Natural circulation type cooling apparatus

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a natural circulation type cooling apparatus includes a heat receiver with a heat receiving surface on which an exothermic body is mounted, and containing therein a coolant, a condenser on a horizontally lateral side of the heat receiver, a radiator on a horizontally lateral side of the heat receiver and on a vertically downward side of the condenser, a vapor conduit configured to feed vapor of the coolant to an inlet of the condenser, a condensed liquid conduit configured to feed a condensed coolant from an outlet of the condenser to an inlet of the heat receiver, a coolant conduit configured to feed the coolant to an inlet of the radiator, and a circulation conduit configured to feed the coolant from an outlet of the radiator to the inlet of the heat receiver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A natural circulation type cooling apparatus comprising:
 a heat receiver comprising a heat receiving surface on which an exothermic body is mounted, and containing therein a coolant in a liquid phase;   a condenser provided on a horizontally lateral side of the heat receiver, and configured to condense a vapor which is generated by the heat receiver;   a radiator disposed on a horizontally lateral side of the heat receiver and on a vertically downward side of the condenser, and configured to cool the coolant which is fed from the heat receiver and is heated;   a vapor conduit configured to feed the vapor of the coolant, which is generated by the heat receiver, to an inlet of the condenser;   a condensed liquid conduit configured to feed the coolant, which is condensed, from an outlet of the condenser to a coolant inlet of the heat receiver;   a coolant conduit configured to feed the coolant, which is heated in the heat receiver, to an inlet of the radiator; and   a coolant circulation conduit configured to feed the coolant, which is cooled in the radiator, from an outlet of the radiator to the coolant inlet of the heat receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat receiver comprises:
 a container body comprising the heat receiving surface and an upper opening, and containing the coolant;   an upper container configured to cover the upper opening of the container body;   a plurality of partition plates provided at intervals within the container body, and configured to partition an inside of the container body into a plurality of containing chambers which contain the coolant, respectively;   a plurality of baffle plates extending upward from the upper opening of the container body, beyond a liquid level of the coolant, and configured to restrict inflow of the coolant from each of the containing chambers into another of the containing chambers;   a vapor outlet formed in the upper container and communicating with the plurality of containing chambers via a space in the upper container;   a coolant inlet formed in a lower part of the container body and communicating with the plurality of containing chambers;   a coolant outlet formed in the upper container; and   a sub-flow passage defined by the upper container and configured to guide the coolant, which flows out of the containing chambers, to the coolant outlet.   
     
     
         3 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the partition plates comprises an upper end portion which extends upward beyond the liquid level of the coolant and constitutes the baffle plate. 
     
     
         4 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the condensed liquid conduit is connected between the outlet of the condenser and an intermediate portion of the coolant circulation conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the radiator comprises an inflow portion which includes the inlet of the coolant, an outflow portion which includes the outlet of the coolant and is located on a vertically upward side of the inlet portion, and a plurality of radiation tubes which extend between the inflow portion and the outflow portion and through which the heated coolant flows. 
     
     
         6 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an air blower configured to blow cooling air to the condenser and the radiator. 
     
     
         7 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a duct provided between the condenser and the radiator, on the one hand, and the air blower, on the other hand, and configured to guide the cooling air from the air blower to the condenser and the radiator. 
     
     
         8 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising another heat receiver including a heat receiving surface on which an exothermic body is mounted, and containing a coolant,
 wherein the two heat receivers are arranged such that the heat receiving surfaces thereof are located in a common plane, and the condenser and the radiator are disposed between the two heat receivers and are disposed at lateral side parts of the heat receivers, relative to the common plane as the heat receiving surfaces.   
     
     
         9 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat receiving surface is formed on one of surfaces of the heat receiver, the condenser is arranged at an upper part on a rear side of the heat receiver, which is opposite to the heat receiving surface, and the radiator is arranged at a lower part on the rear side. 
     
     
         10 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat receiving surface is formed on one of surfaces of the heat receiver, the condenser is arranged at an upper part on a rear side of the heat receiver, which is opposite to the heat receiving surface, the radiator is arranged at a lower part on the rear side, and the condenser and the radiator are provided on a plane which is perpendicular to the heat receiving surface of the heat receiver. 
     
     
         11 . The natural circulation type cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising another heat receiver including a heat receiving surface on which an exothermic body is mounted, and containing a coolant,
 wherein the two heat receivers are arranged such that rear surfaces thereof, which are opposite to the heat receiving surfaces, are opposed to each other, the condenser is arranged at an upper part between the two heat receivers, the radiator is arranged at a lower part between the two heat receivers, and the condenser and the radiator are arranged on a plane which is perpendicular to the heat receiving surfaces of the heat receivers.