Cooling fluid supply apparatus with safety mechanism and method for cooling heat load

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016234969-A1
Application number	US-201615012225-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

To provide a cooling fluid supply apparatus capable of continuing cooling a heat load even when supply of a cooling fluid stops while the heat load is running. A cooling fluid circulation path connecting a cooling fluid supply apparatus and a heat load and a heat-dissipating fluid circulation path connecting the cooling fluid supply apparatus and a heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus are connected with bypass pipes and disposed therebetween. When a cooling fluid is supplied from the cooling fluid supply apparatus to the heat load, the cooling fluid circulation path and heat-dissipating fluid circulation path are disconnected by closing the bypass pipes and by using the overheating prevention valves. When the supply of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid supply apparatus to the heat load is stopped, a heat-dissipating fluid from the heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus is supplied to the heat load by connecting the cooling fluid circulation path and heat-dissipating fluid circulation path by using the overheating prevention valves.

First claim

1 . A cooling fluid supply apparatus with a safety mechanism, the cooling fluid supply apparatus comprising:
a temperature adjusting portion configured to cause a cooling fluid and a heat-dissipating fluid to exchange heat with each other and adjust a temperature of the cooling fluid; and a user-pipe connecting portion for connecting the temperature adjusting portion to a heat load and a heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus with user pipes disposed therebetween, wherein the user-pipe connecting portion includes a cooling fluid outflow pipe allowing the cooling fluid to flow from the temperature adjusting portion toward the heat load therethrough, a cooling fluid inflow pipe allowing the cooling fluid to flow from the heat load toward the temperature adjusting portion therethrough, a heat-dissipating fluid inflow pipe allowing the heat-dissipating fluid to flow from the heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus toward the temperature adjusting portion therethrough, and a heat-dissipating fluid outflow pipe allowing the heat-dissipating fluid to flow from the temperature adjusting portion toward the heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus therethrough, the user-pipe connecting portion further includes a first bypass pipe connecting the cooling fluid outflow pipe and the heat-dissipating fluid inflow pipe and a second bypass pipe connecting the cooling fluid inflow pipe and the heat-dissipating fluid outflow pipe, the first bypass pipe is connected to a first overheating prevention valve for opening and closing the first bypass pipe and to a first check valve for blocking a stream of the fluid from the cooling fluid outflow pipe toward the heat-dissipating fluid inflow pipe, and the second bypass pipe is connected to a second overheating prevention valve for opening and closing the second bypass pipe and to a second check valve for blocking a stream of the fluid from the heat-dissipating fluid outflow pipe toward the cooling fluid inflow pipe.

2 . The cooling fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first overheating prevention valve and the second overheating prevention valve are operated such that they close the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe, respectively, when the temperature adjusting portion is in operation and such that they open the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe, respectively, when the temperature adjusting portion is not in operation.

3 . The cooling fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid outflow pipe is connected to a third check valve for preventing backflow of the fluid flowing toward the temperature adjusting portion in a location near the temperature adjusting portion with respect to a location where the first bypass pipe is connected.

4 . The cooling fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a filter for filtering the heat-dissipating fluid is connected to the first bypass pipe between the heat-dissipating fluid inflow pipe and the first overheating prevention valve.

5 . The cooling fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjusting portion includes a heat exchanger configured to cause the cooling fluid and the heat-dissipating fluid to exchange heat with each other, a cooling fluid pump configured to send the cooling fluid having an adjusted temperature to the heat load through the cooling fluid outflow pipe, and a cooling channel open and close valve configured to open and close a channel for the cooling fluid, and the cooling channel open and close valve opens the channel for the cooling fluid when the temperature adjusting portion is in operation and closes the channel for the cooling fluid when the temperature adjusting portion is not in operation.

6 . The cooling fluid supply apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the temperature adjusting portion includes a housing, the heat exchanger, the cooling fluid pump, and the cooling channel open and close valve are disposed inside the housing, and the user-pipe connecting portion is arranged outside the housing.

7 . A method for cooling a heat load by supplying a cooling fluid to the heat load by using a cooling fluid pump in a cooling fluid supply apparatus, the cooling fluid having a temperature adjusted by causing the cooling fluid circulating in a cooling fluid circulation path connecting the cooling fluid supply apparatus and the heat load and a heat-dissipating fluid circulating in a heat-dissipating fluid circulation path connecting the cooling fluid supply apparatus and a heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus to exchange heat with each other, wherein
the cooling fluid circulation path and the heat-dissipating fluid circulation path are connected with bypass pipes openable and closable by overheating prevention valves disposed therebetween, when the cooling fluid is supplied to the heat load by operation of the cooling fluid supply apparatus, the cooling fluid circulation path and the heat-dissipating fluid circulation path are disconnected from each other by closing the bypass pipes by using the overheating prevention valves, and when the supply of the cooling fluid to the heat load is stopped by a stop of the operation of the cooling fluid supply apparatus, the heat-dissipating fluid from the heat-dissipating fluid supply apparatus is supplied to the heat load by connecting the cooling fluid circulation path and the heat-dissipating fluid circulation path to each other by opening the bypass pipes by using the overheating prevention valves.

8 . The method for cooling the heat load according to claim 7 , wherein when the cooling fluid supply apparatus is activated, the cooling fluid pump is operated after a delay time after an action of closing the overheating prevention valves starts, and when operation of the cooling fluid supply apparatus is stopped in an energized state, the overheating prevention valves are opened after a delay time after the cooling fluid pump is stopped.

Assignees

• Smc Corp

Inventors

• Shimizu Fumiaki
• Morita Hideo
• Sato Katsutoshi

Classifications

• H05K7/20281 Primary

  Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control · CPC title

• F28F27/00 Primary

  Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus (control arrangements in general G05) · CPC title

• H05K7/20272 Primary

  Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title