Cryogenic computer system with parallel multiple cooling temperatures

• US 20060185379A1
• Filed: 02/19/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonid A. Shapiro
• Original Assignee: Leonid A. Shapiro
• Inventors: Shapiro, Leonid A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/259.200
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/10 using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air for cooling semiconductor devices H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20372 Cryogenic cooling; Nitrogen liquid cooling

Abstract

An energy efficient cryocooler is disclosed that cools a large area with multiple cooling temperatures on multiple cooled area working in parallel for the maximum cryogenic cooling and “over-clocking” of microprocessors and computer components using liquid and/or gaseous refrigerants in phase change. A cryogenic cooling system provides simultaneous steady stream (or pulse) cryocooling of a computer components with each part of the computer system receiving cooling at it'"'"'s optimum temperature. The system comprises an evaporator with liquid and gaseous refrigerant which evaporator is placed onto the microprocessor to disperse heat from said microprocessor and a enclosure around the cooled system that cools all other components in one stage. The use of the invented cryocooling system resulted in the increase 2.4 GHz “Celeron D” microprocessor frequency to 4.78 GHz. The RAM was also overclocked to 60 MHz above normal on a test system. The cryogenic cooling system is cost effective and energy effective in power and refrigerant consumption.

Claims

1. A cryogenic computer system with parallel multiple cooling temperatures comprising of:

a single or multiple microprocessor computer system with at least a minimum set of hardware of a motherboard, memory (RAM), data storage (hard drive), video graphics card, and other necessary components,

a cryogenic cooling system providing simultaneous cooling of microprocessor and computer components down to different temperatures by supplying at least one refrigerant to said microprocessor and computer components.

2. The cryogenic computer system according to claim 1, wherein the cryogenic cooling system comprises of:

a cooled surface on the microprocessor,

an evaporator with liquid and gaseous refrigerant which evaporator is placed onto the microprocessor to disperse heat from the said microprocessor with the said evaporator having a minimum of one inlet and one outlet for the refrigerant,

an insulated large enclosure into which the computer system and evaporator is placed inside of and the said enclosure having multiple walls (layers) with the area between the two innermost walls to be hollow and the other layers to be filled with insulation while the data storage and controls (keyboard, mouse) are wired to the outside,

a small enclosure attached to the large enclosure to house the computer system storage,

a pair of one way pressure valves with one for dry neutral gas to push out the air during the startup flushing of the enclosure to establish a clean dry environment and leave only a neutral gas inside the enclosure, and a second valve for the possibility of putting in a pump for making a vacuum or a compressor for a closed cycle system,

a pipe from the inside of the enclosure opening up into the small storage enclosure with the said pipe housing a one way valve facing the inside of the enclosure,

a pipe to run through the wall layers in said enclosure and to connect to the inlet of the evaporator while the second end connects to a thermal control valve or a computer controlled thermal controller with either being connected to a liquid refrigerant source,

a valve on the innermost wall that only opens from the inside of the hollow area in the said enclosure,

a pipe to open into the enclosure from the outside,

a pipe to open into the hollow area from the outside,

a controller,

an insulated Dewar vessel housing the boot/startup refrigerant, and

a motorized valve connecting the Dewar vessel to the controller valves to distribute the refrigerant.

3. The cryogenic computer system according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant used in the system is selected from the group consisting of liquid and gaseous nitrogen, liquid and gaseous argon, liquid and gaseous helium, and/or mixtures thereof.

4. The cryogenic computer system according to claim 2, wherein the controller comprises of:

a system of multiple motorized valves to distribute the right amount of liquid and gaseous refrigerant sent at the right time to the microprocessor and computer components to be cooled with the said pipes being connected to at least two of the motorized valves,

a motorized valve connected to the inlet pipe from the evaporator.