Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps – Selectively adjustable vane or working fluid control means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-03
2001-08-07
Look, Edward K. (Department: 3745)
Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps
Selectively adjustable vane or working fluid control means
C415S121200, C415S203000, C415S149100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270313
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a cooling system for electronic devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a cooling system having a fan of a new configuration arranged to produce a cooling airflow passing through a novel flow-field with reduce turbulence, lower noise and high cooling efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the major limitations to further improve the performance and configuration design of the modern electronic devices is a requirement of heat removal and temperature control of the electronic devices. The heat removal design of an electronic device according to a temperature control requirement imposes space limitation and power supply requirement. Additionally, if a fan is employed, the noise generated from the operation of a fan must also be controlled and reduced.
The demand for improving the heat removal system is ever increased as the electronic devices become further miniaturized and the electronic circuits are manufactured with ever-increased density and required for operation at higher speed and consuming less power. As the electronic circuits are more densely integrated, higher rate of heat generation per unit volume is required for removal. On the other hand, a more stringent temperature control is necessary because the performance of the electronic circuits with higher performance levels tend to be more temperature sensitive. In the meantime, this more stringent temperature control requirement has to be satisfied with smaller spaces available for placement of the cooling system because now the electronic devices and also the air-moving devices are further miniaturized.
The most direct consideration for improving the heat removal performance for an air moving device is to consider the fan and the cooling airflow passing through the electronic circuits for removing the heat.
FIGS. 1A and 1B
shows a fan that is most commonly employed in cooling the electronic devices. The directions of the inlet and the outlet of the airflow are arranged in parallel. The blades of the fan are rotated along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the blades and in parallel to the airflow direction. This configuration produces a direct pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the airflow thus provides large airflow for cooling and removing the heat generated from the electronic circuits. This configuration however results in several difficulties. The first difficulty is its inflexibility in arranging the cooling system. Optimal space arrangement may be difficult due to the need to arrange the inlet and outlet of the flow to direct the airflow to the electronic circuits. Additional difficulties are caused by the turbulent characteristics generated in the flow field. The rotation of the fan blades generates a turbulent flow not only in the air near the fan blades but also the turbulent characteristics are propagated to the entire airflow path from the inlet to the outlet of this cooling system. The turbulent characteristics in the flow field affect the stability of the airflow, the efficiency of the fan operation and also cause the noise to increase.
Therefore, a need still exists for a new system configuration and design method in the art of cooling system applying a fan and the airflow ducts to resolve these difficulties and limitations. More particularly, this new system configuration and design approach must be able to reduce the turbulence of the flow-field in the airflow path. By reducing the turbulence of the flow-field, more stable and smooth airflow is generated at higher fan efficiency. Furthermore, the noise of the fan can be reduced when the turbulence of the flow field is reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooling system includes an air flow guiding system and a fan to provide flexible space arrangement and reduced turbulence of the flow field to overcome the aforementioned difficulties encountered in the prior art.
Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling system includes an airflow guiding system and a fan where the airflow guiding system allows the directions of the inlet and the outlet airflow to be in different non-parallel directions to allow flexible space arrangement. Furthermore, the airflow guiding system is provided with turbulence isolation partition such that the turbulence of the flow-filed is reduced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system includes a air flow guiding system and a fan where the airflow guiding system is formed with ducts designed with configuration to minimize airflow reflection thus reduces the flow-field turbulence.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system includes an airflow guiding system and a fan where the fan is provided with a motor hanging from the wall of a duct in the airflow guiding system. The noise is reduced because the ribs for supporting the fan blades are no longer required and the noises from interference between the airflow and ribs are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system includes a air flow guiding system and a fan where the blades of the fan are configured to have continuous screw shape between adjacent blades to minimize the turbulence generated from the rotation of these blades.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system includes a air flow guiding system and a fan where the blades are provided with notches at the front end of the blades. The reverse flow of the airflow due to a resistance to the blade rotation can be minimized such that the airflow turbulence can be further reduced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system includes a air flow guiding system and a fan where the additional air intake openings are provided in the airflow guiding system such that the flow rate ban be increased. A higher cooling rate can be achieved by increasing the flow rate produced by the cooling system.
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention discloses a cooling system for temperature control, e.g., removing heat from electronic circuits. The cooling system includes a fan and an airflow guiding system where the guiding system includes an inlet air duct for guiding the airflow to the fan. The inlet air duct includes turbulence reduction grid for separating the air duct into a plurality of isolated flow path whereby the air turbulence is reduced. In a preferred embodiment, the airflow guiding system further includes an outlet duct for incorporating the fan therein wherein the outlet portion and the fan are directed to a direction different from the inlet air duct for guiding the airflow to the fan. In another preferred embodiment, the outlet duct and the fan are directed to a direction perpendicular to the inlet air duct for guiding the airflow to the fan. And, the inlet air duct and the outlet duct are connected via a corner duct-connector having a blunted corner angle for smoothing and reducing airflow turbulence flowing there through. In another preferred embodiment, the fan having a rotational shaft hung to the corner duct-connector whereby the fan is structurally supported only on the rotational shaft for reducing air turbulence. In another preferred embodiment, the fan includes a plurality of blades wherein the blades are configured to have a bending blade surface constituting same direction screw shape for reducing airflow turbulence. In another preferred embodiment, the blades are formed with a notch at a front end of the blades to reduce a reverse flow due to air resistance for further reducing airflow turbulence. In another preferred embodiment, the inlet air duct further includes other openings for increasing a flow rate of the airflow to improve the cooling efficiency.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detaile
Chuang Te-Tsai
Lin Kuo-Cheng
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Lin Bo-In
Look Edward K.
Woo Richard
LandOfFree
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