Heat Transport Device

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat transport device ( 10 ) which is used to cool or temper a device, which is to be operated at a defined operational temperature and which comprises a cooling and/or heat exchange device, comprising at least one flow channel ( 14 ) for a heat transport fluid, which extends in a coiled or spiral-shaped manner through a block ( 12 ) which is in good thermal contact with a device or an area which is to be cooled, said block acting as a mechanical carrier for a device, sensor, bearing and electronic element which are to be tempered. The flow channel ( 14 ) guiding the heat transport means is embodied at least sectionally in such a manner that the channel coils ( 29 ) are embodied by segment sheet metal recesses ( 39/ i ) by sections arranged in a light cross-section over-lapping. The segment sheet steels ( 39/ i ) are connected together in a rigid manner by hard-soldering and surround flat channel sections in sections which are offset counter to each other about the sheet steel thickness of the segment sheet steel. A cooling gas chamber ( 62 ) is provided for a sensor ( 24 ) which is to be cooled, said cooling gas chamber comprising a pot-shaped cylindrical housing provided with a jacket tube made of titanium. Said housing is locked by a ceramic disk which is hard soldered to the titanium tube.

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 : Heat transport device ( 10 ) for cooling or tempering a device to be operated at a defined operating temperature, having a cooling and/or heat exchanger device that comprises at least one flow-through channel ( 14 ) for a heat transport fluid, which channel runs in helical shape or spiral shape through a block ( 12 ;  50 ) that stands in good heat contact with a device or region to be cooled, which functions as a mechanical carrier for the device to be tempered—sensor, bearing, electronic element —, that the channel ( 14 ) that conducts the heat transport medium is formed, at least in certain sections, in such a manner that the channel spirals ( 29 ) are formed by sections of recesses ( 39 / i ;  54 / a ,  54 / i ) of sheet-metal segments that overlap one another in clear cross-section, whereby the sheet-metal segments ( 32 / i ;  52 / i ) are firmly connected with one another, in material-bonded manner, by means of a hard-soldering or high-temperature soldering process, and form edges of level channel sections, in certain sections, which are offset from one another by the sheet metal thickness of the sheet-metal segments, whereby at least two cooling circuits are provided, which can be operated with different heat transport fluids, and a gas is used as the heat transport fluid in at least one of the cooling circuits, wherein the block ( 12 ;  50 ) comprises at least one segment plate that consists of a ceramic material, which can be joined to at least one adjacent sheet-metal segment by means of soldering.  
   
   
       25 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , wherein the ceramic segment ( 64 ;  66 ) is disposed between two sheet-metal segments and soldered to them.  
   
   
       26 : Heat transport device according to  claim 25 , wherein the ceramic segment ( 64 ) is disposed between sections of a housing provided with heat transport channels.  
   
   
       27 : Heat transport device according to  claim 26 , wherein the sections that can be cooled, disposed on one side of the ceramic plate ( 64 ), in each instance, are assigned to their own heat transport circuit, in each instance.  
   
   
       28 : Heat transport device according to  claim 26 , wherein the two block parts ( 12  and  50 ) that can be cooled are switched hydraulically one behind the other, and that a supply line is provided, which is formed by recesses of the segment plates and the ceramic disk that align with one another, and leads from a supply connector directly into the thermally external region of the multi-layer block.  
   
   
       29 : Heat transport device according to  claim 27 , wherein the transport medium channels assigned to different regions of a block are switched hydraulically in parallel, whereby a common in-flow line and a common return line are formed by openings of the sheet-metal segments and the ceramic intermediate piece that align with one another, in each instance.  
   
   
       30 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , wherein sheet-metal segments having different thickness are provided.  
   
   
       31 : Heat transport device according to  claim 30 , wherein the thickness of the sheet-metal segments increases monotonously, step by step, between a value of minimal thickness and a value of maximal thickness.  
   
   
       32 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , wherein the sheet-metal segments are alternately configured as core parts and as parts forming outer radial cooling ribs, whereby the transport medium channels provided for tempering are disposed in the core parts and in the core regions of the cooling rib segments that directly follow them.  
   
   
       33 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , wherein a non-flammable gas such as nitrogen or an inert gas—e.g. argon—which is at evaporation temperature under normal conditions is used as a cooling gas, which gets into a cooling gas chamber ( 62 ) by way of a thermally insulated in-flow line ( 67 ), in which chamber a sensor element or measurement element ( 24 ) to be cooled is disposed.  
   
   
       34 : Heat transport device according to  claim 30 , wherein the in-flow line is configured in the shape of a cylindrical pipe and passes through coaxially disposed openings of the segment plates of the metal block, and is fixed in place with force fit, e.g. wedged in place, in the channel of which the openings form the edge, by means of holder projections ( 71 ) of opening edges of some of the sheet-metal segments ( 32 / i ;  52 / i ), which projections project radially inward.  
   
   
       35 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , wherein the gas feed pipe is formed as a thin-walled stainless steel pipe ( 67 ) having a thermally insulating outer coating, which consists of a plastic material that is resilient at normal temperature.  
   
   
       36 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , wherein the cooling gas chamber ( 62 ) that contains the sensor element ( 24 ) has a chamber mantle ( 84 ) made of titanium, in the shape of a cylindrical pipe, which forms the edge of an opening ( 91 ) at its end facing away from the cooling body ( 12 ;  12 ,  50 ), which opening is sealed off to be gas-tight, by means of a ceramic disk ( 92 ), which is hard-soldered to a radially inside ring flange ( 88 ) of the titanium mantle pipe.  
   
   
       37 : Heat transport device according to  claim 24 , and having a control unit ( 10 ) for operational control of a drive element operated with a fluid working pressure medium, provided as a setting element of the heat transport device, particularly of a—dual-action—pneumatic or hydraulic drive cylinder ( 11 ), for the control of which an electrically controllable solenoid valve ( 21 ) is provided, which can be controlled by means of output pulses of an electronic sub-unit ( 32 ), which generates these output pulses from the processing of command signals from a central unit ( 12 ) as well as from sensor output signals, wherein 
 a) the control unit ( 10 ) comprises an electrical charge storage unit ( 39 ) that imparts the function of a rechargeable battery or a capacity, as the control power source for the solenoid valve ( 21 ),    b) a generator ( 41 ) of the control unit ( 10 ) that can be driven by means of a rotational pneumatic drive motor ( 42 ) is provided for charging the storage unit ( 39 ), and that    c) the control unit ( 10 ) comprises a solenoid valve ( 44 ) that can be controlled by means of output signals of the electronic sub-unit ( 32 ) of the control unit ( 10 ) supplied from the storage unit ( 39 ), as a storage/charge valve ( 44 ), by means of which the pneumatic drive motor ( 42 ) can be connected with a central compressed air supply ( 23 ) of the pneumatic system, which also comprises the drive cylinder ( 11 ), and can be locked off relative to it.    
   
   
       38 : Heat transport device according to  claim 37 , wherein a charge control unit ( 39 ′) that monitors the charge state of the electric storage unit ( 39 ) is provided, by means of which the storage/charge valve ( 44 ) can be controlled to bring it into its functional position II, in which the compressed air source ( 23 ) is connected with the supply connector ( 43 ) of the pneumatic drive motor ( 42 ), if the charge content of the storage unit ( 39 ) has dropped below a threshold value.  
   
   
       39 : Heat transport device according to  claim 37 , wherein the control unit ( 10 ) comprises an electronic sub-unit ( 32 ), which generates control signals for controlling the 4/3-way solenoid valve  21 , which controls the movements of the drive cylinder ( 11 ), as a function of command pulses of the central unit ( 12 ), which administers several control units ( 10 ) and drive cylinders ( 11 ), as well as of status output signals of electronic sensors ( 36 / 1 ,  36 / 2 , and  36 / 3 ).  
   
   
       40 : Heat transport device according to  claim 39 , wherein the sub-unit ( 32 ) provided to control the 4/3-way solenoid valve ( 21 ) communicates with the central unit ( 12 ) by way of wireless transmission routes ( 38 / 1 ,  38 / 2 , and  37 / 1 ,  37 / 2 ).  
   
   
       41 : Heat transport device according to  claim 37 , wherein the control valve ( 21 ) provided for control of the drive cylinder (f) and/or the 2/2-way solenoid valve ( 44 ) provided for drive control of the rotating pneumatic drive motor ( 42 ) or the direct-current generator ( 41 ), respectively, is configured as a pulse-controlled valve, in each instance, which can be controlled by means of a dual-stroke solenoid system ( 31 ) or (46), respectively, and after having been activated, is held in its activated position by means of a catch device ( 31 ;  46 ), until a next pule is generated, which causes it to switch to the alternative functional position.