Mixed mode cooling system

Abstract

A cooling system can include an evaporator configured to transfer heat to a two-phase cooling fluid, a compressor downstream of the evaporator in a first fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid, a first condenser downstream of the compressor in the first fluid path, a first expansion valve downstream of the first condenser in the first fluid path and upstream of the evaporator in the first fluid path, a second condenser downstream of the evaporator in a second fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid, and a first pump downstream of the second condenser in the second fluid path and upstream of the evaporator in the second fluid path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an evaporator configured to transfer heat to a two-phase cooling fluid;   a compressor downstream of the evaporator in a first fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid;   a first condenser downstream of the compressor in the first fluid path;   a first expansion valve downstream of the first condenser in the first fluid path, wherein the evaporator is downstream of the first expansion valve in the first fluid path;   a second condenser downstream of the evaporator in a second fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid; and   a first pump downstream of the second condenser in the second fluid path, wherein the evaporator is downstream of the first pump in the second fluid path.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second expansion valve downstream of the first pump in the second fluid path, wherein the evaporator is downstream of the second expansion valve in the second fluid path. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first condenser is configured to selectively communicate with the second fluid path. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to allow the two-phase cooling fluid to selectively flow through the evaporator, the compressor, the first condenser, and the first expansion valve; and wherein the system is configured to allow the two-phase cooling fluid to selectively flow through the evaporator and the first condenser, bypassing the compressor and the first expansion valve. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a first check valve downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the first condenser, wherein the first check valve is configured to permit the two-phase cooling fluid to flow from the evaporator to the first condenser bypassing the compressor, and wherein the first check valve is configured to prevent the two-phase cooling fluid from flowing from the first condenser to the evaporator; and   a second check valve downstream of the first condenser and upstream of the evaporator, wherein the second check valve is configured to permit the two-phase cooling fluid to flow from the first condenser to the evaporator, and wherein the second check valve is configured to prevent the two-phase cooling fluid from flowing from the evaporator to the first condenser.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a second pump in-line with the second check valve between the first condenser and the evaporator. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a second pump upstream of the second check valve and downstream of the first condenser. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second condenser is configured to selectively communicate with the first fluid path. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to allow the two-phase cooling fluid to selectively flow through the evaporator, the compressor, the second condenser, and the first expansion valve; and wherein the system is configured to allow the two-phase cooling fluid to selectively flow through the evaporator and the second condenser, bypassing the compressor and the first expansion valve. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a segregation valve downstream of the compressor in the first fluid path and in fluid communication with the second condenser;   a check valve downstream of the second condenser and in fluid communication with the first expansion valve;   wherein the segregation valve and the check valve are configured to selectively isolate the second condenser from the first fluid path; and   wherein the segregation valve and the check valve are configured to selectively communicate the second condenser with the first fluid path.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first condenser is configured to cooperate with the compressor and the first expansion valve to provide compressor-based cooling to the two-phase cooling fluid flowing into the evaporator while the second condenser is configured to simultaneously cooperate with the pump to provide pumped-refrigerant based cooling to the two-phase cooling fluid flowing into the evaporator. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 an evaporator configured to transfer heat to a two-phase cooling fluid;   a compressor downstream of the evaporator in a first fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid;   a first segregation valve downstream of the compressor in the first fluid path;   a first condenser downstream of the first segregation valve in the first fluid path;   a first check valve downstream of the first condenser in the first fluid path;   wherein the first segregation valve and the first check valve are configured to selectively isolate the first condenser from the first fluid path, and wherein the first segregation valve and the first check valve are configured to selectively communicate the first condenser with the first fluid path;   a first expansion valve downstream of the first check valve in the first fluid path, wherein the evaporator is downstream of the first expansion valve in the first fluid path;   a first pump downstream of the first condenser in a second fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid, wherein the evaporator is downstream of the first pump in the second fluid path;   a second check valve downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the first condenser in the second fluid path, wherein the second check valve permits the two-phase cooling fluid to flow from the evaporator to the first condenser bypassing the compressor and the first segregation valve; and   a third check valve downstream of the first condenser and upstream of the evaporator, wherein the third check valve permits the two-phase cooling fluid to flow from the first pump to the evaporator.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a second expansion valve downstream of first pump and upstream of the evaporator in the second fluid path. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid is through the evaporator, the compressor, the first segregation valve, the first condenser, the first check valve, and the first expansion valve, bypassing second check valve, the first pump, the third check valve, and the second expansion valve; and wherein the second fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid is through the evaporator, the second check valve, and the first condenser, the first pump, the third check valve, and the second expansion valve, bypassing the compressor, the first segregation valve, the first check valve, and the first expansion valve. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first condenser is configured to selectively cooperate with the compressor and the first expansion valve to provide compressor-based cooling to the two-phase cooling fluid flowing into the evaporator, and wherein the first condenser is configured to selectively cooperate with the first pump and the second expansion valve to provide pumped-refrigerant based cooling to the two-phase cooling fluid flowing into the evaporator. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising
 a second segregation valve downstream of the compressor in the first fluid path;   a second condenser downstream of the second segregation valve in the first fluid path;   a fourth check valve downstream of the second condenser in the first fluid path;   wherein the second segregation valve and the fourth check valve are configured to selectively isolate the second condenser from the first fluid path, and wherein the second segregation valve and the fourth check valve are configured to selectively communicate the second condenser with the first fluid path;   a second pump downstream of the second condenser in a second fluid path of the two-phase cooling fluid, wherein the evaporator is downstream of the second pump in the second fluid path;   a fifth check valve downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the second condenser in the second fluid path, wherein the fifth check valve permits the two-phase cooling fluid to flow from the evaporator to the second condenser bypassing the compressor and the second segregation valve; and   a sixth check valve downstream of the second condenser and upstream of the evaporator, wherein the sixth check valve permits the two-phase cooling fluid to flow from the second pump to the evaporator.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the second condenser is configured to selectively cooperate with the compressor and the first expansion valve to provide compressor-based cooling to the two-phase cooling fluid flowing into the evaporator, and wherein the second condenser is configured to selectively cooperate with the second pump to provide pumped-refrigerant based cooling to the two-phase cooling fluid flowing into the evaporator.