Phosphate ester heat transfer fluids and their use in an immersion cooling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cooling systems for electrical componentry, such as lithium-ion batteries, face challenges with high flammability, low electrical resistivity, and inefficient heat dissipation, particularly under high loading conditions, which can lead to thermal runaway and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer fluid comprising a mixture of phosphate esters with specific alkyl and phenyl substitutions is developed, offering low flammability, high electrical resistivity, and low viscosity, suitable for immersion cooling systems, along with a circulating system design that includes a reservoir and pipeline for efficient heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water/glycol solutions are used as heat transfer fluid in indirect cooling systems, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but electrical safety deteriorates due to high conductivity and risk of short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electrically insulating coolant as an intermediary substance that transfers heat from battery cells without conducting electricity. This mediator fluid contains suspended particles that enhance thermal conductivity while the fluid matrix maintains electrical insulation, thus resolving the contradiction between heat dissipation efficiency and electrical safety by decoupling thermal and electrical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite coolant consisting of a base fluid combined with suspended particles. This composite material achieves high thermal conductivity through the particles while maintaining electrical insulation through the non-conductive base fluid, thereby simultaneously improving heat dissipation efficiency and electrical safety.
2Reliability
If traditional phosphate esters (trimethyl phosphate, tripropyl phosphate) are used as immersion coolant, then electrical resistivity is improved, but flammability deteriorates due to low flash point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines traditional phosphate esters with electrically insulating particles to create a composite coolant. This composite maintains the high electrical resistivity of the phosphate ester base while the particle suspension enhances thermal properties and the overall formulation achieves improved flammability resistance, thus resolving the contradiction between electrical resistivity and flammability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the coolant by adjusting particle concentration, size distribution, and composition ratios. These parameter changes optimize the balance between electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and flammability resistance, transforming the traditional phosphate ester into an improved composite coolant that meets all safety requirements.
3Device complexity
If indirect cooling systems are used for high capacity batteries, then system complexity is reduced, but heat removal efficiency deteriorates under high loading conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a direct immersion cooling system where the coolant directly contacts the battery cells, eliminating the need for intermediate heat transfer components. This hydraulic approach allows the coolant to directly absorb heat from the battery surfaces, significantly improving heat removal efficiency under high loading conditions while maintaining relatively simple system architecture through the use of a circulating pump and heat exchanger.
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 phosphate ester-based heat transfer fluid effectively manages heat dissipation in electrical componentry, preventing thermal runaway and ensuring safe operation under high load conditions, with properties like high flash point, low pour point, and high DC resistivity, enhancing the efficiency and safety of immersion cooling systems.
Implementation Method 1
The heat transfer fluid comprises a mixture of phosphate esters... effectively manages heat dissipation in electrical componentry
Implementation Method 2
a circulating system capable of circulating the heat transfer fluid out of the reservoir, through a circulating pipeline
Data Source
AI summary
A heat transfer fluid for immersion cooling of electrical componentry includes a mixture of certain trialkyl phosphate esters and triaryl phosphate esters. Also disclosed is an immersion cooling system employing the heat transfer fluid and a method of cooling electrical componentry using the immersion cooling system. The mixture of phosphate esters of the present disclosure exhibits favorable properties in a circulating immersion cooling system, such as low flammability, low pour point, high electrical resistivity and low viscosity for pumpability.