Spacecraft Electronics Pressure Vessel With Forced Immersion Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing space-environment ruggedizing containers and immersion cooling devices fail to efficiently shield against cosmic rays and neutrons while effectively dissipating heat, and immersion cooling systems are complex and weight-heavy, making them unsuitable for zero-gravity space environments.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vessel filled with coolant immerses heat-generating electronic circuits, using a forced liquid-flow generator to circulate coolant, providing radiation shielding and efficient heat dissipation by preventing the dry-out phenomenon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a metal wall container is used to shield cosmic rays, then radiation shielding is improved, but heat dissipation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines radiation shielding and heat dissipation functions into a single integrated structure. The pressure vessel wall is designed to simultaneously provide cosmic ray shielding through its material composition and thickness, while embedded cooling channels within the same wall structure enable efficient heat removal from the electronic equipment, eliminating the need for separate shielding and cooling systems
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure vessel structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical containment, radiation shielding against cosmic rays, and integrated heat dissipation through embedded cooling channels. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by making the shielding structure itself capable of heat removal, rather than treating shielding and cooling as separate competing requirements
2Temperature
If immersion cooling is used to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are integrated directly into the pressure vessel wall structure rather than being separate components. This merging of cooling infrastructure with the structural vessel eliminates the need for separate cooling system components, reducing overall system complexity and weight while maintaining effective heat dissipation
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure vessel structure itself provides the cooling function through embedded channels, making the structure self-sufficient for both shielding and thermal management. The vessel wall serves its own cooling needs without requiring external cooling infrastructure, simplifying the overall system
3Temperature
If immersion cooling is used in zero-gravity environment, then heat dissipation is improved, but dry-out phenomenon occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces gravity-dependent natural convection with forced liquid flow generated by a pump. The pump actively circulates coolant through the embedded channels in the pressure vessel wall, ensuring reliable heat removal in the zero-gravity space environment where natural convection and boiling would fail due to the dry-out phenomenon
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a hydraulically-driven forced flow mechanism where a pump circulates liquid coolant through the cooling channels. This hydraulic approach ensures continuous coolant movement and heat transfer reliability in microgravity, replacing the gravity-dependent thermal convection and phase-change cooling that would be unreliable in space
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 solution achieves both radiation shielding and immersion cooling effects, ensuring stable operation of electronic equipment in space by efficiently dissipating heat and moderating cosmic rays, even in zero-gravity conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure vessel that is filled with a coolant and places at least a heat-generating electronic circuit of the electronic equipment within the pressure vessel, wherein the heat-generating electronic circuit is immersed in the coolant
Implementation Method 2
a forced liquid-flow generator placed within the pressure vessel, wherein the forced liquid-flow generator causes the coolant on the heat-generating electronic circuit to move away from the heat-generating electronic circuit
Implementation Method 3
achieves both radiation shielding and immersion cooling effects, ensuring stable operation of electronic equipment in space by efficiently dissipating heat and moderating cosmic rays
Data Source
AI summary
A ruggedizing apparatus for electronic equipment in a spacecraft is provided that can achieve both a radiation shielding effect and a heat-dissipation effect. The ruggedizing apparatus includes: a pressure vessel that is filled with a coolant and places at least a heat-generating electronic circuit of the electronic equipment within the pressure vessel, wherein the heat-generating electronic circuit is immersed in the coolant; and a forced liquid-flow generator placed within the pressure vessel, wherein the forced liquid-flow generator causes the coolant on the heat-generating electronic circuit to move away from the heat-generating electronic circuit.