Liquid cooling loop using tubing and bellows for stress isolation and tolerance variation

• US 20050241803A1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Simon, Glenn C., Malone, Christopher G., Barsun, Stephan K.
• Application Number:
  US10/837,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20050241803A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/80.400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid

Abstract

A liquid loop cooling apparatus includes rigid or semi-rigid tubing enclosing an interior bore or lumen within which a cooling fluid can circulate among at least one heat-generating component in a closed-loop system. The liquid loop cooling apparatus also includes at least one flexible bellows coupled to the tubing that isolates physical stresses along the tubing.

Claims

1. A liquid loop cooling apparatus comprising:

a rigid or semi-rigid tubing enclosing an interior bore within which a cooling fluid can circulate among at least one heat-generating component in a closed-loop system; and

at least one flexible bellows coupled to the tubing and isolating physical stresses along the tubing.

2. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one cold plate coupled to the tubing.

3. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a pump coupled to the tubing and capable of circulating the cooling fluid through the liquid loop.

4. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled to the tubing.

5. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a reservoir coupled to the tubing and capable of accumulating cooling fluid.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

at least one component is rigidly coupled to the tubing; and

the at least one flexible bellows flexibly mechanically isolates parts of the rigid or semi-rigid liquid loop cooling apparatus from the other parts.

7. A computer server comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of components mounted within the chassis including at least one heat-generating component;

a rigid or semi-rigid tubing enclosing an interior bore within which a cooling fluid can circulate among the at least one heat-generating component in a closed-loop system; and

at least one flexible bellows coupled to the tubing and isolating physical stresses along the tubing.

8. The server according to claim 7 further comprising:

airflow inlet and outlet vents in the chassis; and

at least one fan capable of circulating air from the inlet vents to the outlet vents.

9. The server according to claim 7 further comprising:

at least one cold plate coupled to the tubing and arranged to dissipate heat from a heat-generating component.

10. The server according to claim 7 further comprising:

a pump coupled to the tubing and capable of circulating the cooling fluid through the liquid loop.

11. The server according to claim 7 further comprising:

a liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled to the tubing.

12. The server according to claim 7 further comprising:

a reservoir coupled to the tubing and capable of accumulating cooling fluid.

13. The server according to claim 7 further comprising:

at least one component is rigidly coupled to the tubing; and

the at least one flexible bellows flexibly mechanically isolates parts of the rigid or semi-rigid liquid loop cooling apparatus from the other parts.

14. The server according to claim 7 wherein:

the chassis is a compact form factor chassis.

15. A method of arranging a liquid loop cooling system in an electronic system comprising:

distributing a plurality of electronic system components including at least one heat-generating component in a chassis;

arranging a rigid or semi-rigid tubing enclosing an interior bore within which a cooling fluid can circulate among the at least one heat-generating component in a closed-loop system; and

connecting at least one flexible bellows to the tubing thereby isolating physical stresses along the tubing.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

positioning a flexible bellows along the tubing between a component and a potential source of shock and vibration.

17. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

positioning a flexible bellows along the tubing between rigidly-attached components to accommodate expansion and contraction due to temperature changes.

18. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

positioning a flexible bellows along the tubing between rigidly-attached components to accommodate dimensional variation due to manufacturing tolerances.

19. The method according to claim 15 further comprising:

coupling a flexible bellows between two components to reduce physical stress along the tubing.

20. A liquid loop cooling apparatus comprising:

means for carrying a circulating cooling fluid among at least one heat-generating component in a closed-loop system; and

means for isolating physical stresses along the carrying means.