Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for actively cooling instrumentation in a high temperature environment

US5701751A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
4References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 10, 1996
Grant dateDec 30, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 10, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05K7/20354
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for actively cooling instrumentation, in particular electronic circuits, in especially, high temperature environment. This apparatus has a tank containing a cooling agent, a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the instrumentation to the cooling agent, a compressor and a tank to hold cooling agent removed from the first tank. In this operation, the cooling agent tank is located in close proximity to the instrumentation. As the instruments generate heat, the heat is transferred through the heat exchanger to the cooling agent. The cooling agent boils and vaporizes from the heat and is pumped out of the tank by a compressor. As the cooling agent vaporizes and is pumped out of the tank, heat contained in the cooling agent is transferred out of the tank as well. The rate at which the vapor is pumped out of the tank controls the temperature of the cooling agent in the tank. The vapor is compressed under pressure and pumped to a storage tank where the vapor condenses back to a liquid.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.