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US 12,264,601 B2Granted
Two-phase thermal pump
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorsEugene Charles Jansen, Jeffrey Wen-Yu Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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.
Claims14
A thermal system comprising:
- a fluid storage tank configured to store a first cooling fluid in a liquid state and a gas state;
- a first heat exchanger configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank;
- a second heat exchanger arranged fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the first cooling fluid and a heat load;
- and
- a pressure control device arranged fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger,
- wherein the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger passes through the first heat exchanger and thereby heats upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank,
- wherein the pressure control device is fluidly connected to the second heat exchanger via a first line, and wherein a second line is fluidly connected to the first line between the pressure control device and the second heat exchanger and extending from the first line to the first heat exchanger so as to fluidly transport the first cooling fluid from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger, and
- wherein a third line fluidly extends away from the pressure control device, and wherein a fourth line fluidly extends from the first heat exchanger and fluidly connects to the third line downstream of the pressure control device so as to enable the first heat exchanger to expel the first cooling fluid to a location downstream of the pressure control device, wherein the expelled first cooling fluid flows directly through the fourth line to the third line.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a fluid storage tank configured to store a first cooling fluid in a liquid state and a gas state;
- providing a first heat exchanger configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank;
- arranging a second heat exchanger fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the first cooling fluid and a heat load;
- arranging a pressure control device fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger;
- and
- directing a first portion of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger directly from the second heat exchanger and subsequently through the first heat exchanger so as to heat upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank;
- and
- directing a second portion of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger and has subsequently passed through the pressure control device through the first heat exchanger so as to further heat upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank.
5 more elements
A thermal system comprising:
- a fluid storage tank configured to store a first cooling fluid in a liquid state and a gas state;
- a first heat exchanger configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank;
- a second heat exchanger arranged fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the first cooling fluid and a heat load;
- and
- a pressure control device arranged fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger, wherein a fluid line extends away from the pressure control device toward an exhaust,
- wherein a first portion of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger passes directly from the second heat exchanger and subsequently through the first heat exchanger and thereby heats upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank,
- wherein a second portion of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger and has subsequently passed through the pressure control device passes through the first heat exchanger so as to further heat upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank, and
- wherein the first heat exchanger includes an inlet configured to receive the first cooling fluid and an outlet configured to expel the first cooling fluid after the first cooling fluid has heated the upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.