Cooling flow control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems are often oversized or inefficiently controlled, failing to effectively manage both steady-state and transient thermal loads, leading to suboptimal performance and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that includes a mixing valve, recharge valve, and recharge pump, which allows for the controlled mixing of cooling fluids from a thermal energy storage and a cooling source, enabling efficient cooling fluid management by varying the source of cooling fluid based on thermal demand, thereby reducing the size and power consumption of cooling components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cooling systems are designed to handle peak constant thermal loads, then cooling availability is ensured, but component size increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-cools the thermal energy storage tank during periods of low thermal demand so that cold fluid is already available when peak cooling loads occur. This preliminary action eliminates the need to size the cooling source for peak loads, reducing component size while maintaining cooling availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal energy storage tank serves multiple functions: it stores cold fluid for peak load periods, provides supplemental cooling during moderate loads, and enables the cooling source to operate at optimal capacity. This multi-functionality allows smaller cooling components to meet both peak and steady-state requirements.
2Reliability
If cooling systems are designed to handle peak constant thermal loads, then cooling availability is ensured, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates the cooling source periodically rather than continuously at peak capacity. During low-demand periods, the cooling source runs at reduced capacity to pre-chill the thermal storage tank, then shuts off or reduces operation during peak periods when stored cold fluid meets the demand. This periodic operation significantly reduces overall power consumption while maintaining cooling availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters of the cooling source over time, adjusting capacity based on thermal demand and storage tank state. The cooling source operates at high capacity only when necessary to recharge the thermal storage, and at low or zero capacity when the tank provides cooling, optimizing power consumption across different operating conditions.
3Productivity
If thermal energy storage is rapidly re-chilled, then transient thermal demands are met, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic control of flow rates and temperatures through the thermal storage tank based on real-time thermal demand conditions. The cooling source and pump operations are adjusted dynamically to optimize recharge rates while managing system complexity through adaptive control rather than fixed complex mechanisms.
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 approach enables rapid re-chilling of thermal energy storage and allows for the use of smaller cooling components while maintaining cooling availability for transient demands, preserving cooling potential and optimizing energy usage.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling source configured to cool the cooling fluid
Implementation Method 2
a thermal energy storage in fluid communication with the cooling source and configured to store cooling fluid cooled by the cooling source
Implementation Method 3
a mixing valve having a first input, a second input, and an output, the output of the mixing valve being in fluid communication with the thermal load, the first input of the mixing valve being in fluid communication with the thermal energy storage, the second input of the mixing valve being in fluid communication with the cooling source
Implementation Method 4
a cooling pump configured to cause the cooling fluid heated by the thermal load to flow to the cooling source
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A cooling system may include a cooling pump that causes cooling fluid received from a thermal load to flow to a cooling source, a low-load valve, a high-load valve, a thermal energy store, and a mixing valve. The cooling source and the low-load valve may be downstream from the cooling pump. The high load valve and thermal energy storage may be downstream from the cooling source. The first input of the mixing valve may be downstream from the thermal energy storage. The second input of the mixing valve may be downstream from the low-load valve and the high-load valve. The thermal load may be downstream from an output of the mixing valve. The cooling system may switch between a low load mode and a high load mode with coordinated operation of the low-load valve and high-load valve.