Variable Vacuum Capacitor Pumped Oil Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing variable vacuum capacitors face limitations in handling higher power and longer operating life, especially in modern plasma processes, due to inadequate cooling systems that are not suitable for high-vacuum environments and do not effectively manage the moving bellows of variable vacuum capacitors.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a pumped cooling system that circulates heat transfer liquid through a heat exchanger, allowing for active cooling of the bellows, which can operate over a wider temperature range and vary cooling rates based on current and temperature, thereby extending the device's power handling and longevity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If water cooling is provided by passing water through pipes near the base of the compensation volume and heat is drawn from the bellows using heat pipes, then the operating power of the device can be extended, but the device cannot operate at significantly higher currents or power levels without incurring a penalty of shortened device life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the passive heat pipe-based cooling system with an active pumped liquid cooling system. A pump circulates liquid through channels formed in the bellows structure, enabling more effective heat removal at higher power levels while maintaining device longevity. This substitution of the cooling mechanism allows the bellows to dissipate the increased heat generated at 650A RF current without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements hydraulic cooling by circulating liquid through the bellows structure. Liquid cooling channels are formed directly in the bellows, and a pump circulates the coolant through these channels, providing efficient heat transfer from the high-power RF components. This hydraulic cooling approach enables the system to handle significantly higher power levels while maintaining acceptable operating temperatures and device life.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the internal volume of the bellows changes as the mobile electrode is moved up and down, then a compensation volume is provided to accommodate excess oil, but the cooling system is not suitable for high-vacuum environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into the bellows structure: it maintains vacuum sealing, provides volume compensation for oil expansion/contraction, serves as a heat transfer medium container, and acts as a cooling channel pathway. The bellows structure is designed with internal cooling channels that allow liquid circulation while maintaining its primary functions of vacuum sealing and volume compensation, making the system suitable for high-power vacuum applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are nested within the bellows structure itself. The liquid cooling pathways are formed inside the bellows walls, allowing the cooling function to be embedded within the existing vacuum-sealed structure. This nested arrangement enables efficient heat removal without compromising the vacuum integrity or the volume compensation capability of the bellows.
3Temperature
If heat pipes are used to transfer heat from the oil in the main bellows to the vicinity of the water circuit, then cooling is provided, but the cooling rate cannot be varied based on current and temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a static heat pipe-based cooling system to a dynamic pumped liquid cooling system. The pump allows the cooling rate to be adjusted by varying the liquid flow rate through the bellows channels. This dynamic control enables the system to adapt to varying thermal loads corresponding to different RF current levels and operating temperatures, providing optimal cooling under different operating conditions while extending device life.
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 enables the variable vacuum capacitor to operate at significantly higher currents and power levels without compromising its longevity, offering improved cooling efficiency and adaptability compared to prior art systems.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer fluid circuit is provided for circulating the heat transfer fluid (e.g. oil) through heat exchange channels (8) of the heat exchanger, such that heat is transferred from the oil to the water
Implementation Method 2
A heat transfer fluid circuit is provided for circulating the heat transfer fluid (e.g. oil) through heat exchange channels (8) of the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
By pumping the heat transfer liquid (eg oil) through the bellows and to a heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A variable vacuum capacitor is described in which oil inside the main bellows (21) is pumped through the bellows and through the oil circuit (8) of a heat exchanger by a pump (15). Water passes through coolant channels (6) of the heat exchanger, from inlet (7) to outlet (7′). The extendable capacitor drive shaft (14) is hollow and serves as a conduit, conveying the oil to the bottom of the (bellows 21), thereby ensuring a full circulation of the oil right through the bellows and then through the heat exchanger. Pump drive means (9) may be a gerotor hydraulic motor, coupled to a gerotor oil pump (15) via magnetic coupling (22). Pumping heat transfer fluid (oil) through the bellows allows the capacitor to operate at significantly higher currents and/or lower temperatures, and significantly extends the life of the device.