Topping cycle for a sub-ambient cooling system

• US 7,921,655 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Pruett, James A., Adams, Timothy E., Moshenrose, Christopher, Kviatkofsky, James F., Wyatt, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion; Thomas E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carton; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/859,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 62/62, 621/964, 623/32
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 23/006 boiling cooling systems

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a cooling system for a heat-generating structure comprises a heat exchanger, a first structure, a condenser heat exchanger, and a second condenser. The heat exchanger is in thermal communication with a heat-generating structure. The heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is operable to receive fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid into the heat exchanger, and the outlet is operable to dispense fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor out of the heat exchanger. The first structure directs a flow of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to the heat exchanger. Thermal energy communicated from the heat-generating structure to the fluid coolant causes the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and vaporize in the heat exchanger. The condenser heat exchanger receives a flow of the fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor from the heat exchanger and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant to a heat sink. The second condenser assists the condenser heat exchanger in transferring at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant away from the fluid coolant. The second condenser is selectively activated when the heat sink reaches an undesirable temperature.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a heat-generating structure, the cooling system comprising:

a heat exchanger in physical contact and conductive thermal communication with a heat-generating structure, the heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet operable to receive fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid into the heat exchanger, and the outlet operable to dispense fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor out of the heat exchanger;

a first structure which directs a flow of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to the heat exchanger, thermal energy communicated from the heat-generating structure to the fluid coolant causing the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and vaporize in the heat exchanger so that the fluid coolant absorbs at least a portion of the thermal energy from the heat-generating structure as the fluid coolant changes state;

a condenser heat exchanger that receives a flow of the fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor from the heat exchanger and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant to a heat sink; and

a second condenser that assists the condenser heat exchanger in transferring at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant away from the fluid coolant, the second condenser including a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that removes thermal energy away from the fluid coolant upon application of an electric current to the thermoelectric cooler (TEC), the electric current selectively applied to the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) for removing the thermal energy away from the fluid coolant when the heat sink reaches an undesirable temperature.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising at least one valve operable to apportion a flow of fluid coolant to the condenser heat exchanger or the second condenser based on a temperature of the heat sink and a temperature of the fluid coolant traveling between the heat exchanger and the condenser heat exchanger.

3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the electric current applied to the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is varied based on a temperature of the heat sink and a temperature of the fluid coolant traveling between the heat exchanger and the condenser heat exchanger.

4. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein

the heat sink is ambient air, and

at least the heat exchanger operates at a sub-ambient temperature.

5. A cooling system for a heat-generating structure, the cooling system comprising:

a heat exchanger in physical contact and conductive thermal communication with a heat-generating structure, the heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet operable to receive fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid into the heat exchanger, and the outlet operable to dispense fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor out of the heat exchanger;

a first structure which directs a flow of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to the heat exchanger, thermal energy communicated from the heat-generating structure to the fluid coolant causing the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and vaporize in the heat exchanger so that the fluid coolant absorbs at least a portion of the thermal energy from the heat-generating structure as the fluid coolant changes state;

a condenser heat exchanger that receives a flow of the fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor from the heat exchanger and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant to a heat sink; and

a second condenser that assists the condenser heat exchanger in transferring at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant away from the fluid coolant, the second condenser selectively activated when the heat sink reaches an undesirable temperature.

6. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein the heat sink is a fluid at ambient temperature.

7. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the fluid is air.

8. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein the second condenser includes a refrigeration cycle that removes thermal energy away from the fluid coolant.

9. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein the secondary condenser includes a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that removes thermal energy away from the fluid coolant.

10. The cooling system of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in removing the thermal energy away from the fluid coolant transfers the thermal energy to the heat sink.

11. The cooling system of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in removing the thermal energy away from the fluid coolant transfers the thermal energy to a fluid loop.

12. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein the fluid loop is a two-phase fluid loop that ultimately transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy to the heat sink.

13. The cooling system of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is additionally operable to selectively add thermal energy to the fluid coolant.

14. The cooling system of claim 13, wherein the TEC selectively adds thermal energy to the fluid coolant to prevent freezing of the fluid coolant.

15. The cooling system of claim 13, wherein the fluid coolant is a mixture of antifreeze and water and the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in selectively adding thermal energy to the fluid coolant facilitates a separation of the water from the antifreeze.

16. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein at least the heat exchanger operates at a sub-ambient temperature.

17. A cooling system for a heat-generating structure, the cooling system comprising:

a heat exchanger in physical contact and conductive thermal communication with a heat-generating structure, the heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet operable to receive fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid into the heat exchanger, the outlet operable to dispense fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor out of the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger operating at a sub-ambient temperature;

a first structure which directs a flow of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to the heat exchanger, thermal energy communicated from the heat-generating structure to the fluid coolant causing the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and vaporize in the heat exchanger so that the fluid coolant absorbs at least a portion of the thermal energy from the heat-generating structure as the fluid coolant changes state;

a condenser heat exchanger that receives a flow of the fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor from the heat exchanger and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant to an ambient fluid; and

a second condenser that assists the condenser heat exchanger in transferring at least a portion of the thermal energy within the fluid coolant away from the fluid coolant, the second condenser selectively activated when the ambient fluid reaches an undesirable temperature.

18. The cooling system of claim 17, wherein the second condenser includes a refrigeration cycle that removes thermal energy away from the fluid coolant.

19. The cooling system of claim 17, wherein the secondary condenser includes a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that removes thermal energy away from the fluid coolant.

20. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in removing the thermal energy away from the fluid coolant transfers the thermal energy to the ambient fluid.

21. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in removing the thermal energy away from the fluid coolant transfers the thermal energy to a fluid loop.

22. The cooling system of claim 20, wherein the fluid loop is a two-phase fluid loop that ultimately transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy to the ambient fluid.

23. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is additionally operable to selectively add thermal energy to the fluid coolant.

24. The cooling system of claim 23, wherein the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) selectively add thermal energy to the fluid coolant to prevents freezing of the fluid coolant.

25. The cooling system of claim 23, wherein the fluid coolant is a mixture of antifreeze and water and the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in selectively adding thermal energy to the fluid coolant facilitates a separation of the water from the antifreeze.