Integrated Fan with Pump and Heat Exchanger Cooling Capability
AssigneeMinebea Co., Ltd.
InventorsYousef M. Jarrah, Nigel Strike
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a compact and integrated fan, pump, and heat exchanger system where air-cooling is performed via the fan, liquid cooling is performed via a pump, and the drilled pump diffusers act as a heat exchanger. The pump has drilled diffusers through which liquid passes into the volute, the drilled diffusers are streamlined and thus act as fan stator blades. Hot liquid is centrifuged and carried inside the drilled diffusers while air flows around the outside surfaces of the drilled diffusers. A heat transfer occurs where heat transfers from the hot liquid into the air stream.
Claims25
A heat exchanger for cooling a liquid comprising:
- a housing having an axial inlet and an axial outlet;
- and
- an axial fan disposed within the housing to produce a flow of air along an axis of rotation of the axial fan, the flow of air entering the axial inlet and exiting the axial outlet,
- the housing further having:
- a fluid inlet;
- a plurality of blade-shaped static elements disposed in the path of the flow of air, arranged radially about the axis of rotation, and connected to the fluid inlet;
- and
- a fluid chamber connected to the blade-shaped static elements,
- each blade-shaped static element having a hollow construction and having an interior volume that provides a channel between the fluid inlet and the fluid chamber,
- wherein the blade-shaped static elements carries a fluid to be cooled from the fluid inlet to the fluid chamber, whereby heat is conducted from the fluid to be cooled as the flow of air passes across surfaces of the blade-shaped static elements.
A heat exchange device for cooling a liquid comprising:
- a fan for producing an airflow;
- and
- a pump having fluid components including a fluid inlet, a plurality of channels in fluid communication with the fluid inlet to receive a fluid entering the fluid inlet, a collection chamber in fluid communication with the channels to receive fluid exiting the channels, and a fluid outlet formed in the collection chamber through which fluid from the collection chamber is expelled,
- wherein the channels are placed in the path of the airflow produced by the fan,
- wherein a heated fluid flowing within the channels is cooled by thermal conduction as the airflow passes across the surfaces of the channels.
A heat exchange device comprising:
- a fan to produce an airflow along an axis of rotation of the fan during operation of the fan;
- and
- a pump to pump a fluid to be cooled,
- the pump comprising:
- a fluid inlet to receive the fluid to be cooled;
- a diffuser array coupled to the fluid inlet into which the fluid to be cooled diffuses;
- and
- a volute coupled to the diffuser array into which the fluid to be cooled empties, the volute having an outlet out of which the fluid to be cooled is expelled,
- the diffuser array disposed in the path of the airflow so that the airflow contacts and flows across surfaces of the diffuser array,
- whereby heat exchange occurs between air in the airflow and the fluid to be cooled flowing within the diffuser array.
A liquid cooling device comprising:
- first means for producing an airflow;
- and
- second means for pumping a liquid to be cooled through channels disposed in the path of the airflow, whereby the airflow passes across surfaces of the channels thereby effecting a heat exchange between liquid flowing through the channels and the air of the airflow, wherein the channels have the shape of a fan blade to reduce swirl in the airflow,
- the second means further for housing the first means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.