Westinghouse Electric Corporation

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Other

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Frank E Altoz

William B Hall

Frank A Lindberg

Ngon B Nguyen

Richard M Young

Alfred A Zucchi

Charles S Kerfoot

Geoffrey B Lansberry

David L Schantz, Jr

Thomas C Underwood

James L Munro

Michael J Ankrom

John J Chino

James H DeOms

Ronnie L Starling

John J Buckley

Brian H Smith

Patricia A O'Donnell

Beth A Herman

Eric L Mohler

Joseph J Springer

Marshall G Jones

William B Winkel

Todd M Zaranski

Brian A DeAbreu

Roald N Horton

John W Hughes

John D McClure

Aaron D Valdivia

Richard F Porter

William H Winn

An electric vehicle propulsion system having a motor with first and second electrically isolated windings and a system control unit for controlling the motor, wherein the system control unit includes a first power bridge for driving the first windings and a second power bridge for driving the second windings.

Electric vehicle propulsion system employing AC induction motor control

An apparatus for cooling a switching circuit for an electric vehicle, wherein the switching circuit has at least two switching elements connected in series, includes first and second heat sinks, each having two thermally-conductive planar members forming a passage therebetween for channeling cooling fluid, an inlet port in communication with the passage, and an outlet port in communication with the passage, and a substrate for mounting at least one switching element to each of the first and second heat sinks. An ac terminal connects the switching element attached to the first heat sink in series with the switching element attached to the second heat sink, and inlet and outlet manifolds, coupled to the inlet and outlet ports of the first and second heat sinks, circulate cooling fluid through the passages of the first and second heat sinks to cool the switching elements.

Direct cooled switching module for electric vehicle propulsion system

A chassis is provided having a heat conductive side wall together with a flat heat conductive tab member extending therefrom, together with a planar heat sink for supporting a heat generating electrical device, the heat sink having a pair of flat, parallel, resilient prongs and including first and second flat inner surfaces facing each other and separated from each other by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the tab to form a clearance gap, together with a pair of wedge clamps for squeezing said prongs together to produce a good thermal contact between the prongs and the tab member. A narrow slot is formed within the heat sink for enhancing the resiliency of the prongs to enable easy actuation of the clamps.

Slotted tuning fork thermal interface

An apparatus is provided for cooling electronic components mounted on a cuit board. The circuit board is placed in thermal contact with a heat sink enclosure that has an interior cavity and a release opening that provides a path from the interior cavity to the external ambient. A meltable pellet blocks the release opening. A wick is bonded to the inside surface of the interior cavity. The device is sealed with a working fluid that permeates the wick. When the components get hot, the heat is transferred through the heat sink enclosure to the working fluid in the wick, causing the working fluid to vaporize. The vapors remain trapped in the interior cavity until the pellet melts, allowing the vapor to be released and the temperature of the heat sink enclosure to be stabilized or lowered.

Module cooling system

A ram air cooling system for cooling electronic components in an aircraft ovides automatic switching from a high ram air speed cooling mode (ACM) to a low ram air speed cooling mode (RAM). The cooling system receives variable speed ram air during the flight of the aircraft and includes an automatically controlled valve for either directing high speed ram air to a precooling means prior to cooling the electronic components or directing low speed ram air directly to the electronic components without precooling. The automatically controlled valve is controlled by programmable logic module means for comparing the cooling efficiency of the electronic components by precooled ram air with the cooling efficiency of the electronic components by the non-precooled ram air. The cooling efficiencies are calculated from temperature measurements of the ram air at several locations in the system of the invention. Preferably, the ram air cooling means is an air turbine which extracts energy from the ram air to drive a compressor that compresses and discharges heated air that exits from the housing for the electronic components after the ram air has performed its cooling function.

Apparatus for cooling electronic components in aircraft

The invention is a thermal coupling to promote heat transfer between a heat source and a heat sink with abutting surfaces using a deposition of a thermally conductive substance having a melting point temperature less than the temperature of the heat source such that the substance when heated will be in a liquid state capable of effectively transferring heat between the heat source and the heat sink. The deposition is situated between and contacts the abutting surfaces of the heat source and the heat sink. The substance is contained using a sealant to completely enclose the substance between the heat source and heat sink surface while an adhesive is used to secure the heat source to the heat sink.

Thermal coupling to enhance heat transfer

A device for positioning within the interior of a conduit for enhancing heat transfer between the conduit and an enclosed flowing coolant fluid comprised of a longitudinal member having a plurality of protuberances for generating turbulent flow within the conduit with the longitudinal member being resiliently secured within the conduit such that the force of the fluid flow will not displace the member. Design of the device is such that installation or removal from a tube may be easily accomplished by merely sliding the device in or out of the tube.

Self-securing turbulence promoter to enhance heat transfer

The invention is a cooling apparatus for electronically steered phased array antennas in radar systems. The apparatus includes a rigid tube, used in multiplicity with a series of identical apparatus, located adjacent to the transmitter/receiver modules in the antenna and having a plurality of longitudinal slots. Flexible hoses are inserted into the tubes so that when a liquid coolant is introduced under pressure into the hoses, the fluid pressure will be sufficient to cause expansion of the flexible hose material enough so the material expands outward through the slots in the tubes and becomes flush against the side of the transmitter/receiver modules, thereby maximizing heat transfer between the modules and the liquid coolant.

Flexible diaphragm cooling device for microwave antennas

A direct air cooling system 12 for electronics carried by aircraft. The cooling system provides a submerged air scoop 16 which directs outside air to several electronic modules 14. The air flows through passages 76 in the modules 14 which are adjacent to circuit boards 74, 78 bearing discrete electronic components 88. A foil layer 86 and aluminum fin stock help transfer heat from the electronic components to the directed air. Heated air is then exhausted through exhaust port 24 or 28.

Direct air cooling system for airborne electronics

A dual mode heat exchanger 10 for cooling airborne electronics 12 through a cold plate 14. The heat exchanger either radiates heat to air through radiator fins 18 or absorbs heat by evaporative cooling. A liquid coolant contained in grooves 16 of the cold plate 14 boils at a preselected temperature and thereby absorbs heat energy. Vapor released by the boiling liquid is exhausted through a hydrophobic filter membrane 24.

Dual mode heat exchanger

An attitude independent, evaporative cooling system used in airborne systems for cooling electronic components. The coolant is water contained within ducts in heat transfer relationship with the electronic components. The ducts are sealed to water passage by porous membranes which permit passage of steam into a manifold which is sealed by a normally closed pressure relief valve. The relief valve is operable at a selected steam pressure which corresponds to the desired maximum operating temperature for the electronic components.

Attitude independent evaporative cooling system

The compression air seal for containing air between equipment racks and electronic modules is described incorporating a metal base having a slot opening and an inclined or tapered upper surface with respect to the lower surface, a double layer of elastomeric material having two hardness values one upon the other in enclosing the opening and a coating of low-friction material over the upper elastomeric material to facilitate low friction when an electronic module having a tapered surface is slid over and compresses the seal.

Sliding compression air seal for removable electronic units

A unidirectional heat transfer device for use between an electronic assembly on an aircraft and the skin and/or pod on the aircraft. The device includes a thermal decoupler mechanism which operates to disengage a retractable interface heat transfer surface when the skin on the aircraft reaches a predetermined elevated temperature caused by the high speed of the aircraft. In the decoupled mode, the heat from the electronic equipment passes to a phase change material heat absorber to provide a limited capability cooling function during extended high speed aircraft operation.

Mechanical heat transfer device

A wedge-shaped printed wiring assembly is inserted into a chassis having guide rails for coarse positioning of the unit the final alignment being accomplished with male and female pins on the connector. Slotted air openings at the entrance and exit of the printed wiring assembly are matched to corresponding openings through the seal. The seal surfaces are tapered a nominal 1.5 degrees top to bottom to facilitate insertion of the printed wiring assembly into the chassis which causes the taper surfaces to come together and force the seal to deflect uniformly and provide a tight interface across the entire surface. The seal material is preferably polyether urethane or a like material.

Sliding air seal for electronic assemblies

A streamlined electronic-component-containing pod is mounted on the exterior of a military aircraft in subjection to the airflow past the aircraft during flight. An evaporator in the pod is close coupled thermally to the electronic components for cooling. The outer skin of the pod acts as a condenser for return of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator during normal flight operations. During short-term high-speed dash operation the outer skin of the pod becomes too hot for condensing refrigerant vapor, which then becomes condensed by a heat sink. At this time the refrigerant at the outer skin remaining in the vapor phase acts as thermal insulation.

Growing community of inventors

Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Frank E Altoz