Cooling system with mixing valve

Abstract

A cooling system with a mixing valve is provided. This cooling system may include a primary cooling circuit with a primary cooling fluid, a secondary cooling circuit with a secondary cooling fluid, a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the secondary cooling fluid to the primary cooling fluid, and a controller. The heat exchanger may be a brazed plate heat exchanger arranged to provide a low supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load. The system can increase the supply temperature by injecting hot secondary cooling fluid upstream of the load, for example, by using a bypass valve in the secondary cooling circuit.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 745,657, filed January 15, 2025, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 807,529, filed May 16, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to cooling systems, and more specifically to cascaded cooling systems. Background Technology

[0003] Cooling systems, such as cascaded cooling systems used in data centers and other cooling systems, typically use brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEs) to transfer heat from one cooling loop to another. Generally, BPHEs can only operate effectively within a specific range of conditions to provide the desired supply temperature to the load. If a given fluid supply temperature is too low for a given BPHE, the refrigerant suction pressure may decrease, potentially leading to freezing. If a given fluid supply temperature is too high for a given BPHE, the refrigerant suction pressure may increase, which can also cause serious problems with the compressor. These and other issues often require tailoring the BPHE to each application, which can lead to increased design time and cost, as well as other inefficiencies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The applicant has created novel and useful devices, systems, and methods for cooling systems, such as cascaded cooling systems. In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure can utilize a single-size brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE) to accommodate a wide range of conditions and / or supply temperatures. In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure can utilize a sufficiently large BPHE to provide supply temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit while still being able to provide supply temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (or any temperature in between) by selectively bypassing the BPHE with at least a portion of the secondary cooling fluid and injecting relatively warm secondary cooling fluid upstream of the load.

[0005] In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure may include one or more primary cooling loops in which primary cooling fluid circulates, one or more secondary cooling loops in which secondary cooling fluid circulates, one or more heat exchangers for transferring heat from the secondary cooling fluid to the primary cooling fluid, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be fluidly connected in series (plumb) to the primary cooling loop and / or the secondary cooling loop. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be brazed plate heat exchangers and / or another type of fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid to the load as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid to the load at any temperature from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0006] In at least one embodiment, the primary cooling fluid may be a two-phase fluid, such as a refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the primary cooling circuit may include one or more compressors for circulating the primary cooling fluid through the primary cooling circuit and / or compressing at least a portion of the primary cooling fluid (such as a portion evaporating in a heat exchanger), one or more condensers for condensing at least a portion of the primary cooling fluid and / or dissipating heat to the environment, or any combination thereof.

[0007] In at least one embodiment, the secondary cooling fluid may be a single-phase cooling fluid, such as a water-glycol mixture. In at least one embodiment, the secondary cooling circuit may include one or more prime movers (such as pumps) for circulating the secondary cooling fluid through the secondary cooling circuit, one or more loads for transferring heat to the secondary cooling fluid, one or more bypass valves connected in parallel with the heat exchanger for selectively allowing a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid to bypass the heat exchanger, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the bypass valve may be an electronically controlled valve. In at least one embodiment, a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid may flow from the load through the bypass valve, then through the prime mover, and then through the load. In at least one embodiment, the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid may flow from the load through the heat exchanger, then through the prime mover, and then through the load.

[0008] In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure may include one or more controllers for monitoring various aspects of the system and / or controlling various components of the system, such as bypass valves. In at least one embodiment, the controller may monitor the suction pressure at the compressor, for example, via a pressure transducer and / or other sensors. In at least one embodiment, the controller may use a bypass valve to control the suction pressure at the compressor.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the controller can control the bypass valve based on the suction pressure at the compressor, such as using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback control loop (or any component thereof) and / or a dead zone (e.g., for limiting the movement of the bypass valve). In at least one embodiment, the controller can increase the flow rate through the bypass valve as the suction pressure at the compressor increases and / or increase the flow rate through the bypass valve when the suction pressure at the compressor increases by a predetermined amount. In at least one embodiment, the controller can decrease the flow rate through the bypass valve as the suction pressure at the compressor decreases and / or decrease the flow rate through the bypass valve when the suction pressure at the compressor decreases by a predetermined amount.

[0010] In at least one embodiment, the controller can monitor the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control the supply temperature using a bypass valve. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control the supply temperature at any temperature between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger and / or other components of the system can be sized and / or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the controller can, for example, use a bypass valve to control the supply temperature up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the controller can selectively increase the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load and / or otherwise control the suction pressure at the compressor by selectively drawing hot secondary cooling fluid upstream of the heat exchanger and / or injecting hot secondary cooling fluid between the heat exchanger and the load (e.g., downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the load). Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a primary cooling circuit of a cooling system according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a secondary cooling circuit of a cooling system according to the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a secondary cooling circuit of a cooling system according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The accompanying drawings described above and the written description of specific structures and functions below are not intended to limit the scope of the applicant's invention or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, the drawings and written description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, which is seeking patent protection. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that not all features of a commercial implementation of the invention are described or illustrated for clarity and understanding. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the development of a practical commercial implementation incorporating various aspects of the invention will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goals for the commercial implementation. Such implementation-specific decisions may include, but are not limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related, governmental-related constraints, and other constraints that may vary depending on the specific implementation, location, and time. While the developer's efforts may be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense, such efforts will be a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. It must be understood that the invention disclosed and taught herein is susceptible to many and various modifications and alternatives.

[0015] The use of singular terms such as, but not limited to, “a” is not intended as a limitation on the number of items. Furthermore, the use of relational terms such as, but not limited to, “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “upper,” “lower,” “below,” “above,” “side,” etc., in the written description is for clarity when specifically referring to the accompanying drawings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the appended claims. The terms “comprising” and “e.g.” are illustrative, not restrictive. The terms “coupled,” “coupled,” “coupled,” “coupler,” and similar terms are used extensively herein and may include any method or apparatus for fixing, joining, bonding, fastening, attaching, engaging, inserting therein, forming thereon or therein, communicating one or more components, or otherwise associating one or more components together, for example mechanically, magnetically, electrically, chemically, operatively, directly, or indirectly through intermediate elements, and may also include, but is not limited to, integrally forming one functional component with another functional component in a monolithic manner. Coupling can occur in any direction, including in a rotatable manner. Furthermore, all parts and components of this disclosure that can be physically and inherently implemented include both hypothetical and real characteristics, regardless of whether such characteristics are explicitly described herein. These characteristics include, but are not limited to, characteristics such as axis, ends, inner and outer surfaces, internal space, top, bottom, sides, boundaries, dimensions (e.g., height, length, width, thickness), mass, weight, volume, and density.

[0016] Any process flowcharts discussed herein illustrate the operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which may include one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some implementations, the functions indicated in the boxes may not occur in the order depicted in the figures. For example, boxes shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously. It will also be noted that each box illustrated in the flowchart may be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified function or action.

[0017] The applicant has created novel and useful devices, systems, and methods for cooling systems, such as cascaded cooling systems. In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure can utilize a single-size brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE) to accommodate a wide range of conditions and / or supply temperatures. In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure can utilize a sufficiently large BPHE to provide supply temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit while still being able to provide supply temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (or any temperature in between) by selectively bypassing the BPHE with at least a portion of the secondary cooling fluid and injecting relatively warm secondary cooling fluid upstream of the load.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a primary cooling circuit of a cooling system according to the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a secondary cooling circuit of a cooling system according to the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a secondary cooling circuit of a cooling system according to the present disclosure. Figures 1 to 3 They are described in combination.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, the cooling system 100 according to this disclosure (such as a cascaded cooling system) may include one or more primary cooling loops 110 for circulating primary cooling fluid, one or more secondary cooling loops 120, 220 for circulating secondary cooling fluid, one or more heat exchangers 130 for transferring heat from the secondary cooling fluid to the primary cooling fluid, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger 130 may be fluidly connected in series with the primary cooling loop 110 and / or the secondary cooling loops 120, 220. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger 130 may be a brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE) and / or another type of fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger.

[0020] In at least one implementation, according to a given implementation of this disclosure, heat exchanger 130 may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a minimum expected supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid to one or more loads 140. For example, in at least one embodiment, heat exchanger 130 may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the secondary cooling fluid supplied to load 140. As another example, in at least one embodiment, heat exchanger 130 may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit for the secondary cooling fluid supplied to load 140. In at least one embodiment, heat exchanger 130 and / or one or more other components of system 100 may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid to load 140 at any temperature between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, one or more other components of the heat exchanger 130 and / or system 100 may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load 140 at any temperature between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the primary cooling fluid may be a two-phase fluid, such as a refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the primary cooling circuit 110 may include one or more compressors 112 for circulating the primary cooling fluid through the primary cooling circuit 110 and / or compressing at least a portion of the primary cooling fluid (such as the portion evaporating in the heat exchanger 130), one or more expansion valves 114 for controlling the evaporation of the primary cooling fluid in the heat exchanger 130, one or more condensers 116 for condensing at least a portion of the primary cooling fluid and / or dissipating heat to the environment, or any combination thereof.

[0022] In at least one embodiment, the secondary cooling fluid may be a single-phase cooling fluid, such as water or a water-glycol mixture. In at least one embodiment, the secondary cooling circuits 120, 220 may include one or more prime movers 122 (such as one or more pumps) for circulating the secondary cooling fluid through the secondary cooling circuits 120, 220; one or more loads 140 for transferring heat, such as from computing devices or other information technology (IT) equipment, to the secondary cooling fluid (such as directly to a chip and / or other heat exchanger); and bypass valves (or mixing valves) 124 or any combination thereof connected in parallel with the heat exchanger 130 to selectively allow a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid to bypass the heat exchanger 130.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the bypass valve 124 may be an electronically controlled valve, such as an electrically or pneumatically actuated valve. In at least one embodiment, the bypass valve 124 may be a two-way valve and may be provided, for example, in a bypass line 126, one end of which is connected upstream of the inlet 132 of the heat exchanger 130, and the other end of which is connected downstream of the outlet 134 of the heat exchanger 130 (see, for example...). Figure 2 In at least one embodiment, the bypass valve 124 may be a three-way valve and may be positioned, for example, upstream of the inlet 132 of the heat exchanger 130, wherein one end of the bypass line 126 is coupled to the outlet of the bypass valve 124 and the other end is connected downstream of the outlet 134 of the heat exchanger 130 (see, for example...). Figure 3 ).

[0024] In at least one embodiment, a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid may flow sequentially from load 140 through bypass valve 124, then through prime mover 122, and then back to load 140. In at least one embodiment, a remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid may flow sequentially from load 140 through heat exchanger 130, then through prime mover 122, and then back to load 140. In at least one embodiment, the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid may be cooled in heat exchanger 130, for example, to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (or another applicable temperature), while the bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid may retain heat from load 140. In at least one embodiment, the bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid that can be kept hot by bypassing heat exchanger 130 may be combined with the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid that can be cooled in heat exchanger 130 to provide a supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid supplied to load 140 at any temperature from 40 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 or 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, the cascaded cooling system 100 according to this disclosure may include one or more controllers 150 for monitoring one or more aspects of the system 100 and / or controlling one or more components of the system 100. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may monitor one or more pressures, one or more temperatures, one or more flow rates, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may monitor one or more sensors, such as one or more pressure transducers or other pressure sensors, one or more temperature thermistors or other temperature sensors, one or more flow meters or other flow rate sensors, or any combination thereof.

[0026] In at least one embodiment, controller 150 may control one or more pressures, one or more temperatures, one or more flow rates, or any combination thereof, such as by controlling compressor 112, expansion valve 114, prime mover 122, bypass valve 124, other valves or components of system 100, or other valves or components associated with system 100, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, controller 150 may monitor the suction pressure at one or more compressors 112, for example, via one or more pressure sensors 152. In at least one embodiment, controller 150 may use bypass valve 124 to control the suction pressure at compressor 112, for example, by controlling the position of bypass valve 124.

[0027] In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may control the bypass valve 124 based on the suction pressure at the compressor 112, such as using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback control loop (or any component thereof) and / or dead zone (such as to limit the movement of the bypass valve 124). In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may increase the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 as the suction pressure at the compressor 112 increases and / or increase the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 when the suction pressure at the compressor 112 increases by a predetermined amount. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may decrease the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 as the suction pressure at the compressor 112 decreases and / or decrease the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 when the suction pressure at the compressor 112 decreases by a predetermined amount. Such a predetermined amount may be any amount required or desired according to a given implementation of this disclosure.

[0028] In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 can control the supply temperature by controlling the ratio of the bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid to the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid. In at least one embodiment, increasing the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 can increase the supply temperature by increasing the bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid bypassing the heat exchanger 130 and / or reducing the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid cooled in the heat exchanger 130. In at least one embodiment, decreasing the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 can decrease the supply temperature by reducing the bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid bypassing the heat exchanger 130 and / or increasing the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid cooled in the heat exchanger 130.

[0029] In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 can increase the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 by further opening the bypass valve 124 and / or increasing the speed of the prime mover 122. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 can reduce the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 by further closing or limiting the flow rate through the bypass valve 124 and / or reducing the speed of the prime mover 122. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 can monitor the flow rate of the secondary cooling fluid, for example, via a flow meter 158 located downstream of the prime mover 122. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 can prevent over-operation of the bypass valve 124 or limit its actuation / movement by opening and / or closing the bypass valve 124 when the suction pressure changes by a predetermined amount (which may be the same or different), or by utilizing another dead-zone control scheme.

[0030] In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may monitor, for example, the supply pressure of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load 140 and / or the return pressure of the secondary cooling fluid leaving the load 140 via one or more pressure sensors 154. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may monitor, for example, the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load 140 and / or the return temperature of the secondary cooling fluid leaving the load 140 via one or more temperature sensors 156. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may use a bypass valve 124 to control the supply temperature. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may control or maintain the supply temperature at any temperature between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the controller 150 may control or maintain the supply temperature at any temperature between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0031] In at least one embodiment, heat exchanger 130 and / or one or more other components of system 100 may be sized and / or otherwise arranged to provide a low supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid supplied to load 140, for example, as low as 40 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and controller 150 may control the supply temperature, such as by using bypass valve 124 and / or otherwise mixing hot secondary cooling fluid bypassing heat exchanger 130 with cold secondary cooling fluid cooled in heat exchanger 130, to obtain a hotter supply temperature of up to 115 or 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, controller 150 may selectively increase the supply temperature of secondary cooling fluid supplied to load 140 and / or may otherwise control the suction pressure at compressor 112 by selectively drawing hot secondary cooling fluid upstream of heat exchanger 130 and / or injecting hot secondary cooling fluid between heat exchanger 130 and load 140 (such as downstream of heat exchanger 130 and upstream of load 140).

[0032] As will be understood by those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure, any or all of the cooling circuits or loops of a cooling system according to this disclosure may include any of a variety of components (in any number) for supporting fluid flow and / or cooling operation according to a given implementation of this disclosure, such as, but not limited to, pipes and / or other fluid conduits, fittings, filter dryers, sight glasses, service valves, check valves, fluid fill connections, fluid drain connections, hose faucets, shut-off valves, expansion tanks, control valves, on / off valves, filters, other cooling system components, or any combination thereof.

[0033] As those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will understand, one or more aspects of this disclosure may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Therefore, aspects of this disclosure may take the form of a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an implementation combining software and hardware aspects, which herein may generally be referred to in their entirety as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of this disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media on which computer-readable program code is embodied. Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0034] Program code included on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any applicable medium or one or more, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, radio frequency (RF), or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer program code used to perform operations of various aspects of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer as a standalone software package, and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer, for example, via the Internet through an Internet service provider or via short-range wireless interconnection such as Bluetooth.

[0035] Various aspects of this disclosure can be described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (devices and systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. Each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to generate a machine, such that instructions executed via one or more processors create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagram blocks or blocks. The computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other apparatus to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium generate an article of writing including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagram blocks or blocks. The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other apparatus to trigger a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other apparatus to generate a computer-implemented process, such that instructions executing on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagram blocks or blocks. Each box in a flowchart and / or block diagram can be broken down into multiple boxes and / or combined with other boxes to form a single box.

[0036] In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure may include one or more primary cooling loops having a primary cooling fluid circulating therein, one or more secondary cooling loops having a secondary cooling fluid circulating therein, one or more heat exchangers for transferring heat from the secondary cooling fluid to the primary cooling fluid, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be fluidly connected in series with the primary cooling loops and / or the secondary cooling loops. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be brazed plate heat exchangers and / or another type of fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchangers may be sized or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load at any temperature from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0037] In at least one embodiment, the primary cooling fluid may be a two-phase fluid, such as a refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the primary cooling circuit may include one or more compressors for circulating the primary cooling fluid through the primary cooling circuit and / or compressing at least a portion of the primary cooling fluid (such as a portion evaporating in a heat exchanger), one or more condensers for condensing at least a portion of the primary cooling fluid and / or dissipating heat to the environment, or any combination thereof.

[0038] In at least one embodiment, the secondary cooling fluid may be a single-phase cooling fluid, such as a water-glycol mixture. In at least one embodiment, the secondary cooling circuit may include one or more prime movers (such as pumps) for circulating the secondary cooling fluid through the secondary cooling circuit, one or more loads for transferring heat to the secondary cooling fluid, one or more bypass valves connected in parallel with the heat exchanger for selectively allowing a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid to bypass the heat exchanger, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the bypass valve may be an electronically controlled valve. In at least one embodiment, a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid may flow from the load through the bypass valve, then through the prime mover, and then through the load. In at least one embodiment, the remaining portion of the secondary cooling fluid may flow from the load through the heat exchanger, then through the prime mover, and then through the load.

[0039] In at least one embodiment, the cooling system according to this disclosure may include one or more controllers for monitoring various aspects of the system and / or controlling various components of the system, such as bypass valves. In at least one embodiment, the controller may monitor the suction pressure at the compressor, for example, via a pressure transducer and / or other sensors. In at least one embodiment, the controller may use a bypass valve to control the suction pressure at the compressor.

[0040] In at least one embodiment, the controller can control the bypass valve based on the suction pressure at the compressor, such as using a proportional-integral-derivative feedback control loop (or any component thereof) and / or a dead zone (e.g., to limit the movement of the bypass valve). In at least one embodiment, the controller can increase the flow rate through the bypass valve as the suction pressure at the compressor increases and / or increase the flow rate through the bypass valve when the suction pressure at the compressor increases by a predetermined amount. In at least one embodiment, the controller can decrease the flow rate through the bypass valve as the suction pressure at the compressor decreases and / or decrease the flow rate through the bypass valve when the suction pressure at the compressor decreases by a predetermined amount.

[0041] In at least one embodiment, the controller can monitor the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control the supply temperature using a bypass valve. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control the supply temperature at any temperature between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger and / or other components of the system can be sized and / or otherwise arranged to provide a supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the controller can, for example, use a bypass valve to control the supply temperature up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment, the controller can selectively increase the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load and / or otherwise control the suction pressure at the compressor by selectively drawing hot secondary cooling fluid upstream of the heat exchanger and / or injecting hot secondary cooling fluid between the heat exchanger and the load (e.g., downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the load).

[0042] Without departing from the spirit of the applicant's disclosure, other and additional implementations utilizing one or more aspects of this disclosure are conceivable. For example, apparatus, systems, and methods can be implemented for many different types and sizes across many different industries. Furthermore, various methods and apparatus, systems, and methods can be combined with each other to produce variations of the disclosed methods and implementations. Discussion of singular elements can include plural elements, and vice versa. Unless otherwise specifically limited, the order of steps can occur in various sequences. The individual steps described herein can be combined with other steps, interspersed with stated steps, and / or broken down into multiple steps. Similarly, elements have been functionally described and can be implemented as individual components or combined into components with multiple functions.

[0043] The invention has been described in the context of preferred and other embodiments, and not in every embodiment of the invention. Obvious modifications and variations of the described embodiments will be useful to those skilled in the art who will benefit from this disclosure. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments are not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the invention as envisioned by the applicant, but rather, in accordance with patent law, the applicant intends to fully protect all such modifications and improvements that fall within the scope or range of equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling system, comprising: A primary cooling circuit having a compressor configured to compress a primary cooling fluid; A heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from a secondary cooling fluid to the primary cooling fluid; as well as The secondary cooling circuit has the following characteristics: Prime mover, the prime mover being configured to circulate the secondary cooling fluid through the load; and A bypass valve is connected in parallel with the heat exchanger and configured to selectively allow a bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid to bypass the heat exchanger.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The bypass valve is an electronically controlled valve; and the cooling system also includes a controller configured to control the bypass valve.

3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is also configured to monitor the suction pressure at the compressor.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is also configured to use the bypass valve to control the suction pressure at the compressor.

5. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is also configured to control the bypass valve based on the suction pressure at the compressor.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is also configured to increase the flow rate through the bypass valve as the suction pressure at the compressor increases.

7. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is also configured to increase the flow rate through the bypass valve when the suction pressure at the compressor increases by a predetermined amount.

8. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is also configured to reduce the flow through the bypass valve as the suction pressure at the compressor decreases.

9. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is also configured to reduce the flow through the bypass valve when the suction pressure at the compressor decreases by a predetermined amount.

10. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is also configured to use a proportional-integral-derivative feedback control loop to control the bypass valve based on the suction pressure at the compressor.

11. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is also configured to control the bypass valve using a dead zone that limits the movement of the bypass valve based on the suction pressure at the compressor.

12. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The bypass portion of the secondary cooling fluid is routed from the load through the bypass valve, then through the prime mover, and then back through the load.

13. The cooling system according to claim 12, wherein, The remainder of the secondary cooling fluid is routed from the load through the heat exchanger, then through the prime mover, and then back through the load.

14. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein, The cooling system is also configured to control the suction pressure at the compressor by selectively drawing heat from a secondary cooling fluid upstream of the heat exchanger and injecting that heated secondary cooling fluid downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the load.

15. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein, The cooling system is also configured to selectively increase the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load by selectively drawing heat from the secondary cooling fluid upstream of the heat exchanger and injecting the heated secondary cooling fluid downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the load.

16. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is also configured to monitor the supply temperature of the secondary cooling fluid supplied to the load.

17. The cooling system according to claim 16, wherein, The controller is also configured to use the bypass valve to control the supply temperature.

18. The cooling system according to claim 17, wherein, The controller is also configured to control the supply temperature at any temperature between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

19. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The primary cooling fluid is a two-phase fluid, and the secondary cooling fluid is a single-phase cooling fluid.

20. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The secondary cooling fluid is a water-ethylene glycol mixture.

Images