Bladder Tank Thermal Storage for Intermittent Laser Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
High power laser systems face challenges in efficiently cooling intermittent heat loads due to the large size and weight requirements of traditional thermal cooling systems, which are exacerbated by the need for precise temperature control and the drawbacks of existing thermal storage solutions such as complexity, weight, and safety concerns with volatile fluids.
Innovation Solution
A thermal cooling system incorporating a bladder tank that stores cold cooling fluid when the laser is off and provides it when the laser is on, allowing for a reduced size heat exchanger and refrigeration system, with a mixing valve that automatically controls the temperature by mixing hot and cold fluid flows, independent of gravity and accelerations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a large heat exchanger and refrigeration system are used to remove significant heat during laser operation, then the cooling capability is improved, but the system size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-cools the cooling fluid during periods when the laser is not operating, storing the cold fluid in a thermal storage tank. This preliminary cooling action allows the reduced-size heat exchanger to effectively cool the laser during intermittent operation without requiring a large continuous cooling system
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal storage tank acts as an intermediary between the reduced-size heat exchanger and the laser system. The tank stores cold cooling fluid and provides it to the laser during high-demand periods, decoupling the sizing requirements of the heat exchanger from the peak cooling load
2Quantity of substance
If a PCM heat exchanger is used for thermal storage, then the thermal storage capability is improved, but the system complexity and fabrication cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses ordinary, readily available cooling fluid (water or ethylene glycol) in a simple tank instead of expensive phase change materials requiring complex encapsulation. The fluid is replenished or recirculated rather than replaced, providing an economical and simple thermal storage solution
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the thermal storage function from the heat exchanger itself, placing it in a separate dedicated tank. This separation allows the heat exchanger to be minimized in size while the tank provides the thermal storage capacity, simplifying the overall system architecture
3Reliability
If metal thickness is increased in PCM heat exchangers to minimize leaks, then the reliability is improved, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a flexible bladder or membrane inside the thermal storage tank to contain the cooling fluid. This flexible barrier provides leak prevention without requiring thick metal walls, significantly reducing the weight of the thermal storage component while maintaining reliability
4Reliability
If the cooling system is designed for continuous operation, then the temperature control reliability is improved, but the system size increases for intermittent laser operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to operate in periodic cycles: during laser-off periods, the heat exchanger pre-cools the cooling fluid and stores it in the thermal tank; during laser-on periods, the stored cold fluid is supplied to maintain temperature control. This periodic operation allows the system to be sized for average rather than peak load
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal storage tank automatically supplies pre-cooled fluid to the laser during high-demand periods without requiring active control or a larger heat exchanger. The system serves itself by using off-periods to prepare cooling capacity for on-periods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables a compact, lightweight cooling system that maintains precise temperature control and efficiently manages heat loads during intermittent operation, reducing the size and weight of the cooling system while ensuring reliable operation on aircraft or ships.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal cooling system for cooling an intermittent laser, where the system includes a bladder tank coupled between a hot line and a cold line that operates to collect cold cooling fluid when the laser is off and provide the stored cold cooling fluid to the laser when it is on
Implementation Method 2
the cooling fluid is subsequently cooled in a heat exchanger that receives a refrigeration flow from a refrigeration system
Implementation Method 3
The necessary precise temperature control is typically provided in these thermal cooling systems by a thermal control mixing valve that mixes chilled cooling fluid from the heat exchanger with warm cooling fluid that by-passes the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for a heat source, such as a laser system, that includes a mixing valve mixing a cooling fluid from a hot line and a cold line and providing the mixed cooling fluid to the heat source, and a bladder tank having a bladder and including a hot side on one side of the bladder in fluid communication with the hot line and a cold side on an opposite side of the bladder in fluid communication with the cold line. A heat exchanger cools the cooling fluid flowing through the cold line. The cooling system is configured so that when the heat source is on and generating heat, cold cooling fluid from the cold side of the bladder tank is provided to the mixing valve and when the heat source is off and not generating heat, cold cooling fluid from the cold line fills the cold side of the bladder tank.