Patent · US Expired

Hermetically-sealed engine cooling system and related method of cooling

US6230669A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
19References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 13, 1999
Grant dateMay 15, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 13, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF01P2050/24
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In a heat transfer system (10), an upper coolant chamber (31) and a lower coolant chamber (24) of a typical engine, such as an internal combustion engine, fuel cell, boiler, or other engine for converting fuel to thermal energy, are formed adjacent to the heat-rejecting components of the engine and are hermetically sealed to prevent exposure of heat-transfer liquid within the chambers to the engine's ambient atmosphere. The heat-transfer liquid is preferably a substantially anhydrous, boilable liquid having a saturation temperature higher than that of water, and the heat-transfer liquid is pumped at a predetermined flow rate, and distributed through the heat-transfer fluid chamber so that the liquid within the chambers substantially condenses the heat-transfer liquid vaporized by the heat-rejecting components of the engine. Thermally-expanded heat-transfer liquid, non-condensable gas, and trace amounts of vapor, if any, are received within a hermetically-sealed accumulator (78) coupled in fluid communication with a relatively low-pressure area of the heat-transfer fluid chambers (24, 31), and the accumulator (78) defines at least one chamber (86, 88, 90), which may form a liquid-fr…

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