Pumped refrigerant loop cooling system for cooling High thermal density heat loads

Abstract

A cooling system for transferring heat from a heat load to an environment has a volatile working fluid. The cooling system includes first and second cooling cycles that are thermally connected to the first cooling cycle. The first cooling cycle is not a vapor compression cycle and includes a pump, an air-to-fluid heat exchanger, and a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger. The second cooling cycle can include a chilled water system, or a vapor compression system, for transferring heat from the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger to the environment. The pump circulates the vaporizable refrigerant to the evaporator device associated with the air stream within the rack or enclosure. The heated air causes the refrigerant to evaporate within the evaporator device. This evaporated refrigerant travels to a condenser device cooled by another thermally cooler fluid, causing the refrigerant to condense back to a liquid, return to the pump, and begin the cycle again.

1 . A pumped refrigerant loop for transferring heat from a heat load to a heat exchange system, the pumped refrigerant loop comprising:
 a vaporizable refrigerant;   a pump;   a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the pump and in thermal communication with the heat load; and   a second heat exchanger having a first fluid path in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the pump, and a second fluid path connected to the heat exchange system, the first and second fluid paths being in thermal communication with one another.   
   
   
       2 . A pumped refrigerant loop as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger comprises an air to fluid heat exchanger. 
   
   
       3 . A pumped refrigerant loop as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first heat exchanger is in direct thermal contact with a heat source. 
   
   
       4 . A pumped refrigerant loop as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a fluid to fluid heat exchanger. 
   
   
       5 . A cooling system for transferring heat from a heat load to a heat exchange system, the cooling system comprising:
 a volatile working fluid;   a pump;   a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the pump and in thermal communication with the heat load; and   a second heat exchanger having a first fluid path in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the pump, and a second fluid path connected to the heat exchange system, the first and second fluid paths being in thermal communication with one another.   
   
   
       6 . The cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the first heat exchanger comprises an air-to-fluid heat exchanger. 
   
   
       7 . The cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the first heat exchanger is in direct thermal contact with a heat source. 
   
   
       8 . The cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger. 
   
   
       9 . A cooling system for transferring heat from a heat load to an environment, the cooling system a first cooling cycle comprising a volatile working fluid and a second cooling cycle thermally connected to the first cooling cycle,
 wherein the first cooling cycle comprises a pump, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the pump and in thermal communication with the heat load, and a second heat exchanger having a first path for the working fluid connecting the first heat exchanger to the pump and a second path connected to the second cooling cycle, said first and second fluid paths being in thermal communication with one another; and   wherein the second cooling cycle comprises a refrigeration system in thermal communication with the environment.   
   
   
       10 . The cooling system of  claim 9 , wherein the refrigeration system comprises:
 a compressor connected to one end of the second fluid path;   a condenser in thermal communication with the environment, the condenser having an inlet connected to the compressor and an outlet connected to another end of the second path; and   an expansion device positioned between the outlet of the condenser and the other end of the second path.   
   
   
       11 . A cooling system for transferring heat from a heat load to an environment, the cooling system comprising:
 a first cooling cycle containing a volatile working fluid; and   a second cooling cycle thermally connected to the first cooling cycle;
 wherein the first cooling cycle comprises:
 a pump; 
 a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the pump and in thermal communication with the heat load; and 
 a second heat exchanger having a first fluid path for the working fluid in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the pump, and a second fluid path comprising a portion of the second cooling cycle, 
 
 wherein the first and second fluid paths are in thermal communication with one another, and 
 wherein the second cooling cycle comprises a chilled water system in thermal communication with the environment. 
   
   
   
       12 . A cooling system for transferring heat from a heat load to an environment, the cooling system comprising:
 a pump for pumping a volatile working fluid through the system;   a first heat exchanger connected to the pump and having a fluid path in thermal communication with the heat load; and   a second heat exchanger having first and second fluid paths in thermal communication with one another, wherein the first fluid path provides fluid communication from the first heat exchanger to the pump, and wherein the second fluid path is adapted to connect the first heat exchanger to another cooling system that is in thermal communication with the environment.