Refrigerant Cooling Loop with Segmented Liquid Vapor Pathways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional boiling cooling devices for electronic components are limited by low refrigerant filling ratios, leading to larger device sizes and positional restrictions, which hinder high-density electronic equipment mounting and efficient cooling.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a refrigerant circulation loop that maintains a 50% or higher liquid refrigerant filling ratio, utilizing a pump to circulate refrigerant and incorporating a condenser and evaporator connected by separate piping to enhance cooling capability while minimizing device size and positional restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the liquid refrigerant filling ratio is lowered to facilitate vaporization, then the refrigerant can vaporize more easily, but the cooling device size increases and component arrangement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the refrigerant circulation system into separate liquid circulation and vapor circulation pathways. The liquid refrigerant is pumped through dedicated liquid circulation pipes to the evaporator, while vaporized refrigerant is collected and condensed through separate vapor circulation pipes. This segmentation allows independent optimization of liquid filling ratio and vaporization efficiency without the constraints of a single-phase flow system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a pump to actively circulate liquid refrigerant through the circulation loop, replacing passive gravity-based refrigerant return mechanisms. This hydraulic approach enables precise control of refrigerant flow rates and allows the system to operate with high liquid filling ratios (50% or more) while maintaining efficient heat transfer and vaporization at the evaporator.
2Volume of stationary object
If the liquid refrigerant filling ratio is increased to reduce device size, then the cooling device becomes more compact, but the refrigerant vaporization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By separating liquid and vapor circulation pathways, the patent enables the evaporator to receive sufficient liquid refrigerant through controlled flow from the pump, ensuring adequate vaporization even with high overall system filling ratios. The separate vapor circulation pipes efficiently collect and remove vaporized refrigerant, maintaining the vaporization process effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by actively controlling refrigerant flow rates through the pump and optimizing the liquid-vapor phase distribution in the evaporator. This allows the system to operate with high liquid refrigerant filling ratios while maintaining effective vaporization through controlled flow dynamics and phase separation in the heat exchange chambers.
3Device complexity
If gravitational force is used to return liquefied refrigerant to the evaporator, then the system operates passively, but the component arrangement is subject to positional restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the passive gravitational force mechanism with an active pump-driven hydraulic system. The pump provides the mechanical energy needed to circulate liquid refrigerant through the circulation loop, eliminating the need for the condenser to be positioned below the evaporator. This substitution enables flexible component arrangement and adapts the system to various mounting configurations in high-density electronic equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing a pump to create an active hydraulic circulation system, the patent replaces passive gravitational refrigerant return with controlled liquid flow. This hydraulic approach allows the refrigerant to be circulated through flexible piping arrangements, enabling component placement flexibility and adapting to various spatial constraints in electronic device packaging.
4Power
If the cooling device size is increased to secure necessary cooling capability, then the cooling performance is sufficient, but the electronic equipment mounting density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refrigerant circulation into dedicated liquid and vapor pathways, allowing efficient heat transfer in a compact evaporator design. The separate circulation loops enable optimized heat exchange surfaces and reduced refrigerant charge volumes, achieving high cooling capability per unit volume suitable for high-density electronic equipment mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the refrigerant (liquid to vapor in the evaporator, vapor to liquid in the condenser) as the core cooling mechanism. By optimizing the phase change process through separate circulation pathways and controlled flow rates, the system achieves high cooling capability in a compact form factor, maximizing the cooling effect per unit volume of refrigerant.
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 achieves high cooling capability with a compact design, allowing for efficient heat management and flexible component arrangement, while maintaining a high filling ratio to optimize refrigerant utilization.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporating portion container storing a liquid refrigerant and a condenser which condenses a vaporized refrigerant are connected by a single pipeline in which gas and liquid flow in multiphase
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator that vaporizes a part of a refrigerant by heat generated by an electronic component
Implementation Method 3
a condenser that cools the refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
a pump that circulates the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device includes: a refrigerant circulation loop configured to depressurizing the inside thereof, the refrigerant circulation loop includes, an evaporator that vaporizes a part of refrigerant by heat generated by an electronic component, a condenser that cools the refrigerant, and a pump that circulates the refrigerant, wherein a filling ratio of liquid refrigerant to a volume of the refrigerant circulation loop is configured to maintain a refrigerant circulation capability of the pump.