Visualization System Component Cooling via Sealed Thermal Conduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing visualization system components, such as camera control units and light source units, face challenges in efficiently cooling electronic devices while preventing dust and pathogen ingress, which can lead to electrical failures and contamination.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an air-tight interior within the system component, utilizing internal air circulation generated by a fan to absorb waste heat from heat sources and transfer it to a primary heat sink for external heat conduction, along with the use of a cooling line filled with coolant that ends within the interior, ensuring efficient heat dissipation without compromising air-tightness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If fans are used to cause ambient air flow to heat sources for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but dust particles can enter the interior and deposit on light sources or electronic devices
Solution Approach 1:
The interior is divided into a sealed cooling chamber that is separated from the external environment. The housing encloses the heat sources and cooling components within this sealed segment, preventing dust ingress while maintaining effective cooling through internal air circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal conductor element acts as an intermediary between the heat sources and the external environment. This mediator transfers heat from the enclosed interior to the exterior without requiring direct air flow between the sealed interior and external environment, thus preventing dust ingress while maintaining cooling efficiency.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the interior is completely sealed to prevent dust ingress, then contamination is reduced, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal conductor element serves as a mediator that enables heat transfer from the sealed interior to the external environment without requiring air flow through the housing. This allows the interior to remain completely sealed against dust and pathogens while waste heat is efficiently conducted through the thermal conductor to the exterior.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical air flow system (fans moving ambient air through the interior) is replaced with a thermal conduction system. Heat is removed through direct thermal conduction via the thermal conductor element rather than through convective air flow, allowing complete sealing of the interior.
3Loss of energy
If cooling lines are led outside the interior for heat dissipation, then heat removal efficiency is improved, but air-tightness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal conductor element acts as an intermediary that provides a heat transfer pathway from the interior heat sources to the external environment without requiring physical openings in the housing. This maintains air-tightness and reliability while enabling efficient waste heat removal through thermal conduction.
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 effectively prevents dust ingress, reduces the risk of electrical failures and contamination, while maintaining efficient cooling of electronic devices, ensuring reliable operation and easy maintenance by transporting waste heat externally through heat conduction.
Implementation Method 1
an internal air circulation (16) which is used for absorbing waste heat from the at least one heat source (14) and for conducting the waste heat to an inner side of a primary heat sink (15)
Implementation Method 2
waste heat from the at least one heat source (14) is transported by means of a cooling line (29), which is arranged in the interior (4) and is filled with coolant, and/or by using the internal air circulation (16)
Implementation Method 3
the waste heat is released from the interior (4) to the outside through the primary heat sink (15) using heat conduction
Data Source
AI summary
For increasing the operational reliability of a system component such as a light source unit or a camera control unit of a visualization system, waste heat produced by at least one heat source, which is arranged in an interior of the system component that is closed off to the outside, preferably so as to be air-tight, is transported by a cooling line, which is arranged in the interior and is filled with coolant, and/or by using an internal air circulation effected with appropriately, to a primary heat sink arranged in the interior, and the waste heat is then released from the interior to the outside through the primary heat sink using heat conduction. An efficient cooling of the at least one heat source can be achieved thereby; in addition, the heat source remains largely protected from external ambient influences, in particular it remains protected against dust.