| CPC H05K 7/208 (2013.01) [F25B 25/005 (2013.01); F25B 41/31 (2021.01); F25B 41/40 (2021.01); F28D 15/0266 (2013.01); F28D 15/0275 (2013.01); F28D 15/06 (2013.01); H05K 7/20309 (2013.01); H05K 7/20318 (2013.01)] | 26 Claims |
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1. A cooling system comprising:
an evaporator containing a primary cooling medium, the evaporator being configured to receive a process fluid and, when receiving the process fluid, to change the phase of the primary cooling medium from liquid to gas;
a passive condenser having an outer surface and being fluidly coupled to the evaporator, the passive condenser being configured to have an airstream directed over the outer surface thereof, wherein, when the airstream is directed over the outer surface of the passive condenser, the passive condenser is configured (i) to receive the primary cooling medium in the gas phase from the evaporator, (ii) to transfer heat from the primary cooling medium, (iii) to change the phase of the primary cooling medium from gas to liquid, and (iv) to supply the primary cooling medium in the liquid phase to the evaporator; and
a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the evaporator and configured to have a secondary cooling medium selectively provided thereto such that:
(a) when the secondary cooling medium is provided to the heat exchanger, at least some of the primary cooling medium in the gas phase switches from being received by the passive condenser to the heat exchanger without operating any valves located between the evaporator and the passive condenser and between the evaporator and the heat exchanger and the heat exchanger is configured (i) to receive the primary cooling medium in the gas phase from the evaporator, (ii) to transfer heat from the primary cooling medium, (iii) to change the phase of the primary cooling medium from gas to liquid, and (iv) to supply the primary cooling medium in the liquid phase to the evaporator; and
(b) when the secondary cooling medium is not provided to the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger does not supply the primary cooling medium in the liquid phase to the evaporator,
wherein the primary cooling medium circulates between the evaporator and the passive condenser and between the evaporator and the heat exchanger by natural circulation and gravity without a pump in the flow path of the primary cooling medium between the heat exchanger and the evaporator and between the passive condenser and the evaporator to circulate the primary cooling medium.
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19. A method of cooling a process fluid, the method comprising:
directing a process fluid through an evaporator to transfer heat from the process fluid to a primary cooling medium contained in the evaporator and change the primary cooling medium from a liquid phase to a gas phase;
selectively utilizing at least one of a heat exchanger and a passive condenser to change the primary cooling medium from the gas phase to the liquid phase by cooling the at least one of the heat exchanger and the passive condenser, each of the heat exchanger and the passive condenser being coupled to the evaporator to receive the primary cooling medium in the gas phase from the evaporator and supply the primary cooling medium in the liquid phase to the evaporator; and
circulating the primary cooling medium between the evaporator and the at least one of the heat exchanger and the passive condenser by natural circulation,
wherein the heat exchanger is selected to change the primary cooling medium from the gas phase to the liquid phase by initiating cooling of the heat exchanger and without operating any valves in the coupling between the evaporator and the passive condenser and in the coupling between the evaporator and the heat exchanger.
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