Shared Heat Transfer Circuit With Junction-Based Cooling Priority
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Solution Overview
Problem
The need for separate heat transfer assemblies for different heat-dissipating components in industrial facilities like wind turbines leads to higher costs and maintenance expenses, as each assembly requires fluid lines, pumps, valves, and control interfaces, especially in offshore installations.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer arrangement that connects multiple heat-dissipating components into a single fluid line circuit with a fluid line junction, where outflow lines from heat exchangers join at an acute angle, ensuring cooler fluid is directed to high-priority components and warmer fluid to low-priority components without additional valves or control means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate heat transfer assemblies are provided for different heat-dissipating components, then each component group can be cooled independently, but the overall system complexity and cost increase due to multiple fluid lines, pumps, valves, and control interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate heat transfer assemblies into a single integrated heat transfer arrangement. Multiple heat-dissipating components from different component groups are connected to a common fluid line circuit that shares fluid lines, pumps, and control interfaces. This consolidation maintains the ability to independently cool different component groups while eliminating redundant system elements, thereby reducing overall system complexity and cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate heat transfer assemblies are provided for different heat-dissipating components, then each component can be cooled according to its specific requirements, but maintenance and repair costs increase particularly for offshore installations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple heat transfer assemblies into a shared system where common fluid lines, pumps, and control interfaces serve multiple component groups. This reduces the total number of components that require maintenance and repair. The system maintains adaptability to different cooling requirements through the manifold configuration that can direct cooled fluid to different component groups as needed.
3Device complexity
If a common fluid line is used to connect multiple heat exchangers to different component groups, then system complexity is reduced, but temperature distribution control becomes challenging without additional valves and control means
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing thermally adaptive connections at the component group level through manifold structures. Each component group can receive appropriately temperature-adjusted coolant through localized thermal management features in the manifold, allowing temperature control without requiring additional valves or complex control systems in the common fluid line.
4Reliability
If heat transfer fluid is circulated through separate fluid line circuits for different component groups, then each group receives optimized cooling, but the cost of fluid lines, pumps, and control interfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate fluid line circuits into a single common fluid line circuit that serves multiple component groups. The system uses a manifold configuration with thermally adaptive connections to distribute coolant efficiently to different component groups while sharing common fluid lines and pumps. This consolidation significantly reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating redundant components while maintaining optimized cooling for each component group.
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 arrangement achieves efficient, cost-effective cooling by prioritizing temperature-sensitive components, reducing the need for separate assemblies and minimizing operational costs while maintaining plant functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger arranged to circulate heat transfer fluid through the fluid line circuit; and a second heat exchanger arranged to circulate heat transfer fluid through the same fluid line circuit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention describes a heat transfer arrangement (1) for a first group (GL) and a second group (GH) of heat-dissipating components, comprising a fluid line circuit (14); a first heat exchanger (H1) arranged to circulate heat transfer fluid through the fluid line circuit (14); a second heat exchanger (H2) arranged to circulate heat transfer fluid through the fluid line circuit (14); wherein the fluid line circuit (14) includes a common fluid line (L12) comprising a first portion (L1) leading to a first component group (GL) and a second portion (L2) leading to a second component group (GH); and a fluid line junction (10) formed by the convergence of the outflow line (H1out) of the first heat exchanger (H1), the outflow line (H2out) of the second heat exchanger (H2), the first portion (L1) of the common fluid line (L12) and the second portion (L2) of the common fluid line (L12), wherein the outflow line (H1out, H2out) of each heat exchanger (H1, H2) subtends an acute angle (β, β1, β2) of at most 75° to the second portion (L2) of the common fluid line (L12).