Color Wheel Heat Dissipation via Deflector Airflow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional color wheel heat dissipation devices in laser projection apparatuses suffer from reduced efficiency and potential damage due to inadequate heat dissipation, particularly at the rotation axis, leading to decreased performance and service life.

Innovation Solution

A color wheel heat dissipation device with a housing containing sequentially arranged cavities for airflow, a built-in heat exchanger, and a fan, where the fan operates downstream of the heat exchanger and a deflector directs cold airflow directly onto the rotation axis, combined with a built-out radiator and heat conduction pipe for enhanced heat transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If cold airflow first facilitates heat dissipation at the surface of the color wheel, then surface cooling is improved, but the rotation axis temperature remains high reducing overall performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor wheel surface temperatureVSAvoidcolor wheel performance
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by directing cold airflow to different locations in sequence - first to the surface and then to the rotation axis. The deflector structure creates localized cooling zones that move with the color wheel rotation, ensuring each area receives targeted cooling when needed most.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-cooling the airflow before it contacts the color wheel surface, and positioning the deflector to deliver subsequent cooling to the rotation axis. The system prepares the cooling mechanism in advance to address the rotation axis temperature issue before it causes performance degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If separate components (heat exchanger, air duct, fan, housing) are provided, then heat dissipation function is achieved, but space occupation increases and assembling becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation functionVSAvoidassembling process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the heat exchanger, air duct, fan, and housing into an integrated assembly where these components work together as a unified heat dissipation system. The housing serves as both structural enclosure and airflow channel, while the deflector integrates multiple functions into a single component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing structure serves multiple functions: it encloses the color wheel, provides airflow passages, supports the deflector mechanism, and facilitates heat exchange. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 maximizes heat exchange rates, reduces the rotation axis temperature, improves color wheel performance, and extends the service life by ensuring effective cooling of both the axis and surface of the color wheel.

Implementation Method 1

a heat exchanger (200) built in the housing (100); the airflow enters into the first cavity (110) through the air inlet (140) arranged at the first cavity (110), and then flows through the housing (100)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

The venting component sucks in cold air and simultaneously discharges hot air. The color wheel mainly exchanges heat with air through high-speed rotation. The higher the relative speed of the color wheel with respect to the air is, the higher the convective heat transfer coefficient will be.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 3

the second cavity (120) is communicated with an interior of the third cavity (130) through the exhaust port (150). The airflow discharged from the exhaust port (150) directly acts on the rotation axis of the color wheel (800)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 4

The color wheel heat dissipation device further includes a built-out radiator and heat conduction pipe, in which the built-in radiator is thermally connected to the built-out radiator through the heat conduction pipe

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3413129B1Color-wheel heat-dissipation apparatus and projection device having same heat-dissipation apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.11.01 APPOTRONICS CORP LTD
  • EP3413129B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3413129B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3413129B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present disclosure proposes a color wheel heat dissipation device and a projection apparatus having the color wheel heat dissipation device. The color wheel heat dissipation device includes a housing, a color wheel, a built-in radiator and a fan, wherein the housing includes a first cavity, a second cavity, and a third cavity that are mutually communicated with one another, the first cavity and the second cavity are sequentially arranged in an airflow direction; the built-in radiator is located in the first cavity; the fan is located in the second cavity; and the color wheel is located in the third cavity. The color wheel heat dissipation device and the projection apparatus having the color wheel heat dissipation device can maximally increase the heat exchange rate in the color wheel cavity, improve performance of the color wheel, reduce temperature of the color wheel, thereby achieving the purpose of improving efficiency and service life of the product.