Integrated vapor cycle and pumped two-phase cooling system with latent thermal storage of refrigerants for transient thermal management
A cooling system uses refrigerants for two-phase cooling and thermal energy storage for a transient heat source. The cooling system includes a flash tank downstream of a heat load to be cooled. A subcooler/super-heater is downstream of the flash tank. A compressor is downstream of the subcooler/super-heater. A condenser is downstream of the compressor and upstream of the flash tank.
1. A cooling system, comprising:
a flash tank downstream of a heat load to be cooled;
a subcooler and super-heater downstream of the flash tank;
a compressor downstream of the subcooler and super-heater;
a condenser downstream of the compressor and upstream of the flash tank;
a bypass valve configured to inject high pressure refrigerant to the compressor from the heat load; and
an expansion valve intermediate the flash tank and the subcooler and super-heater, the expansion valve configured to discharge a mixture of vapor and liquid refrigerant to the subcooler and super-heater,
wherein the flash tank is configured to discharge liquid refrigerant to the expansion valve and the subcooler and super-heater.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flash tank is configured to receive a liquid refrigerant from the condenser.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subcooler and super-heater is upstream of the heat load.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the expansion valve comprises a first expansion valve, and wherein the system further comprises a second expansion valve intermediate the condenser and the flash tank.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump intermediate the subcooler and super-heater and the heat load.
6. A cooling system, comprising:
a flash tank downstream of a heat load to be cooled;
a subcooler and super-heater downstream of the flash tank;
a regenerative heat exchanger downstream of the subcooler and super-heater;
a compressor downstream of the subcooler and super-heater;
a condenser downstream of the compressor and upstream of the flash tank;
a bypass valve configured to inject high pressure refrigerant to the compressor from the heat load; and
an expansion valve intermediate the flash tank and the subcooler and super-heater, the expansion valve configured to discharge a mixture of vapor and liquid refrigerant to the subcooler and super-heater,
wherein the flash tank is configured to discharge liquid refrigerant to the expansion valve and the subcooler and super-heater.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the regenerative heat exchanger is directly upstream of the heat load.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the regenerative heat exchanger is configured to receive a refrigerant discharge from the heat load.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the regenerative heat exchanger is configured to discharge refrigerant directly to the flash tank.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the regenerative heat exchanger is configured to discharge refrigerant indirectly, via a check valve, to the flash tank.
11. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a pump intermediate the subcooler and super-heater and the regenerative heat exchanger.
12. A cooling system, comprising:
a flash tank downstream of a heat load to be cooled;
a subcooler and super-heater downstream of the flash tank;
a non-regenerative heat exchanger downstream of the subcooler and super-heater;
a compressor downstream of the subcooler and super-heater;
a condenser downstream of the compressor and upstream of the flash tank;
a bypass valve configured to inject high pressure refrigerant to the compressor from the heat load; and
an expansion valve intermediate the flash tank and the subcooler and super-heater, the expansion valve configured to discharge a mixture of vapor and liquid refrigerant to the subcooler and super-heater,
wherein the flash tank is configured to discharge liquid refrigerant to the expansion valve and the subcooler and super-heater.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the heat load is in a cooling loop and not in a thermal lift loop; and
the non-regenerative heat exchanger is in both the cooling loop and the thermal lift loop.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the non-regenerative heat exchanger is configured to receive a refrigerant discharge from the heat load.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the non-regenerative heat exchanger is configured to receive a coolant discharge from the heat load.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the non-regenerative heat exchanger is configured to discharge a refrigerant to the flash tank.
17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a pump intermediate the subcooler and super-heater and the non-regenerative heat exchanger.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subcooler and super-heater comprises a single heat exchanger.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subcooler and super-heater is configured to:
cool the liquid refrigerant from the flash tank; and
heat the vapor refrigerant from the expansion valve.