Method and apparatus for isothermal cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022090828-A1
Application number	US-202117541198-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2021
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cooling apparatus includes: a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a source of cooling fluid; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; and a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cooling apparatus comprising:
a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a source of cooling fluid; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point; and a second fluid flowpath coupled to the source of cooling fluid and configured pass the cooling fluid through the second side of the subcooler.

2 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a separator vessel positioned upstream of the subcooler.

3 . The cooling apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the separator vessel comprises a storage tank of a flash gas bypass apparatus.

4 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid flowpath is configured to extract refrigerant from the first flowpath, pass the refrigerant through a flow restrictor and the second side of the subcooler, and return the refrigerant to the first fluid flowpath.

5 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , where the primary evaporator assembly includes two or more evaporators arranged in parallel flow.

6 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid flowpath further comprises one or more secondary evaporators downstream of the primary evaporator assembly, configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a secondary heat load.

7 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the subcooler is configured for closed-loop control of subcooling.

8 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an eductor disposed in the first fluid flowpath upstream of the subcooler, and a suction line connecting a suction inlet of the eductor to the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the primary evaporator assembly.

9 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source of cooling fluid is an environmental source.

10 . A cooling apparatus comprising:
a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a cold sink; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point; and a second fluid flowpath is configured to extract refrigerant from the first flowpath, pass the refrigerant through the second side of the subcooler, and return the refrigerant to the first fluid flowpath.

11 . The cooling apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a compressor having an inlet and an outlet, a cooler in fluid communication with the outlet of the compressor, and a cooler flow restrictor positioned upstream of the subcooler; and a suction accumulator disposed in the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the pressure regulator.

12 . The cooling apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the cooler flow restrictor comprises an eductor disposed in the first fluid flowpath between the cooler and a separator vessel, and a suction line connecting a suction inlet of the eductor to the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the evaporator assembly.

13 . The cooling apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a separator vessel positioned upstream of the subcooler.

14 . The cooling apparatus of claim 10 , where the primary evaporator assembly includes two or more evaporators arranged in parallel flow.

15 . The cooling apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first fluid flowpath further comprises one or more secondary evaporators downstream of the primary evaporator assembly, configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a secondary heat load.

16 . The cooling apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the subcooler is configured for closed-loop control of subcooling.

17 . A cooling apparatus comprising:
a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a separator vessel; a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a cold sink; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point; and a second fluid flowpath having a first end connected in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the separator vessel, wherein the second fluid flowpath is configured to extract refrigerant from the first flowpath, pass the refrigerant through the flow restrictor and the second side of the subcooler, and return the refrigerant to the first fluid flowpath at a second end.

18 . The cooling apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a suction accumulator disposed in the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the pressure regulator, wherein a first end of the second fluid flowpath is connected in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the suction accumulator.

19 . The cooling apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising an eductor disposed in the first fluid flowpath upstream of the subcooler, and a suction line connecting a suction inlet of the eductor to the first fluid flowpath at a point downstream of the primary evaporator assembly.

20 . The cooling apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the separator vessel comprises a storage tank of a flash gas bypass apparatus.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jansen Eugene Charles

Classifications

• F25B40/00 Primary

  Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters · CPC title

• F25B2400/13

  Economisers · CPC title

• F25B5/04

  arranged in series · CPC title

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• F25B2600/2509

  Economiser valves · CPC title