Closed cycle vaporization cooling system for underwater vehicle inner-to-outer hull heat transfer
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsRobert D. Rogalski, George F. Wilhelmi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed cycle vaporization cooling system for an underwater vehicle's in-to-outer hull heat transfer having a low pressure freshwater circulating loop means for collecting and cooling waste heat from inside the vessel by an evaporator means located inside the vessel and so configured to operate under all conditions, an adiabatic zone within the loop for conveying vaporized working fluid to a condenser means located outside the underwater vehicle's pressure hull utilizing a chimney effect free-flooded seawater heat sink wherein cold seawater flows from bottom to top of the heat sink over the condenser means, and a condensate means for condensing and returning the condensate to the evaporator means.
Claims14
A closed-cycle vaporization cooling system (CCVCS) for an underwater vehicle's auxiliary inner-to-outer hull heat transfer comprising:
- a low pressure fluid circulating loop means for collecting and cooling waste heat from various machinery and equipment in said underwater vehicle's auxiliary cooling system;
- an evaporator reservoir means configured so as to operate under all conditions of said underwater vehicle's motion and being a pressure vessel located inside said underwater vehicle, and having a bundle of manifolded heat pipe evaporator tubes for transferring heat from said hot fluid to said heat pipes working fluid through its manifolded evaporator section means;
- an adiabatic zone means located between said evaporator means and a condenser means located outside the underwater vehicle's pressure hull for conveying vaporized working fluid to said condenser means;
- a condenser means located external to said pressure hull of the underwater vehicle and contained within a free-flooded seawater hull shaped heat sink reservoir having access to the outer hull with said access being louvered in the fore and aft directions for transferring heat to the seawater from said working fluid;
- a condensate means located partially within said condenser means for condensing and returning said condensate to said evaporator means;
- and said adiabatic zone means and said condensate means penetrating the hull through one point of penetration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.