Heat exchange – With retainer for removable article – Electrical component
Utility Patent
1998-12-18
2001-01-02
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With retainer for removable article
Electrical component
C165S080400, C165S122000, C361S691000, C361S696000
Utility Patent
active
06167947
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to systems and methods for cooling electronic components and, more particularly, to systems and methods for cooling computer electronics using an elevated pressure enclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic equipment may generate a substantial amount of heat during operation. In order to keep this equipment operating effectively and reliably, it is necessary to cool the equipment by removing the excessive heat. Failure to do so may result in component failure and possibly fire.
While cooling systems are necessary for many types of electronic equipment, one area in which they are perceived to be critical is computer applications. The present invention relates primarily to cooling computer equipment and the remainder of this discussion will focus on the same.
Various techniques are known for removing heat energy including: natural convection air; forced air; cold plates (cooled masses that are in contact or in close proximity to the heat generating device); and direct contact liquid cooling. While all these methods have distinct advantages, forced air cooling is often the method of choice for cooling computer equipment. Forced air cooling devices generally comprise either an axial fan or a radial (i.e., centrifugal) blower. In larger computer systems, the centrifugal blower is more commonly used. The centrifugal blower has a cylindrical, rotating impeller that pulls air in through an inlet parallel to its axis and then expels the air tangentially to the impeller.
Forced air cooling is advantageous over other cooling methods for several reasons. First, forced air cooling devices are generally simple to integrate into the computer enclosure. Additionally, these devices are commercially available in a wide variety of sizes and are thus cost effective. Furthermore, forced air cooling devices have proven to be highly reliable.
Even with these advantages though, forced air cooling does have limitations. To explain, removal of a specific quantity of heat energy from a computer system utilizing forced air cooling requires a computer designer to predict the thermal resistance of the moving air and the temperature differential between the air stream and the device to be cooled. Since larger temperature differentials are undesirable, optimization of forced air cooling systems typically focuses on reducing thermal resistance.
Thermal resistance is a measure of the resistance of the moving air to absorb heat energy and is inversely related to the convective heat transfer coefficient. One factor affecting thermal resistance is the velocity of the air moving over the electronic device. Generally speaking, the higher the air velocity, the lower the thermal resistance. Another factor is the available surface area of the electronic component to be cooled. Typically, surface area is increased by attaching a plurality of protrusions or “fins” to the component. These fins conduct heat away from the component and provide increased area in contact with the moving air. To lower the thermal resistance, the number of fins per unit area (i.e., fin density) may be increased.
While increased fluid velocity and fin density will effectively decrease the thermal resistance, these changes also increase the pressure drop within the system, necessitating a larger and more powerful blower. When blower size and volumetric flow rate requirements exceed certain levels, forced air cooling becomes impracticable and the computer designer must often resort to more complex and more costly cooling techniques.
Yet another problem with forced air cooling concerns the decrease in air density present at higher elevations. Since blowers are generally constant-volume devices (i.e., they move a constant volume of air regardless of the air density), a particular cooling system will generally move the same volume of air regardless of air density variations. However, the heat carrying capacity of air is directly proportional to the air density. Thus, a given volume of air at a high elevation cannot carry as much heat as the same volume of air at a lower elevation. Since it is not practicable to provide different cooling system for different altitudes, forced cooling systems are generally designed for the worst case scenario (i.e., for high altitude installations). When these systems are used at lower altitudes, they suffer a penalty in both blower size and cost.
Thus, there are limitations restricting the use of forced air cooling systems within computer systems. What is needed is a cooling device having the reliability, cost efficiency and simplicity of the forced air cooling device but having similar heat removal capabilities regardless of altitude. What is further needed is a cooling device which is more compact and has lower power requirements than the conventional forced air cooling device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A system and method for cooling heat generating devices is described. The method comprises enclosing the heat generating device in an enclosure having a gas moving device and a heat exchanging device; sealing the enclosure; delivering a gas into the enclosure; pressurizing the gas within the enclosure to a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure outside the enclosure; circulating the gas within the enclosure with the gas moving device; and removing a quantity of heat energy from the enclosure with the heat exchanging device. The system comprises an enclosure surrounding the heat generating devices, wherein the enclosure is sealable to retain a gas at a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure outside the enclosure; a gas moving device for circulating the gas within the enclosure proximal the heat generating devices; and a heat removing apparatus, wherein the heat removing apparatus transfers a quantity of heat energy from the enclosure.
According to another aspect of the invention, a computer system is described having one or more heat generating electronic components; an enclosure surrounding the heat generating electronic components wherein the enclosure has a sealable interior volume allowing the enclosure to retain a gas within the interior volume at a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure outside the enclosure; a gas moving device for circulating the gas within the enclosure proximal the heat generating electronic components; and a heat exchanging apparatus for removing a quantity of heat energy from the enclosure.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a computer system is described comprising an upper cylindrical portion; a lower cylindrical portion, wherein the lower cylindrical portion mates with the upper cylindrical portion to define an interior volume capable of retaining a gas at a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure outside the enclosure; one or more heat generating electronic components located within the interior volume; a centrifugal blower located within the interior volume; and one or more heat exchangers located within the interior volume, wherein the heat exchangers remove a quantity of heat energy from the system.
According to still yet another aspect of the invention, a computer system is described comprising an enclosure having an interior volume capable of retaining a gas at a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure outside the enclosure; one or more heat generating electronic devices located within the interior volume; a centrifugal blower located within the interior volume; and one or more heat exchangers located within the interior volume, wherein the heat exchangers remove a quantity of heat energy from the system.
A method for cooling a computer system is also disclosed comprising providing an enclosure having one or more heat generating electronic components, a gas moving device, and a heat exchanger; sealing the enclosure; pressurizing a gas within the enclosure to a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure outside
Berg William
Carlson Douglas M.
Hokanson Karl
Duong Tho
Lazarus Ira S.
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
Silicon Graphics Inc.
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