Coolant Phase Separation for Efficient Cooling and Freeze Protection

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooling systems face inefficiencies when using either pure water or a mixture of antifreeze and water as coolant, as pure water has a high heat transfer coefficient but freezes at 0°C, while mixtures lower the freezing point but reduce cooling efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A cooling system that separates a mixture of antifreeze and water into separate coolant streams, allowing for efficient cooling using pure water and maintaining antifreeze as liquid to prevent freezing, with the ability to remix when not in use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If pure water is used as coolant, then cooling efficiency is improved, but freezing risk increases at low temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidfreezing prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the coolant into two separate loops: a primary loop using pure water for high-efficiency cooling, and a secondary loop using antifreeze solution for freeze protection. The separation structure physically divides the mixed coolant into water and antifreeze components, allowing each to operate in its optimal temperature range independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the water component from the antifreeze-water mixture through the separation structure after heating. The water is removed from the mixture and directed to the cooling structure, while the antifreeze remains in the storage structure, enabling pure water cooling without freezing risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If antifreeze is mixed with water, then freezing point is lowered, but heat transfer efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefreezing preventionVSAvoidheat transfer efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the coolant into two separate loops: a primary loop using pure water for high-efficiency cooling, and a secondary loop using antifreeze solution for freeze protection. The separation structure physically divides the mixed coolant into water and antifreeze components, allowing each to operate in its optimal temperature range independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the water component from the antifreeze-water mixture through the separation structure after heating. The water is removed from the mixture and directed to the cooling structure, while the antifreeze remains in the storage structure, enabling pure water cooling without freezing risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If a separation structure is added to separate water and antifreeze, then cooling efficiency and freeze protection are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system utilizes temperature and phase changes to simplify the separation process. By heating the mixed coolant, water evaporates while antifreeze remains liquid, enabling automatic separation without complex mechanical separation devices. The phase change parameter transformation converts a potentially complex separation task into a simple thermal process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The heating device vaporizes a substantial portion of water into vapor while leaving antifreeze as liquid. This phase transition exploits the different boiling points of water and antifreeze to achieve automatic separation, reducing the need for complex mechanical separation equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

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 system enhances cooling efficiency by using pure water for heat transfer while preventing freezing through antifreeze separation, offering improved performance in both operational and non-operational conditions.

Implementation Method 1

The heating device vaporizes a substantial portion of the water into vapor while leaving a substantial portion of the antifreeze as liquid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVaporization: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

The separation structure receives, from the heating device, the flow of fluid coolant with the substantial portion of the water as vapor and the substantial portion of the antifreeze as liquid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase separation: Phase Change

Data Source

PatentUS8651172B2System and method for separating components of a fluid coolant for cooling a structure

Publication Date: 2014.02.18 RAYTHEON CO

AI summary

A cooling system for a heat-generating structure includes a heating device, a cooling loop, and one or more reservoirs. The heating device is configured to heat fluid coolant comprising a mixture of water and antifreeze and vaporize a portion of the water into vapor while leaving a portion of the antifreeze as liquid in the fluid coolant. The cooling loop has a portion that splits the fluid coolant received from the heating device into a first path configured to receive at least some of the portion of the water as vapor and a second path configured to receive at least some of the portion of the antifreeze as liquid. The one or more reservoirs are configured to receive one of the at least some of the portion of the water as vapor from the first path or the at least some of the portion of the antifreeze as liquid from the second path.