Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to implement intelligent cooling interface architectures for cooling systems that employ a heat transfer interface between multiple separate coolant circulation loops. A heat transfer interface may be advantageously managed based on monitored real time operational parameters (e.g., operating conditions such as pressures, mass flow rates, temperatures, etc.) within one or more of the separate coolant loops. Diagnostics and prognostics may be performed to verify proper cooling system operation and to detect out-of-specification operational parameters based on expected or acceptable levels for these measurements in view of the heat load to be removed. In this way, the cooling system performance may be monitored to ensure proper operation and to anticipate and alert a user when cooling system operation is trending toward a failure condition.

Abstract: A battery-powered system comprising: 1) a housing adapted to contain electro-mechanical machines; and 2) an apparatus disposed within the housing. The apparatus comprises: i) a battery configured as an annular cylinder having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a length; and ii) a cylindrical device disposed within a cavity formed by the annular cylinder of the battery. An outer diameter of the cylindrical device is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the battery and the cylindrical device has a length substantially equal to the length of the battery. The cylindrical device may be a fluid reservoir or a second battery.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for temperature regulation of an electronic component. A nozzle produces a jet of coolant that impinges on the electronic component. The jet and the electronic component are submerged in a volume of the coolant. The system further includes a heat exchanger and a pump. The pump moves a flow of coolant from the volume of coolant, through the heat exchanger, and into the nozzle, thereby forming the jet of coolant. The system may also include a heater that heats the coolant as it passes from the pump to the nozzle. The system may include a plurality of jets and a corresponding plurality of electronic components submerged in the volume of coolant.

Abstract: A power generation system includes a ram air turbine that is connected to a generator. The power generation system may be located in a pod, for example a pod for mounting on an aircraft. The ram air turbine receives air that passes through an air path through the pod, going in through an air inlet, through the turbine to turn the turbine, and out through an air outlet. The system includes a deployable flow obstruction, such as one or more airbags, that are deployable to suddenly obstruct the flow through the air path. The obstruction may be used to cut off flow (or greatly reduce flow), when overspeed of the ram air turbine is detected. The obstruction deploys (for example, airbags deploy in an air inlet of the system) to prevent continuation of the overspeed operation of the turbine, which may damage parts of the system.

Abstract: An evaporator apparatus comprising a liquid distribution chamber and a vapor production chamber. The vapor production chamber comprises a media wick that absorbs heat from a source external to the vapor production chamber. The vapor production chamber is configured to receive liquid coolant from the liquid distribution chamber and to direct the received liquid coolant onto a surface of the media wick. The media wick distributes the received liquid coolant from the surface of the media wick throughout a body of the media wick. The heat absorbed by the media wick vaporizes the liquid coolant distributed throughout the body of the media wick. The coolant vapor flows from the media wick into the vapor production chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cooling system for heat-generating structures comprises a cooling loop and a heat exchanger. The cooling loop directs a flow of a fluid coolant to both an active heat-generating structure and an inactive heat-generating structure. The fluid coolant receiving thermal energy from the active heat-generating structure and transfers thermal energy to the inactive heat-generating structure when a temperature of the fluid coolant is greater than an ambient temperature of an environment surrounding the heat-generating structures. The active heat-generating structure is operable to switch to an inactive state and the inactive heat-generating structure is operable to switch to an active state. The heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the first and second heat-generating structures and is operable to receive the fluid coolant at a first temperature and dispense of the fluid coolant out of the heat exchanger at a second temperature.

Abstract: A battery-powered system comprising: 1) a housing adapted to contain electro-mechanical machines; and 2) an apparatus disposed within the housing. The apparatus comprises: i) a battery configured as an annular cylinder having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a length; and ii) a cylindrical device disposed within a cavity formed by the annular cylinder of the battery. An outer diameter of the cylindrical device is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the battery and the cylindrical device has a length substantially equal to the length of the battery.

Abstract: A system for cooling an aircraft includes a fuel tank, a fuel delivery system, a cooling system, and a heat exchanger. The fuel tank is configured to hold cooled fuel for the aircraft. The fuel delivery system is configured to provide at least a portion of the fuel from the fuel tank to an engine of the aircraft. The cooling system is configured to absorb heat generated by components on the aircraft. The heat exchanger is thermally connected to the fuel delivery system and the cooling system. The heat exchanger is configured to transfer at least a portion of the heat from the components on the aircraft to the cooled fuel. The system may further include a two or three phase expendable liquid system. The expendable liquid system is configured to transfer heat to a frozen or liquid coolant to vaporize and expend the coolant from the aircraft.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a cooling system for a heat-generating structure comprises a chamber and structure disposed within the chamber. The chamber has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet receives fluid coolant into the chamber substantially in the form of a liquid. The outlet dispenses the fluid coolant out of the chamber at least partially in the form of a vapor. The structure disposed within the chamber receive thermal energy from the heat generating structure and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy to the fluid coolant. The thermal energy from the heat-generating structure causes at least a portion of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and effuse vapor upon contact with a portion of the structure. The effusion of vapor creates a self-induced flow in the chamber. The self-induced flow distributes non-vaporized fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to other portions of the structure.

Abstract: A system for cooling an aircraft includes a fuel tank, a fuel delivery system, a cooling system, and a heat exchanger. The fuel tank is configured to hold cooled fuel for the aircraft. The fuel delivery system is configured to provide at least a portion of the fuel from the fuel tank to an engine of the aircraft. The cooling system is configured to absorb heat generated by components on the aircraft. The heat exchanger is thermally connected to the fuel delivery system and the cooling system. The heat exchanger is configured to transfer at least a portion of the heat from the components on the aircraft to the cooled fuel. The system may further include a two or three phase expendable liquid system. The expendable liquid system is configured to transfer heat to a frozen or liquid coolant to vaporize and expend the coolant from the aircraft.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a radome includes two dielectric layers separated by an internal layer. The internal layer is configured with an internal cooling system including a fluid channel that receives a fluid through an inlet port, conducts heat from the radome to the fluid, and exhausts the heated fluid through an outlet port.

Abstract: A variable universal life insurance product that includes a death benefit and associated investment vehicles is selectively offered. A life insurance policy chassis is provided by an insurance company to an asset manager. The asset manager combines the life insurance policy chassis with one or more associated investment vehicles managed by the asset manager to form a variable universal life insurance product. The asset manager selectively makes the insurance product available to respective clients of the asset manager. The insurance company providing service for the death benefit and the asset manager providing service for the associated investment vehicles.

Abstract: A cooling system for a heat-generating structure includes a heating device, a cooling loop, and one or more reservoirs. The heating device is configured to heat fluid coolant comprising a mixture of water and antifreeze and vaporize a portion of the water into vapor while leaving a portion of the antifreeze as liquid in the fluid coolant. The cooling loop has a portion that splits the fluid coolant received from the heating device into a first path configured to receive at least some of the portion of the water as vapor and a second path configured to receive at least some of the portion of the antifreeze as liquid. The one or more reservoirs are configured to receive one of the at least some of the portion of the water as vapor from the first path or the at least some of the portion of the antifreeze as liquid from the second path.

Abstract: A power generation system includes a ram air turbine that is connected to a generator. The power generation system may be located in a pod, for example a pod for mounting on an aircraft. The ram air turbine receives air that passes through an air path through the pod, going in through an air inlet, through the turbine to turn the turbine, and out through an air outlet. The system includes a deployable flow obstruction, such as one or more airbags, that are deployable to suddenly obstruct the flow through the air path. The obstruction may be used to cut off flow (or greatly reduce flow), when overspeed of the ram air turbine is detected. The obstruction deploys (for example, airbags deploy in an air inlet of the system) to prevent continuation of the overspeed operation of the turbine, which may damage parts of the system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to a heat exchange apparatus configured to operate in a free air stream. In an embodiment, a heat exchange apparatus configured to operate in a free air stream includes a heat exchange structure having a shape configured to conform to a body of a vehicle when in a stowed condition; and a deployment mechanism for moving the heat exchange structure to a deployed condition external to the vehicle. The heat exchange structure has a curved surface that is concave into the air stream when the heat exchange structure is in the deployed condition.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for cooling heat-generating structure disposed in an environment having an ambient pressure. The heat-generating structure includes electronics. The method includes providing a coolant, reducing a pressure of the coolant to a subambient pressure at which the coolant has a boiling temperature less than a temperature of the heat-generating structure, and bringing the heat-generating structure and the coolant at the subambient pressure into contact with one another, so that the coolant boils and vaporizes to thereby absorb heat from the heat-generating structure. In a more particular embodiment the coolant is either pure water or pure methanol with an electrical resistivity level of greater than one million Ohms-cm. Further, in another particular embodiment the method includes filtering the coolant to maintain its purity above a particular level.

Abstract: The present invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to a heat exchange structure configured to operate in an air stream. In one embodiment, a heat exchange structure configured to operate in an air stream includes coolant flow portions, each of the coolant flow portions having at least one substantially closed surface directed into the air stream; and air flow portions disposed between adjacent coolant flow portions for receiving air from the air stream, the air flow portions having air passages directed into the air stream; the substantially closed surface of the coolant flow portions having an aerodynamic shape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to a heat exchange apparatus configured to operate in a free air stream. In an embodiment, a heat exchange apparatus configured to operate in a free air stream includes a heat exchange structure having a shape configured to conform to a body of a vehicle when in a stowed condition; and a deployment mechanism for moving the heat exchange structure to a deployed condition external to the vehicle. The heat exchange structure has a curved surface that is concave into the air stream when the heat exchange structure is in the deployed condition.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for cooling heat-generating structure disposed in an environment having an ambient pressure. The heat-generating structure includes electronics. The method includes providing a coolant, reducing a pressure of the coolant to a subambient pressure at which the coolant has a boiling temperature less than a temperature of the heat-generating structure, and bringing the heat-generating structure and the coolant at the subambient pressure into contact with one another, so that the coolant boils and vaporizes to thereby absorb heat from the heat-generating structure. In a more particular embodiment the coolant is either pure water or pure methanol with an electrical resistivity level of greater than one million Ohms-cm. Further, in another particular embodiment the method includes filtering the coolant to maintain its purity above a particular level.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, removing non-condensable gas from a cooling system includes trapping contents of a discharge tube of a heat exchanger, where the heat exchanger is in thermal communication with an ambient environment at an ambient temperature. The contents of the discharge tube comprises a vapor portion of a cooling fluid, a liquid portion of the cooling fluid, and a non-condensable gas. The cooling fluid is at a subambient pressure, and the ambient temperature is lower than a boiling point of the cooling fluid. A first additional portion of the cooling fluid is inlet into the discharge tube to increase a pressure within the discharge tube. The vapor portion of the cooling fluid within the discharge tube is allowed to condense. A second additional portion of the cooling fluid is inlet to purge the non-condensable gas from the discharge tube.