Forced convection liquid cooling of fluid-filled high density pulsed power capacitor with native fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9911532-B2
Application number	US-201414467299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 25, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A high density capacitor comprises a housing having a cavity, and a plurality of capacitors forming at least one capacitor bank disposed in the housing cavity. A native cooling fluid is disposed in the cavity, and a heat exchanger is coupled to the housing. A pump is configured to circulate the native cooling fluid from the cavity, through the heat exchanger, through the spacings along an outer surface of each of the capacitors to cool the capacitors using forced convection. The heat exchanger is configured to communicate a secondary fluid through the heat exchanger and draw heat from the native cooling fluid flowing through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may have a plenum having a plurality of openings configured to dispense the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger proximate the at least one capacitor bank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high density capacitor, comprising:
a housing having a cavity;
a plurality of capacitors forming at least one capacitor bank disposed in the cavity, each of the capacitors having an outer surface, the at least one capacitor bank having spacings between the outer surfaces of the capacitors;
a native cooling fluid disposed in the cavity and contacting the capacitors;
a heat exchanger coupled to the housing; and
a pump hydraulically coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to circulate the native cooling fluid from the cavity, through the heat exchanger, through the spacings, and along and in contact with the outer surface of each of the capacitors to cool the capacitors using forced convection;
wherein the heat exchanger is configured to communicate a secondary fluid through the heat exchanger and draw heat from the native cooling fluid flowing through the heat exchanger.

2. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger has a plenum having a plurality of openings configured to dispense the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger proximate the at least one capacitor bank.

3. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanger has a first passageway configured to communicate the native cooling fluid from the pump to the openings of the plenum, a second passageway configured to communicate the secondary fluid, and a thermally conductive member separating the first passageway from the second passageway.

4. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 3 , wherein the first passageway and the second passageway are separated from each other by a planar member.

5. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 4 , wherein the first passageway is planar and the second passageway is planar.

6. A high density capacitor, comprising:
a housing having a cavity;
a plurality of capacitors forming at least one capacitor bank disposed in the cavity, each of the capacitors having an outer surface, the at least one capacitor bank having spacings between the outer surfaces of the capacitors;
a heat exchanger coupled to the housing; and
a pump hydraulically coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to circulate a native cooling fluid disposed in the cavity from the cavity, through the heat exchanger, through the spacings, and along the outer surface of each of the capacitors to cool the capacitors using forced convection;
wherein the heat exchanger is configured to communicate a secondary fluid through the heat exchanger and draw heat from the native cooling fluid flowing through the heat exchanger;
wherein the heat exchanger has a plenum having a plurality of openings configured to dispense the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger proximate the at least one capacitor bank;
wherein the heat exchanger has a first passageway configured to communicate the native cooling fluid from the pump to the openings of the plenum, a second passageway configured to communicate the secondary fluid, and a thermally conductive member separating the first passageway from the second passageway;
wherein the first passageway and the second passageway are separated from each other by a planar member, the first passageway is planar, and the second passageway is planar;
wherein the first passageway is formed by a first plate;
wherein the second passageway is formed by a second plate; and
wherein each plate has a plurality of fins configured to create an even planar flow of fluid through the respective passageway.

7. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 6 , wherein the first passageway is partially covered by a plate on top of the first passageway, thereby forming the plenum configured to discharge the native cooling fluid from the first passageway.

8. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 7 , wherein the plates are brazed to each other to create a brazement.

9. A high density capacitor, comprising:
a housing having a cavity;
a plurality of capacitors forming at least one capacitor bank disposed in the cavity, each of the capacitors having an outer surface, the at least one capacitor bank having spacings between the outer surfaces of the capacitors;
a heat exchanger coupled to the housing; and
a pump hydraulically coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to circulate a native cooling fluid disposed in the cavity from the cavity, through the heat exchanger, through the spacings, and along the outer surface of each of the capacitors to cool the capacitors using forced convection;
wherein the heat exchanger has a plenum having a plurality of openings configured to dispense the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger proximate the at least one capacitor bank; and
wherein the openings of the plenum have opening sizes graduated from one side of the plenum to another side of the plenum.

10. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 9 , wherein the openings of the plenum are configured to evenly dispense the native cooling fluid across the at least one capacitor bank.

11. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one capacitor bank comprises a first bank of capacitors and a second bank of capacitors disposed upon the first bank of capacitors; and
a spacer is disposed between the first bank of capacitors and the second bank of capacitors.

12. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 11 , wherein the spacer is configured to direct a portion of the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger laterally between the first bank of capacitors and the second bank of capacitors.

13. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 11 , wherein the spacer is configured to direct a portion of the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger in a columnar fashion to the first bank of capacitors and the second bank of capacitors.

14. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 11 , wherein the spacer has an interface configured to engage a top portion of the first bank of capacitors and a lower portion of the second bank of capacitors.

15. The high density capacitor as specified in claim 14 , wherein the interface is configured to secure the first bank of capacitors with respect to the second bank of capacitors and dampen any vibration of the first and second banks of capacitors.

16. A high density capacitor, comprising:
a housing having a cavity;
a plurality of capacitors forming at least one capacitor bank disposed in the cavity, each of the capacitors having an outer surface, the at least one capacitor bank having spacings between the outer surfaces of the capacitors;
a heat exchanger coupled to the housing; and
a pump hydraulically coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to circulate a native cooling fluid disposed in the cavity from the cavity, through the heat exchanger, through the spacings, and along the outer surface of each of the capacitors to cool the capacitors using forced convection;
wherein the heat exchanger has a plenum having a plurality of openings configured to dispense the native cooling fluid from the heat exchanger proximate the at least one capacitor bank;
wherein the at least one capacitor bank comprises a first bank of capacitors and a second bank of capacitors; and
wherein the high density capacitor further comprises:
a spacer having at least one opening configured to pass a first portion of the native cooling fluid from the openings of the plenum; and
a director configured to route a second portion of the native cooling fluid from the openings of the plenum laterally between the first bank of capacitor

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Gupta Anurag
• Lopez Robert R
• Kuznetsov Stephen B

Classifications

• H01G2/106

  Fixing the capacitor in a housing · CPC title

• H01G2/08 Primary

  Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• H01G4/38

  Multiple capacitors, i.e. structural combinations of fixed capacitors · CPC title