Supercooled thermal storage for high load short duration cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Directed energy weapons (DEWs) generate significant heat during operation, leading to oversized, inefficient, and heavy thermal management systems due to large thermal transients, which are not effectively managed by existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a closed loop configuration, including a heat exchanger, storage reservoir with thermal material, and control valve, allowing for adjustable thermal fluid circulation and temperature control, with a secondary system for efficient heat transfer and mode switching between firing and charging modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a thermal management system is sized to handle large thermal transients from DEW operation, then the cooling capability during firing is improved, but the system becomes significantly oversized, inefficient and heavy for normal operating modes
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is divided into two functional segments: a thermal storage reservoir that handles large thermal transients during firing, and a secondary cooling system that manages baseline cooling during normal operation. This segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized for its specific operating regime, preventing the need for an oversized system that must handle peak loads continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal storage reservoir is pre-charged with cooled thermal material before firing operations begin. This preliminary cooling action allows the reservoir to absorb large thermal transients during firing without requiring the secondary cooling system to be oversized. The storage reservoir acts as a thermal buffer that is prepared in advance to handle peak loads.
2Duration of action of moving object
If a thermal management system is designed for sustained cooling operation, then continuous cooling capability is improved, but the system becomes inefficient for brief operating intervals with long quiescent periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates in periodic cycles alternating between firing mode (brief intervals requiring intense cooling) and quiescent mode (long intervals requiring minimal cooling). During firing, the pre-charged thermal storage reservoir provides immediate cooling. During quiescent periods, the reservoir is gradually recharged by the secondary cooling system, which operates at reduced capacity, optimizing energy efficiency across the complete operational cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes its cooling capacity parameters to match operational demands. The control valve adjusts the flow rate of thermal management fluid through the storage reservoir based on whether the DEW is in firing or quiescent mode, allowing the system to optimize its energy consumption profile across different operational phases.
3Device complexity
If a thermal management system uses a fixed flow rate through the storage reservoir, then system simplicity is maintained, but the ability to control temperature during thermal transients is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve introduces dynamic adjustability to the thermal management system, allowing the flow rate of thermal management fluid through the storage reservoir to be varied in response to operational conditions. This dynamic control enables precise temperature management during thermal transients while maintaining relatively simple system architecture, as the valve provides active control without requiring complex multi-component assemblies.
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 efficiently manages thermal loads, reducing size and power requirements, allowing for sustained operation while protecting onboard components from thermal transients.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the directed energy weapon... transferring heat from the thermal management fluid to the thermal material
Implementation Method 2
A storage reservoir contains a thermal material... The storage reservoir is thermally coupled to a secondary system
Implementation Method 3
The control valve is adjustable to control a temperature of the thermal management fluid provided to the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 4
the secondary system further comprises a cooling coil thermally coupled to the storage reservoir
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A thermal management system for a directed energy weapon (22) includes a heat exchanger (24) thermally coupled to the directed energy weapon. The heat exchanger has a heat exchanger inlet (36) and a heat exchanger outlet (28). A storage reservoir (26) contains a thermal material. An outlet (34) of the storage reservoir is arranged in fluid communication with the heat exchanger to form a closed loop having a thermal management fluid circulating therethrough. The storage reservoir is thermally coupled to a secondary system (40). A control valve (50) is positioned downstream from the outlet of the storage reservoir. The control valve is adjustable to control a temperature of the thermal management fluid provided to the heat exchanger.