Evaporator Channel Layout for Bubble-Pumped Cooling Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing evaporators for cooling circuits face inefficiencies due to 'pool boiling' which results in poor heat transfer performance, bulkiness, and difficulty in maintaining a leak-proof design, especially at high pressures, and reducing the cross-section area to improve heat transfer negatively impacts condenser performance.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a top collector, bottom collector, and an evaporator body with thermoconducting walls, evaporation channels, and return channels that facilitate boiling and bubble pumping, ensuring efficient heat transfer and fluid circulation without the need for additional pumps, while maintaining sufficient liquid phase to prevent dry running.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the evaporator uses pool boiling with a large liquid volume, then the evaporator can maintain sufficient liquid supply, but the heat transfer performance is poor and the device becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is divided into multiple evaporation channels that are thermally connected to the heat emitting device. These channels segment the liquid volume into smaller regions, enabling efficient heat transfer through controlled boiling in each channel while maintaining sufficient liquid supply through the distributed channel network.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes two-phase flow dynamics where vapor bubbles generated in the evaporation channels create a bubble pumping effect. This hydraulic mechanism naturally circulates the liquid cooling fluid through the channels without requiring external pumps, maintaining reliable liquid supply through passive thermal-hydraulic principles.
2Productivity
If the evaporator cross-section is reduced to improve heat transfer, then convection-boiling efficiency increases, but liquid droplets are carried to the condenser and decrease condenser performance
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator cross-section is divided into multiple small evaporation channels rather than one large channel. This segmentation allows efficient convection-boiling in each channel while the structured channel exits minimize liquid droplet carryover to the condenser, protecting condenser performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the evaporator have optimized local characteristics - the evaporation channels have dimensions and geometries specifically designed for efficient boiling and vapor generation, while the channel exits and collector regions are designed to separate liquid droplets from vapor, ensuring each zone performs its specific function optimally.
3Productivity
If the evaporator cross-section is reduced to eliminate pool boiling, then heat transfer performance improves, but the evaporator becomes more difficult to make leak-proof at high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator body incorporates multiple evaporation channels with structured walls and defined geometries. This segmented channel network provides natural leak-proof pathways for the liquid cooling fluid, as each channel is a enclosed, pressure-containing structure that is easier to manufacture and seal than a large open pool boiling chamber.
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 enhances heat transfer and fluid circulation, reducing the risk of evaporator dry-out and allowing for efficient cooling of heat-emitting devices without compromising condenser performance, and can be optimized for various thermal loads.
Implementation Method 1
The evaporation channels are dimensioned for establishing boiling of the liquid cooling fluid in the evaporation channels in the operating state, so that in the operating state the cooling fluid therein is at least partially turned into vapor
Implementation Method 2
for establishing bubble pumping so that the cooling fluid is then driven out from the evaporation channels via the respective evaporation channel outlets to the top collector
Implementation Method 3
Within the condenser the vapor is changed into liquid by rejecting heat. For example, in the condenser the heat is rejected to a coolant fluid, such as air at ambient temperature
Data Source
AI summary
An evaporator for a cooling circuit is provided, for cooling at least one heat emitting device by evaporation of a cooling fluid. The evaporator includes a top collector, a bottom collector, and an evaporator body. The evaporator body includes at least one thermoconducting wall that is thermally connectable to the at least one heat emitting device, a plurality of evaporation channels, and a plurality of return channels.