System and method for detecting leaks in a sealed coolant system
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorAlan W. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealed cooling system includes a coolant tank having a liquid space configured to hold liquid coolant, and a gas space configured to hold gas. A temperature sensor detects the temperature of the liquid coolant. A pressure sensor detects the pressure in the coolant tank. A processor compares the pressure in the coolant tank to predicted pressure in the coolant tank as a function of liquid coolant temperature. The processor determines and outputs a signal indicative of a leak in the sealed cooling system if the pressure in the coolant tank deviates from the predicted pressure in the coolant tank according to predetermined criteria.
Claims20
A sealed cooling system for use in an aerospace application, the sealed cooling system comprising:
- a coolant tank configured to hold a liquid coolant and a gas comprising at least one of air and liquid coolant vapor, the coolant tank comprising:
- a liquid coolant space configured to hold the liquid coolant;
- and
- a gas space configured to hold the gas;
- a heat source configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the liquid coolant;
- a heat exchanger configured to reject heat from the liquid coolant to an environment;
- a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure in the coolant tank and to output signals indicative of the pressure in the coolant tank as a function of time;
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature within the sealed cooling system and to output signals indicative of the temperature within the sealed cooling system as a function of time;
- and
- a processor configured to receive the signals indicative of the pressure and the signals indicative of the temperature and to provide an output indicative of a leak in the sealed cooling system based on detected changes in the pressure in the coolant tank as a function of detected changes in the temperature within the sealed cooling system compared to anticipated changes in the pressure in the coolant tank as a function of detected changes in temperature within the sealed cooling system.
A method of detecting leakage in a sealed cooling system for use in an aerospace application, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a coolant tank configured to hold a liquid coolant and a gas comprising at least one of air and liquid coolant vapor, the coolant tank comprising:
- a liquid coolant space configured to hold the liquid coolant;
- and
- a gas space configured to hold the gas;
- providing a heat source configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the liquid coolant;
- providing a heat exchanger configured to reject heat from the liquid coolant to an environment;
- providing a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure in the coolant tank and to output signals indicative of the pressure in the coolant tank as a function of time;
- providing a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature within the sealed cooling system and to output signals indicative of the temperature within the sealed cooling system as a function of time;
- providing a processor configured to receive the signals indicative of the pressure and the signals indicative of the temperature;
- and
- determining the presence of a leak in the sealed cooling system based on detected changes in the pressure in the coolant tank as a function of detected changes in the temperature within the sealed cooling system compared to anticipated changes in the pressure in the coolant tank as a function of detected changes in temperature within the sealed cooling system.
A method of detecting leakage in a sealed cooling system for use in an aerospace application, the sealed cooling system including a coolant tank having a liquid space configured to hold a liquid coolant, and having a gas space configured to hold gas, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting a first temperature within the sealed cooling system;
- detecting a first pressure in the coolant tank corresponding to the first temperature;
- detecting a second temperature within the sealed cooling system greater than the first temperature;
- predicting a second pressure in the gas space corresponding to the second temperature;
- detecting a second pressure in the coolant tank corresponding to the second temperature;
- comparing the detected second pressure to the predicted second pressure;
- and
- determining the presence of a leak in the sealed cooling system if the detected second pressure deviates from the predicted second pressure according to predetermined criteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.