System, apparatus, and method for passive and active refrigeration of at least one enclosure

• US 7,007,501 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hu, Ben P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US10/641,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 624/35, 62/37, 62/33, 624/30, 624/38, 622/39, 62/99, 622/386, 622/44, 165/41, 165/104.34
• US Class Current: 62/435
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/00 Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space , or structural parts of the aircraft treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes A61G10/02; respiratory apparatus in general A62B; for vehicles in general B60H
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0629 with subsystems for cooling food, catering or special loads
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/00 Machines, plants or systems, using a combination of modes of operation covered by two or more of the groups F25B1/00 - F25B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 1/00 Devices using naturally cold air or cold water
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 16/00 Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/02 for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/005 combined with heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/10 using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air for cooling semiconductor devices H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are provided for selectively actively and passively refrigerating one or more enclosures. The apparatus includes a primary heat sink that defines at least one surface configured to receive thermal energy from a gas in the enclosure so that the enclosure is refrigerated. First and second coolant heat sinks thermally communicate with the primary heat sink to remove thermal energy therefrom. For example, in a passive mode, a coolant is circulated through the first heat sink to cool the primary heat sink. In an active mode, the coolant is circulated through the second coolant heat sink and at least one heat pump is operated to transfer thermal energy from the primary heat sink to the coolant in the second coolant heat sink.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively actively and passively refrigerating an enclosure, the apparatus comprising:

a primary heat sink defining at least one surface configured to receive thermal energy from a gas in the enclosure, thereby cooling the gas and refrigerating the enclosure;

a first coolant heat sink in thermal communication with the primary heat sink and defining at least one passage for circulating a coolant such that the coolant is configured to cool the primary heat sink;

at least one heat pump in thermal communication with the primary heat sink and configured to cool the primary heat sink; and

a second coolant heat sink in thermal communication with the primary heat sink via the heat pump, the second coolant heat sink defining at least one passage for circulating coolant such that the coolant is configured to receive thermal energy from the primary heat sink via the heat pump.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one coolant loop fluidly connected to the passages defined by the first and second coolant heat sinks, and at least one pump configured to circulate the coolant through the at least one coolant loop and the first and second coolant heat sinks.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising at least one cooling device, the coolant loop being in thermal communication with the at least one cooling device such that the at least one cooling device is configured to cool the coolant in the coolant loop.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the at least one cooling device is configured to reject heat to a cold sink, the cold sink including at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the at least one cooling device is a eutectic thermal battery.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the heat pump is at least one of the group consisting of thermionic devices, thermoelectric devices, and thermoelectric-thermionic hybrid devices, and the heat pump is configured to actively transfer thermal energy from the primary heat sink to the second coolant heat sink.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one surface of the primary heat sink defines a plurality of elongate fins extending from the primary heat sink and configured to contact the gas in the enclosure and receive thermal energy therefrom.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the primary heat sink includes a base portion defining a vapor chamber.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the primary heat sink includes a base portion with at least one heat pump embedded therein.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one fan configured to circulate the gas in thermal communication with the primary heat sink, thereby heating the primary heat sink and cooling the gas.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to operate selectively in passive and active modes, the passive mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the first coolant heat sink such that thermal energy is transferred from the primary heat sink to the coolant, and the active mode characterized by circulation of the coolant through the second coolant heat sink and operation of the at least one heat pump such that thermal energy is transferred from the primary heat sink to the coolant via the heat pump.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the system is configured to refrigerate the enclosure to a temperature below about 7°

C. in the passive mode and below about 0°

C. in the active mode.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising first and second cooling devices in selective fluid communication with the passages defined by the first and second coolant heat sinks, the apparatus being configured to operate selectively in direct and indirect passive modes and direct and indirect active modes, the direct passive mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the first coolant heat sink and the first cooling device, the indirect passive mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the first coolant heat sink and the second cooling device, the direct active mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the second coolant heat sink and the first cooling device, and the indirect active mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the second coolant heat sink and the second cooling device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the first cooling device is configured to reject heat to a cold sink including at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure and the second cooling device is a eutectic thermal battery.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first coolant heat sink is in direct thermal communication with the primary heat sink such that the coolant in the passage defined by the first coolant heat sink is configured to cool the primary heat sink.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the heat pump is in direct thermal communication with the primary heat sink and the second coolant heat sink such that the heat pump is configured to absorb thermal energy from the primary heat sink and communicate the thermal energy to the coolant in the passage defined by the second coolant heat sink.

17. A system for selectively actively and passively refrigerating at least one enclosure, the system comprising:

at least one heat transfer apparatus comprising;

a primary heat sink defining at least one surface configured to receive thermal energy from a gas in at least one of the enclosures, thereby cooling the gas and refrigerating the enclosure;

a first coolant heat sink in thermal communication with the primary heat sink and defining at least one passage for circulating a coolant such that the first coolant is configured to cool the primary heat sink;

at least one heat pump in thermal communication with the primary heat sink and configured to cool the primary heat sink; and

a second coolant heat sink in thermal communication with the primary heat sink via the heat pump, the second coolant heat sink defining at least one passage for circulating coolant such that the coolant is configured to receive thermal energy from the primary heat sink via the heat pump; and

at least one coolant loop fluidly connected to the passages defined by the first and second coolant heat sinks; and

at least one cooling device, the coolant loop being in thermal communication with the at least one cooling device such that the at least one cooling device is configured to cool the coolant in the coolant loop,

wherein the apparatus is configured to operate selectively in passive and active modes, the passive mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the first coolant heat sink such that thermal energy is transferred from the primary heat sink to the cooling device by the coolant, and the active mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the second coolant heat sink and operation of the at least one heat pump such that thermal energy is transferred from the primary heat sink to the coolant via the heat pump and to the cooling device by the coolant.

18. A system according to claim 17 further comprising at least one pump configured to circulate the coolant through the at least one coolant loop and the first and second coolant heat sinks.

19. A system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one cooling device is configured to reject heat to a cold sink, the cold sink including at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure.

20. A system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one cooling device is a eutectic thermal battery.

21. A system according to claim 20 further comprising a store of compressed fluid configured to be expanded and thereby cool the thermal battery.

22. A system according to claim 20 wherein the eutectic thermal battery is thermally connected to a second cooling device such that the eutectic thermal battery is configured for recharging by the second cooling device.

23. A system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one heat pump is at least one of a thermionic device, a thermoelectric device, and a thermionic-thermoelectric hybrid device configured to actively transfer thermal energy from the primary heat sink to the second coolant heat sink.

24. A system according to claim 17 wherein the at least one surface of the primary heat sink defines a plurality of elongate fins configured to contact the gas in the enclosure and receive thermal energy therefrom.

25. A system according to claim 17 wherein the primary heat sink includes a base portion defining a vapor chamber.

26. A system according to claim 17 wherein the primary heat sink includes a base portion with at least one heat pump embedded therein.

27. A system according to claim 17 wherein each heat transfer apparatus further comprises a fan configured to circulate the gas in thermal communication with the primary heat sink, thereby heating the primary heat sink and cooling the gas.

28. A system according to claim 17 wherein each heat transfer apparatus is configured to refrigerate the enclosure to a temperature below about 7°

C. in the passive mode and below about 0°

C. in the active mode.

29. A system according to claim 17 further comprising first and second cooling devices in selective fluid communication with the passages defined by the first and second coolant heat sinks, each heat transfer apparatus being configured to operate selectively in direct and indirect passive modes and direct and indirect active modes, the direct passive mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the first coolant heat sink and the first cooling device, the indirect passive mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the first coolant heat sink and the second cooling device, the direct active mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the second coolant heat sink and the first cooling device, and the indirect active mode being characterized by circulation of the coolant through the second coolant heat sink and the second cooling device.

30. A system according to claim 29 wherein the first cooling device is configured to reject heat to a cold sink including at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure and the second cooling device is a eutectic thermal battery.

31. A system according to claim 17 wherein the first coolant heat sink is in direct thermal communication with the primary heat sink such that the coolant in the passage defined by the first coolant heat sink is configured to cool the primary heat sink.

32. A system according to claim 17 wherein the heat pump is in direct thermal communication with the primary heat sink and the second coolant heat sink such that the heat pump is configured to absorb thermal energy from the primary heat sink and communicate the thermal energy to the coolant in the passage defined by the second coolant heat sink.

33. A method for selectively refrigerating an enclosure in passive and active modes, the method comprising:

absorbing thermal energy by a primary heat sink from a gas of the enclosure, thereby cooling the gas and refrigerating the enclosure;

cooling the primary heat sink in the passive mode by circulating a coolant through a first passage in thermal communication with the primary heat sink, thereby rejecting thermal heat from the enclosure to the coolant in the first passage; and

cooling the primary heat sink in an active mode by operating a heat pump in thermal communication with the primary heat sink and circulating the coolant through a second passage in thermal communication with the primary heat sink via the heat pump, thereby rejecting thermal heat to the coolant in the second passage.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein said first cooling step comprises operating at least one pump to circulate the coolant through a first loop fluidly connected to the first passage and said second cooling step comprises operating the at least one pump to circulate the coolant through a second loop fluidly connected to the second passage.

35. A method according to claim 33 wherein said first and second cooling steps comprise circulating the coolant through at least one cooling device, thereby cooling the coolant.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein at least one of said first and second cooling steps comprises circulating the coolant through a cooling device in thermal communication with an aircraft skin structure.

37. A method according to claim 33 wherein at least one of said first and second cooling steps comprises circulating the coolant through a cooling device in thermal communication with a eutectic thermal battery.

38. A method according to claim 37 further comprising expanding a compressed fluid and thereby cooling the eutectic thermal battery.

39. A method according to claim 37 further comprising rejecting heat from the eutectic thermal battery to a cold sink and thereby recharging the battery.

40. A method according to claim 33 wherein said absorbing step comprises absorbing thermal energy from the gas through a plurality of elongate fins.

41. A method according to claim 33 said absorbing step includes vaporizing a fluid contained in a chamber defined by the primary heat sink.

42. A method according to claim 33 wherein the absorbing step comprises operating a fan configured to circulate the gas and thereby convectively heat the primary heat exchanger.

43. A method according to claim 33 wherein said first cooling step comprises selectively circulating the coolant through a first cooling device in a direct passive mode and through a second cooling device in an indirect passive mode.

44. A method according to claim 43 wherein said first cooling step comprises circulating the coolant through the cooling device and rejecting heat from the cooling device to a sink including at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure in the direct passive mode and circulating the coolant through a eutectic thermal battery in the indirect passive mode.

45. A method according to claim 33 wherein at least one of said cooling steps comprises refrigerating the enclosure to a temperature below about 7°

C. in the passive mode and below about 0°

C. in the active mode.

46. A method according to claim 33 wherein said first cooling step comprises circulating the coolant through the first passage defined by a first coolant heat sink in direct thermal communication with the primary heat sink such that the coolant in the first passage receives thermal energy from the primary heat sink, and wherein the second cooling step comprises circulating the coolant through the passage defined by a second coolant heat sink in direct thermal communication with the heat pump in direct thermal communication with the primary heat sink such that the heat pump absorbs thermal energy from the primary heat sink and communicates the thermal energy to the coolant in the second passage.