Explosion-proof enclosures with active thermal management using sintered elements

• US 8,992,649 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Manahan, Joseph Michael, Kozlowski, Marc Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): ORLANDO, AMBER ROSE
• Application Number:
  US13/956,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 554/82, 555/73, 553/851, 553/852, 55438-439, 554/71, 361/698, 361/638
• US Class Current: 55/482
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 4/00 Flame traps allowing passage of gas but not of flame or explosion wave
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 7/00 Elements not covered by group F28F1/00, F28F3/00 or F28F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/136 explosion-proof

Abstract

Enclosures for use in hazardous areas include sintered filters for thermal management. The enclosures include an opening to which a filter holder housing and sintered filter are coupled. The enclosures can also include a second opening to which a vent or a second filter holder housing and sintered filter are coupled. The internal temperature of the enclosures can be actively managed by such a system because air within the enclosure can be displaced to and from the atmosphere through the sintered filters. Air from the atmosphere enters the enclosure via the second opening and exits the enclosure via the first opening.

Claims

1. An enclosure, comprising:

a housing having a cavity and a first opening in a first wall of the cavity;

a first porous media coupled to the first opening, wherein the first porous media comprises a plurality of channels, wherein air passes through the plurality of channels between the cavity and an exterior of the housing;

a first air displacement system positioned within the housing and proximate to the first porous media, wherein the first air displacement system, in conjunction with the first porous media, creates a pressure differential to force the air through the first porous media; and

a first tubular element coupled to the first porous media,

wherein the first porous media cools the cavity by passing the air to the exterior of the housing, and

wherein the plurality of channels of the porous media is manufactured using fuse deposition techniques and computational fluid dynamics to control a pore size and a shape of each of the plurality of channels within the porous media, wherein the pore size and the shape of each of the plurality of channels arrest a flame and thereby contain an explosion within the housing, while also providing a flow of the air, driven by the first air displacement system, through the plurality of channels in the absence of the explosion within the housing.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the porous media comprises a thermally conductive material, and is capable of arresting a flame exiting the housing.

3. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a first porous media holder, wherein the first porous media is positioned within the first porous media holder.

4. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein the first porous media holder is cylindrical-shaped and the first porous media is an elliptic paraboloid.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a control system coupled to the first air displacement system.

6. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a second opening in the housing.

7. The enclosure of claim 6, further comprising a second porous media holder coupled to the second opening, wherein the second porous media holder is coupled to a second tubular element.

8. The enclosure of claim 6, further comprising a second porous media coupled to the second opening, the second opening positioned on a wall different from the first opening.

9. The enclosure of claim 8, further comprising a second porous media holder, wherein the second porous media is positioned within the second porous media holder, and wherein the second porous media holder is tapered.

10. The enclosure of claim 8, wherein the second porous media is an elliptic paraboloid.

11. The enclosure of claim 8, further comprising a second air displacement system positioned proximate the second porous media.

12. The enclosure of claim 11, further comprising a control system coupled to the second air displacement system.

13. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein the second opening comprises a vent.

14. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the housing is suitable for potentially explosive environments.

15. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising:

a heating or cooling element positioned within the cavity; and

a control system communicably coupled to the heating or cooling element, wherein the control system is positioned within the cavity.

16. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein the control system controls the first air displacement system.

17. An enclosure suitable for potentially explosive environments having active thermal management capabilities, comprising:

a housing having a cavity, and a first opening, and a second opening;

a porous media system comprising a porous media, wherein the porous media couples to the first opening of the housing, wherein the porous media comprises a plurality of channels, wherein the porous media system allows air to pass therethrough between the cavity and an exterior of the housing; and

an air displacement system disposed within the cavity, wherein the air displacement system, in conjunction with the porous media, allows the air to pass from the cavity through the porous media to the exterior of the housing,

wherein the porous media cools the cavity by passing the air to the exterior of the housing,

wherein the porous media arrests a flame to contain an explosion within the housing, and

wherein the plurality of channels of the porous media is manufactured using fuse deposition techniques and computational fluid dynamics to control a pore size and a shape of each of the plurality of channels within the porous media, wherein the pore size and the shape of each of the plurality of channels arrest a flame and thereby contain an explosion within the housing, while also providing a flow of the air, driven by the air displacement system, through the plurality of channels in the absence of the explosion within the housing.

18. The enclosure of claim 17, further comprising:

a control system comprising a sensor and a controller, wherein the sensor is a temperature gauge; and

a heating or cooling element coupled to the controller and positioned inside the housing, wherein the heating or cooling element is operable by the control system.

19. The enclosure of claim 17, wherein the air displacement system is coupled to the second opening and sealed to the housing.

20. The enclosure of claim 17, further comprising a porous media holder, wherein the porous media holder is coupled to the porous media and to the housing at the first opening.