Two-Phase Thermal Pump Using Phase Change for Pump-Free Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closed cooling systems rely on energy-consuming pumps, which are costly to maintain and unreliable, and they cannot utilize the cooling fluid as fuel, leading to inefficiencies and waste.
Innovation Solution
A thermal system that includes a fluid storage tank, a first heat exchanger to release heat into the tank, a second heat exchanger to exchange heat between the cooling fluid and a heat load, and a pressure control device, where the heated cooling fluid is used to heat the upstream cooling fluid in the storage tank, potentially using combusted cooling fluid to control the heating rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fluid pump is used to cycle the cooling fluid in a closed system, then the cooling fluid can be circulated and reused, but the system consumes energy and requires maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mechanical pump from the system entirely, extracting the problematic component that consumes energy and requires maintenance. Instead, the system uses natural convection and phase change mechanisms to circulate the cooling fluid, eliminating the need for active pumping while maintaining reliable fluid circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical pump system with a thermal-driven circulation system. The cooling fluid is circulated through phase change (evaporation and condensation) and natural convection currents created by temperature differences, substituting mechanical energy with thermal energy for fluid movement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If liquid nitrogen is stored in a tank and allowed to vaporize, then the tank can maintain saturation conditions, but the vaporized nitrogen is released into ambient causing waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a continuous cycle where vaporized nitrogen is not released but instead condensed back into liquid form and returned to the storage tank. This continuous circulation ensures that the cooling effect is sustained while preventing nitrogen loss to the environment, transforming a wasteful one-way process into a reusable cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the vaporized nitrogen to the ambient environment, the system recovers it by condensing the vapor back into liquid form and returning it to the storage tank. This recovery process eliminates nitrogen loss while maintaining the saturation conditions needed for effective cooling.
3Loss of energy
If the cooling fluid is used as fuel through combustion, then energy efficiency is improved, but the rate of combustion must be controlled to manage temperature and pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback control mechanisms that monitor temperature and pressure conditions and adjust the combustion rate accordingly. When temperature or pressure exceeds safe thresholds, the system reduces or stops combustion, creating a self-regulating system that manages the complexity of combustion control while maximizing energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to self-regulate the combustion process by using the thermal and pressure conditions generated during combustion to automatically control the fuel feed rate. The high temperature and pressure conditions naturally limit further combustion, creating a self-limiting process that reduces the need for complex external control systems.
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 for the utilization of the cooling fluid as fuel, enhancing efficiency and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank
Implementation Method 2
a second heat exchanger disposed fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the cooling fluid and a heat load
Implementation Method 3
One of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger or a second cooling fluid different than the first cooling fluid can pass through the first heat exchanger and thereby heats upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank
Implementation Method 4
a pressure control device disposed fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger
Data Source
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. One of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger or a second cooling fluid different than the first cooling fluid can pass through the first heat exchanger and thereby heat upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank.