Cooling flow control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10718255-B2
Application number	US-201815902674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A cooling system may include a cooling pump that causes cooling fluid received from a thermal load to flow to a cooling source, a low-load valve, a high-load valve, a thermal energy store, and a mixing valve. The cooling source and the low-load valve may be downstream from the cooling pump. The high load valve and thermal energy storage may be downstream from the cooling source. The first input of the mixing valve may be downstream from the thermal energy storage. The second input of the mixing valve may be downstream from the low-load valve and the high-load valve. The thermal load may be downstream from an output of the mixing valve. The cooling system may switch between a low load mode and a high load mode with coordinated operation of the low-load valve and high-load valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a cooling pump; a cooling source; a thermal energy storage; a mixing valve having a first input and a second input; a low-load valve; a high-load valve; and a controller,
wherein the cooling pump is in fluid communication with a thermal load, the low-load valve, and the cooling source, wherein the cooling source is in fluid communication with the high-load valve and the thermal energy storage, wherein the first input of the mixing valve is in fluid communication with the thermal energy storage, wherein the second input of the mixing valve is in fluid communication with the low-load valve and the high-load valve,
wherein the controller is configured to:
in response to detection of a low-load trigger, cause the low-load valve to open and the high-load valve to close, and
in response to detection of a high-load trigger, cause the low-load valve to close and the high-load valve to open.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein detection of the high-load trigger comprises determination that a temperature of cooling fluid provided by the cooling source exceeds a threshold temperature value.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling source and the low-load valve are downstream from the cooling pump, wherein the high-load valve and thermal energy storage are downstream from the cooling source, wherein the first input of the mixing valve is downstream from the thermal energy storage and the second input of the mixing valve is downstream from the low-load valve and the high-load valve.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
communicate a signal to the mixing valve that causes the mixing valve to bias the first input of the mixing valve or the second input of the mixing valve.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first junction and a second junction, wherein the first junction is configured to split cooling fluid received from the cooling pump between the cooling source and the low-load valve, wherein the second junction is configured to split cooling fluid received form the cooling source between the high-load valve and the thermal energy storage.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a recharge pump and a recharge valve, the recharge pump in fluid communication with the thermal load and the second input of the mixing valve and the recharge valve in fluid communication with the thermal energy storage and the cooling pump, wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to a recharge enable trigger:
cause the recharge valve to open,
cause at least one of the low-load valve or the high-load valve to close, and
cause the recharge pump to pump cooling fluid from the thermal load to the second input of the mixing valve.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to at least one of the low-load trigger or the high-load trigger:
cause the recharge valve to close, and
cause the recharge pump to stop pumping.

8. A system comprising:
a cooling pump; a cooling source; a thermal energy storage; a low-load valve; a high-load valve; and a mixing valve having a first input, a second input, and an output;
wherein the cooling source and the low-load valve are downstream from the cooling pump, wherein the high-load valve and thermal energy storage are downstream from the cooling source, wherein the first input of the mixing valve is downstream from the thermal energy storage and the second input of the mixing valve is downstream from the low-load valve and the high-load valve, wherein the thermal load is downstream from the output of the mixing valve;
wherein cooling fluid from the thermal load and pumped by the cooling pump flows to the second input of the mixing valve in response to the low-load valve being open and the high-load valve being closed,
wherein cooling fluid from the thermal load and cooled by the cooling source flows to the second input of the mixing valve in response to the low-load valve being closed and the high-load valve being opened.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to detection of a high-load trigger, cause the low-load valve to close and the high-load valve to open.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to detection of a low-load trigger, cause the low-load valve to open and the high-load valve to close.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a first junction and a second junction, the first junction downstream from the cooling pump and the second junction downstream from the cooling source, wherein the first junction splits cooling fluid received from the cooling pump between the low-load valve and the cooling source, wherein the second junction splits cooling fluid received from the cooling source between the high-load valve and the thermal energy storage.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein cooling pump is in fluid communication with the low-load valve and the cooling source, the cooling source is in fluid communication with the high-load valve and the thermal energy storage, wherein the first input of the mixing valve receives cooling fluid from the thermal energy storage and the second input of the mixing valve receives cooling fluid from at least one of the low-load valve or the high-load valve.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second input of the mixing valve receives cooling fluid from the cooling pump in response to the low-load valve being opened and the second input of the mixing valve receives cooling fluid from the cooling source in response to the high-load valve being opened.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc
• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Edwards Daniel G
• Wilson Eric E

Classifications

• F24F2005/0025

  using heat exchange fluid storage tanks · CPC title

• F25B2400/24

  Thermal storage element · CPC title

• F25D17/02

  for circulating liquids, e.g. brine · CPC title

• F25B25/005 Primary

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F25D16/00

  Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery · CPC title