Hub-link liquid cooling system
First Claim
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1. A liquid cooling system, comprising:
- a first-heat spreading apparatus having a solid body defining a node-path network that includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of paths, wherein individual paths of the plurality of paths are internal capillary channels and individual nodes of the plurality of nodes join two or more of the internal capillary channels;
a two phase working fluid contained with the node-path network of the heat spreading apparatus;
a cooling hub, in conductive thermal contact with the heat spreading apparatus;
a cooling medium contained within a cooling loop that extends at least partially through the cooling hub; and
a circulation pump configured to circulate the cooling medium within the cooling loop;
wherein the node-path network of the heat spreading apparatus has a self-organized criticality for flow of the two-phase working fluid therein.
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Abstract
A cooling system for computer systems includes one or more cooling hubs and one or more heat spreading devices. The heat spreading devices have nodes and paths defining inner pathways that enclose a two-phase working fluid. The nodes and paths network acts as links for the two-phase working fluid to absorb and transfer thermal energy from the heat-generating components of the electronic device to the cooling hub. The hub-link structure decouples the direct geometrical relationship between heating components and cooling sources to enable a higher degree of design freedom, space management, and cooling redundancy.
15 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A liquid cooling system, comprising:
- a first-heat spreading apparatus having a solid body defining a node-path network that includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of paths, wherein individual paths of the plurality of paths are internal capillary channels and individual nodes of the plurality of nodes join two or more of the internal capillary channels;
a two phase working fluid contained with the node-path network of the heat spreading apparatus;
a cooling hub, in conductive thermal contact with the heat spreading apparatus;
a cooling medium contained within a cooling loop that extends at least partially through the cooling hub; and
a circulation pump configured to circulate the cooling medium within the cooling loop;
wherein the node-path network of the heat spreading apparatus has a self-organized criticality for flow of the two-phase working fluid therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- a first-heat spreading apparatus having a solid body defining a node-path network that includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of paths, wherein individual paths of the plurality of paths are internal capillary channels and individual nodes of the plurality of nodes join two or more of the internal capillary channels;
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7. A method, comprising:
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providing a heat spreading apparatus in contact with one or more heat-generating components of a first electronic device, the heat spreading apparatus containing a two-phase working fluid within a node-path network defined by a solid body of the heat spreading apparatus, wherein the node-path network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of paths, wherein individual paths of the plurality of paths are internal capillary channels and individual nodes of the plurality of nodes join two or more of the internal capillary channels; providing a cooling hub in surface contact with at least a portion of the heat spreading apparatus, the cooling hub containing a cooling fluid configured to circulate through a cooling loop that extends at least partially through the cooling hub; transferring heat from the one or more heat-generating components into the heat spreading apparatus and to the two-phase working fluid to cause heat and mass flow of the two-phase working fluid through the node-path network, the heat and mass flow of the two-phase working fluid achieving self-organized criticality; transferring heat from the two-phase working fluid in the heat spreading apparatus to the cooling fluid within the cooling hub via conductive thermal contact between the heat spreading apparatus and the cooling hub; and transferring the heat from the cooling fluid to an ambient environment by circulating the cooling fluid through the cooling loop from the cooling hub to a heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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8. The method of 7, further comprising:
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providing a second heat spreading apparatus in contact with one or more second heat-generating components of a second electronic device, the second heat spreading apparatus containing a second two-phase working fluid within a second node-path network; and placing the second heat spreading apparatus in surface contact with the cooling hub, thereby configuring the cooling hub to provide thermal transfer from both the first electronic device and the second electronic device.
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13. A system, comprising:
- a closed cooling loop at least partially defined by an internal fluid pathway of a cooling hub, the closed cooling loop containing a two-phase cooling fluid and comprising a condenser for condensing the two-phase cooling fluid from a vapor phase to a liquid phase; and
a heat spreading apparatus containing a two-phase working fluid within a node-path network defined by a solid body of the heat spreading apparatus, wherein the node-path network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of paths, wherein individual paths of the plurality of paths are internal capillary channels and individual nodes of the plurality of nodes join at least two of the internal capillary channels, and wherein the heat spreading apparatus is in thermal contact with the cooling hub such that heat energy from the two-phase working fluid of the heat spreading apparatus is transferred to transfer heat to the two-phase cooling fluid of the closed cooling loop;
wherein the node-path network of the heat spreading apparatus has a self-organized criticality for flow of the two-phases working fluid therein. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- a closed cooling loop at least partially defined by an internal fluid pathway of a cooling hub, the closed cooling loop containing a two-phase cooling fluid and comprising a condenser for condensing the two-phase cooling fluid from a vapor phase to a liquid phase; and
Specification