The thermal conduction system according to the present disclosure is configured to cool the second device by means of the first device by performing a method according to the present disclosure. In this way, the thermal conduction system ensures that the space surrounding the second device does not absorb any heat flow and the space surrounding the first device only absorbs a portion of the second heat flow which exceeds the first heat flow and reduces power consumption of the first device. Both effects reduce the thermal load on the environment and counteract a warming of the climate.

Components of the thermal conduction system, that is, at least partially the first circuit or the second circuit respectively, the heat exchanger, the heat accumulator, the solar heating system, the thermoelectric generator, and the storage buffer, can be designed as a compact assembly group. The compact assembly group can be located adjacent to the first device or adjacent to the second device. Alternatively, the compact assembly group can also be spatially integrated into the first device or into the second device.

An advantage of the method according to the present disclosure is that the heat flow generated by the first device warms neither a space surrounding the first device nor a space surrounding the second device. Correspondingly, a CO₂emission from the first device equivalent to the thermal output is low. Consequently, the environmental load caused by operating the first device is reduced or avoided. Furthermore, it is advantageous that a device which is ideal as a first device is at least already present, which results that an implementation of the method is very economically favorable.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a thermal conduction system according to one form of the present disclosure for cooling of a device;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the second device to be cooled by the thermal conduction system depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the heat exchanger of the thermal conduction system depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the heat accumulator of the thermal conduction system depicted in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a heat accumulator according to an additional form of the present disclosure.

Identical components are marked with identical reference numbers in the illustrations.

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

FIG. 1 shows in a schematic depiction a thermal conduction system 3 according to one form of the present disclosure for cooling of a device. The thermal conduction system 3 thermally couples a first device 1 and a differing second device 2.

The first device 1 is located and designed in a first space 11 to generate a first heat flow 10 dependent upon operation.

The second device 2 differs from the first device 1 and is located and designed in a second space 21 to generate a second heat flow 20. Ideally, the second device 2 is thermally isolated from the second space 21 by means of thermal insulation. The second space 21 can be located separate from the first space 11, that is to say, the second device 2 can be located separate from the first device 1.

FIG. 2 shows in an enlarged detail view the second device 2 to be cooled by the thermal conduction system 3 depicted in FIG. 1. The second device 2 is preferably designed as a data center. The data center is designed as the second device 2 to generate the second heat flow 20. The data center includes a facility 22 with a plurality of IT components, for example, processors, data storage, network components, and the like, which generate the second heat flow 20 during operation of the data center.

Furthermore, two valves 372 of the thermal conduction system 3 can be located in the second device 2, which are fluidly connected via the facility 22. The valves 372 are designed, for example, as three-way valves, but can also be designed alternatively as pairs of check valves. In the second device 2, a temperature sensor can additionally be located as a sensor 370 of the thermal conduction system 3 for measuring a temperature of the second cooling fluid.

Returning to FIG. 1, the thermal conduction system 3 includes, for example, a closed first circuit 36 and a closed second circuit 35 which is separate from the first circuit 36. The second circuit 35 can include a plurality of subcircuits 350, 351, 352, 353, 354. Belonging to each circuit 35, 36 are a plurality of pipes, which are thermally isolated from a space surrounding the circuits 35, 36 by means of thermal insulation, that is to say, a space surrounding the circuits 35, 36 absorbs none or essentially none of the heat flow generated by the circuits 35, 36. The pipes are each respectively depicted as a connecting arrow, wherein a direction of a connecting arrow indicates a flow direction of a fluid flowing within the respective circuit.

Furthermore, the thermal conduction system 3 includes a heat exchanger 34 with a first side 340 and a second side 341. The first device 1 is fluidly connected with the first side of the heat exchanger 34 via the first circuit 36. The second device 2 is fluidly connected with the second side 341 of the heat exchanger 34 via the second circuit 35. The second device 2 is, in one form, directly fluidly connected with the second side 341 of the heat exchanger 34 via the subcircuit 354.

FIG. 3 shows in an enlarged detail view the heat exchanger 34 of the thermal conduction system shown in FIG. 1. The heat exchanger 34 can include a primary heat exchanger 342 and a secondary heat exchanger 343. The primary heat exchanger 342 is fluidly connected with the subcircuit 350. The secondary heat exchanger 343 is fluidly connected with the subcircuit 354. The heat exchanger 34 can include a pump 371 for setting a volumetric flow rate of the second fluid in the subcircuit 354.

The primary heat exchanger 342 and the secondary heat exchanger 343 are respectively fluidly connected with the first circuit 36. The heat exchanger can furthermore include a temperature sensor as a sensor 370 for measuring a temperature of the first cooling fluid.

Returning to FIG. 1, the thermal conduction system 3 can furthermore include a thermoelectric generator 32 for generating of electrical power. The second device 2 is fluidly connected with the thermoelectric generator 32 via the subcircuits 352, 353. The thermoelectric generator 32 is fluidly connected with the second side 341 of the heat exchanger 34 via the subcircuits 350, 351. The thermoelectric generator 32 can generate the electrical energy necessary for generating the electrical power by means of the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and/or the Thomson effect.

Furthermore, a heat accumulator 30 can belong to the thermal conduction system 3. The second device 2 is fluidly connected with the heat accumulator via the subcircuit 353. The heat accumulator 30 is fluidly connected with the thermoelectric generator 32 via the subcircuit 352. In the case of forms without the heat accumulator 30, the subcircuits 352 and 353 coincide.

FIG. 4 shows in an enlarged detail view the heat accumulator 30 of the thermal conduction system 3 shown in FIG. 1. The heat accumulator 30 includes a single storage tank 301.

FIG. 5 shows in an enlarged view a heat accumulator 30 according to an additional form of the present disclosure. The heat accumulator 30 includes two storage tanks 301, 302 which are fluidly connected with one another, and only a single pump 371 as an example, which sets a volumetric flow rate of the two fluids from the storage tank 302 to the storage tank 301. In other forms, the heat accumulator 30 can include more than two storage tanks which are fluidly connected with one another in a cascade fashion.

Returning to FIG. 1, the thermal conduction system 3 can additionally include a solar heating system 31. The solar heating system 31 is advantageously fluidly coupled into the subcircuit 352, that is to say, it is fluidly connected with an outlet of the heat accumulator 30 and an inlet of the thermoelectric generator 32. The solar heating system 31 is designed to generate a third heat flow 310 created by the sun.

A storage buffer 33 can also belong to the thermal conduction system 3. The storage buffer 33 can, like the heat accumulator 30 (see FIGS. 3, 4), include one or a plurality of storage tanks. A plurality of storage tanks of the storage buffer 33 can be fluidly connected with each other in a cascade fashion.

The storage buffer 33 is fluidly connected with the second side 341 of the heat exchanger 34 via the subcircuit 350. The thermoelectric generator 32 is fluidly connected with the storage buffer 33 via the subcircuit 351. The device 2 is fluidly connected with the storage buffer 33 via the heat accumulator 30 and the subcircuit 353. The storage buffer can include one pump each for the subcircuit 350, for the subcircuit 351, and for a supply line to the heat accumulator 30, respectively. In the case of forms without a storage buffer 33, the subcircuits 350 and 351 coincide and the second device 2 is fluidly connected with the second side 341 of the heat exchanger 34 via the heat accumulator 30, where applicable.

The thermal conduction system 3 ideally includes a plurality of sensors 370 for measuring a physical property of the thermal conduction system 3, a plurality of pumps 371 for setting a volumetric flow rate of the first fluid or of the second fluid, a plurality of valves 372 for restricting or releasing the flow of the first fluid or of the second fluid, and a control unit 37 which is functionally connected with every sensor 370, every pump 371, and every valve 372 by means of an electrical line. Every sensor 370 can be designed as a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature, a flow sensor for measuring a volumetric flow rate, or a level sensor for measuring a liquid level. The electrical lines are respectively depicted as a connecting double arrow. In each case, the direction of a connecting arrow indicates a direction of a control signal, and the other direction of a connecting arrow depicts a direction of a sensor signal.

The thermal conduction system 3 includes one respective pump 371 for every subcircuit 350, 351, 352, 353, 354 of the second circuit 35, for the first circuit 36, as well as for every line which does not belong to a circuit 36 or to a subcircuit 350, 351, 352, 353, 354. Every component of the thermal conduction system 3, that is to say, the heat accumulator 30, the solar heating system 31, the thermoelectric generator 32, the storage buffer 33, and the heat exchanger 34, can include a temperature sensor as a sensor 370. Additionally, the thermal conduction system 3 can include a temperature sensor as a sensor 370 located in the first device 1 and in the second device 2, respectively. The heat accumulator 30 and the storage buffer 33 can include a level sensor as a sensor 370 for each storage tank. Furthermore, the thermal conduction system 3 can include one flow sensor as a sensor 370 for every subcircuit 350, 351, 352, 353, 354 of the second circuit 35, for the first circuit 36, as well as for every line which does not belong to a circuit 36 or to a subcircuit 350, 351, 352, 353, 354.

The control unit 37 is functionally connected with the first device 1, the second device 2, and the heat exchanger 34 by one electrical line each, respectively. Furthermore, the control unit 37 can be functionally connected with the thermoelectric generator 32, the solar heating system 31, the heat accumulator 30, and the storage buffer 33 by one electrical line each, respectively. More specifically, the control unit 37 is functionally connected with a sensor 370, a pump 371, or a valve 372, respectively, which are each located in the first device 1 or the second device 2, or which belong to the heat exchanger 34, the thermoelectric generator 32, the solar heating system 31, the heat accumulator 30, or the storage buffer 33.

Furthermore, the control unit