Thermal management system including two-phased pump loop and thermal energy storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10746440-B2
Application number	US-201816058224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2018
Priority date	Apr 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A thermal management system for regulating dissipation of multiple thermal loads during operation of an apparatus includes a two-phase pump loop (TPPL), a vapor cycle system (VCS), and a liquid thermal energy storage (TES) system integrated together to maintain the apparatus at a constant temperature. The TPPL is configured to remove heat from the apparatus; the TES system is configured to provide thermal energy storage and temperature regulation; and the VCS is configured to transfer heat to the environment. The multiple thermal loads include a primary thermal load in the form of heat from the apparatus and a secondary thermal load in the form of at least one of a housekeeping thermal load or a power electronics thermal load. The primary and secondary loads are at different temperatures with each being independently selected to be transient or steady state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system for regulating dissipation of multiple thermal loads during operation of an apparatus, the thermal management system comprising a two-phase pump loop (TPPL), a vapor cycle system (VCS), and a thermal energy storage (TES) system;
wherein the TPPL, the VCS, and the TES system are integrated together to maintain the apparatus at a constant temperature, the TPPL is configured to remove heat from the apparatus, the TES system is configured to provide thermal energy storage for some or all of the multiple thermal loads and temperature regulation to at least one of the multiple thermal loads, and the VCS is configured to transfer heat to the environment;
wherein the VCS comprises a coolant loop, the coolant loop comprising an evaporator thermally coupled with the TES system to transfer heat from the TES system to the VCS; a coolant; a vapor-liquid separator having an inlet, a vapor outlet, and a liquid outlet; a liquid return valve configured to adjust the flow of the coolant based on the temperature of the coolant; a recuperator having a high pressure and low pressure side that is configured to transfer heat from the high pressure side to the low pressure side; a compressor configured to compress the coolant supplied to the compressor in a vapor state; a gas cooler configured to cool the coolant compressed by the compressor; and an expansion valve configured to maintain the pressure upstream of the expansion valve;
wherein the vapor outlet of the vapor-liquid separator includes a means of creating a pressure drop and means for mixing a controlled amount of liquid from the liquid outlet with vapor from the vapor outlet;
wherein the multiple thermal loads comprise a primary thermal load in the form of heat from the apparatus and a secondary thermal load in the form of at least one of a housekeeping thermal load or one or more thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy; and
wherein the primary and secondary loads are at different temperatures with each being independently selected to be transient or steady state.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the TPPL comprises a fluid loop configured to provide cooling of the primary thermal load, the fluid loop comprising a fluid; a back pressure regulator configured to control pressure and temperature at an exit in an evaporator in the TPPL; the evaporator configured to absorb heat from the apparatus at a near constant temperature; and a condenser thermally coupled to the TES system, the condenser configured to transfer heat from the TPPL to the TES system.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the TES system comprises:
a condenser thermally coupled to the TPPL that is configured to transfer heat from the TPPL to the TES system;
a fluid or fluid mixture that flows throughout the TES system;
a thermal energy storage (TES) reservoir configured to contain a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture;
a pump controlled to draw a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture from the thermal energy storage in order to provide thermal damping or cooling across the condenser; and
an evaporator thermally coupled to the VCS that is configured to transfer heat from the TES system to the VCS.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 3 , wherein the TES system further comprises:
one or more sources of at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy;
a second pump, the second pump controlled to flow a desired flow rate through the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy in order for fluid or fluid mixture to provide cooling by the transfer of at least one of the housekeeping or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy into the fluid or fluid mixture; and
a mixing valve coupled to the TES reservoir and a second pump outlet flow, the mixing valve controlled to regulate temperature by mixing the fluid or fluid mixture drawn by the second pump from the TES reservoir with a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture in which the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy have been transferred;
wherein a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture after transfer of the thermal load from the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy is mixed with a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture in which the heat from the TPPL at the condenser has been transferred, with the combined portions of the fluid or fluid mixture being sent to the evaporator thermally coupled to the VCS.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 3 , wherein the TES system further comprises:
one or more sources of the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy;
a second pump, the second pump having a lower flow capacity than the first pump, the second pump controlled to draw a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture from the TES reservoir to provide cooling by the transfer of at least one of the housekeeping or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy into the fluid or fluid mixture;
a mixing valve in fluid communication with the TES reservoir and a second pump outlet flow, the mixing valve controlled to regulate temperature by mixing the fluid or fluid mixture drawn by the second pump from the TES reservoir with a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture in which the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy have been transferred; and
a second evaporator thermally coupled to the VCS that is configured to transfer one or more of the housekeeping thermal load and the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy from the TES system to the VCS separate from the transfer of heat to the VCS at the evaporator from the portion of the water mixture in which the heat from the TPPL at the condenser has been transferred.

6. The thermal management system of claim 3 , wherein the TES system further comprises:
one or more sources of the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy; and
a mixing valve coupled to the TES reservoir and a pump outlet flow, the mixing valve controlled to regulate temperature by mixing a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture drawn by the pump from the TES reservoir with a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture at an exit of the pump; and
wherein a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture after transfer of the thermal load from the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or the thermal loads associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy is mixed with a portion of the fluid or fluid mixture in which the heat from the TPPL at the condenser has been transferred, with the combined portions of the fluid or fluid mixture being sent to the evaporator thermally coupled to the VCS.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6 , wherein the TES system further comprises a by-pass valve configured to control the flow of the fluid or fluid mixture through the condenser and around the at least one of the housekeeping thermal load or thermal load associated with conditioning, distributing, or converting energy.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 6 , wherein the TES system further comprises a second mixing v

Assignees

• Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc
• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Donovan Eric S
• Head Michael J
• Rubel Ken S
• Spangler Brian T
• Snyder Douglas J
• Acius Aric

Classifications

• F25B23/006

  boiling cooling systems · CPC title

• F25B25/005 Primary

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F25B9/008

  the refrigerant being carbon dioxide · CPC title

• F25B2600/13

  Pump speed control · CPC title

• F25B2341/0011

  Ejectors with the cooled primary flow at reduced or low pressure · CPC title