Cooling Of An Electronic Device In An Aircraft By Case-By-Case Single-Phase Or Two-Phase Cooling

Abstract

Cooling of an electronic device in an aircraft by case-by-case single-phase or two-phase cooling There is proposed a method for cooling an electronic device in an aircraft ( 11 ), comprising the following steps: circulating a coolant in a cooling circuit, cooling the electronic device ( 2 ) by means of the coolant, and in an aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, emitting the heat taken up by the coolant. The coolant evaporates, at least partially, during the cooling of the electronic device ( 2 ), and condenses in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger ( 7 ). The coolant circulates in the coolant circuit by natural convection.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . Method for cooling an electronic device in an aircraft, comprising the following steps:
 circulating a coolant in a cooling circuit,   cooling the electronic device by means of the coolant, and,   in an aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, emitting the heat taken up by the coolant, characterized in that, during normal operation, the coolant is permanently in a liquid phase and circulates in the coolant circuit by forced convection and, in the case of a malfunction and/or in the case of an increased cooling demand, the coolant evaporates, at least partially, during the cooling of the electronic device, condenses in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, and circulates in the coolant circuit by natural convection.   
     
     
         16 . Method according to  claim 15 ,
 characterized in that the coolant is bypassed past the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, at least partially, if the temperature in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger exceeds a first threshold value.   
     
     
         17 . Method according to  claim 15 ,
 characterized in that the coolant is cooled case-by-case in an additional heat exchanger, which is cooled by an additional cooling system.   
     
     
         18 . Method according to  claim 15 ,
 characterized in that the coolant is bypassed past the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, at least partially, if the temperature in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger and/or the temperature of the coolant falls below a second threshold value.   
     
     
         19 . Aircraft cooling device, comprising
 a cooling heat exchanger adapted to cool an electronic device by means of a coolant, and   an aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger adapted to cool the coolant, wherein the cooling heat exchanger and the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger are arranged in a closed coolant circuit,   characterized by a pump device, which, during normal operation, circulates coolant in the coolant circuit, wherein the aircraft cooling device is adapted and the coolant is selected such that, during normal operation, the liquid coolant is permanently in a liquid phase and, because of the pump device, circulates in the coolant circuit by forced convection and, in the case of a malfunction and/or in the case of an increased cooling demand, the coolant evaporates, at least partially, in the cooling heat exchanger during the cooling of the electronic device, condenses in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, and circulates in the coolant circuit by natural convection.   
     
     
         20 . Aircraft cooling device according to  claim 19 ,
 characterized by at least one aircraft outer-shell heat-exchanger bypass valve, which is adapted to bypass the coolant past the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, at least partially, if the temperature in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger exceeds a first threshold value.   
     
     
         21 . Aircraft cooling device according to  claim 19 ,
 characterized by an additional heat exchanger, which is cooled case-by-case by an additional cooling system, wherein the additional heat exchanger is adapted such that the coolant of the coolant circuit is cooled in the additional heat exchanger if the additional heat exchanger is cooled by the additional cooling system.   
     
     
         22 . Aircraft cooling device according to  claim 19 ,
 characterized in that the at least one aircraft outer-shell heat-exchanger bypass valve is adapted to bypass the coolant past the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger, at least partially, if the temperature in the aircraft outer-shell heat exchanger and/or the temperature of the coolant falls below a second threshold value.   
     
     
         23 . Aircraft cooling device according to  claim 19 ,
 characterized by a pump-device bypass valve, which is adapted to bypass the coolant past the pump device in the case of a malfunction of the pump device.   
     
     
         24 . Aircraft cooling device according to  claim 19 ,
 characterized in that the coolant is adapted such that, in the case of a malfunction, it evaporates in the cooling heat exchanger at a temperature above the dew point of the air surrounding the electronic device.   
     
     
         25 . Aircraft cooling device according to  claim 19 ,
 characterized in that the aircraft cooling device is adapted such that, because of the evaporating of the coolant in the cooling heat exchanger, a temperature below the breakdown temperature of the electronic device prevails within the electronic device in the case of a malfunction.   
     
     
         26 . Redundant aircraft electronics cooling system,
 characterized by a plurality of aircraft cooling devices according to  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of aircraft cooling devices is adapted to cool the same electronic device.