Liquid Thermal Management Purging System for Coolant Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid thermal management systems face challenges in efficiently removing liquid coolant without loss or exposure during maintenance, particularly with high global warming potential fluids, leading to coolant evaporation, spillage, and personnel exposure.
Innovation Solution
A liquid thermal management purging system comprising a reservoir for storing coolant and displacement liquid, with a displacement pump and drain pump to selectively transfer and remove coolant, utilizing a low GWP displacement liquid that separates by density for efficient coolant removal and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional liquid thermal management systems use high GWP coolant fluids, then effective heat transfer is achieved, but environmental harm increases due to coolant evaporation and spillage during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a displacement liquid as an intermediary substance that temporarily replaces the high GWP coolant during maintenance operations. This mediator allows technicians to open and service the system without releasing harmful coolant, as the displacement liquid can be safely vented to atmosphere. The displacement liquid serves as a temporary substitute that protects the environment during maintenance while allowing the original coolant to be retained and reused.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates an inert environment by filling the thermal management system with displacement liquid that has negligible GWP before maintenance operations. This inert atmosphere prevents the release of harmful coolant vapors during system opening, effectively isolating the high GWP coolant from potential escape paths while maintaining system integrity and safety during maintenance.
2Ease of operation
If liquid coolant is removed from the thermal management system during maintenance, then system access is improved, but coolant loss increases due to evaporation and spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-filling the thermal management system with displacement liquid before maintenance operations begin. This preliminary step ensures that when the system is opened for maintenance, the coolant is already protected from exposure to atmosphere, preventing evaporation and spillage losses that would normally occur during draining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The displacement liquid acts as an intermediary that allows maintenance personnel to access the system without causing coolant loss. By replacing the coolant with a safe-to-vent liquid before opening the system, technicians can work freely without risk of losing expensive or harmful coolant, and the original coolant can be completely retained for reuse.
3Reliability
If displacement liquid is used to replace coolant during maintenance, then coolant protection is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional pumps and reservoir
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a storage container for the displacement liquid and as a source/sink for coolant transfer operations. The displacement pump and drain pump are integrated into the existing thermal management system architecture, allowing the same components to handle both coolant and displacement liquid at different times, thereby reducing the need for entirely separate systems.
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 system effectively reduces coolant loss and exposure during maintenance, minimizing the release of high GWP fluids into the atmosphere while enabling efficient heat transfer and maintenance operations across various thermal management systems.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid thermal management purging system includes a reservoir storing a volume of liquid coolant and a volume of displacement liquid... The displacement pump and drain pump are fluidly connected between the reservoir and the thermal management unit
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid thermal management purging system for efficiently removing the liquid coolant within a liquid thermal management system prior to opening the system for maintenance. The liquid thermal management purging system generally includes a reservoir storing a volume of liquid coolant and a volume of displacement liquid and a thermal management unit in fluid communication with the reservoir. A displacement pump and a drain pump are fluidly connected between the reservoir and the thermal management unit to selectively provide displacement liquid to and remove liquid coolant from the thermal management unit (and vice-versa).