Apparatus and method for actively cooling instrumentation in a high temperature environment

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for actively cooling instrumentation, in particular electronic circuits, in especially, high temperature environment. This apparatus has a tank containing a cooling agent, a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the instrumentation to the cooling agent, a compressor and a tank to hold cooling agent removed from the first tank. In this operation, the cooling agent tank is located in close proximity to the instrumentation. As the instruments generate heat, the heat is transferred through the heat exchanger to the cooling agent. The cooling agent boils and vaporizes from the heat and is pumped out of the tank by a compressor. As the cooling agent vaporizes and is pumped out of the tank, heat contained in the cooling agent is transferred out of the tank as well. The rate at which the vapor is pumped out of the tank controls the temperature of the cooling agent in the tank. The vapor is compressed under pressure and pumped to a storage tank where the vapor condenses back to a liquid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.