be put will determine the choice of design . the system may be used to cool microchips when cooling by convection or by contact is insufficient . in this case a configuration such as the one shown in fig4 may be useful . the system may have applications in space technology , where cooling by convection is at times difficult because of the lack of gravity . in this application , the fact that the heat source is hermetically sealed may be of use . the system may have applications in the cooling of conventional and nuclear furnaces . in the latter case , the fact that cooling is achieved without the transfer of a potentially radioactive coolant from the heat source to the heat sink is of great value . the system can provide an effective radioactive shield . the system may also be used to cool combustion engines . it will be understood that the term &# 34 ; zone &# 34 ; is used herein in its broadest sense to define any bounded region or area set off as distinct from surrounding or adjoining parts and capable of functioning as a heat source or heat sink .