| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090038153 | THERMAL SPREADER USING THERMAL CONDUITS - A thermal spreading device disposable between electronic circuitry and a heat sink includes a substrate having parallel first and second faces and conduits extending through the substrate between the faces. The substrate material has a first thermal conductivity value in a direction parallel to the faces and a second thermal conductivity value in a direction normal to the faces, with the second thermal conductivity value being less than the first thermal conductivity value. The conduit material has a thermal conductivity value associated with it, with the thermal conductivity value being greater than the second thermal conductivity value of the substrate. One method of fabricating the thermal spreading device includes disposing a molding material radially about the rods and hardening the material. Other methods include press fitting and shrink fitting the rods into a substrate material. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090038154 | THERMAL SPREADER USING THERMAL CONDUITS - A thermal spreading device disposable between electronic circuitry and a heat sink includes a substrate having parallel first and second faces and conduits extending through the substrate between the faces. The substrate material has a first thermal conductivity value in a direction parallel to the faces and a second thermal conductivity value in a direction normal to the faces, with the second thermal conductivity value being less than the first thermal conductivity value. The conduit material has a thermal conductivity value associated with it, with the thermal conductivity value being greater than the second thermal conductivity value of the substrate. One method of fabricating the thermal spreading device includes disposing a molding material radially about the rods and hardening the material. Other methods include press fitting and shrink fitting the rods into a substrate material. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20100313590 | LIQUID-COOLED COOLING APPARATUS, ELECTRONICS RACK AND METHODS OF FABRICATION THEREOF - Liquid-cooled electronics racks and methods of fabrication are provided wherein a liquid-based cooling apparatus facilitates cooling of electronic subsystems when docked within the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a liquid-cooled cooling structure mounted to a front of the rack, and a plurality of heat transfer elements. The cooling structure is a thermally conductive material which has a coolant-carrying channel for facilitating coolant flow through the structure. Each heat transfer element couples to one or more heat-generating components of a respective electronic subsystem, physically contacts the cooling structure when that electronic subsystem is docked within the rack, and provides a thermal transport path from the heat-generating components of the electronic subsystem to the liquid-cooled cooling structure. Advantageously, electronic subsystems may be docked within or undocked from the electronics rack without affecting flow of coolant through the liquid-cooled cooling structure. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100326628 | CONDENSER FIN STRUCTURES FACILITATING VAPOR CONDENSATION COOLING OF COOLANT - Vapor condensers and cooling apparatuses are provided herein which facilitate vapor condensation cooling of a coolant employed in cooling an electronic device or electronic subsystem. The vapor condenser includes a thermally conductive base structure having an operational orientation when the condenser is facilitating vapor condensate formation, and a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending from the thermally conductive base structure. The plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins have a varying cross-sectional perimeter along at least a portion of their length. The cross-sectional perimeters of the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins are configured to increase in a direction of condensate travel when the thermally conductive base structure is in the operational orientation and the vapor condenser is facilitating vapor condensate formation. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100328882 | DIRECT JET IMPINGEMENT-ASSISTED THERMOSYPHON COOLING APPARATUS AND METHOD - Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic device utilizing a cooling subassembly, a pump and a controller. The cooling subassembly includes a jet impingement structure, and a thermosyphon. The jet impingement structure directs coolant into a chamber of the subassembly onto a surface to be cooled when in a jet impingement mode, and the thermosyphon, which is associated with the chamber, facilitates convective cooling of the surface to be cooled via boiling of coolant within the chamber when in a thermosyphon mode. The controller, which is coupled to the pump to control activation and deactivation of the pump, also controls transitioning between the jet impingement mode and the thermosyphon mode based on a sensed temperature of the electronic device. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100328888 | COOLING APPARATUS WITH THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS MATERIAL AND JET IMPINGEMENT NOZZLE(S) EXTENDING THEREIN - A cooling apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic device. The cooling apparatus includes a thermally conductive porous material and a liquid coolant supply. The thermally conductive porous material (such as metal foam material) is coupled to a surface of the electronic device to be cooled, or a structure coupled to the electronic device. The liquid coolant supply includes a jet impingement structure, which includes one or more jet nozzles for directing liquid coolant onto the surface to be cooled. The jet nozzle(s) extends into the thermally conductive porous material, and facilitates delivery of liquid coolant onto the surface to be cooled. The thermally conductive porous material is in thermal contact with the surface to be cooled and facilitates cooling of the electronic device by boiling of the liquid coolant passing through the porous material. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100328889 | COOLED ELECTRONIC MODULE WITH PUMP-ENHANCED, DIELECTRIC FLUID IMMERSION-COOLING - Cooled electronic modules and methods of fabrication are provided with pump-enhanced, dielectric fluid immersion-cooling of the electronic device. The cooled electronic module includes a substrate supporting an electronic device to be cooled. A cooling apparatus couples to the substrate, and includes a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a sealed compartment about the electronic device. Additionally, the cooling apparatus includes dielectric fluid and one or more pumps disposed within the sealed compartment. The dielectric fluid is in direct contact with the electronic device, and the pump is an impingement-cooling, immersed pump disposed to actively pump dielectric fluid within the sealed compartment towards the electronic device. Multiple condenser fins extend from the housing into the sealed compartment in an upper portion of the sealed compartment, and a liquid-cooled cold plate or an air-cooled heat sink is coupled to the top of the housing for cooling the condenser fins. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100328890 | CONDENSER STRUCTURES WITH FIN CAVITIES FACILITATING VAPOR CONDENSATION COOLING OF COOLANT - Vapor condensers and cooling apparatuses are provided which facilitate vapor condensation cooling of a coolant employed in cooling an electronic device. The vapor condenser includes a thermally conductive base structure with a plurality of condenser fins extending from the base structure. The condenser fins have a proximal end coupled to the base structure and a remote end remote from the base structure. At least one exposed cavity is provided within each condenser fin extending from the remote end towards the proximal end. The exposed cavities are sized to provide greater condenser fin surface area for facilitating vapor condensate formation, and thereby facilitate cooling of an electronic device using a two-phase coolant. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100328891 | CONDENSER BLOCK STRUCTURES WITH CAVITIES FACILITATING VAPOR CONDENSATION COOLING OF COOLANT - Condenser structures and cooling apparatuses are provided which facilitate vapor condensation heat transfer of a coolant employed in cooling an electronic device. The condenser structure includes a thermally conductive condenser block with multiple exposed cavities therein extending from a first main surface towards a second main surface. The condenser block is a monolithic structure, and the first main surface is a coolant vapor condensate formation surface when the condenser structure is operationally facilitating cooling of an electronic device. The exposed cavities extend from the first main surface into the condenser block to increase a condensation surface area of the condenser block, thereby facilitating coolant vapor condensate formation on the condenser block, and thus cooling of the electronic device using a two-phase coolant. The condenser structure also includes coolant-carrying channels for facilitating cooling of the condenser block, and thus vapor condensate formation on the condenser block. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110056225 | CONTROL OF SYSTEM COOLANT TO FACILITATE TWO-PHASE HEAT TRANSFER IN A MULTI-EVAPORATOR COOLING SYSTEM - A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating two-phase heat transfer from an electronics system including a plurality of electronic devices to be cooled. The cooling system includes a plurality of evaporators coupled to the electronic devices, and a coolant loop for passing system coolant through the evaporators. The coolant loop includes a plurality of coolant branches coupled in parallel, with each coolant branch being coupled in fluid communication with a respective evaporator. The cooling system further includes a control unit for maintaining pressure of system coolant at a system coolant supply side of the coolant branches within a specific pressure range at or above saturation pressure of the system coolant for a given desired saturation temperature of system coolant into the evaporators to facilitate two-phase heat transfer in the plurality of evaporators from the electronic devices to the system coolant at the given desired saturation temperature. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110056674 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING PARALLEL COOLING OF LIQUID-COOLED ELECTRONICS RACKS - A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating cooling of multiple liquid-cooled electronics racks. The cooling system includes a main system coolant supply loop with a plurality of system coolant supply branch lines for facilitating supply of cooled system coolant to the electronics racks, and a main system coolant return loop with a plurality of system coolant return branch lines for facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the electronics racks. When operational, cooled system coolant circulates through the coolant supply loop and exhausted system coolant circulates through the coolant return loop. A plurality of modular cooling units are coupled to the coolant supply loop and coolant return loop. Each modular cooling unit includes a heat exchanger to facilitate cooling of a portion of the exhausted coolant circulating through the main system coolant return loop for return as cooled system coolant to the main system coolant supply loop. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110060470 | COOLING SYSTEM AND METHOD MINIMIZING POWER CONSUMPTION IN COOLING LIQUID-COOLED ELECTRONICS RACKS - A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating cooling of a liquid-cooled electronics rack. The cooling system includes a coolant flow controller, a modular cooling unit and a pressure controller. The flow controller is associated with a respective electronics rack and controls flow of coolant through that electronics rack based on its changing cooling requirements. The cooling unit includes an adjustable coolant pump for facilitating supply of coolant to the rack. The pressure controller is associated with the cooling unit for controlling pressure of coolant at an output of the cooling unit via control of pump speed of the pump. Responsive to adjusting coolant flow through the electronics rack, the pressure controller automatically adjusts pump speed of the adjustable pump to maintain pressure about a constant coolant pressure set point at an output of the cooling unit, thereby conserving power while still cooling the liquid-cooled electronics rack. | 03-10-2011 |
