Systems and methods for spray cooling
View Patent ↗The present disclosure is directed to systems, devices and methods for cooling a surface with a plurality of ejectors. The fluid provided to the micro-ejectors includes vapor formed at the surface. The vapor provides the driving force for driving fluid through the micro-ejectors.
1. A device for cooling a heat source, comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of ejectors disposed within the housing
wherein an ejector of the plurality of ejectors comprises:
a first inlet for providing a first fluid to a converging inlet nozzle; and
a second inlet for providing a second fluid to a motive fluid nozzle, wherein the motive fluid nozzle directs the second fluid nozzle into the converging inlet nozzle to entrain the first fluid and form a fluid mixture;
a diverging outlet diffuser that receives the fluid mixture from the converging inlet nozzle and forms a fluid jet that is directed toward a heated surface and into a fluid heating zone adjacent to and in thermal communication with the heat source; a first conduit disposed within the housing between the fluid heating zone and the first inlet; and a second conduit disposed within the housing between the fluid heating zone and the second inlet.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a wicking material disposed in the first conduit.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the wicking material is selected from a group consisting of porous ceramics, porous metals and porous cermets.
4. A system, comprising:
a component comprising a heated surface; and
a device comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of ejectors disposed within the housing
wherein an ejector of the plurality of ejectors comprises:
a first inlet for providing a first fluid to a converging inlet nozzle;
a second inlet for providing a second fluid to a motive fluid nozzle, wherein the motive fluid nozzle directs the second fluid nozzle into the converging inlet nozzle to entrain the first fluid and form a fluid mixture;
a diverging outlet diffuser that receives the fluid mixture from the converging inlet nozzle and forms a fluid jet that is directed toward the heated surface and into a fluid heating zone adjacent to and in thermal communication with the heated surface, the fluid heating zone defined between the plurality of ejectors and the heated surface;
a first conduit disposed within the housing between the fluid heating zone and the first inlet; and
a second conduit disposed within the housing between the fluid heating zone and the second inlet.
5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a wicking material disposed in the first conduit.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wicking material is selected from a group consisting of porous ceramics, porous metals and porous cermets.
7. A method for cooling a heated surface of a component, comprising
separating a fluid heated at a heated surface into a vaporized fluid stream and a liquid stream;
injecting the vaporized fluid stream into the liquid stream in a converging inlet nozzle to form a two phase fluid stream;
forming a fluid jet in a diverging outlet diffuser; and
directing the jet of fluid directly toward the heated surface.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the vaporized fluid stream provides a motive force for driving the fluid jet.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the liquid stream is transported by a wicking material.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
removing heat from the liquid stream.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fluid is a refrigerant.