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US 2021/0293174 A1Published application
Vapor leak pressure relief and diversion system
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorsKerry J. Lighty, Paul O'Meallie, Sean Morgan, Alan W. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooling system includes a first cooling loop, a second cooling loop and a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the first cooling loop to the second cooling loop. The first cooling loop includes a flow restrictor, an inertial separator, and a pressure relief valve cooperating to effect diversion of vapor present in the first cooling loop due to a leak between the first cooling loop and the second cooling loop.
Claims20
A cooling system including a vapor leak diversion system, the cooling system comprising:
- a first sealed cooling loop configured to operate at a first nominal working pressure, the first sealed cooling loop comprising:
- a first fluid conduit;
- a first coolant configured to circulate through the first fluid conduit, wherein the first coolant is a liquid at the first nominal working pressure;
- a pump configured to circulate the first coolant through the first fluid conduit;
- and
- a heat source configured to transfer heat to the first coolant;
- a second sealed cooling loop configured to operate at a second nominal working pressure greater than the first nominal working pressure, the second sealed cooling loop comprising:
- a second fluid conduit;
- a second coolant configured to circulate through the second fluid conduit, wherein at least a portion of the second coolant is a liquid at the second nominal working pressure and wherein the second coolant is a vapor at the first nominal working pressure;
- and
- a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first sealed cooling loop and the second sealed cooling loop, the heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the first sealed cooling loop and the second sealed cooling loop;
- the first sealed cooling loop further comprising:
- a coolant tank in fluid communication with the low-pressure side of the first sealed cooling loop, the coolant tank having a gas space configured to hold gas and a liquid space configured to hold a portion of the first coolant;
- an inertial separator located between the heat exchanger and the heat source, the inertial separator configured to separate vapor from the first coolant;
- a flow restrictor located between the inertial separator and the heat source;
- and
- a heat source bypass pressure relief valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the inertial liquid and vapor separator and an outlet in fluid communication with the coolant tank, wherein the heat source bypass pressure relief valve is configured to open when a differential pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the heat source bypass pressure relief valve exceeds a first predetermined value;
- wherein the flow restrictor and the pump cooperate to define a high-pressure side of the first cooling loop and a low-pressure side of the first sealed cooling loop.
15 more elements
A cooling system including a vapor leak diversion system, the cooling system comprising:
- a first sealed cooling loop including a first fluid conduit, a first coolant, a pump configured to move the first coolant through the first fluid conduit, and a heat source configured to transfer heat to the first coolant;
- a second sealed cooling loop that includes a second fluid conduit and a second coolant configured to move through the second fluid conduit;
- a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit and configured to exchange heat between the first coolant and to the second coolant,
- wherein a working pressure and temperature of the first sealed cooling loop is such that the first coolant is in a liquid state in the first sealed cooling loop,
- wherein a working pressure and temperature of the second sealed cooling loop is such that the second coolant is in a liquid state in the second sealed cooling loop,
- wherein the second coolant is configured to change from the liquid state to a vapor state if the second coolant enters the first sealed cooling loop, and
- wherein the first sealed cooling loop further includes:
- a flow restrictor fluidly connected downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the heat source, and
- an inertial separator fluidly connected downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the flow restrictor, wherein the inertial separator is configured to separate vaporized second coolant located in the first sealed cooling loop from the first coolant in response to the vaporized second coolant located in the first fluid conduit interacting with the flow restrictor to cause a differential pressure in the first sealed cooling loop between an upstream side of the heat source and a downstream side of the heat source to exceed a predetermined value.
6 more elements
A method for separating vapor from liquid in a cooling system, the method comprising:
- providing a first sealed cooling loop including a first conduit, a first coolant, a pump configured to move the first coolant through the first conduit, and a heat source configured to transfer heat to the first coolant, wherein a working pressure and temperature of the first sealed cooling loop is such that the first coolant is in a liquid state in the first sealed cooling loop;
- providing a second sealed cooling loop that includes second conduit and a second coolant configured to move through the second conduit, wherein a working pressure and temperature of the second coolant cooling loop is such that the second coolant is in a liquid state in the second sealed cooling loop, and wherein the second coolant is configured to change state from the liquid state to a vapor state if the second coolant enters the first sealed cooling loop;
- providing a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first conduit and the second conduit and configured to exchange heat between the first coolant and the second coolant,
- providing a flow a flow restrictor fluidly connected downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the heat source,
- providing an inertial separator fluidly connected downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the flow restrictor,
- providing a pressure relief valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the inertial separator and an outlet in fluid communication with the first conduit downstream of the heat source and upstream of the heat exchanger, and
- configuring the pressure relief valve to close when a differential pressure in the first sealed cooling loop between an upstream side of the heat source and a downstream side of the heat source is less than a predetermined value, and to open and thereby cause the inertial separator to separate vaporized second coolant located in the first sealed cooling loop from the first coolant when the vaporized second coolant located in the first conduit interacts with the flow restrictor to cause the differential pressure in the first sealed cooling loop between an upstream side of the heat source and a downstream side of the heat source to equal or exceed the predetermined value.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.