Two-phase thermal pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems face inefficiencies due to the need for mechanical pumps, which consume energy and are costly to maintain, and open systems waste cryogenic fluids like liquid nitrogen by releasing vaporized gas, while closed systems refrain from using the cooling fluid as fuel.
Innovation Solution
A thermal system that uses a fluid vessel with a first heat exchanger to boil the cooling fluid, creating pressure that drives the fluid through the system without mechanical pumps, and a second heat exchanger to reject heat from a heat source, allowing the fluid to act as both a refrigerant and a fuel source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical pump is used to cycle the cooling fluid in a closed system, then the cooling fluid can be preserved and reused, but energy is consumed and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pump with a thermal pump mechanism that uses heat addition and removal to drive fluid circulation. The working fluid is heated in the evaporator to generate vapor pressure that propels the fluid through the system, eliminating the need for mechanical pumping while maintaining closed-loop fluid preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the working fluid between liquid and vapor states to create the driving force for circulation. Heating causes vaporization and pressure increase that pushes fluid forward, while cooling causes condensation that returns fluid to liquid state, creating a continuous thermodynamic cycle without mechanical pumps
2Quantity of substance
If liquid nitrogen is stored in a tank with a relief valve to maintain saturation conditions, then the majority of nitrogen remains in liquid state, but vaporized nitrogen is released into ambient causing waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage function with the heat exchange function by using the evaporator as both a heat exchanger and a containment vessel. The working fluid that would otherwise be vented is instead directed through heat exchange coils where it condenses and returns to liquid state, combining waste recovery with thermal management
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers the working fluid that would normally be discarded through the relief valve. The vaporized fluid is captured by the evaporator's heat exchange coils, condensed back to liquid state, and returned to the storage tank, transforming a loss mechanism into a recovery cycle
3Use of energy by moving object
If the cooling fluid is used as fuel in open systems, then energy can be recovered, but the cooling power of the system is depleted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous circulation and reuse of the working fluid through the closed thermodynamic cycle. The fluid continuously transitions between evaporator and condenser, maintaining constant availability for both cooling and potential fuel use without depletion, as each cycle regenerates the fluid's cooling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The working fluid serves multiple functions within the same closed system: it acts as a refrigerant for cooling, as a heat transfer medium, and as a potential fuel source. The same fluid that provides cooling power can be combusted to generate the heat needed to drive the thermal pump, creating a multi-functional system
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 solution eliminates the need for mechanical pumps, reduces energy consumption, and allows the cooling fluid to be used as a fuel, enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the cooling system by utilizing thermal energy for fluid circulation and heat rejection.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid vessel with a first heat exchanger to boil the cooling fluid, creating pressure that drives the fluid through the system
Implementation Method 2
a second heat exchanger to reject heat from a heat source
Implementation Method 3
The thermal energy storage system can store thermal energy in a latent heat storage medium in a first phase state at a first location, and can transfer the thermal energy to a second location
Data Source
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AI summary
A fluid storage tank can be configured to store a cooling fluid in a liquid state and a gas state. A first heat exchanger can be configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank. A second heat exchanger can be disposed fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the cooling fluid and a heat load. A pressure control device can be disposed fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger can be fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger such that cooling fluid, after being heated in the second heat exchanger, passes through the first heat exchanger and thereby heats upstream cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank.