Expansion tank system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873752-B2
Application number	US-202318198965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2023
Priority date	May 20, 2022
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

An expansion tank system for a liquid cooling system includes a first chamber for receiving a coolant, a second chamber for pressurized gas, a first gas conveying device for conveying gas from the first to the second chamber, a second gas conveying device for conveying gas from the second to the first chamber, a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with the first chamber, and a control unit connected to the first gas conveying device, the second gas conveying device and the first pressure sensor for controlling the second conveying device to selectively convey gas from the second to the first chamber if a pressure measured through the first pressure sensor is below a predefined first threshold value, and for controlling the first conveying device to convey gas from the first to the second chamber if a pressure measured through the first pressure sensor is above a second threshold value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An expansion tank system for a liquid cooling system, comprising:
a first chamber for receiving a coolant, the first chamber having a first coolant port;
a second chamber for storing a pressurized gas;
a first gas conveying device connected to the first chamber and the second chamber for conveying gas from the first chamber to the second chamber;
a second gas conveying device connected to the first chamber and the second chamber for conveying gas from the second chamber to the first chamber;
a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with the first chamber; and
a control unit connected to the first gas conveying device, the second gas conveying device and the first pressure sensor;
wherein the control unit is configured for controlling the second gas conveying device to selectively convey gas from the second chamber to the first chamber if a pressure measured through the first pressure sensor is below a predefined first threshold value, and for controlling the first gas conveying device to selectively convey gas from the first chamber to the second chamber if a pressure measured through the first pressure sensor is above a second threshold value.

2. The expansion tank system according to claim 1 , further comprising a deionization filter inside the first chamber.

3. The expansion tank system according to claim 2 , comprising an access flap at a top side of the first chamber for inserting into or removing the deionization filter from the first chamber.

4. The expansion tank system according to claim 1 , wherein the first chamber comprises a second coolant port arranged at a side surface of the first chamber in a distance to a bottom side of the first chamber for allowing a through-flow of coolant from the second coolant port to the first coolant port and for separating air bubbles from the coolant.

5. The expansion tank system according to claim 4 , wherein the first coolant port is on the bottom side of the first chamber.

6. The expansion tank system according to claim 1 , wherein the first gas conveying device comprises a compressor.

7. The expansion tank system according to claim 1 , wherein the second gas conveying device comprises a controllable valve.

8. The expansion tank system according to claim 1 , wherein the gas inside the second chamber is air.

9. The expansion tank system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in separate housings, and
wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are attached to each other.

10. A system having a heat producing device, a coolant loop having a heat exchanger thermally coupled with the heat producing device and an expansion tank system according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion tank system is connected to the coolant loop.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the heat producing device is a fuel cell system.

12. A vehicle comprising at least one system according to claim 10 .

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Trümper Torsten
• Lohse Ekkehard

Classifications

• F01P11/029 Primary

  Expansion reservoirs · CPC title

• F01P11/18

  concerning coolant pressure, coolant flow, or liquid-coolant level · CPC title

• F01P2037/00

  Controlling · CPC title

• B64D33/08 Primary

  of power plant cooling systems · CPC title

• B64D2041/005

  Fuel cells · CPC title