Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research (IC&SR) , IIT Madras
Dual Cycle Cooling System for Vacuum Tube Transport System
Categories for this Invention
Technology: Dual Cycle Cooling System;
Category: Hyperloop, Automobile &Transportation, etc.;
Market Segmentation by System type: Capsule, Tube, Cargo, Propulsion System, Route;
Industry & Application: Hyperloop, Automobile and Transportation Industries;
Market: The global Hyperloop Technology market is projected to grow $47.5Bn by 2032 & at a CAGR of 35% during the forecast period in between the period of 2024-2032 including Asia specific region.
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Problem Statement
- The vacuum environment of the vacuum tube transport system essentially rules out any cooling technique that relies on the dissipation of heat into the atmosphere or surrounding environment.
- Further, the low thermal conductivities associated with the PCMs pose a challenge while implementing the same in high heat transfer rate applications.
- Hence there is a need to provide techniques for uniformly dissipating heat generated during the operation of enclosed transportation systems, such as vacuum tube transport systems.
Technology
- Present invention describes a cooling apparatus capable of efficiently dissipating heat from components of a vacuum tube transport system.
- Claimed cooling apparatus employs the principle of immersion cooling to dissipate heat from components of the vacuum tube transport system.
- Facilitates a dual-cycle cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from components of the vacuum tube transport system.
- The cooling apparatus includes an immersion container filled with a coolant in which the heat generating components are fully immersed. (Refer Figs. 1 & 2)
- Heat radiated from the components results in boiling of the coolant.
- Vapours of the coolant pass to a condenser, where the vapours are converted into liquid form, and re-supplied and maybe sprayed on the components in the immersion container.
- The cooling apparatus reduces temperature of vapours flowing into the condenser coil using a cooling fluid, which is pumped into a condenser housing the condenser coil from a fluid container.
- The cooling fluid is maintained at a reduced pressure environment with help of pressure regulating valve, to control boiling temperature.
- The cooling apparatus includes a dual cycle arrangement with the coolant flowing in the closed loop, i.e., by recirculation in the immersion container, & the cooling fluid flowing in the open loop, i.e., by release or discharge in the vacuum environment of the tube.
Key Features / Value Proposition
Technical Perspective:
- Compact Apparatus: Capable of being easily retrofitted into existing vacuum tube transport systems.
- Identically Cooling Heat generating components: The cooling apparatus is capable of uniformly cooling heat-generating components of the vacuum tube transportation system by efficiently dissipating heat away from the heat-generating components, such as, Linear Induction Motors (LIMs), Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS), batteries & other electrical components installed in the vacuum tube transportation system.
Industrial Perspective:
- Cost Effective Apparatus: Provide a simple and low-cost cooling apparatus for cooling the components of the vacuum tube transport system, during its operation.
- Application Areas: Hyperloop includes a pod or casing located inside a low-pressure vacuum environment of a tube.
Questions about this Technology?
Contact For Licensing
sm-marketing@imail.iitm.ac.in
ipoffice2@iitm.ac.in
Research Lab
Prof. Muruganandam T M
Prof. Chakravarthy S R;
Department of Aerospace Engineering.
Intellectual Property
- IITM IDF Ref. 2578;
- IN Patent Application No.202341051304
Technology Readiness Level
TRL-4
Proof of Concept ready, tested and validated in Laboratory