Heat Pipe Cooling for Hydraulic Reservoirs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for hydraulic units are inefficient as they require the hydraulic unit to be operational to cool the pressure medium, lead to hydraulic losses, and increase production costs due to additional components and complexity, while also being prone to noise and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device utilizing at least two heat pipes immersed in a container for hydraulic oil, allowing heat dissipation even when the hydraulic unit is not in operation, with a geometric arrangement that minimizes flow losses and requires less installation space, using heat pipes and a cooling structure that promotes heat transfer and can be cooled by forced convection or a heat exchanger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a radiator cooled by air from a fan is used to cool hydraulic fluid, then cooling is achieved during pump operation, but the cooling capacity is not constant and depends on system pressure, and cooling is only possible during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanically dependent cooling system (radiator requiring pump operation and airflow) with a thermally passive heat pipe system that automatically transfers heat without mechanical drive, enabling constant cooling capacity independent of system pressure and operational state
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe utilizes phase transition of the working fluid (evaporation at hot end, condensation at cold end) to transfer heat from hydraulic fluid to cooling fins, providing continuous cooling regardless of pump operation or system pressure conditions
2Temperature
If two pumps (dual pump) are used to provide flow for cooling circuit, then cooling capability is provided, but additional pump increases complexity, manufacturing costs, noise, piping effort, leakage risk, and hydraulic losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the hydraulic pump system by implementing a separate heat pipe-based cooling device that operates independently, eliminating the need for an additional cooling pump and its associated complexity, piping, and hydraulic losses
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe serves multiple functions: it provides cooling for hydraulic fluid during pump operation, during standby, and after shutdown, replacing the need for separate cooling pump and radiator system while reducing overall system complexity
3Productivity
If heat pipes are used for cooling the reservoir, then cooling is possible during and outside operation with improved efficiency and less installation space, but heat dissipation to surroundings must be enhanced
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is pre-filled with appropriate amount of working fluid and sealed to contain the phase-change medium, enabling immediate heat transfer functionality upon immersion in hydraulic fluid without requiring additional setup or activation
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe extends vertically from the reservoir bottom with its evaporator section immersed in hydraulic fluid and condenser section exposed to ambient air, creating a three-dimensional heat transfer path that maximizes heat dissipation surface area and thermal 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
The solution provides efficient cooling of hydraulic oil both during and outside of the hydraulic unit's operation, reduces installation space, and enhances heat transfer efficiency, while being compact and cost-effective by leveraging heat pipes and a cooling structure that can be cooled through forced convection or a heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling device has at least two, preferably three, heat pipes (12, 14, 16), each of which is immersed in the reservoir (2) by a pipe section (18)
Implementation Method 2
can be cooled by forced convection or a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
can be cooled by forced convection or a heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling device for a hydraulic assembly which has a container for hydraulic oil. There is a heat pipe for cooling the container. Hydraulic oil in the container flows approximately in a straight line from an inlet to an outlet. The at least one heat pipe is arranged between the inlet and the outlet.