Phase Change Thermal Capacitor Cooling for Peak Load Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for electronic components with high peak thermal loads are often oversized and heavy, particularly in aerospace applications, and may experience reduced component life due to temperature fluctuations, with additional issues during loss-of-coolant events.
Innovation Solution
A cooling apparatus comprising a thermal spreader in contact with the electronic component, a thermal capacitor for heat storage during peak loads, and a cold plate for heat dissipation, which uses a phase change material to absorb and store heat during peak conditions and dissipate it during non-peak conditions, minimizing bulk and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling systems are oversized to handle peak thermal loads, then component reliability is improved, but system weight and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal capacitor is pre-charged during non-peak periods when the cooling system operates at reduced capacity, storing thermal energy in advance. This preliminary action allows the system to handle peak loads without requiring the cooling infrastructure to be continuously oversized, thereby reducing overall system weight while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the operational parameters of the cooling system by using the thermal capacitor to buffer thermal loads. During peak periods, the capacitor discharges to supplement cooling capacity, allowing the main cooling system to operate at lower capacity levels, which reduces the required size and weight of the cooling infrastructure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional cooling systems are oversized for peak loads, then component temperature stability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into three distinct functional modules: the thermal spreader for heat distribution, the thermal capacitor for energy storage, and the cooling system for active cooling. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture compared to a monolithic oversized cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal capacitor acts as an intermediary element between the thermal spreader and the cooling system. It buffers thermal fluctuations and decouples the peak load requirements from the continuous cooling capacity, thereby stabilizing temperatures without requiring the cooling system to be continuously oversized or complex.
3Reliability
If additional cooling components are added to handle loss-of-coolant events, then component reliability is improved, but system weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal capacitor provides beforehand cushioning by storing thermal energy during normal operation that can be released during loss-of-coolant events. This pre-stored energy acts as a buffer that protects components during transient cooling failures without requiring additional redundant cooling components, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing weight.
4Power
If conventional cooling systems use colder or more efficient coolant, then peak load cooling capacity is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts cooling capacity by utilizing the thermal capacitor to supplement the cooling system during peak loads. This dynamic approach allows the use of a less complex, lower-capacity cooling system that can be augmented on-demand, rather than requiring a continuously high-capacity complex cooling system throughout all operating conditions.
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 allows for efficient cooling of electronic components during both peak and non-peak conditions with reduced bulk and weight, and maintains component safety during loss-of-coolant events by utilizing a thermal capacitor to store heat, thereby extending component life and reducing cooling system size.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal capacitor, and a cold plate. The cold plate dissipates heat, and the thermal capacitor stores heat in a phase transition during peak loads and reduced coolant events.
Implementation Method 2
A thermal spreader is in thermal contact with an electronic component to be cooled, a thermal capacitor, and a cold plate.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooling assembly (10) comprises an electronic component (12), a thermal spreader (14), a cold plate (16), and a phase change thermal capacitor (18). The thermal spreader conducts heat freely between the electronic component, the phase change thermal capacitor, and the cold plate. The cold plate dissipates heat. The phase change thermal capacitor stores undissipated heat in a phase transition of a phase change material.