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US 9,807,908 B2Granted
Pumped liquid cooling system using a phase change fluid with additional subambient cooling
AssigneeParker-Hannifin Corporation
InventorsTimothy Louvar, Brandon Wegmann, Abhijit Sathe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a cooling system wherein a first two-phase refrigerant can be circulated by a pump through an evaporator, to a first condenser, to a refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and back to the pump. By providing the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger in series with the condenser, a first environment can be cooled without having to operate a vapor compression circuit when an ambient temperature outside the first environment is a predetermined amount below an ambient temperature in the first environment.
Claims13
A cooling system including:
- a pumped loop cooling circuit including at least one pump and at least one evaporator located in a first environment having a first ambient temperature, and a first condenser located in a second environment having a second ambient temperature;
- a vapor compression circuit including an expansion valve, a second condenser, and a compressor, the vapor compression circuit located in the second environment;
- and
- a refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger having first and second flow passages in heat exchange relationship, the first flow passage forming part of the pump loop cooling circuit and the second flow passage forming part of the vapor compression circuit and serving as an evaporator in the vapor compression circuit;
- wherein, the pumped loop cooling circuit is configured such that, when operating, a first two-phase fluid is circulated from the at least one pump to the at least one evaporator, then to the first condenser, then to the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and then back to the at least one pump;
- wherein, the vapor compression circuit is configured such that, when operating, a second two-phase fluid is circulated from the compressor to the second condenser, then to the expansion valve, then to the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and then back to the compressor;
- and
- wherein, the cooling system further includes a controller configured to enable or disable operation of the vapor compression circuit, and configured to enable or disable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, such that:
- (i) based upon a determination that a temperature of the first two-phase fluid in the pumped loop cooling circuit is greater than the second ambient temperature, and the temperature of the first ambient temperature is greater than a maximum threshold temperature of the first environment, the controller is configured to enable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to enable operation of the vapor compression circuit to cool the first environment via heat transfer taking place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
- or
- (ii) based upon a determination that a temperature of the first two-phase fluid in the pumped loop cooling circuit is greater than the second ambient temperature, and the temperature of the first ambient temperature is less than the maximum threshold temperature of the first environment, the controller is configured to enable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to disable operation of the vapor compression circuit such that the first environment is cooled without heat transfer taking place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger.
8 more elements
A cooling system including:
- a pumped loop cooling circuit including at least one pump and at least one evaporator located in a first environment having a first ambient temperature, and a first condenser located in a second environment having a second ambient temperature;
- a vapor compression circuit including an expansion valve, a second condenser, and a compressor, the vapor compression circuit located in the second environment;
- and
- a refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger having first and second flow passages in heat exchange relationship, the first flow passage forming part of the pump loop cooling circuit and the second flow passage forming part of the vapor compression circuit and serving as an evaporator in the vapor compression circuit;
- wherein, the pumped loop cooling circuit is configured such that, when operating, a first two-phase fluid is circulated from the at least one pump to the at least one evaporator, then to the first condenser, then to the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and then back to the at least one pump;
- wherein, the vapor compression circuit is configured such that, when operating, a second two-phase fluid is circulated from the compressor to the second condenser, then to the expansion valve, then to the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and then back to the compressor;
- and
- wherein, the cooling system further includes a controller configured to enable or disable operation of the vapor compression circuit, and configured to enable or disable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, such that:
- (i) based upon a determination that the first ambient temperature is greater than the minimum threshold temperature of the first environment, and the temperature of the first two-phase fluid in the pumped loop cooling circuit is greater than the second ambient temperature, and the temperature of the first ambient temperature is greater than the maximum threshold temperature of the first environment, the controller is configured to enable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to enable operation of the vapor compression circuit to cool the first environment by heat transfer taking place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
- or
- (ii) based upon a determination that the first ambient temperature is greater than the minimum threshold temperature of the first environment, and the temperature of the first two-phase fluid in the pumped loop cooling circuit is greater than the second ambient temperature, and the temperature of the first ambient temperature is less than the maximum threshold temperature of the first environment, the controller is configured to enable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to disable operation of the vapor compression circuit such that the first environment is cooled without heat transfer taking place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
- or
- (iii) based upon a determination that the first ambient temperature is greater than the minimum threshold temperature of the first environment, and the temperature of the first two-phase fluid in the pumped loop cooling circuit is less than the second ambient temperature, the controller is configured to disable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to enable operation of the vapor compression circuit to cool the first environment by heat transfer taking place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
- or
- (iv) based upon a determination that the first ambient temperature is greater than the minimum threshold temperature of the first environment, and the temperature of the first two-phase fluid in the pumped loop cooling circuit is less than the second ambient temperature, the controller is configured to enable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to enable operation of the vapor compression circuit to cool the first environment by heat transfer taking place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
- or
- (v) based upon a determination that the first ambient temperature is less than a minimum threshold temperature of the first environment, the controller is configured to disable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to disable operation of the vapor compression circuit such that no heat transfer takes place in the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
- or
- (vi) based upon a determination that the first ambient temperature is less than a minimum threshold temperature of the first environment, the controller is configured to disable cooling of the first two-phase fluid via the first condenser, and is configured to enable operation of the vapor compression circuit as a heat pump to heat the first environment.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.