Cooling system for aircraft electric or electronic devices

Abstract

In a cooling system for the electrical or electronic equipment on board an aircraft, a heat transfer medium circulates through a main closed cooling circuit. A liquid coolant circulates through a secondary closed cooling circuit. A first heat exchanger makes it possible to transfer the heat from the heat transfer medium circulating through the main closed cooling circuit to the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit, by evaporation of the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit. A second heat exchanger makes possible the condensation of the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit. The second heat exchanger cools the liquid coolant by thermal coupling to the outside ambient air.

1 . A cooling system for the electrical or electronic equipment on board an aircraft, consisting of:
 a main closed cooling circuit adapted to circulate a heat transfer medium through the main closed cooling circuit;   a secondary closed cooling circuit adapted to circulate a liquid coolant through the secondary closed cooling circuit;   a first heat exchanger that makes it possible to transfer the heat from the heat transfer medium circulating through the main closed cooling circuit to the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit, by evaporation of the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit;   a second heat exchanger that makes possible the condensation of the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit; and   the second heat exchanger being adapted to cool the liquid coolant by thermal coupling to the outside ambient air.   
     
     
         2 . A cooling system according to  claim 1 , where the main closed cooling circuit is adapted to cool:
 a first compartment containing avionic systems of the aircraft; and   a second compartment containing electrical systems of the aircraft;   
     
     
         3 . A cooling system according to  claim 2 , where:
 the first compartment and the second compartment are placed in series in the main closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         4 . A cooling system according to  claim 2 , where:
 the first compartment and the second compartment are placed in parallel in the main closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         5 . A cooling system according to  claim 2 , where the main closed cooling circuit is adapted to cool a third compartment containing flight instruments from the aircraft's cockpit. 
     
     
         6 . A cooling system according to  claim 1 , where the system consists of:
 an inlet valve and at least one exhaust valve, adapted to open the main closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         7 . A cooling system according to  claim 1 , consisting of:
 a tertiary closed cooling circuit consisting of a liquid coolant and at least one compressor adapted to make the liquid coolant circulate in the tertiary closed cooling circuit, where the tertiary closed cooling circuit is fluidically independent from the main closed cooling circuit and from the secondary closed cooling circuit;   a third heat exchanger adapted for cooling the liquid coolant of the tertiary cooling circuit by means of the outside ambient air by condensation of the liquid coolant circulating through the third closed cooling circuit; and   the second heat exchanger is adapted to couple thermally the liquid coolant of the secondary closed cooling circuit with the liquid coolant of the tertiary closed cooling circuit, and makes possible the evaporation of the liquid coolant that circulates through the tertiary closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         8 . A cooling system according to  claim 7 , where the secondary closed cooling circuit consists of:
 an additional heat exchanger to thermally couple the liquid coolant that circulates through the secondary closed cooling circuit directly to the outside ambient air;   a bypass valve located upstream from the additional heat exchanger, that makes it possible to block, at least in part, the circulation of the liquid coolant towards the secondary heat exchanger; and   a bypass duct connecting the bypass valve to a point on the secondary closed cooling circuit downstream from the additional heat exchanger to allow the liquid coolant to bypass at least in part the additional heat exchanger as a function of a control setting of the bypass valve.   
     
     
         9 . A cooling system according to  claim 1 , where the main closed cooling circuit consists of:
 an additional heat exchanger adapted to thermally couple the heat transfer medium that circulates through the main closed cooling circuit directly to the outside ambient air;   a bypass valve located upstream from the additional heat exchanger, that makes it possible to block, at least in part, the circulation of the heat transfer medium towards the additional heat exchanger; and   a bypass duct connecting the bypass valve to a point on the main closed cooling circuit downstream from the additional heat exchanger to allow the heat transfer medium to bypass at least in part the additional heat exchanger as a function of a control setting of the bypass valve.   
     
     
         10 . An aircraft containing a cooling system for electrical or electronic equipment on board an aircraft, the system consisting of:
 a main closed cooling circuit adapted to circulate a heat transfer medium through the main closed cooling circuit;   a secondary closed cooling circuit adapted to circulate a liquid coolant through the secondary closed cooling circuit;   a first heat exchanger that makes it possible to transfer the heat from the heat transfer medium circulating through the main closed cooling circuit to the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit, by evaporation of the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit;   a second heat exchanger that makes possible the condensation of the liquid coolant circulating through the secondary closed cooling circuit; and   the second heat exchanger being adapted to cool the liquid coolant by thermal coupling to the outside ambient air.   
     
     
         11 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 10 , where the main closed cooling circuit is adapted to cool:
 a first compartment containing avionic systems of the aircraft; and   a second compartment containing electrical systems of the aircraft;   
     
     
         12 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 11 , where:
 the first compartment and the second compartment are placed in series in the main closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         13 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 11 , where:
 the first compartment and the second compartment are placed in parallel in the main closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         14 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 11 , where the main closed cooling circuit is adapted to cool a third compartment containing flight instruments from the aircraft's cockpit. 
     
     
         15 . A cooling system according to  claim 10 , where the system consists of:
 an inlet valve and at least one exhaust valve, adapted to open the main closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         16 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 10 , consisting of:
 a tertiary closed cooling circuit consisting of a liquid coolant and at least one compressor adapted to make the liquid coolant circulate in the tertiary closed cooling circuit, where the tertiary closed cooling circuit is fluidically independent from the main closed cooling circuit and from the secondary closed cooling circuit;   a third heat exchanger adapted for cooling the liquid coolant of the tertiary cooling circuit by means of the outside ambient air by condensation of the liquid coolant circulating through the third closed cooling circuit; and   the second heat exchanger is adapted to couple thermally the liquid coolant of the secondary closed cooling circuit with the liquid coolant of the tertiary closed cooling circuit, and makes possible the evaporation of the liquid coolant that circulates through the tertiary closed cooling circuit.   
     
     
         17 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 16 , where the secondary closed cooling circuit consists of:
 an additional heat exchanger to thermally couple the liquid coolant that circulates through the secondary closed cooling circuit directly to the outside ambient air;   a bypass valve located upstream from the additional heat exchanger, that makes it possible to block, at least in part, the circulation of the liquid coolant towards the secondary heat exchanger; and   a bypass duct connecting the bypass valve to a point on the secondary closed cooling circuit downstream from the additional heat exchanger to allow the liquid coolant to bypass at least in part the additional heat exchanger as a function of a control setting of the bypass valve.   
     
     
         18 . An aircraft containing a cooling system according to  claim 10 , where the main closed cooling circuit consists of:
 an additional heat exchanger adapted to thermally couple the heat transfer medium that circulates through the main closed cooling circuit directly to the outside ambient air;   a bypass valve located upstream from the additional heat exchanger, that makes it possible to block, at least in part, the circulation of the heat transfer medium towards the additional heat exchanger; and   a bypass duct connecting the bypass valve to a point on the main closed cooling circuit downstream from the additional heat exchanger to allow the heat transfer medium to bypass at least in part the additional heat exchanger as a function of a control setting of the bypass valve.