Supersonic Cooling With Pulsed Inlet and Bypass Loop

Abstract

A supersonic cooling system operates by pumping liquid without the need of a condenser. An inlet of the system may be pulsed to reduce energy required of a pump and to increase the cooling power of the system. The supersonic cooling system utilizes a compression wave in the generation of the cooling effect. The formation of the compression wave may be assisted by a resonance chamber. An evaporator of the cooling system operates in the critical flow regime.

1 . A supersonic cooling system, comprising:
 a pump facilitating a flow of a fluid through a fluid flow path, the fluid flow path having a high pressure region and a low pressure region, the pump transporting the fluid at a velocity that is equal to or greater than the speed of sound in the fluid as the fluid travels from the high pressure region to the low pressure region; and   a pulsing valve that creates a pulsed flow in the high pressure region of the fluid flow path, thereby reducing the mass flow rate of the fluid and corresponding energy required for a given cooling capacity, wherein the pulsing valve operates in either a pulsing state or an always open state depending on the cooling requirements of the system.   
     
     
         2 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising a bypass loop that directs the fluid flow path away from the low pressure region, the bypass loop being activated when the pressure measured by a sensor located downstream of the low pressure region is below a saturation point. 
     
     
         3 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , further including a resonance chamber situated downstream of the pulsing valve to assist in the formation of a compression wave. 
     
     
         4 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator at the low pressure region of the fluid flow path, the evaporator facilitating a phase change of the fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 4 , wherein fluid flow in the evaporator is in a critical flow regime of the fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 4 , wherein the evaporator facilitates a fluid shock up to an elevated pressure as the fluid exits the evaporator. 
     
     
         7 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the evaporator facilitates the fluid shock up to the elevated pressure at substantially constant enthalpy. 
     
     
         8 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow path decreases a pressure of the fluid at substantially constant enthalpy. 
     
     
         9 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes water. 
     
     
         10 . The supersonic cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger to transfer heat from an object to be cooled to the fluid. 
     
     
         11 . A supersonic cooling method, comprising:
 pumping a fluid through a fluid flow path with the aid of a pump, the fluid flow path including a low pressure region wherein the fluid flows at a critical flow rate; and   pulsing a fluid input to the fluid flow path through a pulsing valve situated downstream from the pump and upstream from the low pressure region of the fluid flow path to reduce the mass flow rate of the fluid and corresponding power required for a given cooling capacity, wherein the pulsing valve remains in an always open state when the system is in a low cooling capacity state.   
     
     
         12 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 11 , further comprising directing the fluid flow path away from the low pressure region with a bypass loop that is activated when a pressure measured downstream of the low pressure region is below a saturation point. 
     
     
         13 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating a phase change in the fluid, wherein generating the phase change includes the use of an evaporator that operates in the low pressure region of the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         14 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 13 , wherein the phase change occurs at least in part due to fluid flow within the evaporator being in a critical flow regime of the fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid shocks up to an elevated pressure as the fluid exits the evaporator. 
     
     
         16 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid shocks up to the elevated pressure at substantially constant enthalpy. 
     
     
         17 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating a compression wave at least in part via a resonance chamber in the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         18 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 11 , further comprising transferring heat to the fluid via a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid flows from a high pressure region to the low pressure region of the fluid flow path at substantially constant enthalpy. 
     
     
         20 . The supersonic cooling method of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid flows at a velocity greater than or equal to the speed of sound in at least a portion of the fluid flow path between a high pressure region and the low pressure region.