Pulsed Evaporative Cooling for Complex Heat Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems for objects in low-pressure environments, such as space exploration, lack effective control over temperature decrease and are not adaptable to complex shapes or small heat sources, leading to inefficiencies and limitations in cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that includes a heat conductive body with a tank of evaporation liquid under higher pressure than the environment, a controllable supply valve, and a control unit with temperature sensors to regulate the pulsed supply of evaporation liquid, allowing for precise temperature control and adaptation to various shapes and sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If evaporators are supplied by water evaporant from a reservoir under atmospheric pressure, then cooling function is provided, but the system is not adaptable to complex shapes and small heat sources
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent porous evaporator blocks that can be distributed and attached to different locations on the space vehicle surface, allowing adaptation to complex shapes while maintaining simple individual component design
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple evaporator blocks are strategically positioned at different locations on the space vehicle surface where heat dissipation is needed, providing localized cooling solutions tailored to specific heat source locations and surface geometry
2Temperature
If water evaporant is used in porous metal block evaporators, then heat dissipation is achieved, but control over temperature decrease is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulsing of the water supply to evaporator blocks, controlling the timing and duration of water supply to achieve precise temperature regulation rather than continuous supply
Solution Approach 2:
Temperature sensors monitor the thermal state of the space vehicle surface and provide feedback to the control system, which adjusts water supply to evaporators accordingly to maintain desired temperature levels
3Power
If metal blocks act as constant temperature heat sinks, then heat dissipation into space is achieved, but the system is not suitable for small heat sources
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system uses multiple small evaporator blocks instead of large heat sinks, allowing the cooling capacity to be scaled down to match small heat sources while maintaining effective heat dissipation
Solution Approach 2:
Small evaporator blocks are positioned close to small heat sources, providing localized heat dissipation capability matched to the scale and location of specific thermal loads
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 provides efficient and controllable temperature decrease for both small and large heat sources, including complex shapes, with minimal volume increase and easy installation, while maintaining durability and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
providing a pulsed supply of the evaporation liquid to the external surface of the body
Implementation Method 2
The cooling system also includes a controllable supply valve arranged within the conduit and configured for regulating a flow rate of egress of the evaporation liquid from the tank
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system (10) and method for cooling an external surface (11) of a heat conductive body (12) heated by a heat source is provided. The system includes a tank (13) containing an evaporation liquid (14), a conduit (15) suppling the evaporation liquid to the external surface of the body, a controllable supply valve (17) for regulating a flow rate of egress of the evaporation liquid from the tank, and a control unit (18) for controlling operation of the supply valve. The control unit includes a temperature sensor (181) producing a temperature sensor signal representative of the temperature of the body at the predetermined place; and a controller (182) capable of generating control signals for controlling operation of the controllable supply valve to provide a pulsed supply of the evaporation liquid to the external surface of the body for obtaining a desired temperature decrease of the body.