Passive air bleed for improved cooling systems

Abstract

An apparatus, including a sealed housing defining a manifold having an inlet port for receiving an input fluid stream into the manifold and an outlet port for exiting an output fluid stream from the manifold; and a bleed structure having a proximal end, a distal end, and a hollow channel communicating a first opening at the proximal end to a second opening at the distal end, the distal end disposed within the manifold and the proximal end disposed in the outlet port outside of the manifold.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a sealed housing defining a manifold having an inlet port for receiving an input fluid stream into said manifold and an outlet port for exiting an output fluid stream from said manifold; and   a bleed structure having a proximal end, a distal end, and a hollow channel communicating a first opening at said proximal end to a second opening at said distal end, said proximal end disposed within said manifold and said distal end disposed in said outlet port outside of said manifold.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said bleed structure is entirely disposed within said manifold and said outlet port. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said bleed structure is partially or wholly disposed outside said sealed housing. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said manifold contains a volume, said volume including a first portion and a second portion wherein said second opening is disposed in said first portion. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said outlet port includes an egress portal from said volume at said second portion. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said first portion is a top portion and wherein said second portion is a bottom portion. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said first portion is a top portion and wherein said second portion is a bottom portion. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a sealed housing defining a manifold having an inlet port receiving an input fluid stream into said manifold, an outlet port exiting an output fluid stream from said manifold, and a heat transfer interface surface cooled by interaction with a cooling fluid moving through said manifold from said inlet port to said outlet port, wherein an interfering fluid mixed with said input fluid stream separates in said manifold and accumulates within a volume of said manifold to interfere with said interaction which interference decreases an efficiency of said interaction; and   a bleed structure having a proximal end, a distal end, and a channel communicating a first opening at said proximal end to a second opening at said distal end, said proximal end disposed within a region of said volume of said manifold having a first pressure and said distal end disposed with a region outside said sealed housing having a second pressure lower than said first pressure producing a pressure differential;   wherein said interfering fluid moves through said bleed structure from said manifold to said region outside said sealed housing responsive to said pressure differential.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said cooling fluid is a liquid. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said region outside said housing includes a portion of said outlet port outside of said sealed housing. 
     
     
         11 . A heat transfer device, comprising:
 a sealed housing defining a manifold having an inlet port receiving an input fluid stream into said manifold, an outlet port exiting an output fluid stream from said manifold and a heat transfer interface surface disposed within said manifold, wherein said input fluid stream has a first temperature, wherein said output fluid stream has a second temperature different from said first temperature, wherein said input fluid stream includes a first fluid mixed with a second fluid, said second fluid having a different density than said first fluid, wherein said first fluid flows into said manifold from said inlet port, substantially fills said manifold and contacts said heat transfer interface, and flows out said outlet port with said first temperature changed toward said second temperature responsive to an interaction with said heat transfer surface, and wherein said second fluid separates from said first fluid when entering into said manifold and accumulates in a portion of said manifold to interfere with said interaction; and   a bleed structure having a proximal end, a distal end, and a hollow channel communicating a first opening at said proximal end to a second opening at said distal end, said proximal end disposed within said manifold at said portion of said manifold where said second fluid accumulates and said distal end disposed in said outlet port outside of said manifold;   wherein a differential pressure between said proximal end and said distal end passively transfers said second fluid from said portion to said outlet port through said bleed structure.   
     
     
         12 . The heat transfer device of  claim 11  wherein said first fluid is a liquid. 
     
     
         13 . The heat transfer device of  claim 12  wherein said second fluid is a gas. 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 a) receiving an input fluid stream at an inlet port of a sealed housing including a manifold, said input fluid stream including a first fluid mixed with said second fluid wherein said second fluid separates from said first fluid when entering into said manifold to accumulate at a first portion of said manifold, said accumulation of said second fluid at said first portion interfering with a process within said sealed housing;   b) exiting an output fluid stream from an outlet port of said sealed housing, said output fluid stream including said first fluid; and   c) moving passively said second fluid from said first portion of said manifold to outside said sealed housing through a channel of a bleed structure responsive to a pressure differential between a first end of said bleed structure disposed at said first portion of said manifold and a second end of said bleed structure disposed a region having a lower pressure than said first portion of said manifold.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said region having a lower pressure than said first portion includes a portion of said outlet port outside of said manifold. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said bleed structure is entirely disposed within said manifold and said outlet port. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said bleed structure is partially or wholly disposed outside said sealed housing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said manifold contains a volume, said volume including a first portion and a second portion with said first portion of said volume corresponding to said first volume of said manifold, and wherein an opening of said bleed structure is disposed in said first portion of said volume. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said outlet port includes an egress portal from said volume at said second portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said first portion is a top portion and wherein said second portion is a bottom portion. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said first portion is a top portion and wherein said second portion is a bottom portion. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said moving step c) mixes said second fluid with said first fluid outside of, and downstream from, said manifold further comprising:
 d) extracting said second fluid from said first fluid downstream from said manifold to produce a first fluid stream; 
 e) processing said first fluid stream including a mixture of said second fluid into said first fluid stream; and 
 f) returning said processed first fluid stream with said mixture of said second fluid to said manifold as said input fluid stream. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said input fluid stream has a lower temperature than said output fluid stream, wherein said first fluid is heated within said manifold by an interaction with a heat transfer interface element, and wherein said second fluid within said accumulation of said second fluid at said portion of said manifold interferes with said interaction.