Cooling Enclosure With Thermal Wall for Aircraft COTS Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic equipment integration into military and commercial aircraft environments is challenging due to differing design requirements, including temperature and humidity control, with existing solutions being costly and inefficient, especially when accommodating unforeseen variability and quick integration of new equipment.
Innovation Solution
An equipment enclosure with a thermally conductive wall and reconfigurable baffle system that isolates COTS equipment from the aircraft's environmental control system (ECS), allowing for independent temperature and humidity control using a thermally conditioned fluid and recirculation of air, while minimizing water usage and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If COTS equipment is cooled directly by aircraft ECS air flow, then temperature control is achieved, but cooling efficiency is very low and fan power consumption is very high
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cooling function into two independent parts: the aircraft ECS provides thermally conditioned air to an outer plenum, while an inner chamber with its own recirculation fan provides the actual cooling air flow to the equipment. This segmentation allows the ECS to handle only heat transfer while the inner system handles air circulation, resolving the contradiction between temperature control and fan power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a thermally conductive wall as an intermediary between the outer plenum and inner chamber. This wall allows thermal energy to transfer from the ECS-conditioned air to the inner chamber air without direct mixing of the two air streams. The intermediary enables efficient heat transfer while maintaining independent control of air flows, thereby reducing fan power requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If ducting configuration within cabinet is changed to accommodate new COTS equipment, then equipment integration is achieved, but modification cost is high and ECS system changes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a reconfigurable baffle system with movable panels that can be adjusted to accommodate different equipment configurations without modifying the ECS ducting. The baffles dynamically adapt the inner chamber layout to fit various COTS equipment arrangements, providing versatility while avoiding costly structural modifications to the aircraft ECS system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the adaptability function from the ECS ducting system and places it in the standalone enclosure with reconfigurable baffles. This separation allows the enclosure to be modified for different equipment configurations without affecting the fixed ECS ducting, thereby reducing modification costs while maintaining integration flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If humidification system with capacity to control humidity for all equipment onboard is installed, then humidity control is achieved, but system weight is prohibitively heavy
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing humidification capacity for all equipment onboard the aircraft, the system implements localized humidification only within the specific enclosure containing COTS equipment that requires humidity control. This local approach provides the necessary humidity control capability while minimizing system weight by avoiding redundant humidification capacity throughout the entire aircraft.
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
The solution provides efficient and flexible temperature and humidity control for COTS equipment, reducing cooling air flow demands, enabling easy reconfiguration for different equipment setups, and offering redundant cooling capacity independent of the aircraft's ECS system, thus enhancing operational reliability and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The thermally conductive wall, which is between the outer plenum and the inner chamber, prevents the thermally conditioned first fluid in the outer plenum from communicating with a second fluid in the inner chamber. Since the wall is thermally conductive, however, the wall allows heat to be readily transferred between the two fluids.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for thermal conditioning equipment. In a preferred embodiment, an equipment enclosure comprises a body, a wall, a fluid port, and a fixture. The body defines an outer plenum and an inner chamber in the latter of which the fixture retains the equipment. The wall, which is between the outer plenum and the inner chamber, isolates the thermally conditioned first fluid from a second fluid in the inner chamber. Since the wall is thermally conductive it allows heat to be transferred between the outer plenum and the inner chamber. The fluid port is in communication with the outer plenum to allow the thermally conditioned first fluid to flow into the outer plenum. Baffle plates are also provided to distribute flow of the second fluid to the equipment.