Supersonic Cooling Nozzle Inlet

Abstract

A supersonic cooling system operates by pumping fluid. A geometric element may be situated in a fluid flow path to modify the fluid flow. Because the supersonic cooling system pumps fluid, the cooling system does not require the use of a condenser. The cooling system utilizes a compression wave to facilitate a phase change utilized in a cooling effect. An evaporator operates in the critical flow regime in which the pressure in one or more evaporator nozzles will remain almost constant and then ‘shock up’ to the ambient pressure.

1 . A supersonic cooling system, comprising:
 a pump to facilitate a flow of a fluid through a fluid flow path having both a high pressure region and a low pressure region; and   an evaporator in the fluid flow path, wherein the evaporator accelerates the fluid to a velocity that is equal to or greater than the speed of sound, the evaporator including at least one evaporator nozzle with a geometric element situated upstream of an inlet to a throat of the at least one evaporator nozzle, the geometric element affecting a flow of fluid within the evaporator.   
     
     
         2 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric element is a tapered inlet section that reduces the pressure of the fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric element is a re-entry ring including a protrusion on a surface of a flange that includes an aperture leading to the throat, the re-entry ring reducing adverse flow irregularities in a flow of fluid entering the throat. 
     
     
         4 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the re-entry ring includes a convex surface with an arc beginning at a surface of a flange including an aperture leading to the throat and continuing to an upstream point on an inlet body wall, the convex surface providing the re-entry ring with increased surface area to reduce adverse flow irregularities in a flow of fluid entering the throat. 
     
     
         5 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the re-entry ring has a convex/concave profile that provides the re-entry ring with increased surface area to reduce adverse flow irregularities in a flow of fluid entering the throat. 
     
     
         6 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the re-entry ring includes a profile having a convex arc beginning at a surface of a flange including an aperture leading to the throat and continuing to a middle section of the re-entry ring, the curvature of the profile continuing as a concave arc to an upstream point on an inlet body wall, the profile of the re-entry ring providing an increased surface area to reduce adverse flow irregularities in a flow of fluid entering the throat. 
     
     
         7 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is located in the low pressure region of the fluid flow path, and the evaporator facilitates a phase change of the fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator accelerates the fluid to a critical flow regime of the fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator maintains a substantially constant pressure in the fluid as the fluid flows through the fluid flow path in the evaporator. 
     
     
         10 . A supersonic cooling method, comprising:
 pumping a fluid through a fluid flow path, the fluid flow path including an evaporator wherein the fluid flows at a critical flow rate; and   modifying a flow of the fluid with a geometric element positioned in the fluid flow path to modify the fluid flow in the evaporator.   
     
     
         11 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , wherein the modification of the flow of the fluid occurs as a result of a tapering of an inlet section upstream of a flange defining an aperture leading to a throat of an evaporator nozzle at the evaporator, the tapering lowering the pressure of the fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , wherein the modification of the flow of the fluid occurs as a result of the re-entry ring being positioned on an upstream surface of a flange defining an aperture leading to a throat of an evaporator nozzle at the evaporator, the re-entry ring reducing adverse flow irregularities in the fluid flow. 
     
     
         13 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , wherein the modification of the flow of the fluid occurs as a result of an expanding arc of the re-entry ring that increases a flow modifying surface area. 
     
     
         14 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , further comprising accelerating the fluid in the evaporator to induce a phase change of the fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , wherein the acceleration of the fluid at the evaporator is to a velocity equal to or greater than the speed of sound in the fluid. 
     
     
         16 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , further comprising transferring heat to the fluid via a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         17 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , wherein the flow of the fluid is modified to include vortex ring formation. 
     
     
         18 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 10 , further comprising reducing pressure in the evaporator to less than 20 PSI. 
     
     
         19 . A cooling system, comprising:
 an evaporator having an evaporator nozzle with a re-entry ring, the re-entry ring situated upstream of an inlet to a throat of the evaporator nozzle, the evaporator accelerating a fluid to a velocity that is greater than or equal to the speed of sound, the re-entry ring reducing adverse flow irregularities in a flow of fluid within the evaporator.   
     
     
         20 . The cooling system of  claim 19 , further comprising a pump upstream of the evaporator, the pump facilitating a flow of a fluid through a fluid flow path having a high pressure region and a low pressure region.