Abstract:
An immersion cooler comprising an agitator motor having a drive shaft, an evaporator located in a tank and surrounding the drive shaft, and an agitator coupled to the drive shaft. The agitator is configured to draw a fluid from the tank and distribute the fluid around a periphery of the agitator and toward the evaporator. An agitator and a method of manufacturing an immersion cooler are also provided.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This application is directed, in general, to a fluid agitator and, more specifically, to a fluid agitator for use in an immersion cooler. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Immersion coolers are regularly used to remove heat from a variety of liquids. By their nature, an immersion cooler may have a basket evaporator, generally of stainless steel tubing in a coil that rests in a tank containing the liquid to be cooled. The compressor, air cooled condenser and other equipment necessary for the refrigeration cycle will be located structurally above or in close proximity to the basket evaporator. An agitator is commonly used to thoroughly mix the liquid to be cooled. The type of liquid to be cooled is dictated by the application of the liquid, e.g., cooling/lubricating a machine part being shaped by a machine tool may require cutting oil. The type of agitator is usually selected based upon the viscosity of the liquid that will be agitated. For liquids having an oil-like viscosity, a simple paddle is used coupled to the agitator motor drive shaft. For liquids having an emulsion-like viscosity, a ship propeller-type agitator is used coupled to the agitator motor drive shaft. Therefore, the type of agitator limits the usefulness of the immersion cooler by limiting the viscosity of the fluid that it agitates as well as complicates manufacturing of the immersion cooler. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    One aspect provides an immersion cooler comprising an agitator motor having a drive shaft, an evaporator located in a tank and surrounding the drive shaft, and an agitator coupled to the drive shaft. The agitator is configured to draw a fluid from the tank, through an opening in the bottom of the agitator and distribute the fluid around a periphery of the agitator and into the tank. 
         [0004]    Another aspect provides a fluid agitator comprising a drive motor having a drive shaft and an agitator coupled to the drive shaft. The agitator is configured to draw a fluid from a tank in which the agitator is positioned, through an opening in the bottom of the agitator and distribute the fluid about a periphery of the agitator. 
         [0005]    Yet another aspect provides a method of manufacturing an immersion cooler comprising providing an agitator motor having a drive shaft and an agitator coupled thereto. The agitator is configured to draw a fluid from a tank, through an opening in the bottom of the agitator and distribute the fluid around a periphery of the agitator. The agitator is positioned adjacent an evaporator. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of one embodiment of an immersion cooler agitator assembly  100  constructed according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of the agitator  130  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view of one embodiment of an immersion cooler  300  constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the agitator  360  of  FIG. 3  with flow pattern of the fluid  380  shown. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , illustrated is an elevation view of one embodiment of an agitator assembly  100  constructed according to the principles of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the agitator assembly  100  comprises an agitator drive motor  110 , a drive shaft  120  and an agitator  130 . The drive shaft  120  is coupled to the agitator drive motor  110  at a first end  121  and to the agitator  130  at a second end  122 . 
         [0012]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , illustrated is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of the agitator  130  of  FIG. 1 . The agitator  130  comprises an upper disk  211 , a lower disk  212 , a central opening  220 , a collar  230 , a plurality of inlet apertures  240 , a corresponding plurality of vanes  250 , a corresponding plurality of outlet apertures  260  and a drive shaft aperture  270 . It should be noted that though the vanes  250  as illustrated are arcuate, they may also be straight or have another linear geometry, such as a serpentine configuration. The central opening  220  is surrounded by an optional collar  230  and reveals the plurality of inlet apertures  240  proximate the center of the lower disk  212 . The corresponding plurality of vanes  250  extend from the inlet apertures  240  to the outlet apertures  260  on a periphery  215  of the agitator  130 , thereby creating a corresponding plurality of channels  280 . 
         [0013]    In one aspect, the plurality of channels  280  may have a nautilus-shaped planform, i.e., a section of the agitator  130  parallel the upper disk  211  through the plurality of channels  280  appears as a like plurality of arcuate voids commencing at the inlet apertures  240  and growing larger with a curve toward the outlet apertures  260 . However, the voids may also be straight or have another linear geometry, similar to the vanes  250 . In one embodiment, the agitator  130  is a single agitator; however, in an alternative embodiment, more than one agitator may be coupled along the drive shaft  120 . One who is of skill in the art will readily understand how the corrugated drive shaft aperture  270  couples to complementary flutes (not shown) on the drive shaft  120 . 
         [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , illustrated is a partial sectional view of one embodiment of an immersion cooler  300  constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. It should be understood that the agitator of  FIG. 1  may be employed in any apparatus in which a fluid needs to be agitated, including the immersion cooler  300  as discussed herein. 
         [0015]    In the illustrated embodiment, the immersion cooler  300  comprises a frame  310 , an evaporator coil  320 , a condenser  330 , a compressor  340 , an agitator drive motor  350 , a drive shaft  355  and the agitator  130 . The immersion cooler  300  is used in conjunction with a tank  370  containing a fluid  380  to be cooled by the immersion cooler  300 . For ease of operation, the evaporator coil  320  may be formed in a shape similar to a basket and may be termed a basket evaporator  320 . The tank  370  comprises an inlet  371  and an outlet  372  through which the fluid  380  circulates. The sealed refrigeration circuit, i.e., the evaporator coil, condenser  330 , and compressor  340 , cools a refrigerant therein and through the basket evaporator coil  320  draws heat from the fluid  380  to be cooled. In one embodiment, the fluid  380  to be cooled may be cutting oil as for use in on an industrial machine tool  390 . An external pump  385  may be used to facilitate transfer of the cooled fluid  380  from the tank  370  to a machine tool  390  where the fluid may be used to cool moving parts of the machine tool  390 . An additional pump (not shown) may also be used to draw the fluid  380  from the machine tool for return to the tank  370 . Of course, other applications to which immersion coolers are applicable may also be used, e.g., water chiller, etc., or any application where turbulence in a liquid to be cooled optimizes the heat transfer. 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 4  with continuing reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , illustrated is a bottom perspective view of the agitator  130  of  FIG. 3  with flow pattern of the fluid  380  shown. Driven by drive shaft  355 , the agitator  130  causes fluid  380  to be drawn into the central opening  220  from the tank  370  as shown in flow  420 . The fluid  380  flows through inlet apertures  240  and along the plurality of channels  280 , exiting the agitator periphery  215  at the plurality of outlet apertures  260  with significant force as shown in outflow  430 . Outflow  430  is directed radially outward from the agitator  130  toward the evaporator coil  320 . The amount of turbulence created can be controlled by the rotational speed of the drive shaft  355 . It should be noted that when the agitator  130  draws fluid  380  from proximate the bottom  410  of the tank  370 , air bubbles are minimized in the outflow  430  from the agitator  130  as compared to paddle-type agitators. A particular advantage to the described agitator  130  is that it can be used with a variety of fluids having significantly different viscosities, i.e., from water to oil to emulsions interchangeably. This makes manufacturing and maintenance much simpler than having different types of agitators for different types of fluids, e.g., paddle agitators for oil and propeller types for emulsions. Additionally, the risk of injury to an operator by touching the running agitator is minimized. 
         [0017]    For the purposes of this discussion, use of the terms “providing” and “forming,” etc., includes: manufacture, subcontracting, purchase, etc. Those skilled in the art to which this application relates will appreciate that other and further additions, deletions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the described embodiments.