Porous Metal Temperature Control Unit for Uniform Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional temperature control units face issues with uneven cooling or heating due to low dispersiveness of refrigerants or heating media, leading to non-uniform temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A temperature control unit is designed with a porous metal body, a housing, and strategically arranged heat transfer medium introduction and discharge ports, including a dispersion area and buffer area, to ensure uniform heat exchange and flow rate management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a conventional cooling mechanism with a housing and refrigerant-introducing means is used, then the cooling member can be made compact and thin with localized cooling capability, but uneven cooling occurs due to low dispersiveness of the refrigerant in the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a porous metal body (such as a sintered metal plate or metal foam) within the housing to serve as a heat transfer medium distribution structure. The porous structure naturally disperses the refrigerant or heating medium throughout the housing volume, ensuring uniform temperature control while maintaining the compact design. The porous material's high surface area to volume ratio enhances heat transfer efficiency across the entire cooling member surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If the dispersiveness of heat transfer medium in the housing is increased to achieve uniform temperature control, then the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The porous metal body serves as a simple yet effective structure that inherently provides uniform heat transfer medium distribution. Rather than adding complex flow distribution channels or multiple injection points, the porous material's natural structure achieves the desired uniformity. This maintains manufacturing simplicity while ensuring even cooling or heating across the entire surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and flow characteristics of the heat transfer medium by using a porous medium. The porous structure modifies the flow parameters (velocity distribution, pressure distribution) of the refrigerant or heating medium, transforming a potentially uneven flow pattern into a uniform distribution without requiring complex mechanical control systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If a porous metal body is introduced to improve heat transfer medium dispersiveness, then uniform temperature control is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The porous metal body performs multiple functions simultaneously: it distributes the heat transfer medium uniformly, provides a large surface area for heat exchange, structurally supports the housing, and can serve as part of the thermal management system itself. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving uniform temperature control.
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 configuration enables highly uniform temperature control by effectively dispersing the heat transfer medium and managing flow rates, preventing uneven cooling or heating.
Implementation Method 1
an inner side of the main surface contacts the porous metal body, thereby exchanging heat between the porous metal body and outside
Implementation Method 2
a heat transfer medium dispersion area is provided between the heat transfer medium introduction port and the porous metal body
Data Source
AI summary
With an objective of obtaining a temperature control unit capable of highly uniform temperature control, provided is a temperature control unit (1) having a heat transfer medium introduction port (2) configured to introduce a heat transfer medium from outside, a temperature control mechanism (3) through which the heat transfer medium from the heat transfer medium introduction port (2) passes, and a heat transfer medium discharge port (4) configured to discharge the heat transfer medium from the temperature control mechanism (3) to outside, wherein: the temperature control mechanism (3) is provided with a porous metal body and a housing (5) configured to house the porous metal body; at least one main surface of the housing (5) is exposed to an outer side of the temperature control mechanism (3), and an inner side of the main surface contacts the porous metal body, thereby exchanging heat between the porous metal body and outside; and a heat transfer medium dispersion area (10) is provided between the heat transfer medium introduction port (2) and the porous metal body.