Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-25
2002-10-08
Chervinsky, Boris (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S690000, C361S694000, C361S695000, C361S719000, C361S720000, C257S722000, C174S016100, C174S016300, C165S080300, C165S104330, C165S185000, C454S186000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06462948
ABSTRACT:
FIELD
The invention relates to a thermal management system for a multiple processor computer appliance. More particularly, the present invention enables cool ambient air to absorb heat generated by multiple processors, or other electronic devices, without loss of cooling efficiency while minimizing the amount of space needed for the cooling system.
BACKGROUND
In the rapid development of computers many advancements have been seen in the areas of processor speed, throughput, communications, and fault tolerance. Initially computer systems were standalone devices in which a processor, memory and peripheral devices all communicated through a single bus. Later, in order to improve performance, several processors were interconnected to memory and peripherals using one or more buses. Today computer components have become so small that multiple high-performance processors, memory and disk drives, as well as other equipment, may all be placed on a single baseboard or circuit board. However, computer equipment in general and microprocessors in particular have always been susceptible to damage due to heat buildup.
Several methods have been employed for cooling high-performance microprocessors. A common method of cooling such microprocessors uses a fan heat sink in which an axial fan is attached to the heat sink atop the microprocessor in order to blow air across the heat sink to remove the heat dissipated by the microprocessor. However, these types of fan heat sinks are not that effective and generate their own sets of problems. First, they significantly increased the height of the baseboard or circuit board. Second, they are not effective cooling methods since the ambient air surrounding a microprocessor may be heated by surrounding components on the circuit board.
Another method of cooling high-performance microprocessors may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,802 to Nelson.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of the cooling system
100
as shown in the Nelson patent. The cooling system
100
has a blower
110
, a first air duct
120
, a first ducted heat sink
130
, a second air duct
140
, and a second ducted heat sink
150
. The blower
110
brings in ambient air from air intake
135
. The blower
110
forces air through the first air duct over the first ducted heat sink
130
which is attached to first microprocessor
160
. The air moving over the first ducted heat sink
130
absorbs the dissipated heat from the first microprocessor
160
and continues through the second air duct
140
. Thereafter, this warmer than ambient air passes through the second ducted heat sink
150
where it further absorbs heat dissipated from the second microprocessor
170
.
It should be noted in the Nelson cooling system that the air ducts are connected in series and as the air passes over successive heat sinks attached to microprocessors it eventually would reach a temperature where cooling would be ineffective. The second microprocessor's heat sink receives pre-heated air from the first microprocessor's heat sink. Hence the second microprocessor would be inadequately cooled. In order for such a serial cooling system to handle several processors or extremely high-performance processors it is necessary to increase the size of blower
110
as well as the size of the air intake
135
and the first and second air ducts
120
and
130
.
Therefore, what is required is a mechanism via which cool ambient air may be brought into contact with each heat exchanger for each microprocessor. This mechanism should not use air supplied to a microprocessor that has been pre-heated by a previous device. Further, the size of the blower as well as the air ducts should be kept to an absolute minimum so as to conserve power and space required by a computer appliance. Still further, the entire computer including processors, disk drives as well as the heat sinks and cooling system must fit within a 1U industry standard height which is 1.75 inches. In addition, this mechanism must be able to be adjusted so that depending upon the heat generated the appropriate volume of cooling air may be passed over the heat sink.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5535094 (1996-07-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 5592363 (1997-01-01), Atarashi et al.
patent: 5604665 (1997-02-01), Chrysler et al.
patent: 5912802 (1999-06-01), Nelson
patent: 5946188 (1999-08-01), Rochel et al.
patent: 6019165 (2000-02-01), Batchelder
patent: 6072397 (2000-06-01), Ostrowski
patent: 6104607 (2000-08-01), Behl
patent: 6236565 (2001-05-01), Gordon
Leija Javier
Summers Mark D.
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Chervinsky Boris
Intel Corporation
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