SELF-PRIMING COOLING JACKET
Disclosed is a self-priming fluid transfer system having an integral siphon line that draws trapped air bubbles out of a main fluid chamber over time and fluid cycles. The self-priming fluid transfer system may include a body structure, a siphon line, and a priming inlet. The body structure may include a main fluid chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet. The siphon line may be positioned along the main fluid chamber and may include a siphon inlet and a siphon outlet that are positioned at or near the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively. The priming inlet may be positioned at or near a top wall of the body structure and may receive air bubbles from the main fluid chamber and output the air bubbles at the siphon outlet. Other examples may be described and claimed.
A conventional cooling system that is integrated with a motor and uses a vacuum pump to remove air from a cooling fluid may experience priming issues. The conventional cooling system may have a high part count, be process intensive, and require significant labor to produce. The conventional cooling system may introduce potential leak points at each sealing plate that is utilized.
SUMMARYDisclosed is a self-priming fluid transfer system having an integral siphon line that draws trapped air bubbles out of a fluid over time and fluid cycles. The self-priming fluid transfer system may include a body structure, a siphon line, and a priming inlet. The body structure may include a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet that are positioned at a bottom wall of the body structure, and a main fluid chamber that receives and outputs fluid from the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively. The main fluid chamber may include fins and pins that the fluid flows therebetween and around. The siphon line may be positioned along the main fluid chamber and may include a siphon inlet and a siphon outlet that are positioned at the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively. The siphon inlet and the siphon outlet may receive and output the fluid at the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively. The priming inlet may be positioned at a top wall of the body structure and may receive air bubbles from the main fluid chamber and may output the air bubbles at the siphon outlet.
The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed above or will be discussed below can be achieved independently in various embodiments, or may be combined in other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference number in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
The present disclosure is directed to a self-priming fluid transfer system having an integral siphon line that draws trapped air bubbles out of a fluid over time and fluid cycles.
Many specific details of certain embodiments are set forth in the following description and in
Referring more particularly to the drawings, embodiments of this disclosure may be described in the context of a vehicle 100 having a self-priming cooling jacket 120, such as that shown in
The hydrogen fuel tank 102 supplies hydrogen to a fuel cell 108 that generates electricity. The electric engine 112 can be powered by the battery 106 and/or the fuel cell 108 via the converter/controller 110. The battery 106 can be recharged by the generated electricity from the fuel cell 108. It should be noted that the vehicle 100 is shown as a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, but the vehicle 100 can also be a battery electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or other type of vehicle.
The fluid at line 204 flows from the pump 224 to the converter/controller 110 via a fluid inlet 206 that outputs the fluid at line 208 to a cooling jacket 120B, which includes a main fluid chamber 210 and a siphon line 212 for the fluid and air bubbles to pass through. The fluid and air bubbles exit out of the cooling jacket 120B at line 214 into a fluid outlet 216, which passes the fluid and air bubbles at line 218 to the reservoir 220. The cooling jacket 120 can be made of, but is not limited to, cast iron, alloy, structural steel, or aluminum alloys. It should be noted that air bubbles can also enter the system 200 and circulate with the fluid. The self-priming cooling jacket 120B can remove the air bubbles from the cooling jacket and circulate the air bubbles to the reservoir 220 or another device that removes the air bubbles from the system 200. Removing the air bubbles from the cooling jacket 120 prevents larger air pockets from forming in the cooling jacket, which could negatively impact heat transfer performance and result in inadequate cooling of the converter/controller 110.
The fluid/air bubbles may enter the cooling jacket 120 at line 204 into the fluid inlet 206, which may be coupled to a chamber inlet 306 of the body structure 302. The fluid/air bubbles may enter the chamber inlet 306 and flow into a main fluid chamber 210. The main fluid chamber 210 may receive the fluid/air bubbles from the chamber inlet 306 and circulate the fluid/air bubbles between and around fins 310 and pins 312 that are positioned in the main fluid chamber 210. The main fluid chamber 210 may have a U-shape configuration as shown in the figures. The fluid/air bubbles may exit from the main fluid chamber 210 through a chamber outlet 308, which may be coupled to the fluid outlet 216. The fluid/air bubbles exit out the fluid outlet 216 at line 218. A priming inlet 316 may be positioned at or near a top wall 324 of the body structure 302 and may receive air bubbles from the main fluid chamber 210 and may output the air bubbles at a siphon outlet 413, as shown in
The main fluid chamber 210 has a top left protrusion 318, a bottom protrusion 314, and a top right protrusion 320 that aids in collecting and directing the air bubbles toward and into the priming inlet 316, which is positioned between the top left protrusion 318 and the top right protrusion 320. The air bubbles can be trapped between the protrusions 318, 320 and can be pushed up by protrusion 314, resulting in the air bubbles entering the priming inlet 316. The flow of fluid and air bubbles in the main fluid chamber 210 and the siphon line 212 are further described in succeeding figures. A sealing plate 304 may cover and seal the body structure 302.
The siphon line 212 can be narrower (i.e., have a smaller cross-sectional area) than the main fluid chamber 210. The priming inlet 316 allows the air bubbles that would normally be trapped at the top wall 324 of the body structure 302 to be drawn out through an enclosed high velocity straw-like pathway of the siphon line 212. The direct connection of the siphon line 212 to the fluid outlet 216 and the narrow-enclosed pathway of the siphon line 212 can create a higher draw than the main fluid chamber 210 which flows at a much slower relative velocity due to difference in cross-sectional areas between the flow paths. A constant fluid loop can be created by attaching siphon inlet/outlet 405, 413 directly to the fluid inlet/outlet 206, 216 that results in a push-pull mechanism where the siphon inlet 405 can push the fluid forward from the left section 407 of the siphon line 212, and the siphon outlet 413 can draw the fluid out of the siphon line 212. Positioning the priming inlet 316 at or near the top of the main fluid chamber 210 can allow the air bubbles to naturally collect at the priming inlet 316 due to buoyancy of the air bubbles and be carried away in the right section 411 of the siphon line 212 having a smaller cross-sectional area (i.e., narrower flow path) than the right section 422 of the main fluid chamber 210.
In this example, the siphon line 212 is positioned along the outer peripheral of the the main fluid chamber 210. In another embodiment, the siphon line 212 can be positioned in front or back of the main fluid chamber 210. In another embodiment, the siphon line 212 can be positioned in front of the main fluid chamber 210 on the sealing plate 304 (
The self-priming cooling jacket 120 of
The right section 411 of the siphon line 212 may be created by drilling a right-bottom pathway from the drilled opening 506b into the chamber outlet 308 and by drilling a right-side pathway from the drilled opening 506f to the right-bottom pathway. Similarly, the left section 407 of the siphon line 212 may be created by drilling a left-bottom pathway from the drilled opening 506c into the chamber inlet 306 (
The siphon line 212 can be narrower (i.e., have a smaller cross-sectional area) than the main fluid chamber 210. The priming inlet 316 may allow air bubbles that would normally be trapped at or near the top wall 324 of the body structure 302 to be drawn out through an enclosed high velocity straw-like pathway of the siphon line 212. The direct connection of the siphon line 212 to the fluid outlet 216 and the narrow-enclosed pathway of the siphon line 212 may create a higher draw than the main fluid chamber 210 which flows at a much slower relative velocity due to difference in cross-sectional area between the flow paths. A constant fluid loop can be created by attaching siphon inlet/outlet 405, 413 directly to the fluid inlet/outlet 206, 216 that results in a push-pull mechanism where the siphon inlet 405 can push the fluid forward from the left section 407 of the siphon line 212, and the siphon outlet 413 can draw the fluid out of the siphon line 212. Positioning the priming inlet 316 at the top of the main fluid chamber 210 can allow the air bubbles to naturally be collected into the priming inlet 316 and be carried away in the right section 411 of the siphon line 212 having a smaller cross-sectional area (i.e., narrower flow path) than the right section 422 of the main fluid chamber 210.
In this example, the siphon line 212 is positioned along the outer peripheral of the main fluid chamber 210. In another embodiment, the siphon line 212 can be positioned in front or back of the main fluid chamber 210. In another embodiment, the siphon line 212 can be positioned in front of the main fluid chamber 210 on the sealing plate 304 (
Similarly, the left section 407 of the siphon line 212 may be created by drilling a front-left-bottom pathway from the drilled opening 506c into the chamber inlet 306 (
While embodiments have been illustrated and described above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scopes of the embodiments are not limited by the disclosure. Instead, the embodiments of the disclosure should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
Claims
1. A self-priming fluid transfer system, comprising:
- a body structure having: a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet that are positioned at or near a bottom wall of the body structure; and a main fluid chamber that receives and outputs fluid from the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively;
- a siphon line that is positioned along the main fluid chamber and includes a siphon inlet and a siphon outlet that are positioned at the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively, wherein the siphon inlet and the siphon outlet receive and output the fluid at the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively; and
- a priming inlet that is positioned at or near a top wall of the body structure and receives air bubbles from the main fluid chamber and introduces the air bubbles into the siphon line where they can be transported to the siphon outlet.
2. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 1, wherein the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet are interchangeable in which the chamber outlet receives the fluid and the chamber inlet outputs the fluid.
3. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 1, wherein the main fluid chamber has a U-shape configuration that includes a base section, a left section, and a right section, and wherein the base section is coupled to the priming inlet at or near the top wall of the body structure, the left sections is coupled to the chamber inlet, and the right section is coupled to the chamber outlet.
4. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 3, wherein the main fluid chamber has a lump at a bottom portion of the base section that aids in inputting the air bubbles in the priming inlet that is positioned at a top portion of the base section of the main fluid chamber.
5. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 1, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are positioned at the body structure.
6. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 5, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are manufactured by way of shape-based molding.
7. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 5, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are manufactured by way of drilling/machining the body structure.
8. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a sealing plate that covers and seals the body structure.
9. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 8, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are positioned at the sealing plate.
10. The self-priming fluid transfer system of claim 1, further comprises:
- a reservoir that contains the fluid;
- a radiator that transfers heat from the fluid to outside air; and
- a pump that pumps the fluid in and out of the main fluid chamber and the siphon line.
11. A self-priming cooling jacket, comprising:
- a body structure having: a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet that are positioned at or near a bottom wall of the body structure, and a main fluid chamber that receives and outputs fluid from the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively, wherein the main fluid chamber includes fins and pins that fluid flows therebetween and around;
- a siphon line that is positioned along the main fluid chamber and includes a siphon inlet and a siphon outlet that are positioned at the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively, wherein the siphon inlet and the siphon outlet receive and output the fluid at the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively; and
- a priming inlet that is positioned at a top wall of the body structure and receives air bubbles from the main fluid chamber and outputs the air bubbles at the siphon outlet.
12. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 11, wherein the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet are interchangeable in which the chamber outlet receives the fluid and the chamber inlet outputs the fluid.
13. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 11, wherein the main fluid chamber has a U-shape configuration that includes a base section, a left section and a right section, of which the base section is coupled to the priming inlet at the top wall of the body structure and the left and right sections are coupled to the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet, respectively.
14. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 13, wherein the main fluid chamber has a lump at a bottom portion of the base section that aids in inputting the air bubbles in the priming inlet that is positioned at a top portion of the base section of the main fluid chamber.
15. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 11, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are positioned at the body structure.
16. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 15, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are manufactured by way of shape-based molding.
17. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 14, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are manufactured by way of drilling/machining the body structure.
18. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 11, further comprising a sealing plate that covers and seals the body structure.
19. The self-priming cooling jacket of claim 18, wherein the siphon line and the priming inlet are positioned at the sealing plate.
20. A method of using a self-priming cooling jacket, comprising the steps of:
- passing a fluid into a chamber inlet of a main fluid chamber that is positioned at a bottom wall of a body structure;
- passing the fluid through the main fluid chamber and out a chamber outlet that is positioned at the bottom wall of the body structure;
- passing the fluid into a siphon inlet of a siphon line that is positioned at the chamber inlet, wherein the siphon line is positioned along the main fluid chamber;
- passing the fluid out of a siphon outlet of the siphon line that is positioned at the chamber outlet;
- passing air bubbles from the main fluid chamber into a priming inlet that is positioned at a top wall of the body structure; and
- passing the air bubbles from the priming inlet to and out the siphon outlet.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 13, 2022
Publication Date: Mar 14, 2024
Inventors: Alex Nguyen (Fullerton, CA), Gordon Abas Goodarzi (Rolling Hills, CA)
Application Number: 17/944,150