Geothermal Inverter Cooling via Ground Loop Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for inverters do not effectively utilize geothermal energy to cool fluids, relying instead on conventional methods like water cooling or heat sinks, which do not leverage the temperature of the ground for efficient heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A geo-thermal inverter cooling system that pumps warm fluid from the inverter into the ground, where it acts as a heat exchanger to cool the fluid before returning it, utilizing a ground loop conduit buried approximately 200 feet deep to exploit the colder ground temperature for cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional water cooling or heat sink methods are used, then the inverter components can be cooled, but the cooling efficiency is insufficient and geothermal energy is not utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a geothermal heat exchanger as an intermediary component between the inverter cooling system and the ground. This heat exchanger transfers heat from the cooling fluid to the ground, enabling efficient heat dissipation by utilizing the ground as a heat sink. The intermediary device bridges the gap between the cooling system and geothermal energy source, resolving the contradiction by enabling both effective cooling and geothermal energy utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the ground's natural cold temperature to cool the inverter components without requiring additional active cooling mechanisms. The ground itself serves as the cooling medium, providing self-service cooling functionality. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive conventional cooling systems while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
2Device complexity
If shallow water channels are used for cooling, then the structure is simple, but the cooling performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from shallow, two-dimensional water channels to a three-dimensional geothermal heat exchanger system with vertical ground penetration. By extending the cooling structure into the vertical dimension and burying pipes deep in the ground, the system achieves significantly enhanced heat dissipation capacity while maintaining reasonable structural complexity. This dimensional expansion resolves the contradiction between simplicity and performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If the inverter is placed close to the ground surface, then installation is easy, but heat dissipation efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the inverter housing from the heat dissipation function by introducing a distinct geothermal heat exchanger system. The inverter can be installed at convenient locations above ground, while the heat exchanger pipes are separately buried in the ground. This segmentation allows easy installation of the inverter while maintaining efficient heat dissipation through the ground-based cooling system, resolving the contradiction between installation ease and heat dissipation efficiency.
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 provides an efficient and novel method for cooling inverter systems by utilizing the ground's temperature to effectively dissipate heat, enhancing cooling performance and reducing the need for traditional cooling methods.
Implementation Method 1
pumps warm fluid from the inverter system into the ground, and the ground acts as a heat exchanger and cools the fluid before it returns to the inverter system
Implementation Method 2
the ground acts as a heat exchanger and cools the fluid before it returns to the inverter system
Data Source
AI summary
A geo-thermal inverter cooling system for using the temperature of the ground to cool the fluid in the system. The geo-thermal inverter cooling system may include an inverter assembly including a housing and conversion electronic components for converting electrical energy to electrical power and which heat up during use; and a cooling assembly including a fluid reservoir in communication with the housing, and a pump in communication with the fluid reservoir for pumping fluid to cool the electronic components, wherein the fluid reservoir has a reservoir outlet port and reservoir inlet ports.