Prevention of cooling flow blockage

• US 10,415,903 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Severson, Mark Hamilton, Metzler, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bauer, Cassey D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Miguel A
• Application Number:
  US14/515,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20160109197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 165 71, 165103, 138 38, 138 39, 138 42, 138 95
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/00 Tubular elements; Assemblies of tubular elements specially adapted for movement F28F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/10 Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses crimped or corrugated elements F28F1/06, F28F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/40 the means being only inside the tubular element
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/08 by varying the cross-section of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/002 by using inserts or attachments
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/01 by using means for separating solid materials from heat-exchange fluids, e.g. filters
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/02 with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/10 Particular layout, e.g. for uniform temperature distribution
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2220/00 Closure means, e.g. end caps on header boxes or plugs on conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2250/06 Derivation channels, e.g. bypass
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/048 in the form of ribs integral with the element or local variations in thickness of the element, e.g. grooves, microchannels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20254 Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A fluid cooled cold plate includes a main coolant passage with a first cross-sectional area taken laterally in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction and a finned coolant passage having a second cross-sectional area taken laterally in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction, with the second area smaller than the first area. Fluidly connecting the main coolant passage with the finned coolant passage is a branch oriented such that a fluid is turned 90° or more when passing into the branch from the main coolant passage. Also included is a coolant bypass passage in fluid communication with the main coolant passage and located fluidically parallel to the finned coolant passage.

Claims

1. A fluid cooled cold plate comprising:

a main coolant passage having a first cross-sectional area taken laterally in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the main coolant passage;

a finned coolant passage having a second cross-sectional area taken laterally in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the main coolant passage, wherein the second cross-sectional area is smaller than the first cross-sectional area;

a branch fluidly connecting the main coolant passage with the finned coolant passage, wherein the branch is turned more than 90°

from the flow direction of the main coolant passage, such that fluid flowing through the branch is reversed from the flow direction of the main coolant passage by turning more than 90°

from the flow direction of the main coolant passage to prevent contaminants from flowing into the branch from the main coolant passage; and

a coolant bypass passage in fluid communication with the main coolant passage and located fluidically parallel to the finned coolant passage such that fluid configured to flow through the fluid cooled cold plate passes through either the coolant bypass passage or the finned coolant passage.

2. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 1, wherein the coolant bypass passage is fluidly connected with the main coolant passage to form a continuous straight passage.

3. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 1, wherein the coolant bypass passage includes a filter element.

4. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 1, wherein the coolant bypass passage includes a removable plug.

5. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 1, wherein the coolant bypass passage includes a flow balance mechanism.

6. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 5, wherein the flow balance mechanism comprises a converging-diverging nozzle.

7. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 1, wherein the main coolant passage is in fluid communication with a central cooling system.

8. The fluid cooled cold plate of claim 7, wherein the finned coolant passage is located downstream of the main coolant passage.

9. A method for preventing a cooling flow blockage in a fluid cooled cold plate, the method comprising:

passing a fluid with entrained contaminants that are larger than a finned coolant passage through a main coolant passage having a first cross-sectional area taken laterally in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the main coolant passage;

bypassing a first portion of the fluid with the entrained contaminants larger than the finned coolant passage past a branch, wherein the branch is turned more than 90°

from the flow direction of the main coolant passage, such that a second portion of the fluid is reversed from the flow direction of the main coolant passage by turning more than 90°

from the flow direction of the main coolant passage to prevent the entrained contaminants larger than the finned coolant passage from flowing into the branch from the main coolant passage, and wherein the branch is in fluid connection with the main coolant passage on a first end and the finned coolant passage on a second end, the finned coolant passage having a second cross-sectional area taken laterally in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction, and wherein the second area is smaller than the first area; and

directing the first portion of the fluid with the entrained contaminants larger than the finned coolant passage through a coolant bypass passage in fluid communication with the main coolant passage and fluidically parallel to the finned coolant passage such that fluid configured to flow through the fluid cooled cold plate passes through either the coolant bypass passage or the finned coolant passage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein directing the first portion of the fluid with the entrained contaminants larger than the finned coolant passage through the coolant bypass passage comprises directing the first portion of the fluid with the entrained contaminants along a continuous straight passage from the main coolant passage.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

collecting the entrained contaminants in the first portion of the fluid at the coolant bypass passage.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

removing a plug from the coolant bypass passage.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

passing a third portion of the fluid with entrained contaminants smaller than the second cross-sectional area and the second portion of the fluid through the branch.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

balancing a flow resistance between the second and third portions of the fluid that pass through the branch and the first portion of the fluid that passes through the coolant bypass passage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the flow resistance between the second and third portions of the fluid that pass through the branch and the first portion of the fluid that passes through the coolant bypass passage is balanced by passing the first portion of the fluid through a converging-diverging nozzle at the coolant bypass passage.