Micro-Channel ICP Cooling for Low-Pressure Heat Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) instruments are bulky, inefficient, and generate excessive heat in the operating environment, with existing solutions like chillers and re-circulators being insufficient for current ICP-MS instruments due to high power consumption and heat dissipation issues.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system utilizing a micro-channel heat exchanger with a low-pressure coolant pump and optional air cooling, where the pump generates an outlet pressure of coolant that is less than or equal to 5 psi above atmospheric pressure, allowing for efficient heat transfer with a compact, low-power setup, and incorporating a controller for temperature stabilization and modulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a chiller with refrigeration compressor and condenser is used, then cooling capacity is sufficient, but system becomes bulky and generates excessive heat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the refrigeration compressor and condenser from the cooling system, extracting only the essential cooling function. This is achieved by using a simple pump to circulate coolant through the ICP instrument and a heat exchanger that dissipates heat to the environment through natural convection or minimal fan assistance, eliminating the bulky components while maintaining adequate cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is designed to be self-regulating, where the pump circulates coolant and the heat exchanger passively dissipates heat to the environment. The system uses the ambient environment as the heat sink, requiring no active refrigeration cycle or high-power components, thereby reducing system size and heat generation in the lab.
2Temperature
If a re-circulator with high-power pump is used, then cooling function is provided, but excessive heat is generated by the pump
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the high-power mechanical pump system with a low-power pump that operates at minimal speed to just circulate coolant through the system. The cooling function is maintained by optimizing the heat exchanger design and using natural convection currents, thereby substituting mechanical power with thermal management design and significantly reducing heat generation from the pump itself.
3Reliability
If thick copper tubing is used to withstand high pressure coolant, then system reliability is improved, but system complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the pressure parameter of the coolant system from high pressure to low pressure operation. By using a low-power pump that generates minimal pressure, the system can use simple, thin-walled tubing instead of thick copper tubing, thereby reducing system complexity and size while maintaining reliability through appropriate material selection and design for the lower pressure regime.
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 achieves efficient and compact cooling with reduced power consumption, minimizing heat generation in the lab environment and providing effective temperature stabilization for ICP instruments, while being cost-effective and quieter compared to traditional solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a micro-channel heat exchanger in fluid communication with the instrument via a second conduit, and in fluid communication with the pump via a third conduit
Implementation Method 2
a fan configured to blow air for air cooling of the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
The pump is configured to generate a pump outlet pressure of coolant that exceeds a back pressure of the instrument such that a pressure of the coolant traveling through the second conduit and into the heat exchanger is less than or equal to 5 pounds per square inch (psi) above atmospheric pressure
Implementation Method 4
a controller operatively associated with the pump and/or the fan. The controller may be configured to control or modulate operation of the pump and/or the fan to stabilize an internal temperature of the instrument and/or to stabilize a temperature of the coolant exiting the instrument. The system may further include at least one temperature sensor in the second conduit and/or in the third conduit, with the at least one temperature sensor configured to provide feedback to the controller
Data Source
AI summary
A system for cooling an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) instrument includes: the ICP instrument; a pump in fluid communication with the instrument via a first conduit; and a micro-channel heat exchanger in fluid communication with the instrument via a second conduit, and in fluid communication with the pump via a third conduit. The pump is configured to generate a pump outlet pressure of coolant that exceeds a back pressure of the instrument such that a pressure of the coolant traveling through the second conduit and into the heat exchanger is less than or equal to 5 pounds per square inch (psi) above atmospheric pressure, as measured at an inlet to the heat exchanger.