Liquid injection degassing device and method for liquid cooling system

Abstract

The invention discloses a liquid injection and degassing device and method for a liquid cooling system, the liquid injection and degassing device for the liquid cooling system comprises a liquid supply container, a turnover container, a vacuum pump, a liquid injection pump, a liquid return port and a porous filter screen, and a closed cavity is formed in the turnover container; an exhaust pipe is connected between an air suction port of the vacuum pump and the cavity of the turnover container; an inlet of the liquid injection pump is communicated with the cavity of the turnover container, and a liquid injection pipeline is connected between an outlet of the liquid injection pump and the liquid inlet end of the liquid cooling system; a liquid return pipeline is connected between the liquid return port and the liquid outlet end of the liquid cooling system; and the porous filter screen is arranged at the liquid return opening and is used for converging fine bubbles in the liquid into large bubbles and discharging the large bubbles through the exhaust pipe. According to the invention, the turnover container is utilized to establish a negative pressure automatic suction cooling liquid mode, and most of fine bubbles are gathered through the porous filter screen to form large bubbles which enter the cavity and then are discharged, so that the operation process is simplified, and the working efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of fluid processing equipment, specifically relating to a liquid cooling system injection and degassing device and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of liquid cooling systems, such as liquid-cooled energy storage systems, power electronic liquid cooling systems, liquid-cooled charging piles, and large servers, how to inject liquid has become a problem in the industry. The reason for the difficulty in liquid injection is that the coolant is mostly an ethylene glycol solution with high dynamic viscosity. After the air in the system is beaten by the water pump impeller, it becomes a small bubble with low buoyancy, making it difficult to separate from the coolant. Currently, two methods are widely used: vacuum injection and circulating degassing.

[0003] Vacuum injection involves using a vacuum pump to remove air from the system, creating a vacuum, and then drawing coolant into the system. However, the system components have low vacuum tolerance, making it unlikely to achieve an absolute vacuum, meaning residual air will remain within the system. Furthermore, the equipment is expensive, energy-intensive, and has a long turnaround time.

[0004] For circulating coolant injection, the principle is to use a system circulation pump to circulate the coolant within the system, entraining air bubbles. After the air is separated by a gas-liquid separator, the coolant is reinjected into the system, and the cycle is repeated to continuously concentrate the coolant. The circulating coolant injection method is a concentration process; the air content within the system depends on the circulation time, and because the system is under positive pressure, the air bubbles are compressed and dissolved in the coolant, making them impossible to expel quickly.

[0005] In summary, neither of these two solutions can completely remove residual air from the system, posing several potential risks to the liquid cooling system, as follows: Frequent low-pressure alarms in the system: Tiny air bubbles mixed in the coolant condense when the system is shut down and are discharged through the automatic air vent valve at the highest point in the system, or seep out from tiny gaps, causing a drop in system pressure.

[0006] Accelerated coolant failure: When the oxygen content in the coolant is high, it will cause ethylene glycol oxidation, thereby accelerating coolant failure and leading to accelerated corrosion of aluminum products in the system.

[0007] Poor system heat dissipation: Coolant mixed with air has reduced heat capacity, increased coolant tension, and poor flowability, thus reducing the system's heat dissipation capacity.

[0008] Water pump cavitation: Air bubbles rise from the low-pressure area at the tail end of the impeller to the high-pressure area and explode, causing impeller cavitation and reducing the service life of the water pump.

[0009] System pressure fluctuations: When there is a lot of air in the system, since air is a compressible substance, the difference between dynamic pressure and static pressure is large, which reduces the buffering capacity of the pressure tank.

[0010] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a technical solution that can automatically complete the liquid injection and degassing process. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to provide a liquid injection and degassing device and method for a liquid cooling system, which solves the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device, comprising: A liquid supply container used to store coolant; A turnover container, the turnover container forming a sealed cavity inside, and a liquid suction pipe connecting the turnover container and the liquid supply container; A vacuum pump, with its suction port connected to the cavity of the transfer container, is used to create a negative pressure state in the cavity so that the coolant from the supply container can enter the cavity through the suction pipe. The injection pump has its inlet connected to the cavity of the turnover container, and its outlet is connected to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling system via an injection pipeline. A return port is located on the transfer container and communicates with the cavity; a return pipe is connected between the return port and the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling system; and A porous filter screen is installed at the return port to allow fine air bubbles in the liquid to coalesce into larger air bubbles, which are then discharged through the exhaust pipe.

[0013] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, an automatic exhaust valve is also included. The automatic exhaust valve is disposed on the exhaust pipe and is used to block the liquid in the cavity and allow the gas in the cavity to be discharged.

[0014] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, it also includes a pressure sensor and a controller. The pressure sensor is installed on the exhaust pipe and is used to detect the pressure of the exhaust pipe. Both the pressure sensor and the vacuum pump are connected to the controller, which is used to shut down the vacuum pump when the pressure of the exhaust pipe reaches a preset value.

[0015] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, the return pipeline is equipped with a return control valve and an observation window for observing the internal bubble state.

[0016] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, an injection control valve is provided on the injection pipeline.

[0017] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, the turnover container is equipped with a liquid level control valve, which is used to stop drawing coolant into the liquid supply container when the liquid level in the turnover container reaches a set position.

[0018] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, the liquid level control valve is a float valve.

[0019] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, a liquid suction control valve is provided on the liquid suction pipeline.

[0020] As an optional implementation of the above technical solution, a drain pipe is provided between the outlet of the injection pump and the liquid supply container.

[0021] On the other hand, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a liquid-cooling system injection and degassing method, applied in the above-mentioned liquid-cooling system injection and degassing device, the liquid-cooling system injection and degassing method comprising the following steps: Step A: Connect the pipelines so that the turnover container and the liquid supply container are connected through the liquid suction pipeline, the liquid injection pump is connected to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling system through the liquid injection pipeline, and the liquid return port is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling system through the liquid return pipeline. Step B: Open the suction line and the injection line, and close the return line; start the vacuum pump to create a negative pressure in the cavity of the container, and the coolant will be automatically drawn into the container under the negative pressure. Step C: Start the injection pump to inject the coolant from the container into the liquid cooling system; Step D: Open the return pipe to establish liquid circulation between the liquid cooling system and the transfer container, so that the liquid in the system flows back to the transfer container. The coolant enters a vacuum circulation degassing state. When the fine bubbles in the coolant flow through the porous filter, they gather to form large bubbles and are then discharged through the exhaust pipe. Step E: Repeat the degassing process until the desired degassing effect is achieved; Step F: Close the return liquid line, and close the injection line after the return liquid pressure reaches the design value. The injection is complete. Step G: Remove the pipeline. The cavity of the transfer container is under negative pressure, drawing some of the residual coolant from the pipeline into the cavity.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Automatic liquid injection, high efficiency and convenience: The method of automatically drawing in coolant by creating negative pressure in a turnover container eliminates the need for additional transfer pumps or manual filling in traditional solutions, simplifying the operation process and improving work efficiency; 2. Highly efficient and thorough degassing mechanism: The porous filter is creatively placed in the negative pressure chamber. When the gas-containing liquid brought back by the system passes through the porous filter, the porous filter provides a huge gas-liquid contact area and barrier, forcing micro bubbles to collide and merge into large bubbles, which greatly accelerates the separation speed of bubbles. Combined with the efficient exhaust capacity of the automatic exhaust valve under negative pressure, it can not only remove free bubbles, but also facilitate the precipitation and discharge of dissolved gases. 3. Integrated structure and complete functions: The equipment integrates vacuuming, automatic liquid suction, liquid injection, high-efficiency degassing and visual observation into one compact structure, which can be used as a portable device or integrated into a fixed workstation; 4. Controllable process and reliable results: The degassing effect can be directly evaluated through the observation window, which is intuitive and reliable. The automatic exhaust valve ensures the continuous automation of the degassing process. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In the diagram: 1-Liquid supply container; 2-Transfer container; 3-Liquid suction line; 4-Vacuum pump; 5-Exhaust pipe; 6-Liquid injection pump; 7-Liquid injection line; 8-Liquid return port; 9-Liquid return line; 10-Porous filter screen; 11-Automatic exhaust valve; 12-Pressure sensor; 13-Liquid return control valve; 14-Observation window; 15-Liquid injection control valve; 16-Float valve; 17-Liquid suction control valve; 18-Liquid drain line; 19-Liquid cooling system. Detailed Implementation

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a liquid cooling system injection and degassing device, including a liquid supply container 1, a transfer container 2, a vacuum pump 4, a liquid injection pump 6, a liquid return port 8, and a porous filter screen 10. The liquid supply container 1 stores coolant for supplying coolant to the liquid cooling system 19. The transfer container 2 forms a sealed cavity, and a suction pipe 3 connects the transfer container 2 and the liquid supply container 1. The suction pipe 3 is equipped with a suction control valve 17, which transports the coolant from the liquid supply container 1 to the cavity of the transfer container 2. An exhaust pipe 5 connects the suction port of the vacuum pump 4 to the cavity of the transfer container 2. The vacuum pump 4 creates a negative pressure within the cavity, allowing the coolant from the liquid supply container 1 to automatically enter the cavity through the suction pipe 3, thus achieving the liquid suction function. The inlet of the injection pump 6 is connected to the cavity of the transfer container 2, and its outlet is connected to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling system 19 via an injection pipe 7. An injection control valve 15 is installed on the injection pipe 7. The injection pump 6 delivers the coolant from the transfer container 2 to the liquid cooling system 19 through the injection pipe 7. A return port 8 is located on the transfer container 2 and connected to its cavity. A return pipe 9 is connected to the outlet of the liquid cooling system 19, allowing the coolant discharged from the liquid cooling system 19 to return to the transfer container 2 through the return pipe 9. A porous filter screen 10 is installed at the return port 8 to allow fine air bubbles in the liquid to coalesce into larger bubbles, which are then discharged through the exhaust pipe 5.

[0026] In this embodiment, the liquid cooling system's liquid injection and degassing device further includes an automatic exhaust valve 11, which is disposed on the exhaust pipe 5 and is used to block the liquid in the cavity and allow the gas in the cavity to be discharged.

[0027] Preferably, the liquid cooling system injection and degassing device further includes a pressure sensor 12 and a controller. The pressure sensor 12 is installed on the exhaust pipe 5 and is used to detect the pressure of the exhaust pipe 5. The pressure sensor 12 and the vacuum pump 4 are both connected to the controller, which is used to shut down the vacuum pump 4 when the pressure of the exhaust pipe 5 reaches a preset value.

[0028] To facilitate observation of the bubble state, the return liquid pipeline 9 is equipped with a return liquid control valve 13 and an observation window 14 for observing the internal bubble state.

[0029] In this embodiment, the transfer container 2 is equipped with a liquid level control valve. This valve stops drawing coolant into the supply container 1 when the liquid level in the transfer container 2 reaches a set position, and automatically opens when the liquid level in the transfer container 2 falls below the set position, allowing the transfer container 2 to continue drawing coolant into the supply container 1. Preferably, the liquid level control valve is a float valve 16. A drain pipe 18 is provided between the outlet of the injection pump 6 and the supply container 1. The drain pipe 18 is used for system drainage and for emptying any residual coolant in the transfer container 2 after injection is completed.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transfer container 2 can store a certain amount of coolant to replace residual gas in the cooling system. Simultaneously, the cavity is under negative pressure vacuum. When the coolant flows through the cavity, it amplifies the dissolved gas, causing it to separate from the coolant and be removed by the vacuum pump 4. The vacuum pump 4 maintains a vacuum state within the cavity. As the coolant replaces the gas in the cavity, the pressure inside the cavity increases. At this point, the vacuum pump 4 starts to extract the gas. The concentration of dissolved gases such as dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in the coolant decreases under vacuum, effectively reducing corrosion of aluminum, copper, and other materials such as heat exchangers in the liquid cooling system 19. Furthermore, the oxygen-free state effectively extends the service life of the coolant. When the cavity is under vacuum, the suction pipe 3 draws coolant from the supply container 1 into the cavity. When the liquid level reaches the set position, the liquid level control valve automatically closes. As air is expelled from the system, the coolant in the cavity fills the space. Simultaneously, as the coolant level drops, the liquid level control valve automatically opens. When the liquid level rises to the set level, it automatically closes again. The injection pump 6 delivers coolant to the liquid cooling system 19. The coolant returning from the liquid cooling system 19 carries small air bubbles. When it flows through the porous filter 10, the filter effectively condenses these small air bubbles into larger ones. A level control valve controls the liquid level, stopping the inflow when a set level is reached. This can be achieved using a common float valve 16 or a combination of a level switch and a solenoid valve. A certain amount of space is needed within the chamber to maintain a negative pressure. The level control valve controls the liquid level within the chamber. After the coolant enters the chamber, it displaces the gas, which is then extracted by the vacuum pump 4. When the liquid level in the chamber is low, the level control valve automatically opens and draws in coolant. When the liquid level reaches the set value, the level control valve automatically closes.

[0031] When the container 2 is under positive pressure or has flexible pipes or devices connected, the coolant in the container 2 will flow into the cavity due to the pressure difference. Without the automatic exhaust valve 11, the coolant would overflow from the suction port and damage the vacuum pump 4. As the coolant continuously replaces the air in the cavity and discharges it, the liquid level in the container 2 will gradually decrease. The observation window 14 is located on the return pipe 9 for easy visual observation of the degassing effect. Degassing is considered complete when no visible bubbles are present under vacuum. A pressure sensor 12 is installed on the exhaust pipe 5. When the pressure reaches the set value, the vacuum pump 4 is shut off to prevent the vacuum pump 4 from being overloaded for an extended period.

[0032] In use, the liquid cooling system injection and degassing device of the present invention uses a vacuum pump 4 to extract air from the cavity, creating a vacuum state in the cavity of the transfer container 2 and the liquid cooling system 19. Coolant is drawn into the cavity from the supply container 1, and the injection pump 6 injects the coolant into the closed liquid cooling system. After the coolant completes its circulation in the liquid cooling system 19, it returns to the transfer container 2. When the coolant, carrying air bubbles, passes through the porous filter 10, the porous filter 10 gathers most of the fine air bubbles into larger bubbles that enter the cavity. The cavity maintains a vacuum state, effectively drawing out dissolved gases such as dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide from the coolant through the vacuum pump 4. This cycle continues until the liquid in the observation window 14 is clear and free of free air bubbles, indicating that degassing is complete.

[0033] The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device of the present invention has the following characteristics: 1. Automatic liquid injection, high efficiency and convenience: The use of a negative pressure system in the turnover container 2 to automatically draw in coolant eliminates the need for a transfer pump or manual filling in traditional solutions, simplifying the operation process and improving work efficiency. 2. Highly efficient and thorough degassing mechanism: The porous filter 10 is creatively placed in the negative pressure chamber. When the gas-containing liquid brought back by the system circulation passes through the porous filter 10, the porous filter 10 provides a huge gas-liquid contact area and barrier, forcing micro bubbles to collide and merge into large bubbles, which greatly accelerates the separation speed of bubbles. Combined with the efficient exhaust capacity of the automatic exhaust valve 11 under negative pressure, it can not only remove free bubbles, but also facilitate the precipitation and discharge of dissolved gases. 3. Integrated structure and complete functions: The equipment integrates vacuuming, automatic liquid suction, liquid injection, high-efficiency degassing and visual observation into one compact structure, which can be used as a portable device or integrated into a fixed workstation; 4. Controllable process and reliable results: The degassing effect can be directly evaluated through the observation window 14, which is intuitive and reliable. The automatic exhaust valve 11 ensures the continuous automation of the degassing process.

[0034] This embodiment also provides a liquid-cooling system injection and degassing method, applied to the above-mentioned liquid-cooling system injection and degassing device, the liquid-cooling system injection and degassing method comprising the following steps: Step A: Connect the pipelines so that the turnover container 2 and the liquid supply container 1 are connected through the liquid suction pipeline 3, the liquid injection pump 6 is connected to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling system 19 through the liquid injection pipeline 7, and the liquid return port 8 is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling system 19 through the liquid return pipeline 9. Step B: Open the suction line 3 and the injection line 7, and close the return line 9; start the vacuum pump 4 to create a negative pressure in the cavity of the transfer container 2, and the coolant will be automatically drawn into the transfer container 2 under the action of negative pressure. Step C: Start the injection pump 6 to inject the coolant in the transfer container 2 into the liquid cooling system 19; Step D: Open the return pipe 9 to establish liquid circulation between the liquid cooling system 19 and the transfer container 2, so that the liquid in the system flows back to the transfer container 2. The coolant enters a vacuum circulation degassing state. The fine bubbles in the coolant converge to form large bubbles when flowing through the porous filter screen 10, and then are discharged through the exhaust pipe 5. Step E: The degassing process is repeated until the predetermined degassing effect is achieved. Because the transfer container 2 maintains a negative pressure, the large bubbles that have gathered in the cavity have greater buoyancy and surface area, and quickly rise to the top space of the transfer container 2. The automatic exhaust valve 11 remains open and efficiently and continuously discharges these gases. At the same time, the vacuum pump 4 continues to work, maintains the negative pressure and removes some of the gas. The clean coolant after degassing settles to the bottom of the transfer container 2 and is pumped back into the system by the injection pump 6. This cycle continues to perform deep degassing of the coolant in the liquid cooling system 19. The operator can clearly see the state of the bubbles through the observation window 14. Finally, the liquid surface at the observation window 14 is calm, the liquid is clear and transparent, and no bubbles float to the surface. At this point, the degassing is considered complete. Step F: Close the return line 9, and close the injection line 7 after the return pressure reaches the design value. Injection is complete. Step G: Remove the pipes. The cavity of the transfer container 2 is under negative pressure, which draws some of the coolant remaining in the pipes into the cavity to prevent coolant from spilling.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Automatic liquid aspiration: No external power or manual filling is required. It automatically stops when the designed liquid level is reached and automatically starts when the liquid level is below the designed liquid level. 2. Vacuum circulation degassing: Under vacuum conditions, the coolant can effectively separate free gas bubbles and dissolved gases, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and other corrosive gases, with high degassing efficiency; 3. The design includes a viewing window, allowing for visual observation of the coolant degassing effect; 4. This solution can be used for both initial liquid filling and maintenance liquid filling of closed-loop liquid cooling systems. It is simple and convenient to operate and can be made into a portable device integrated into the closed-loop liquid cooling system. 5. The solution comes with a liquid injection pump 6. When the closed liquid cooling system needs liquid return, the liquid injection pump 6 can pressurize the closed liquid cooling system. 6. The filling and maintenance operations are simple and convenient, and can effectively prevent coolant spillage; 7. This method can be used for rapid drainage of liquid in closed-loop liquid cooling systems during maintenance.

[0036] In the description of this invention, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. They can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can be mechanical or electrical connections; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this invention. Furthermore, the specific features and structures described in the embodiments are included in at least one implementation method. Those skilled in the art can combine features from different implementation methods without contradiction. The scope of protection of this invention is not limited to the specific implementation methods described above. Based on the basic technical concept of this invention, implementation methods that can be conceived by those skilled in the art without creative effort are all within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooling system liquid injection and degassing device, characterized in that, include: Liquid supply container (1) is used to store coolant; A turnover container (2) has a closed cavity inside, and a suction pipe (3) is connected between the turnover container (2) and the liquid supply container (1). The vacuum pump (4) has an exhaust pipe (5) connected between its suction port and the cavity of the turnover container (2). The vacuum pump (4) is used to create a negative pressure state in the cavity so that the coolant in the liquid supply container (1) enters the cavity through the liquid suction pipe (3). The injection pump (6) has its inlet connected to the cavity of the turnover container (2), and its outlet is connected to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling system (19) via an injection pipeline (7). A return port (8) is provided on the turnover container (2) and communicates with the cavity. A return pipe (9) is connected between the return port (8) and the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling system (19); and A porous filter screen (10) is provided at the return port (8) to allow fine bubbles in the liquid to converge into large bubbles and be discharged through the exhaust pipe (5).

2. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an automatic exhaust valve (11), which is disposed on the exhaust pipe (5) to block liquid in the cavity and allow gas in the cavity to be discharged.

3. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure sensor (12) and a controller. The pressure sensor (12) is installed on the exhaust pipe (5) and is used to detect the pressure of the exhaust pipe (5). The pressure sensor (12) and the vacuum pump (4) are both connected to the controller, which is used to shut down the vacuum pump (4) when the pressure of the exhaust pipe (5) reaches a preset value.

4. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The return pipeline (9) is equipped with a return control valve (13) and an observation window (14) for observing the internal bubble state.

5. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The injection pipeline (7) is equipped with an injection control valve (15).

6. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The turnover container (2) is equipped with a liquid level control valve, which is used to stop drawing coolant into the liquid supply container (1) when the liquid level in the turnover container (2) reaches a set position.

7. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The level control valve is a float valve (16).

8. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction line (3) is equipped with a suction control valve (17).

9. The liquid cooling system liquid injection and degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A drain pipe (18) is provided between the outlet of the injection pump (6) and the liquid supply container (1).

10. A liquid cooling system injection and degassing method, applied in the liquid cooling system injection and degassing device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The liquid injection degassing method includes the following steps: Step A: Connect the pipelines so that the turnover container (2) and the liquid supply container (1) are connected through the liquid suction pipeline (3), the liquid injection pump (6) is connected to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling system (19) through the liquid injection pipeline (7), and the liquid return port (8) is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling system (19) through the liquid return pipeline (9). Step B: Open the suction pipe (3) and the injection pipe (7), and close the return pipe (9); start the vacuum pump (4) to create a negative pressure in the cavity of the transfer container (2), and the coolant is automatically sucked into the transfer container (2) under the action of the negative pressure; Step C: Start the injection pump (6) to inject the coolant in the transfer container (2) into the liquid cooling system (19). Step D: Open the return pipe (9) to establish a liquid circulation between the liquid cooling system (19) and the turnover container (2), so that the liquid in the system flows back to the turnover container (2), and the coolant enters a vacuum circulation degassing state. The fine bubbles in the coolant converge to form large bubbles when flowing through the porous filter screen (10), and then are discharged through the exhaust pipe (5). Step E: Repeat the degassing process until the desired degassing effect is achieved; Step F: Close the return line (9), and close the injection line (7) when the return pressure reaches the design value. The injection is complete. Step G: Remove the pipeline. The cavity of the transfer container (2) is under negative pressure, and some of the coolant remaining in the pipeline is sucked into the cavity.

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