Phase Change Heat Exchangers for Rapid Vehicle Heat Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems for vehicles, particularly those with high peak energy consumption like laser directed energy weapons, struggle with rapid heat dissipation due to space and weight restrictions, limiting their operation.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management apparatus utilizing a plurality of phase change heat exchange units thermally coupled to a primary cooling system, controlled by a manifold and a controller, which selectively directs heat to individual units based on capacity and operational requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a primary cooling system is used to manage heat from high peak energy consumption systems, then heat dissipation capacity is improved, but the system cannot handle rapid heat generation due to space and weight restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple phase change heat exchange units that can be independently activated. Each unit contains phase change material that absorbs heat during phase transition, providing distributed thermal management capacity that can be scaled to match heat generation rates without increasing overall system weight or volume.
Solution Approach 2:
Phase change materials are pre-positioned in heat exchange units before thermal events occur. When heat generation is detected, these pre-positioned materials immediately begin absorbing heat through phase change, providing rapid thermal response without requiring active cooling components to be activated during the thermal event.
2Temperature
If more cooling capacity is added to handle rapid heat generation, then temperature control is improved, but space and weight requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes phase change materials that absorb large amounts of heat during phase transition (e.g., solid to liquid) at constant temperature. This latent heat absorption provides high cooling capacity per unit mass, enabling effective temperature control without proportionally increasing system weight compared to conventional sensible heat cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change heat exchange units are designed as replaceable, modular components. When a unit's phase change material is exhausted, the entire unit can be quickly replaced rather than requiring complex regeneration systems, providing a practical solution for maintaining cooling capacity without the weight penalty of sophisticated thermal management infrastructure.
3Temperature
If a single large cooling system is used, then cooling capacity is improved, but flexibility in locating and adapting to different operational requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent phase change heat exchange units that can be distributed to different locations within the vehicle or platform. Each unit can be independently activated based on local thermal requirements, providing both adequate cooling capacity and operational flexibility without requiring a single large centralized cooling system.
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
Enables flexible and efficient heat management, allowing systems like laser directed energy weapons to operate within their temperature limits by rapidly absorbing and managing heat, while minimizing space and weight requirements.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal management apparatus for use with a vehicle comprises a plurality of phase change heat exchange units, also known as phase change heat exchangers, that are thermally coupled with a vehicle system that requires thermal management
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a thermal management apparatus for use with a vehicle, the apparatus comprising a plurality of phase change heat exchange units thermally coupled with a vehicle system that requires thermal management, the plurality of phase change heat exchange units operable to remove heat from the vehicle system.