U.S. patent application number 12/359875 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-27 for coolant circulating apparatus, and cooling apparatus including the same coolant circulating apparatus for electric and/or electronic device which generates heat.
Invention is credited to Kensuke AOKI.
Application Number | 20090211736 12/359875 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40947200 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090211736 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
AOKI; Kensuke |
August 27, 2009 |
COOLANT CIRCULATING APPARATUS, AND COOLING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE
SAME COOLANT CIRCULATING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC AND/OR ELECTRONIC
DEVICE WHICH GENERATES HEAT
Abstract
A coolant circulating apparatus includes circulating pumps
disposed in parallel to each other and each having inlet and
discharge ports and discharging coolant flowing into the inlet port
from the discharge port, a coolant selectively introducing unit
connected to the inlet ports of the pumps and selectively
introducing the coolant into the inlet ports of the pumps, check
valves connected to the discharge ports of the pumps. Branched
coolant supply pipes extend horizontally or downwardly from the
check valves and have extending ends at which the branched pipes
are integrated with each other. An integrated coolant supply pipe
extends upward from the integrated extending ends of the branched
pipes. And, a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve extends
horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of
the branched pipes.
Inventors: |
AOKI; Kensuke; (Fuchu-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FINNEGAN, HENDERSON, FARABOW, GARRETT & DUNNER;LLP
901 NEW YORK AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-4413
US
|
Family ID: |
40947200 |
Appl. No.: |
12/359875 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.31 ;
165/104.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20272
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.31 ;
165/104.33 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 28, 2008 |
JP |
2008-016508 |
Claims
1. A coolant circulating apparatus comprising: circulating pumps
which are disposed in parallel to each other, and each of which has
an inlet port and a discharge port and discharges coolant flowing
into the inlet port from the discharge port; a coolant selectively
introducing unit which is connected to the inlet ports of the
circulating pumps and which selectively introduces the coolant into
the inlet ports of the circulating pumps; check valves which are
connected to the discharge ports of the circulating pumps; branched
coolant supply pipes which extend horizontally or downwardly from
the check valves and which have extending ends at which the
branched coolant supply pipes are integrated with each other; an
integrated coolant supply pipe which extends upward from the
integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes; and
a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve, which extends
horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of
the branched coolant supply pipes.
2. The coolant circulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the coolant selectively introducing unit includes on-off valves
connected to the inlet ports of the circulating pumps.
3. A cooling apparatus for an electric and/or electronic device
having a heat generating element, comprising: a cooler which is
disposed adjacent to the heat generating element and in which a
coolant circulating passage having an inlet and an outlet is
provided; a radiator which is disposed apart from the heat
generating element and in which a coolant circulating passage
having an inlet and an outlet is provided, the inlet being
connected to the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the
cooler; and a coolant circulating apparatus which is interposed
between the cooler and the radiator and which supplies a
heat-radiated coolant from the outlet of the coolant circulating
passage of the radiator to the inlet of the coolant circulating
passage of the cooler and moves the coolant passed through the
coolant circulating passage of the cooler toward the inlet of the
coolant circulating passage of the radiator, wherein the coolant
circulating apparatus comprises: circulating pumps which are
disposed in parallel to each other, and each of which has an inlet
port and a discharge port and discharges coolant flowing into the
inlet port from the discharge port; a coolant selectively
introducing unit which is connected to the inlet ports of the
circulating pumps and which selectively introduces the coolant into
the inlet ports of the circulating pumps; check valves which are
connected to the discharge ports of the circulating pumps; branched
coolant supply pipes which extend horizontally or downwardly from
the check valves and which have extending ends at which the
branched coolant supply pipes are integrated with each other; an
integrated coolant supply pipe which extends upward from the
integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes; and
a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve, which extends
horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of
the branched coolant supply pipes.
4. The cooling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the coolant
selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating apparatus
includes on-off valves connected to the inlet ports of the
circulating pumps.
5. The cooling apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a
coolant reservoir which is provided between the outlet of the
coolant circulating passage of the radiator and the coolant
selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating apparatus
and which temporally reserves the heat-radiated coolant from the
outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator.
6. The cooling apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a
coolant temperature adjusting unit which is interposed between the
outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator and the
coolant selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating
apparatus, which mixes the heat-radiated coolant from the outlet of
the coolant circulating passage of the radiator with the
heat-absorbed coolant from the outlet of the coolant circulating
passage of the cooler at a desired ratio, and which supplies the
mixture of the heat-radiated coolant and the heat-absorbed coolant
at the desired ratio to the coolant selectively introducing unit of
the coolant circulating apparatus.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of
priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-016508,
filed Jan. 28, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a coolant circulating
apparatus, and a cooling apparatus including the same coolant
circulating apparatus for an electric and/or electronic device
which generates heat.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] As an electric and/or electronic device which generates
heat, a transmitter for broadcasting has been well known. The
broadcasting transmitter uses, for example, a number of power
amplifiers as its heat generating elements. The broadcasting
transmitter cannot display its original performance unless heat
generated by the heat generating elements is removed.
[0006] A conventional cooling apparatus for the broadcasting
transmitter includes: a cooling plate which is disposed adjacent to
a heat generating element and in which a coolant circulating
passage having an inlet and an outlet is provided; a radiator which
is disposed apart from the heat generating element and in which a
coolant circulating passage having an inlet and an outlet is
provided, the inlet being connected to the outlet of the coolant
circulating passage of the cooling plate; and a coolant circulating
apparatus which is interposed between the cooling plate and the
radiator and which supplies a heat-radiated coolant from the outlet
of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator to the inlet of
the coolant circulating passage of the cooling plate and moves the
coolant passed through the coolant circulating passage of the
cooling plate toward the inlet of the coolant circulating passage
of the radiator.
[0007] In such a conventional cooling apparatus, the heat-radiated
coolant supplied from the coolant circulating apparatus to the
inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the cooling plate
absorbs heat from the heat generating element adjacent to the
cooling plate while the coolant passes through the coolant
circulating passage of the cooling plate. The heat-absorbing
coolant moved from the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of
the cooling plate to the inlet of the coolant circulating passage
of the radiator is radiated its heat while the heat-absorbing
coolant passes through the coolant circulating passage of the
radiator. After heat is radiated in the coolant circulating passage
of the radiator, the coolant is supplied again to the coolant
circulating apparatus from the outlet of the coolant circulating
passage of the radiator as described previously.
[0008] The coolant circulating apparatus includes first and second
circulating pumps disposed in parallel to each other. The first and
second circulating pumps are used alternately at a predetermined
interval in order to prolong their durability. An inlet port of
each of the first and second circulating pumps is provided with an
on-off valve, and a discharge port of each of the first and second
circulating pumps is provided with a check valve. Because the first
and second circulating pumps of the coolant circulating apparatus
are heavy and bulky, they are disposed at the bottommost section of
the broadcasting transmitter. Therefore, they are disposed below
the cooling plate disposed adjacent to a number of power amplifiers
as the heat generating elements in the broadcasting
transmitter.
[0009] Two branched coolant supply pipes extend from the outlet
sides of the check valves of the first and second circulating pumps
toward the inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the cooling
plate disposed above, and the two branched coolant supply pipes are
integrated to a single integrated coolant supply pipe. The
extending end of the single integrated coolant supply pipe is
connected to the inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the
cooling plate.
[0010] A coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve is branched
downward from the proximal end of the single integrated coolant
supply pipe. By opening the on-off valve of the coolant discharge
pipe, the coolant can be discharged from the coolant circulating
passage of the cooling plate through the integrated coolant supply
pipe. However, in this case, the coolant is left in the two
branched coolant supply pipes extending between the proximal end of
the integrated coolant supply pipe and the outlet sides of the
check valves of the first and second circulating pumps. A work for
removing the coolant left in the two branched coolant supply pipes
from those two branched coolant supply pipes is troublesome.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a coolant
circulating apparatus comprises: circulating pumps which are
disposed in parallel to each other, and each of which has an inlet
port and a discharge port and discharges coolant flowing into the
inlet port from the discharge port; a coolant selectively
introducing unit which is connected to the inlet ports of the
circulating pumps and which selectively introduces the coolant into
the inlet ports of the circulating pumps; check valves which are
connected to the discharge ports of the circulating pumps; branched
coolant supply pipes which extend horizontally or downwardly from
the check valves and which have extending ends at which the
branched coolant supply pipes are integrated with each other; an
integrated coolant supply pipe which extends upward from the
integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes; and
a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve, which extends
horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of
the branched coolant supply pipes.
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
cooling apparatus for an electric and/or electronic device having a
heat generating element, comprises: a cooler which is disposed
adjacent to the heat generating element and in which a coolant
circulating passage having an inlet and an outlet is provided; a
radiator which is disposed apart from the heat generating element
and in which a coolant circulating passage having an inlet and an
outlet is provided, the inlet being connected to the outlet of the
coolant circulating passage of the cooler; and a coolant
circulating apparatus which is interposed between the cooler and
the radiator and which supplies a heat-radiated coolant from the
outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator to the
inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the cooler and moves
the coolant passed through the coolant circulating passage of the
cooler toward the inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the
radiator. And, the coolant circulating apparatus comprises:
circulating pumps which are disposed in parallel to each other, and
each of which has an inlet port and a discharge port and discharges
coolant flowing into the inlet port from the discharge port; a
coolant selectively introducing unit which is connected to the
inlet ports of the circulating pumps and which selectively
introduces the coolant into the inlet ports of the circulating
pumps; check valves which are connected to the discharge ports of
the circulating pumps; branched coolant supply pipes which extend
horizontally or downwardly from the check valves and which have
extending ends at which the branched coolant supply pipes are
integrated with each other; an integrated coolant supply pipe which
extends upward from the integrated extending ends of the branched
coolant supply pipes; and a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off
valve, which extends horizontally or downwardly from the integrated
extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0013] The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated in and
constitutes a part of the specification, illustrates one embodiment
of the invention, and together with the general description given
above and the detailed description of the embodiment given below,
serves to explain the principles of the invention.
[0014] The single FIGURE is a view showing schematically a
structure of a cooling apparatus, including a coolant circulating
apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, for
a broadcasting transmitter which is a kind of an electric and/or
electronic device which generates a heat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] A cooling apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the
present invention is used to cool heat generating elements of an
electric and/or electronic device, such as a transmitter for
broadcasting 12 which uses a plurality of power amplifiers as the
heat generating elements.
[0016] The cooling apparatus 10 includes: a cooler 14 which is
disposed adjacent to the power amplifiers of the broadcasting
transmitter 12 and in which a coolant circulating passage 14c
having an inlet 14a and an outlet 14b is provided; and a radiator
16 which is disposed apart from the heat generating elements and in
which a coolant circulating passage 16c having an inlet 16a and an
outlet 16b is provided, the inlet 16a being connected to the outlet
14b of the coolant circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14.
[0017] In this embodiment, the cooler 14 has a known structure
which is called as a cooling panel.
[0018] In this embodiment, the radiator 16 has a known structure in
which a plurality of heat radiating fins are provided along the
coolant circulating passage 16c and wind caused by a fan is blown
against the plurality of heat radiating fins so that heat is
radiated from a coolant flowing through the coolant circulating
passage 16.
[0019] The cooling apparatus 10 further includes a coolant
circulating apparatus 18 which is interposed between the cooler 14
and the heat radiator 16. The coolant circulating apparatus 18 is
supplied with the heat-radiated coolant from the outlet 16b of the
coolant circulating passage 16c of the radiator 16, and feeds the
heat-radiated coolant to the inlet 14a of the coolant circulating
passage 14c of the cooler 14 so that the heat-radiated coolant is
passed through the coolant circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14
and then is directed to the inlet 16a of the coolant circulating
passage 16c of the radiator 16.
[0020] The coolant circulating apparatus 18 includes: a plurality
of circulating pumps 22a, 22b each of which has an inlet port 20a
and a discharge port 20b, which are disposed in parallel to each
other, and which discharge the coolant flowing into the respective
inlet ports 20a from the respective discharge ports 20b; a coolant
selectively introducing unit 24 which is connected to the inlet
ports 20a of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b, which is
supplied with the heat-radiated coolant from the outlet 16b of the
coolant circulating passage 16c of the radiator 16, and which
selectively introduces the heat-radiated coolant into the inlet
ports 20a of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b; and a plurality
of check valves 26 which are connected to the discharge ports 20b
of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b.
[0021] Since the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b of the coolant
circulating apparatus 18 are heavy and bulky, the plural
circulating pumps 22a, 22b are disposed at the lowest part of the
broadcasting transmitter 12. Thus, the plural circulating pumps
22a, 22b are disposed below the cooler 14 disposed adjacent to the
plural power amplifiers serving as the heat generating elements in
the broadcasting transmitter 12.
[0022] In this embodiment, the coolant is water or water mixed with
anti-freeze liquid.
[0023] The coolant circulating apparatus 18 further includes: a
plurality of branched coolant supply pipes 28 which extend from the
check valves 26 horizontally or downwardly and which have extending
ends 28a integrated with each other; an integrated coolant supply
pipe 30 which extends upward from the integrated extending ends 28a
of the branched coolant supply pipes 28 and which supplies the
heat-radiated coolant to the inlet 14a of the coolant passage 14c
of the cooler 14; and a coolant discharge pipe 32 which extends
horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends 28a
of the plural branched coolant supply pipes 28 and which is
provided with an on-off valve 32a.
[0024] In this embodiment, the coolant selectively introducing unit
24 includes a plurality of on-off valves 24a connected to the inlet
ports 20a of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b.
[0025] The coolant circulating apparatus 18 of this embodiment
further includes a coolant reservoir 34 between the outlet 16b of
the coolant circulating passage 16c of the heat radiator 16 and the
coolant selectively introducing unit 24 of the coolant circulating
apparatus 18. The coolant reservoir 34 temporarily reserves the
heat-radiated coolant from the outlet 16b of the coolant
circulating passage 16c of the radiator 16.
[0026] Further in this embodiment, a known dust remover 36 for
removing dust mixed in the coolant is interposed between the
coolant selectively introducing unit 24 and the inlet port 20a of
each of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b, and a flow control
valve 38 is interposed between the discharge port 20b of each of
the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b and the check valve 26
corresponding thereto.
[0027] More further in this embodiment, a coolant temperature
adjusting unit 40 is interposed between the outlet 16b of the
coolant circulating passage 16c of the heat radiator 16 and the
coolant selectively introducing unit 24 of the coolant circulating
apparatus 18. The coolant temperature adjusting unit 40 mixes the
heat-radiated coolant from the outlet 16b of the coolant
circulating passage 16c of the radiator 16 with the heat-absorbed
coolant from the outlet 14b of the coolant circulating passage 14c
of the cooler 14 at a desired ratio, and supplies the mixture of
the heat-radiated coolant and the heat-absorbed coolant at the
desired ratio to the coolant selectively introducing unit 24 of the
coolant circulating apparatus 18.
[0028] Particularly, the coolant temperature adjusting unit 40 is
interposed between the outlet 16b of the coolant circulating
passage 16c of the radiator 16 and the coolant reservoir 34. A pipe
42 extending from the outlet 16b of the coolant circulating passage
16c of the radiator 16 toward the coolant reservoir 34 is branched
to two ways before it reaches the coolant reservoir 34, and reaches
the coolant reservoir 34 through thermostat valves 44 connected to
the two branched ends of the pipe 42.
[0029] A two-way branched pipe 50 with an on-off valve 48 is
branched from a pipe 46 extending from the outlet 14b of the
coolant circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14 toward the inlet
16a of the coolant circulating passage 16c of the radiator 16, and
two extending ends of the two-way branched pipe 50 are connected to
the thermostat valves 44.
[0030] Drive sources (which are usually electric motors and do not
shown in the attached FIGURE) for the plural circulating pumps 22a,
22b are connected to a control unit 52 for controlling these
operations. The control unit 52 monitors the temperature and
pressure of the coolant flown in the cooling apparatus including
those of the coolant flown out from the discharge ports 20b of the
plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b, and further monitors the
temperature of the heat generating element of the electric and/or
electronic device to be cooled by the cooler 14, that is for
example the temperature of the electric power amplifier as the heat
generating element in the broadcasting transmitter 12 in this
embodiment. And, the control unit 52 controls the operations of the
drive sources (which are usually electric motors and do not shown
in the attached figure) for the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b
so that the temperature of the heat generating element stays below
a predetermined value.
[0031] The on-off valve 48 of the coolant temperature adjusting
unit 40, the on-off valves 24a of the coolant selectively
introducing unit 24, and the flow control valves 38 of the
discharge ports 20b of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b may be
opened or closed suitably on a basis of the monitoring result of
the control unit 52.
[0032] Next, an operation of the cooling apparatus 10 according to
this embodiment and structured as described above will be
described.
[0033] When the broadcasting transmitter 12 using the plurality of
power amplifiers as the heat generating elements starts its
operation while one of the plural on-off valves 24a of the coolant
selectively introducing unit 24 is opened and the other is closed,
the control unit 52 of the cooling apparatus 10 makes one driving
source (not shown) of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b
corresponding to the opened on-off valve 24a operates and makes the
remaining driving source (not shown) of the plural circulating
pumps 22a, 22b corresponding to the remaining closed on-off valve
24a being inoperative.
[0034] As a result, the heat-radiated coolant supplied from the
outlet 16b of the coolant circulating passage 16c of the radiator
16 to the coolant reservoir 34 through the coolant temperature
adjusting unit 40 and reserved in the coolant reservoir 34, is
discharged from the coolant reservoir 34 into the one of the plural
circulating pumps 22a, 22b (for example, the circulating pump 22a
in this embodiment) corresponding to the opened on-off valve 24a.
The one plural circulating pump 22a or 22b discharges the
heat-radiated coolant from its discharge port 20b into the branched
coolant supply pipe 28 corresponding to the one circulating pump
22a or 22b through the flow control valve 38 and check valve 26
corresponding thereto.
[0035] Usually, the on-off valve 32a of the coolant discharge pipe
extending horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending
ends 28a of the branched coolant supply pipes 28 extending from the
discharge ports 20b of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b is
closed. Therefore, the heat-radiated coolant in the branched
coolant supply pipe 28 flows into the integrated coolant supply
pipe 30 extending upward from the integrated extending ends 28a of
the branched coolant supply pipes 28 to the inlet 14a of the
coolant circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14 located above the
plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b, and then flows into the inlet
14a of the coolant circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14 to move
in the coolant circulating passage 14c.
[0036] The heat-radiated coolant moving in the coolant circulating
passage 14c from the inlet 14a to the outlet 14b in the cooler 14
absorbs the heat generated by the plural power amplifiers (not
shown) as the heat generating elements (not shown) located adjacent
to the cooler 14 in the broadcasting transmitter 12.
[0037] When the temperature of the air surrounding the broadcasting
transmitter 12 is over a predetermined value, for example over a
normal temperature, the on-off valve 48 of the coolant temperature
adjusting unit 40 is closed.
[0038] In this case, the coolant which absorbs heat in the coolant
circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14 is sent from the outlet
14b of the coolant circulating passage 14c of the cooler 14 into
the inlet 16a of the coolant circulating passage 16c of the
radiator 16 without passing through the coolant temperature
adjusting unit 40. The heat absorbed in the coolant is radiated by
blowing air from the fan against the plural heat radiating fins
(not shown) of the heat radiator 16 while the heat-absorbed coolant
passes through the coolant circulating passage 16c of the heat
radiator 16.
[0039] The coolant radiated heat in the coolant circulating passage
16c of the radiator 16 is returned to the coolant reservoir 34
through the thermostat valves 44 of the coolant temperature
adjusting unit 40.
[0040] When the temperature of the air surrounding the broadcasting
transmitter 12 is lower than the predetermined value, for example
lower than the normal temperature, the on-off valve 48 of the
coolant temperature adjusting unit 40 is opened. As a result, the
heat-absorbed coolant supplied from the cooler 14 is mixed with the
heat-radiated coolant supplied from the heat radiator 16 at a
desired ratio by the thermostat valves 44 of the coolant
temperature adjusting unit 40, and the mixture of the heat-absorbed
coolant supplied from the cooler 14 with the heat-radiated coolant
supplied from the heat radiator 16 at the desired ratio is supplied
to the coolant reservoir 34 of the coolant circulating apparatus 18
and then to the coolant selectively introducing unit 24.
[0041] When the on-off valve 32a of the coolant discharge pipe 32
extending horizontally or downwardly from the proximal end of the
integrated coolant supply pipe 30, that is the integrated extending
ends 28a of the branched coolant supply pipes 28, is opened while
the operation of the broadcasting transmitter 12 is stopped, that
is while the operation of the cooling apparatus 10 is stopped, the
coolant can be discharged from the coolant circulating passage 14c
of the cooler 14 through the integrated coolant supply pipe 30 and
the coolant discharge pipe 32.
[0042] The plural branched coolant supply pipes 28 connected to the
discharge ports 20b of the plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b and
having the extending ends 28a integrated with each other at the
proximal end of the integrated coolant supply pipe 28a extends from
the flow out sides of the check valves 26 toward the extending ends
28a horizontally or downwardly. Therefore, the coolant in the part
of the plural branched coolant supply pipes 28 located between the
extending ends 28a at the proximal end of the integrated coolant
supply pipe 30 and the flow out sides of the check valves 28 of the
plural circulating pumps 22a, 22b can be discharged through the
coolant discharge pipe 32 surely and easily.
[0043] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur
to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its
broader aspects is not limited to the specific detail and
representative embodiment shown and described herein. Accordingly,
various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the
appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *