Thermal control system

• US 10,455,730 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Haj-Maharsi, Mohamed Y., Al-Howeish, Yasser A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Courtney L
• Application Number:
  US15/915,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20190281728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/202 Air circulating in closed loop within enclosure wherein heat is removed through heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20245 by natural convection; Thermosiphons
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20545 Natural convection of gaseous coolant; Heat transfer by conduction from electronic boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2059 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2089 for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor

Abstract

An example system includes an enclosure housing electronics that generate heat. The enclosure includes a vent leading to an exterior of the enclosure. The vent is configured to allow the heat generated by the electronics to escape to the exterior. The enclosure includes an inlet configured to direct air into the enclosure. The vent and the inlet are arranged so that the heat escaping from the vent suctions the air through the inlet. The example system also includes a radiator having an input port and an output port. The input port is located exterior to the enclosure and the output port is connected to the inlet so that the air suctioned through the inlet causes air from the exterior to enter the radiator through the input port and to pass to the output port. The radiator is submerged, at least in part, in a coolant.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an enclosure housing electronics that generate heat, the enclosure comprising a vent leading to an exterior of the enclosure, the vent being configured to allow the heat generated by the electronics to escape to the exterior, the enclosure comprising an inlet configured to direct air into the enclosure, the vent and the inlet being arranged so that the heat escaping from the vent produces a vacuum that suctions the air through the inlet; and

a radiator comprising an input port and an output port, the input port being located exterior to the enclosure and the output port being connected to the inlet so that the air suctioned through the inlet causes air from the exterior to enter the radiator through the input port and to pass to the output port, the radiator being submerged, at least in part, in a coolant.

2. The system of claim 1, where the enclosure is located on a structure over water, the coolant comprising the water;

and

where the radiator is submerged, at least in part, in the water.

3. The system of claim 1, where the enclosure comprises an inner housing and an outer housing, the outer housing at least partly enclosing the inner housing, the inner housing holding the electronics, the outer housing comprising the vent and the inlet, the inner housing and the outer housing being separated by a space through which the air passes to cool the electronics.

4. The system of claim 3, where at least one of the inner housing or the outer housing comprises one or more walls that are at least partly corrugated.

5. The system of claim 1, where the air is suctioned absent a pump.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more pumps to force at least some of the air into the radiator.

7. The system of claim 1, where the radiator is a least partly helical.

8. The system of claim 1, where the vent is located at a top surface of the enclosure and the inlet is located closer to a bottom surface of the enclosure than to the top surface of the enclosure.

9. The system of claim 8, where the inlet is located adjacent to the bottom surface of the enclosure.

10. The system of claim 1, where the air at the inlet is 20°

Celsius or less.

11. A method comprising:

configuring a vent on an enclosure to allow heated air generated by electronics housed in the enclosure to escape through the vent to an exterior of the enclosure;

configuring an inlet on the enclosure to allow the heated air escaping through the vent to suction cooled air through the inlet to an interior of the enclosure; and

generating the cooled air using a radiator having an input port that is located in the exterior and an output port that is in fluid communication with the inlet, the suction created by the heated air escaping through vent drawing air from the exterior into the radiator where the air is cooled to produce the cooled air.

12. The method of claim 11, where the enclosure is located on a structure over a body of water;

and

where the radiator is submerged, at least in part, in the water, the water cooling the air to produce the cooled air.

13. The method of claim 11, where the enclosure comprises an inner housing and an outer housing, the outer housing at least partly enclosing the inner housing, the inner housing holding the electronics, the outer housing comprising the vent and the inlet, the inner housing and the outer housing being separated by a space through which the cooled air passes to cool the electronics.

14. The method of claim 13, where at least one of the inner housing or the outer housing comprises one or more walls that are at least partly corrugated.

15. The method of claim 11, where the cooled air is suctioned absent a pump.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

forcing at least some of the air from the exterior in to the radiator using a pump.

17. The method of claim 11, where the radiator is a least partly helical.

18. The method of claim 11, where the vent is located at a top surface of the enclosure and the inlet is located closer to a bottom surface of the enclosure than to the top surface of the enclosure.

19. The method of claim 18, where the inlet is located adjacent to the bottom surface of the enclosure.

20. The method of claim 11, where the cooled air at the inlet is 20°

Celsius or less.