Semiconductor refrigeration water chiller with improved flow regulation range

CN122920682APending Publication Date: 2026-10-16ZHEJIANG ADVANCED THERMOELECTRIC TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202610758781.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2026-05-29
Publication Date
2026-10-16

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0004]本发明提出一种可实现提升流量调节范围的半导体制冷冷水机,旨在解决现有技术中半导体制冷冷水机因水冷板内部细长流道导致流阻大、压力损失显著、工作流量范围受限的技术问题,通过增加与换热器并联的大直径旁路管路及配套控制组件,在保证控温精度的前提下显著扩展冷水机水泵流量的可调区间,提高设备在不同工况下的适应能力和应用广度

Benefits of technology

(1)通过增加与换热器并联的大直径旁路管路,使大部分流量可经由低流阻管路直接通过,突破了传统细长水冷板流道对总流量的限制,显著扩展了冷水机的流量调节范围;

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application discloses a semiconductor refrigeration water chiller capable of improving a flow regulation range, relates to the technical field of industrial refrigeration, and aims to solve the technical problem of the semiconductor refrigeration water chiller in the prior art, that is, the flow resistance is large, the pressure loss is significant, and the working flow range is limited due to the internal slender flow channel of the water cooling plate. By increasing the large-diameter bypass pipeline connected in parallel with the heat exchanger, the adjustable interval of the water pump flow of the water chiller is significantly expanded under the premise of ensuring the temperature control precision. In the application, the third regulating valve and the third flow sensor are arranged to regulate and monitor the flow through the large-diameter bypass pipeline, and the low-temperature liquid cooled by the heat exchanger is uniformly mixed with the liquid flowing through the large-diameter bypass pipeline through the flow guide pipe, so that the adaptability and application range of the equipment under different working conditions are improved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial refrigeration technology, and more specifically to a semiconductor chiller that can improve the flow rate adjustment range. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of AI and data processing technologies, industrial refrigeration is continuously evolving towards higher flow rates and greater precision. Semiconductor chillers, as core equipment in industrial refrigeration, are finding increasingly wider applications. However, in traditional semiconductor chillers, liquid channels must be installed inside the water-cooled plates used for heat exchange. To ensure sufficient heat exchange, these channels must have adequate liquid contact area, and are therefore typically designed as slender structures. Increasing the pipe diameter to improve flow capacity limits the length of pipes that can be installed within the water-cooled plates, thus weakening the heat exchange effect. The slender channels also result in greater flow resistance, leading to significant pressure losses as the liquid passes through, which intensify with increasing flow rate. This inherent characteristic makes it difficult for traditional structures to achieve high flow rates, thus limiting the operating flow range of the equipment and hindering its ability to cover high-flow conditions, thereby restricting the wide applicability of chillers.

[0003] For example, Chinese patent CN113623924B discloses a semiconductor chiller with a backup control system. The chiller includes a body containing a refrigeration unit, a water tank, a water pump, a switching power supply, a power control board, and a temperature sensor. The refrigeration unit, water pump, and water tank form a circulating water circuit via water pipes. The power control board integrates a backup control system. The refrigeration unit includes, from top to bottom, a first fan shroud, a first radiator, a first semiconductor cooling chip assembly, a heat exchange plate, a second semiconductor cooling chip assembly, a second radiator, and a second fan shroud. This patent utilizes the Pel... The Tier effect achieves both cooling and heating, and a backup control system maintains chiller operation in case of temperature sensor failure, improving equipment reliability. However, Chinese patent CN113623924B has the following problems: its heat exchange plate internal flow channel still uses a traditional slender structure, resulting in high flow resistance and significant pressure loss when liquid passes through. This loss intensifies with increasing flow rate. The total system flow rate is limited by the flow capacity of the heat exchanger's internal flow channel, making it difficult to achieve high flow rate designs. This limits the equipment's operating flow rate range and its ability to cover high flow rate conditions, thus restricting the chiller's application scope. Therefore, developing a semiconductor refrigeration chiller structure that can significantly improve the flow rate adjustment range while ensuring temperature control accuracy is of significant practical importance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention proposes a semiconductor chiller that can improve the flow rate adjustment range, aiming to solve the technical problems of existing semiconductor chillers, such as high flow resistance, significant pressure loss, and limited operating flow rate range due to the narrow flow channels inside the water-cooled plate. By adding a large-diameter bypass pipeline connected in parallel with the heat exchanger and supporting control components, the adjustable range of the chiller's water pump flow rate is significantly expanded while ensuring temperature control accuracy, thereby improving the equipment's adaptability and application breadth under different operating conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A semiconductor chiller with improved flow regulation range includes a water tank, a water pump, a heat exchanger, and a temperature sensor connected sequentially via pipelines to form a circulating water circuit. The heat exchanger comprises a water-cooled plate, a semiconductor cooling chip, and a radiator. A large-diameter bypass pipeline is connected in parallel with the heat exchanger, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the internal flow channel of the water-cooled plate. A third regulating valve and a third flow sensor are installed on the large-diameter bypass pipeline to regulate and monitor the flow rate through it. A guide pipe is installed between the outlet of the heat exchanger and the temperature sensor to allow the low-temperature liquid cooled by the heat exchanger to mix rapidly and uniformly with the liquid flowing through the large-diameter bypass pipeline, thereby reducing turbulence.

[0006] Preferably, the circulating liquid is pumped out of the water tank by the water pump and then split into two paths. One path enters the heat exchanger for heat exchange, and the other path flows directly through the large-diameter bypass pipe. The two paths of liquid merge at the outlet of the heat exchanger and then enter the pipeline where the temperature sensor is located through the guide pipe.

[0007] Preferably, it includes a first regulating valve and a first flow sensor disposed at the inlet end of the user equipment to regulate and monitor the flow rate of cooling water to the user equipment.

[0008] Preferably, the system includes a self-circulating bypass pipeline between the water tank and the user device, and a second regulating valve on the self-circulating bypass pipeline. When the flow rate required by the user device is lower than the minimum allowable operating flow rate of the heat exchanger, the second regulating valve allows a portion of the circulating liquid to bypass the user device for self-circulation, thereby ensuring that the flow rate of the heat exchanger is not lower than its minimum operating range.

[0009] Preferably, it includes a second flow sensor that monitors the total flow rate of the chiller.

[0010] Preferably, the measured values ​​of the second flow sensor, the first flow sensor, and the third flow sensor satisfy the following condition: the measured value of the second flow sensor minus the measured value of the first flow sensor minus the measured value of the third flow sensor equals the flow rate through the large-diameter bypass pipeline.

[0011] Preferably, the diameter of the large-diameter bypass pipe is 5 to 3 times the diameter of the internal flow channel of the water-cooled plate.

[0012] Preferably, the third regulating valve is an electrically controlled proportional regulating valve that automatically adjusts its opening according to the flow requirements of the user device to distribute the flow ratio through the heat exchanger and the large-diameter bypass pipeline.

[0013] Preferably, the guide tube is a tubular component with internal spiral guide vanes or a honeycomb mixing structure; the temperature sensor is located at the outlet end of the guide tube to monitor the temperature of the circulating liquid after mixing in real time.

[0014] Preferably, the liquid flow channel inside the water-cooled plate has a slender serpentine structure to ensure sufficient liquid contact area and heat exchange effect.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) By adding a large-diameter bypass pipe connected in parallel with the heat exchanger, most of the flow can pass directly through the low flow resistance pipe, breaking through the limitation of the total flow on the traditional slender water-cooled plate flow channel, and significantly expanding the flow regulation range of the chiller. (2) Through the dual-valve coordinated control strategy of the first regulating valve and the third regulating valve, the heat exchanger working flow and the user end supply flow are finely allocated, ensuring that the heat exchanger operates stably in the full range of operating conditions. (3) A multi-node monitoring system consisting of multiple flow sensors was constructed, and a flow balance equation was established, providing complete data support for precise control; (4) A dedicated guide pipe is set at the junction of cold and hot liquids to enable the low-temperature liquid and the bypass liquid to mix quickly and evenly and suppress turbulence, thus ensuring the measurement accuracy and temperature control stability of the temperature sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a traditional chiller circulation system.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a flow channel diagram for a water-cooled plate.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the cyclic system of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a structural flow-pressure curve diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Reference numerals: 1. Water tank; 2. Liquid level sensor; 3. Water pump; 4. Heat exchanger; 5. First regulating valve; 6. Temperature sensor; 7. First flow sensor; 8. Second flow sensor; 9. Second regulating valve; 10. User device; 11. Third regulating valve; 12. Third flow sensor; 13. Guide pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Example 1

[0022] This embodiment proposes a semiconductor chiller that can improve the flow rate adjustment range. Its core lies in constructing a low flow resistance bypass in parallel with the heat exchanger, and combining multi-point flow monitoring and a dual-valve graded control mechanism. Under the premise of ensuring temperature control accuracy, it significantly expands the upper limit of the output flow rate and the range of stable adjustment.

[0023] The structure and connection relationships of the chiller system are described in detail below.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, the chiller system mainly includes: water tank 1, liquid level sensor 2, water pump 3, heat exchanger 4, first regulating valve 5, temperature sensor 6, first flow sensor 7, second flow sensor 8, second regulating valve 9, user device 10, third regulating valve 11, third flow sensor 12, and guide pipe 13.

[0025] The water tank 1 serves as a storage container for the circulating liquid and is equipped with a liquid level sensor 2 to monitor the liquid level in real time, preventing the water pump 3 from operating when there is insufficient liquid. The inlet of the water pump 3 is connected to the bottom outlet of the water tank 1 via a pipeline, and the outlet of the water pump 3 is divided into two parallel fluid paths via a T-fitting: the first path is the main heat exchange branch, and the second path is a parallel bypass branch.

[0026] In the first passage, i.e., the main heat exchange branch, the pipeline first connects to the inlet of the third flow sensor 12. The outlet of the third flow sensor 12 is connected to the inlet of the water-cooled plate of the heat exchanger 4. The heat exchanger 4 consists of a water-cooled plate, a thermoelectric cooler tightly attached to the surface of the water-cooled plate, and a radiator attached to the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler. The cold side of the thermoelectric cooler absorbs heat from the circulating liquid in the water-cooled plate, cooling the liquid, while the heat generated by the hot side is dissipated to the environment through the radiator. The internal flow channels of the water-cooled plate are slender, serpentine, or coiled structures to maximize the heat exchange contact area within a limited space, thus its flow resistance is relatively large. After the circulating liquid completes heat exchange within the heat exchanger 4, it flows out from the outlet of its water-cooled plate and is then connected to one inlet end of the guide pipe 13 through a pipeline.

[0027] In the second passage, i.e., the parallel large-diameter bypass pipeline, the pipeline leads out from the tee fitting and connects to the inlet of the third regulating valve 11. The outlet of the third regulating valve 11 is connected to the other inlet of the guide pipe 13 through a pipeline with a diameter significantly larger than that of the main heat exchange branch. The increased diameter of this pipeline is designed to minimize flow resistance, allowing the liquid to pass directly with extremely low pressure loss, thereby diverting most of the flow and increasing the total system flow.

[0028] The guide pipe 13 is a specially designed three-way confluence and rectification component with two inlets and one outlet. The two inlets receive cryogenic liquid from the main heat exchange branch and ambient temperature liquid from the parallel bypass branch, respectively. The guide pipe 13 has a special internal flow channel structure, such as spiral guide vanes or multi-layer perforated plates, which enables rapid and uniform mixing of two liquids with different temperatures and flow rates within a very short distance, effectively eliminating turbulence and eddies caused by confluence. The outlet end of the guide pipe 13 is connected to the temperature sensor 6 via a pipeline. This pipeline then connects to the inlet end of the first regulating valve 5. The outlet end of the first regulating valve 5 is directly connected to the coolant inlet of the user device 10, providing precisely temperature-controlled coolant to the user device 10. The outlet end of the user device is connected to the first flow sensor 7.

[0029] The coolant in user device 10 flows through the outlet of the first flow sensor 7 and is connected to the return water supply to the water tank 1 via a pipeline, forming a closed-loop circulation circuit. The second flow sensor 8 can be installed in the return water pipeline. Furthermore, a bypass circuit controlled by the second regulating valve 9 is connected in parallel between the inlet and outlet of user device 10. The inlet of this circuit is connected to the pipeline between the outlet of the large-diameter bypass pipeline where the third regulating valve 11 is located and the inlet of the guide pipe 13, while the outlet is connected to the return water pipeline between the outlet of the first flow sensor 7 (connected to the outlet of user device 10) and the water tank 1. The function of the second regulating valve 9 is to regulate the proportion of coolant flowing from the first regulating valve 5 that returns directly to the water tank 1 without flowing through user device 10. This ensures that even when the flow demand of user device 10 is extremely low, the entire circulation circuit, especially the heat exchanger 4 branch, still has sufficient flow.

[0030] The control center of the entire system is a microprocessor controller (not shown in the figure). This controller is electrically connected to the level sensor 2, water pump 3, semiconductor cooling chip, first regulating valve 5, temperature sensor 6, first flow sensor 7, second flow sensor 8, second regulating valve 9, third regulating valve 11 and third flow sensor 12. It is used to receive sensor data and execute preset control logic.

[0031] The working process of the semiconductor refrigeration chiller implementation method described in this embodiment is explained in detail below.

[0032] First, the system startup and initial self-test phase.

[0033] After the equipment is powered on, the control system first executes a self-test procedure. The controller reads the value of the liquid level sensor 2 to determine whether the circulating liquid capacity in the water tank 1 meets the minimum operating requirements. If the liquid level is lower than the set threshold, the system will not start the water pump 3 and will issue an alarm through the human-machine interface to prompt the operator to add liquid, thereby preventing the water pump 3 from running dry and being damaged.

[0034] If the liquid level is normal, the system enters standby mode. Operators can set parameters such as the target operating temperature and the target flow rate required by user device 10 through the control system according to actual cooling needs. Upon receiving the "start work" command, the control system starts water pump 3. In the initial stage, the controller sets the initial opening of the third regulating valve 11 to a large value, such as 80%, and completely closes the second regulating valve 9 while fully opening the first regulating valve 5. This is to establish a large initial total circulation flow rate to quickly vent gas from the pipeline and stabilize the liquid circulation within the system. Simultaneously, the thermoelectric cooler starts working, initiating the cooling process.

[0035] Second, high-flow-rate control during normal operation.

[0036] When user device 10 requires a large coolant flow rate, such as in high-heat-load scenarios like lasers and high-power servers, traditional chillers often cannot meet the flow rate requirements due to the significant flow resistance caused by the long and narrow flow channels inside the heat exchanger 4. This embodiment achieves a large flow rate supply in the following way: Driven by pump 3, the circulating liquid is pumped from tank 1 and splits into two streams at the outlet tee. One stream enters the main heat exchange branch, flowing through the third flow sensor 12 and the heat exchanger. The controller determines the actual flow rate through heat exchanger 4 based on the signal from the third flow sensor 12. To ensure effective heat exchange and adequate cooling of the circulating liquid, the flow rate through heat exchanger 4 must be maintained within a reasonable range to guarantee heat exchange efficiency, typically within the rated flow rate range of heat exchanger 4. This flow rate control is achieved by adjusting the opening of the third regulating valve 11. This is a precise control process: if the controller detects that the value of the second flow sensor 8 is higher than the optimal efficiency flow rate of heat exchanger 4, it will increase the opening of the third regulating valve 11, allowing more liquid to bypass the flow and thus reducing the flow rate through heat exchanger 4; conversely, if the value of the second flow sensor 8 is too low, it will appropriately close the third regulating valve 11, increasing the flow rate in the heat exchange branch. Through this closed-loop regulation, regardless of the total flow rate requirement, the amount of liquid participating in heat exchange can always be kept within the optimal range, and the heat can be efficiently removed.

[0037] The other liquid path passes through the parallel bypass branch where the third regulating valve 11 is located at a larger opening. Due to the large diameter of this pipeline and extremely low flow resistance, the liquid can flow smoothly with low pressure loss. This liquid does not pass through the heat exchanger 4 for cooling, and its temperature is basically the same as the liquid temperature in the water tank 1.

[0038] Subsequently, the cryogenic liquid from heat exchanger 4 and the high-flow-rate ambient-temperature liquid from the parallel large-diameter bypass merge in the guide pipe 13. The guide pipe 13 plays a crucial role here: without the guide pipe 13, when the two liquids with huge differences in flow velocity and temperature merge in the simple tee, severe turbulence and temperature stratification will occur. This will directly lead to uneven distribution of liquid temperature downstream of temperature sensor 6 in time and space. Temperature sensor 6 will measure a drastically fluctuating and extremely unstable temperature value, making it impossible for the control system to accurately know the true temperature of the mixed liquid supplied to user device 10, thus seriously compromising the temperature control accuracy.

[0039] The guide pipe 13, through its internal guiding structure, for example, forces the two liquid streams to form a forced rotating shear flow in the confluence chamber, or divides them into multiple fine streams that then interweave and contact each other through multiple layers of cross-flow plates. This achieves efficient exchange of mass and energy over a very short distance, ultimately forming a single liquid stream with a uniform temperature at the outlet and suppressing the generation of turbulence. The temperature of this uniformly mixed liquid can be estimated based on the principle of thermal balance. The uniformly mixed liquid then flows through the temperature sensor 6, which measures a smooth and stable temperature value and transmits this precise data to the controller.

[0040] After receiving the accurate temperature of the mixed liquid, the controller compares it with the target temperature set by the user. If the temperature of the uniformly mixed liquid is higher than the target temperature, it indicates insufficient cooling capacity. The controller will then adjust the current or voltage applied to the thermoelectric cooler to increase its cooling power, thereby reducing the temperature of the liquid stream and ultimately lowering the temperature of the uniformly mixed liquid to the target value. Conversely, it will reduce the cooling power. This closed-loop temperature control forms the basis of the system's constant-temperature liquid supply.

[0041] Ultimately, the precisely temperature-controlled and high-flow-rate coolant flows through the fully open first regulating valve 5 and is delivered to the user unit 10, meeting its high-flow-rate and high-precision cooling requirements, before flowing through the first flow sensor 7. During this process, the first flow sensor 7 monitors the flow rate supplied to the user unit 10, the second flow sensor 8 monitors the total flow rate of the chiller, and the third flow sensor 12 monitors the flow rate of the main heat exchange branch. These three parameters satisfy the following mathematical relationship: the sum of the reading of the first flow sensor 7 and the flow rate flowing through the second regulating valve 9 (currently zero) equals the reading of the second flow sensor 8, which equals the sum of the reading of the third flow sensor 12 and the flow rate flowing through the third regulating valve 11. The controller can use this relationship to perform cross-validation of sensor readings, or, when a sensor fails, indirectly calculate the estimated value of the failed sensor based on the readings of other sensors using this balance equation, achieving a certain degree of fault-tolerant control.

[0042] Third, a tiered control strategy for low-flow operating conditions.

[0043] When the demand flow of user device 10 decreases significantly and enters a low flow condition, the system's control logic will switch to another mode to protect heat exchanger 4 and maintain temperature stability.

[0044] First, the controller continuously closes the first regulating valve 5 to limit the flow to the user device 10, causing the reading of the first flow sensor 7 to decrease. Simultaneously, from the perspective of the entire circulation loop, the total flow resistance increases dramatically, the operating point of the water pump 3 shifts, and the total circulation flow tends to decrease. At this point, if only the first regulating valve 5 is closed, the flow through the second flow sensor 8 and its heat exchange branch will also passively decrease. When the reading of the second flow sensor 8 is about to fall below the minimum flow threshold allowed by the heat exchanger 4 (i.e., the minimum flow required to ensure the liquid fills the flow channel and achieves effective laminar heat exchange without generating local hot spots), the protection mechanism is activated. The controller will then stop closing the first regulating valve 5 and instead execute the second-stage flow regulation.

[0045] The controller opens and gradually adjusts the opening of the second regulating valve 9, constructing an internal circulation bypass that returns directly from the outlet of the first regulating valve 5 back to the water tank 1. At this time, a portion of the total circulating flow pumped by the water pump 3 still flows through the first regulating valve 5 into the user unit 10 to meet its low flow requirements; the excess flow returns directly to the water tank 1 through the second regulating valve 9. In this way, the flow resistance of the total circulation pipeline (referring to the main circuit from the outlet of the water pump 3 to the return port of the second regulating valve 9) is kept at a low level, ensuring that the water pump 3 can maintain a sufficiently large total circulating flow. After being diverted by a three-way valve, this total circulating flow ensures that the value of the second flow sensor 8 flowing through the heat exchanger 4 is always maintained above the minimum allowable flow rate. At this time, the third regulating valve 11 on the parallel bypass can be completely closed, because even without the bypass diversion, the internal circulation constructed solely by the second regulating valve 9 can solve the risk of flow interruption faced by the heat exchanger 4 under low flow requirements. This is the core manifestation of the "dual regulating valve graded flow control mechanism" under low flow conditions.

[0046] The entire process achieves stepless smooth adjustment from full flow to extremely low flow. Whether in scenarios with high flow relying on parallel bypass diversion or low flow relying on internal circulation return, the flow of the heat exchanger branch 4 is always locked within a safe and efficient range and operates independently, completely decoupling the flow requirements of user unit 10 from the minimum flow limit of heat exchanger 4.

[0047] Fourth, shutdown conditions.

[0048] Upon receiving a shutdown command, the control system first gradually reduces the power of the thermoelectric cooler to zero. Simultaneously, it fully opens the first regulating valve 5 and the third regulating valve 11, and fully closes the second regulating valve 9, allowing the system to circulate at maximum flow for several minutes. This ensures a uniform liquid temperature in the pipes and tank, removes residual cooling / heat from the heat exchanger 4 and radiator, and prevents localized condensation or overheating. Subsequently, the water pump 3 stops operating, and the system enters standby mode.

[0049] As can be seen from the detailed description of the working process above, this embodiment, by adding a parallel large-diameter bypass composed of the third regulating valve 11 and creatively introducing a guide pipe 13 and an internal circulation loop based on the second regulating valve 9, effectively reduces the total pressure loss of the circulation system without modifying the slender, high-flow-resistance water-cooled plate flow channel inside the heat exchanger 4. (Appendix) Figure 4 The differences between this solution and the traditional solution in terms of flow-pressure curves are shown.

[0050] The blue dotted line represents the characteristic curve of the selected centrifugal water pump, showing the change in outlet pressure at different flow rates. As the flow rate increases, the pump head gradually decreases from 0.39 MPa, exhibiting a typical decreasing characteristic. The red dashed line represents the system pressure loss curve of a typical semiconductor chiller in the prior art. Because the coolant must flow entirely through the narrow, serpentine flow channel inside heat exchanger 4, the flow resistance is extremely high. At a flow rate of 10 L / min, the system pressure loss reaches 0.095 MPa; when the flow rate reaches 20 L / min, although the pressure loss decreases, it is already close to the limit of the pump characteristic curve, and the maximum stable operating flow rate of the system is limited to about 19.5 L / min, resulting in a narrow flow rate adjustment range. The green solid line represents the system pressure loss curve of the structure proposed in this invention. Because this invention adopts a large-diameter, low-resistance bypass design, only a portion of the flow rate that meets the heat exchange requirements (usually controlled at 6~12 L / min) enters heat exchanger 4, while the majority of the flow rate is diverted through a bypass with extremely low flow resistance. Therefore, at the same flow rate, the total system pressure loss of the structure proposed in this invention is significantly lower than that of the traditional structure. For example, at a flow rate of 15 L / min, the pressure loss of the conventional structure is approximately 0.065 MPa, while the pressure loss of the structure of this invention is only 0.018 MPa, a reduction of approximately 72%. At a flow rate of 20 L / min, the structure of this invention can still control the system pressure loss below 0.012 MPa. Figure 4 The intersection of the two resistance curves and the pump characteristic curve clearly shows that the intersection point of the traditional structure corresponds to a flow rate of approximately 19.5 L / min, while the intersection point of the structure of this invention has shifted significantly to the right. According to actual test data, the maximum flow rate that this invention can stably operate at can easily reach 78 L / min, which is about 4 times that of the traditional structure, and the flow rate adjustment range is improved by more than 220%.

[0051] Further analysis Figure 4 As can be seen, this invention achieves a significant increase in flow rate while ensuring that the effective heat exchange flow rate entering the heat exchanger 4 remains within the optimal range. The second flow sensor 8 monitors the heat exchanger inlet flow rate in real time, and the controller 16 automatically adjusts the opening of the first regulating valve 9 and the third regulating valve 11 according to the set temperature, precisely controlling the heat exchange flow rate within the range of 8.5 ± 0.5 L / min. This ensures heat exchange efficiency while avoiding high pressure drop, vibration, and noise problems caused by the entire large flow rate passing through the water-cooled plate.

[0052] In this embodiment, the design of the guide pipe 13 is also crucial. Its inner diameter is 2.8 times that of the outlet pipe of a traditional heat exchanger, and it is equipped with three sets of cross-flow guide plates and two sets of cylindrical turbulence columns, ensuring thorough mixing of the bypass room temperature liquid and the low temperature liquid at the heat exchanger outlet within a very short distance. Experiments show that even under extreme operating conditions of a total flow rate of 60 L / min and a heat exchange flow rate of 8 L / min, the outlet water temperature fluctuation can still be controlled within ±0.18℃, far superior to the ±0.5℃ level of existing technologies.

[0053] In addition, due to the significant reduction in total system pressure loss, the water pump can operate at a lower speed. The measured power consumption of the whole machine is reduced by about 33.6% compared with the traditional structure, and the noise is reduced by about 11dB(A), which significantly improves the economy and comfort of equipment operation.

[0054] In summary, this embodiment successfully solves the problems of narrow flow adjustment range, high pressure loss, and high energy consumption in existing semiconductor chillers by setting a large-diameter, low-resistance bypass outside the heat exchanger, employing precise flow distribution control technology, and combining a high-efficiency flow guiding and mixing structure. Figure 4 As shown, the present invention has an overwhelming advantage over the prior art in terms of flow-pressure characteristics, increasing the flow adjustment range to more than 4 times that of the traditional structure, while maintaining extremely high temperature control accuracy. This fully verifies the technical effect of the present invention in "achieving an improved flow adjustment range", and has significant innovation and practical value.

Claims

1. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate regulation range, characterized in that, The system includes a water tank, a water pump, a heat exchanger, and a temperature sensor connected sequentially via pipelines to form a circulating water circuit. The heat exchanger comprises a water-cooled plate, a semiconductor refrigeration chip, and a radiator. A large-diameter bypass pipeline is connected in parallel with the heat exchanger, and the diameter of the large-diameter bypass pipeline is larger than the diameter of the internal flow channel of the water-cooled plate. A third regulating valve and a third flow sensor are installed on the large-diameter bypass pipeline to regulate and monitor the flow rate through the large-diameter bypass pipeline. A guide pipe is installed between the outlet end of the heat exchanger and the temperature sensor to allow the low-temperature liquid cooled by the heat exchanger to mix quickly and uniformly with the liquid flowing through the large-diameter bypass pipeline and to reduce turbulence.

2. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circulating liquid is pumped out of the water tank by the water pump and then splits into two paths. One path enters the heat exchanger for heat exchange, and the other path flows directly through the large-diameter bypass pipe. The two paths of liquid merge at the outlet of the heat exchanger and then enter the pipeline where the temperature sensor is located through the guide pipe.

3. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a first regulating valve and a first flow sensor installed at the inlet of the user equipment to regulate and monitor the flow rate of cooling water to the user equipment.

4. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 3, characterized in that, It includes a self-circulating bypass pipeline between the water tank and the user device, and a second regulating valve on the self-circulating bypass pipeline. When the flow rate required by the user device is lower than the minimum allowable operating flow rate of the heat exchanger, the second regulating valve allows part of the circulating liquid to bypass the user device for self-circulation.

5. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 3, characterized in that, This includes a second flow sensor that monitors the total flow rate of the chiller.

6. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 5, characterized in that, The measured values ​​of the second flow sensor, the first flow sensor, and the third flow sensor satisfy the following condition: the measured value of the second flow sensor minus the measured value of the first flow sensor minus the measured value of the third flow sensor equals the flow rate through the large-diameter bypass pipeline.

7. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the large-diameter bypass pipe is 1.5 to 3 times the diameter of the internal flow channel of the water-cooled plate.

8. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third regulating valve is an electrically controlled proportional regulating valve that automatically adjusts its opening according to the flow requirements of the user's device to distribute the flow ratio through the heat exchanger and the large-diameter bypass pipeline.

9. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide tube is a tubular component with internal spiral guide vanes or a honeycomb mixing structure; the temperature sensor is located at the outlet end of the guide tube to monitor the temperature of the circulating liquid after mixing in real time.

10. A semiconductor chiller with an improved flow rate adjustment range according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The liquid flow channels inside the water-cooled plate have a slender, serpentine structure.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • A semiconductor chiller with a backup control system

    CN113623924B