Phase-Change Thermal Storage Loop for Short-Duration DEW Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Directed energy weapons (DEWs) generate significant heat during operation, leading to oversized, inefficient, and heavy thermal management systems due to large thermal transients, which are inefficient and unsuitable for sustained operation.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a closed loop configuration, including a first heat exchanger coupled to the DEW, a second heat exchanger connected to a secondary system, and a thermal storage device, utilizing a thermal management fluid and phase change materials to manage heat during firing and charging modes, allowing for adaptive cooling based on material state changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a thermal management system is designed to handle large thermal transients during firing mode, then the thermal load of the DEW is managed, but the system becomes significantly oversized, inefficient and heavy for normal operating modes
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is divided into two functional segments: a thermal storage device (reservoir) that handles transient thermal loads during firing mode, and a secondary thermal management system that handles steady-state cooling during charging mode. This segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized for its specific operational requirement, preventing the need for an oversized system that must handle peak loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal storage reservoir is pre-filled with thermal management fluid before operation. During firing mode, this pre-stored fluid immediately absorbs thermal transients without requiring the secondary system to be oversized. The preliminary preparation of the thermal storage device enables rapid response to thermal loads while keeping the secondary system compact.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the thermal management system is sized for sustained operation, then continuous cooling is provided, but the system is inefficient and heavy for brief firing intervals
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates in periodic cycles alternating between firing mode (brief intervals requiring high cooling power) and charging mode (long intervals with minimal cooling requirements). The thermal storage reservoir is replenished during charging mode and discharged during firing mode, enabling the system to meet peak demands without continuous high-power operation, thus improving overall efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters by switching between two modes: during firing mode, the thermal storage reservoir provides high cooling capacity to handle thermal transients; during charging mode, the secondary system operates at reduced capacity to maintain fluid temperature. This parameter switching optimizes energy efficiency across different operational phases.
3Productivity
If a thermal storage device is added to the closed loop system, then thermal loads are managed more efficiently, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management fluid serves multiple functions: it cools the DEW during firing mode by absorbing thermal transients in the reservoir, and it is re-cooled during charging mode by the secondary system. This multi-functionality of the same fluid and system components increases thermal management efficiency without requiring separate systems for each function, thereby limiting complexity growth.
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 manages thermal loads, reducing the size and power requirements of the thermal management system, enabling efficient operation and protecting onboard components from thermal transients by optimizing cooling based on the DEW's operational modes.
Implementation Method 1
the material within the thermal storage device is a phase change material
Implementation Method 2
the phase change material transforming to a first state during the charging mode and the phase change material transforming to a second state during the firing mode
Implementation Method 3
a first heat exchanger thermally coupled to the directed energy weapon and a second heat exchanger arranged in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger
Data Source
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AI summary
A thermal management system for a directed energy weapon includes a first heat exchanger (24) thermally coupled to the directed energy weapon and a second heat exchanger (26) arranged in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger to form a closed loop. The second heat exchanger is thermally coupled to a secondary system and a thermal management fluid circulates within the closed loop. A thermal storage device (50) is arranged in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. The thermal storage device contains a material and a mode of operation of the directed energy weapon is dependent on a condition of the material in the thermal storage device.