METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR COOLING AN OBJECT

• US 20090282838A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ge Intelligent Platforms
• Original Assignee: Ge Intelligent Platforms
• Inventors: THURNAU, Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/6
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/002 using the energy of vibration of fluid columns
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2309/1402 Pulse-tube cycles with acoustic driver
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/145 pulse-tube cycle

Abstract

A method for cooling an object includes coupling a cooling device to the object, wherein the cooling device includes at least one thermoacoustic engine and a plurality of gas diodes, generating acoustic power with the thermoacoustic engine, channeling acoustic oscillations of a fluid through the gas diodes, and transferring the heat produced by the object to the fluid to facilitate moving the heat away from the object.

Claims

1. A method for cooling an object using a cooling device coupled to the object, the cooling device including at least one thermoacoustic engine and a plurality of gas diodes, said method comprising:

generating acoustic power with the at least one thermoacoustic engine;

channeling acoustic oscillations of a fluid through the plurality of gas diodes; and

transferring the heat produced by the object to the fluid to facilitate moving the heat away from the object.

2. A method for cooling an object in accordance with claim 1, wherein generating acoustic power with the at least one thermoacoustic engine comprises generating acoustic oscillations of the fluid using heat produced by a heat source.

3. A method for cooling an object in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas diodes are arranged in a bridge rectifier configuration, and wherein channeling acoustic oscillations of a fluid through the plurality of gas diodes comprises channeling a fluid into the cooling device through an inlet, channeling the fluid through the bridge rectifier, and channeling the fluid out of the cooling device through an outlet.

4. A method for cooling an object in accordance with claim 2, wherein the at least one thermoacoustic engine includes at least one stack having a hot end and a cold end, and wherein transferring the heat produced by the object to the fluid comprises:

absorbing the heat produced by the object with the hot end; and

cooling the cold end using the fluid channeled through the plurality of gas diodes.

5. A method for cooling an object in accordance with claim 4, further comprising:

channeling the fluid through a heat sink coupled to the cooling device as the fluid exits the outlet; and

transferring heat from the heat sink to the fluid.

6. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device comprising:

at least one thermoacoustic engine configured to absorb heat produced by a heat source and generate acoustic power using the absorbed heat;

a fluid inlet defined within said thermoacoustic driven cooling device,

a plurality of gas diodes configured to channel a cooling fluid through said thermoacoustic driven cooling device using the acoustic power such that the absorbed heat is transferred from said at least one thermoacoustic engine to the fluid to facilitate moving the absorbed heat away from the object; and

a fluid outlet defined within said thermoacoustic driven cooling device.

7. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said at least one thermoacoustic engine comprises a stack comprising a first heat exchanger and an opposed second heat exchanger, said first heat exchanger configured to absorb the heat produced by the heat source, and said second heat exchanger configured to be cooled by the fluid as the fluid is channeled through said thermoacoustic driven cooling device.

8. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said at least one thermoacoustic engine comprises a first thermoacoustic engine at a first end of said thermoacoustic driven cooling device and a second thermoacoustic engine at a second end of said thermoacoustic driven cooling device opposite said first end, such that said first thermoacoustic engine and said second thermoacoustic engine define a half-wave resonator.

9. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said fluid inlet is defined at a first acoustic zero pressure node of said half-wave resonator and said fluid outlet is defined at a second acoustic zero pressure node of said half-way resonator.

10. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance with claim 7, wherein an axis is defined between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said plurality of gas diodes comprises:

a first set of gas diodes positioned with respect to said fluid inlet, said first set of gas diodes configured to channel the fluid away from said axis towards said second heat exchanger of said at least one thermoacoustic engine; and

a second set of gas diodes positioned with respect to said fluid outlet, said second set of gas diodes is configured to channel the fluid from said second heat exchanger of said at least one thermoacoustic engine towards said axis.

11. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance Keith claim 6, further comprising at least one sound dampening structure positioned with respect to at least one of said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet.

12. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said plurality of diodes are arranged as a bridge rectifier.

13. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance With claim 7, wherein said fluid outlet channels the fluid through an exterior heat sink as the fluid exits said thermoacoustic driven cooling device, wherein the fluid absorbs heat from the exterior heat sink.

14. A cooling system comprising:

a thermoacoustic driven cooling device comprising;

at least one thermoacoustic engine configured to absorb heat produced by a heat source and generate acoustic power using the absorbed heat; and

a plurality of gas diodes configured to channel a cooling fluid through said thermoacoustic driven cooling device using the acoustic power such that the absorbed heat is transferred from said at least one thermoacoustic engine to the fluid to facilitate moving the absorbed heat away from the object; and

a heat sink coupled to said thermoacoustic driven cooling device, said heat sink configured to absorb heat removed from the object and to transfer the heat to the fluid as the fluid exits said thermoacoustic driven cooling device.

15. A cooling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said at least one thermoacoustic engine comprises a stack comprising a first heat exchanger and an opposed second heat exchanger, said first heat exchanger configured to absorb the heat produced by the heat source, said second heat exchanger configured to be cooled by the fluid as the fluid is channeled through said thermoacoustic driven cooling device.

16. A cooling system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said at least one thermoacoustic engine comprises a first thermoacoustic engine at a first end of said thermoacoustic driven cooling device and a second thermoacoustic engine at a second end of said thermoacoustic driven cooling device opposite said first end.

17. A cooling system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said first thermoacoustic engine and said second thermoacoustic engine define a half-wave resonator.

18. A cooling system in accordance with claim 16, wherein an axis is defined between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet of said thermoacoustic driven cooling device, said plurality of gas diodes comprises:

a first set of gas diodes positioned With respect to said fluid inlet, said first set of gas diodes configured to channel the fluid away from said axis towards said second heat exchanger of said at least one thermoacoustic engine; and

a second set of gas diodes positioned with respect to said fluid outlet, said second set of gas diodes is configured to channel the fluid from said second heat exchanger of said at least one thermoacoustic engine towards the axis.

19. A cooling system in accordance with claim 18, wherein said thermoacoustic driven cooling device further comprises at least one sound dampening structure positioned with respect to at least one of said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet.

20. A thermoacoustic driven cooling device in accordance with claim 17, wherein a fluid inlet is defined at a first acoustic zero pressure node of said half-wave resonator and a fluid outlet is defined at a second acoustic zero pressure node of said half-way resonator.