Swirl-Generator Water Jacket for Uniform Cooling Along Heat Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water jackets with turbulent flow generating members at inlets struggle to maintain cooling efficiency across the entire cooling fluid jacket due to the decrease in turbulent flow effects as the cooling fluid flows through curved flow channels around heat generating parts.
Innovation Solution
A water jacket design featuring a cooling fluid flow channel with linearly extending main flow channel pipes, each equipped with a swirl generator having protrusions that deflect the cooling fluid flow to generate swirls, improving thermal transfer and maintaining efficient cooling across the entire jacket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a turbulent flow generating member is provided at the inlet of a wide cooling fluid jacket, then the cooling fluid flows in substantially evenly initially, but the turbulent flow effects decrease as the fluid flows through curved flow channels, reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling fluid jacket is segmented into multiple linear main flow channel pipes arranged along the outer surface of the heat generating part. Each pipe is equipped with its own swirl generator, dividing the cooling function into independent segments that maintain turbulent flow locally throughout their entire length, preventing the decay of turbulence effects in long curved channels.
Solution Approach 2:
Swirl generators are installed at the inlet end of each main flow channel pipe to preliminarily generate swirl flows before the cooling fluid enters the linear flow channel. This preliminary action ensures that turbulent flow is established at the beginning of each segment, maximizing the duration and effectiveness of turbulent cooling throughout the entire pipe length.
2Temperature
If protrusions are added to main flow channel pipes to generate swirls, then thermal transfer is improved and cooling efficiency increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Protrusions are strategically placed only at specific locations within each main flow channel pipe - specifically at the inlet end where swirl generators are positioned. This localized application of complexity achieves the desired swirl flow and thermal transfer improvement without making the entire flow channel structure unnecessarily complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The swirl generator is merged with the main flow channel pipe structure, with protrusions integrated directly into the pipe wall. This combining of the swirl-generating function with the flow channel structure itself eliminates the need for separate, complex swirl-generating devices, thereby improving thermal transfer while controlling overall device complexity.
3Area of stationary object
If a wide cooling fluid jacket is used to surround the heat generating part, then cooling coverage is improved, but turbulent flow effects decrease along the curved flow path, reducing overall cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The wide cooling fluid jacket is segmented into multiple linear main flow channel pipes that are arranged to collectively cover the outer surface of the heat generating part. This segmentation maintains a large total cooling coverage area while replacing curved flow paths with linear ones, allowing turbulent flow effects to be maintained throughout each segment via locally installed swirl generators.
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 water jacket design enhances cooling efficiency by maintaining swirl generation throughout the flow channel, reducing temperature gradients, and improving thermal transfer, while also ensuring durability and smooth fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
a swirl generator (for example, a swirl generator 4 described later) that deflects a flow of the cooling fluid in one of circumferential directions of each of the main flow channel pipes to generate swirls
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling fluid flow channel inside a housing includes: a plurality of main flow channel pipes each disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the heat generating part, and each arranged along the outer surface of the heat generating part; an inflow-side collecting pipe; and an outflow-side collecting pipe. The plurality of main flow channel pipes each have, in its inside and adjacent to each of the upstream-side ends, a swirl generator. The swirl generator has a plurality of protrusions respectively disposed, along an inner wall surface of each of the main flow channel pipes and respectively protruding toward a center, in radial directions, of each of the main flow channel pipes. The plurality of protrusions respectively have tips being separated from each other to have a through flow channel allowing the cooling fluid, in the radial directions, of each of the main flow channel pipes.