Multiplane Fan Control for Cooling Package Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems face challenges in preventing hot air recirculation between distinct cooling zones, which reduces system efficiency and makes cleaning difficult due to the need for complex geometry and sealing, potentially trapping debris.
Innovation Solution
A multiplane fan cooling system with a shared air cavity and a controller that activates and controls fans to pull ambient air across multiple heat exchangers, counteracting air recirculation by adjusting fan speeds to ensure all air is available for cooling without recirculation, using sensors to determine cooling needs and fan commands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flow dividers are used to separate cooling zones, then hot air recirculation is prevented, but device complexity increases and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the flow divider component entirely from the cooling system. Instead of using physical dividers to separate cooling zones, the system allows multiple fans to operate in a shared air cavity without segmentation, thereby eliminating the complexity and cleaning difficulties associated with divided zones while still preventing recirculation through coordinated fan control.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that coordinates fan operations to prevent hot air recirculation. Rather than using physical barriers, the controller manages the timing and operation of fans to ensure that hot exhaust air from one fan does not become intake air for another fan, achieving recirculation prevention through control logic rather than complex geometry.
2Reliability
If flow dividers with tight sealing are used to prevent recirculation, then cooling efficiency improves, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for sealed flow dividers by removing the dividers themselves from the system. The shared air cavity design with multiple fans operating under controller management prevents recirculation without requiring any sealing components, significantly simplifying manufacturing while maintaining recirculation prevention effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If passive fans operate at lower speeds to avoid recirculation, then ease of operation improves, but cooling system efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic fan speed control where fans can operate at different speeds based on real-time cooling demands. The controller adjusts fan speeds individually, allowing fans to run at higher speeds when cooling is needed while coordinating operations to prevent recirculation. This dynamic approach maintains both cooling efficiency and operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller uses feedback from temperature sensors and fan performance data to dynamically adjust fan speeds. This feedback mechanism ensures that fans operate at the minimum necessary speeds to meet cooling demands while coordinating their operation to prevent hot air recirculation, thereby maintaining both efficiency and ease of operation.
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 solution enhances cooling system efficiency by preventing hot air recirculation, simplifies cleaning by avoiding complex geometry, and maintains effective cooling across multiple heat exchangers, improving overall system performance and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The first fan is configured to pull ambient air through the intake plane into the shared air cavity and move it across the first plane and first heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a first heat exchanger plane with a first fan and a first heat exchanger configured to cool a first vehicle system
Data Source
AI summary
A multiplane fan cooling system and method is disclosed for a cooling system with first, second and intake planes; a first fan and heat exchanger on the first plane, a second fan and heat exchanger on the second plane, and a shared air cavity bounded at least partially by these three planes. Each fan pulls air into the shared air cavity through the intake plane and across its associated heat exchanger. The first fan cools the first heat exchanger, and counteracts the second fan from drawing air into the shared air cavity through the first heat exchanger. The second fan cools the second heat exchanger. The second fan can be activated to counteract the first fan from drawing air into the shared air cavity through the second heat exchanger. All the air in the shared air cavity can be available to each of the fans.