Patent Publication Number: US-2007095505-A1

Title: Starter controller coolant outlet flow kit

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/730,859, filed Oct. 28, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to cooling systems for the electronic components of large scale air-conditioning units known as “chillers”, and particularly to a starter controller coolant outlet kit therefor.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Chillers are generally large scale liquid coolers for used in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems for buildings, such as apartment buildings, offices, and other commercial edifices, having large amounts of volume to cool. The chillers generally have many electric motors for pumping coolant water, refrigerant, and the like.  
      In addition, large air blowers are usually connected as part of the chiller system. All of these motors and other electrical components of the HVAC system require careful synchronization during start up and operation. Hence solid state, i.e., semiconductor starter controllers under microprocessor control have evolved to perform electrical component startup, synchronization and control.  
      Generally, electric motor control is accomplished by providing very large-scale silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) that are gated to switch the motors on and off. These SCRs generate large amounts of heat that must be dealt with to keep the starter controller in operation without triggering an overheat fail-safe shut down.  
      In many designs, a portion of the heat dissipation is accomplished by mounting the SCRs on large finned or plate like heat sinks. One such design incorporates a bank of heat sinks that also includes a network of coolant pipes disposed behind the heat sinks to further dissipate the heat generated by solid-state components, such as the aforementioned SCRs.  
      For example, a YORK® model SSS 7L-A incorporates heat sinks backed by a closed loop flow of water and corrosive inhibitor over the heat sinks. The traditional design incorporated in the water outlet system for flow of water out of the solid-state controller housing has been a plastic type header and reservoir system. Many of the chillers employing the plastic type header and reservoir are experiencing failures due to leaks in the closed loop coolant system caused by stress and wear of the plastic components. To date, there has been no durable, metal replacement for these original equipment manufacture (OEM) components.  
      For example, German Patent No. 4,040,495, published July 1992, describes a one-piece hollow adaptor for connecting rigid pipes to flexible tubes, however does not describe a combination of components operable as a starter controller coolant outlet flow kit. Japanese Patent No. 8-226,729, published September 1996, appears to disclose an integrated refrigerating cycle part for air conditioning equipment, however, does not appear to describe the particular combination disclosed in the present invention. Similarly, French Patent No. 2,754,885, published April 1998, discusses separation of gas and liquid phases in a condenser that has a number of parallel tubes for use in motor vehicle air conditioning, but unlike the present invention does not disclose an outlet flow kit for coolant in a single phase.  
      French Patent No. 2,758,877, published July 1998, appears to discuss a reservoir integrated with a heat exchanger in a condenser for refrigeration, but unlike the present invention, does not appear to discuss a kit that could be used to-cool starter controller electronics. Similarly, French Patent No. 2,777,638, published October 1999, discusses an automobile air conditioning condenser with integrated reservoir, but unlike the present invention, does not address a starter controller coolant outlet flow kit.  
      None of the above inventions and patents, taken singly or in combination, describes the present invention as claimed. Thus, a starter controller coolant outlet flow kit solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The starter controller coolant outlet flow kit is a replacement kit for OEM components of a starter controller for improved durability and operation of a closed loop liquid cooling system for solid state components of a chiller starter. The kit includes a hollow metallic reservoir pipe having a proximal end and a distal end.  
      A side radial hole near the proximal end is provided for a soldered connection to a header. The header is provided with a soldered end cap and a plurality of downwardly directed radial apertures. Header nipples are joined and soldered at the radial apertures. An open-mouthed reservoir bottom end piece having a rounded closure and central axial outlet hole is soldered to the proximal end of the reservoir.  
      The central axial outlet hole has a reservoir outlet nipple soldered thereto. An arch-shaped strainer is lodged in the reservoir over the radial hole. A threaded receiver piece is joined and soldered to the distal end of the reservoir pipe. A top threaded plug threads into the receiver piece to seal the top of the reservoir.  
      These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a starter controller coolant outlet flow kit according to the present invention installed on a solid-state controller.  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the coolant outlet flow kit of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3A  is an environmental side view showing the heat sink and water connection to the coolant outflow kit of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3B  is an environmental rear view showing the heat sink and water connection to the coolant outflow kit of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3C  is a diagrammatic view of a heat exchanger and pump connected to the coolant outlet flow kit of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the coolant outlet flow kit of the present invention. 
    
    
      Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention is a starter controller coolant outlet flow kit  105  that attaches to outlet flow connections  102  originating from a liquid coolant path within a solid-state controller SSC. All components of the kit  105  are preferably metallic, and suitable for being bonded to each other by soldering. Main components of the kit  105  include the reservoir  107  and the header  106 . The reservoir  107  is formed from a hollow, metallic, e.g., copper, or the like, reservoir pipe  109  having a proximal end and a distal end.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , a side radial hole  403  near the proximal end is provided where the reservoir pipe  109  joins the header  106  in a reservoir-to-header soldered joint  140  at an axial opening of the hollow header  106 . The header  106  is provided with a plurality of downwardly directed radial apertures  108 , and an end cap  120  for sealing off a remaining axial opening at an end cap joint. The end cap joint is soldered with silvaloy compound at a minimum of approximately 1300° F.  
      Preferably, hollow header nipples  110  are joined and soldered at header radial aperture joints  115 . An open-mouthed reservoir bottom end piece  125  having a rounded closure and central axial outlet hole  128  fits snugly over the proximal end  104  of reservoir pipe  109  and is soldered at an end piece joint  126  over the fitting to the proximal end  104  of the reservoir pipe  109 .  
      The central axial outlet hole  128  is attached to a preferably hollow reservoir outlet nipple  130 , a portion of which snugly fits inside axial outlet hole  128 . The fitting is then soldered in place. A partially spherical arch-shaped strainer  145  having a plurality of small grid-shaped openings for filtration of solid impurities in a liquid fluid flow is lodged inside the metallic reservoir pipe  107  near the lower proximal end  104  so that it surrounds the radial hole  403 .  
      A hollow, substantially cylindrical internally threaded metallic, preferably copper, receiver piece  155  is snugly fitted over the distal end  103 . The receiver piece fitting is then soldered to the distal end  103  of the reservoir pipe  109  at receiver piece joint  150 . A top, threaded plug  160  threads into the receiver piece  155  to seal the top of the reservoir  107 . The top plug  160  may be brass, copper, or polymeric in composition.  
      Moreover, the aforementioned solder joints are preferably completed with a 15% silvaloy compound, or equivalent, raised to a temperature of at least approximately 1300° F. while soldering. Additionally, each of the aforementioned individual components of the starter controller coolant outlet flow kit, according to the present invention, may be scaled up or down in size to custom fit any type of starter controller.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 A through  3 C, usage of the reservoir header coolant outlet flow kit  105  is accomplished by connecting the outlet water pipe surrounding heat sink HS to the header pipe  106  through a fitting to the header aperture nipple connectors  110 . The reservoir outlet nipple connector  130  is then fitted with a line that is connected to a pump P, which, in turn, cycles the coolant water through a heat exchanger  310 , thus keeping the water cool enough to dissipate heat from the heat sink HS on a return flow, as shown in  FIGS. 3A through 3C .  
      It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.