Cooling systems incorporating heat exchangers and thermoelectric layers

• US 20070034356A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertiv Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Cooligy Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Munch, Mark, Kenny, Thomas, Zhou, Peng, McMaster, Mark, Goodson, Kenneth, Lovette, James, Shook, James, Corbin, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/80.400
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0252 by liquids or two-phase fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0029 Heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0015 Heat and mass exchangers, e.g. with permeable walls
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/06 by affecting the pattern of flow of the heat-exchange media F28F13/003 takes precedence; static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/185 Heat-exchange surfaces provided with microstructures or with porous coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/10 Particular layout, e.g. for uniform temperature distribution
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2245/02 hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2260/02 having microchannels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/086 having one or more openings therein forming tubular heat-exchange passages
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/38 Cooling arrangements using the Peltier effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 : by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4735 : Jet impingement H01L23/4336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 : characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction

Abstract

A method and system for cooling a heat source are presented. The system includes a fluid heat exchanger, a pump, a thermoelectric device having a cooling portion and a heating portion, and a heat rejector configured to be in thermal contact with at least a portion of the heating portion of the thermoelectric device. The pump is coupled with the fluid heat exchanger and configured to pass a fluid therethrough. The thermoelectric device is configured along with the heat exchanger in a cooling system to enhance the cooling efficiency of the system.

Claims

1. A system for cooling a heat source, comprising:

a. a fluid heat exchanger;

b. a pump, coupled with the fluid heat exchanger and configured to pass a fluid therethrough;

c. a thermoelectric device having a cooling portion and a heating portion and configured so that at least a portion of the cooling portion is in thermal contact with the fluid heat exchanger to cool the fluid heat exchanger; and

d. a heat rejector configured to be in thermal contact with at least a portion of the heating portion of the thermoelectric device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device and the fluid heat exchanger are integrally formed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device and the fluid heat exchanger are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a manifold region for fluid delivery and a microscaled region.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the microscaled region comprises one of the following:

microchannels, micropillars, microlattice, and a microporous region.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device and the heat rejector are integrally formed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device and the heat rejector are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device, the heat rejector, and the fluid heat exchanger are integrally formed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump is one of the following:

an ionic pump and an electromechanical pump.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is positioned so the fluid heat exchanger is between it and the heat source, when the system is configured to cool the heat source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is positioned between the fluid heat exchanger and the heat rejector.

12. A system for cooling an electronic device, comprising:

a. a fluid heat exchanger;

b. a pump, coupled with the fluid heat exchanger and configured to pass a fluid therethrough;

c. a first thermoelectric device having a cooling portion and a heating portion and configured so that at least a portion of the cooling portion is in thermal contact with the fluid heat exchanger to cool the fluid heat exchanger;

d. a heat rejector configured to be in thermal contact with at least a portion of the heating portion of the first thermoelectric device; and

e. a second thermoelectric device having a cooling portion and a heating portion and configured so that at least a portion of the heating portion is in thermal contact with the fluid heat exchanger to heat the fluid heat exchanger and so that at least a portion of the cooling portion is in contact with the electronic device to cool the electronic device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first thermoelectric device and the fluid heat exchanger are integrally formed.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first thermoelectric device and the fluid heat exchanger are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the second thermoelectric device and the fluid heat exchanger are integrally formed.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the second thermoelectric device and the fluid heat exchanger are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first thermoelectric device and the heat rejector are integrally formed.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first thermoelectric device and the heat rejector are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a manifold region for fluid delivery and a microscaled region.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the microscaled region comprises one of the following:

microchannels, micropillars, microlattice, and a microporous region.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the first thermoelectric device, the second thermoelectric device, the heat rejector, and the fluid heat exchanger are integrally formed.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the pump is on of the following:

an ionic pump and an electromechanical pump.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric device is positioned so it is between the fluid heat exchanger and the electronic device, when the system is configured to cool an electronic device.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the fluid heat exchanger is positioned between the thermoelectric device and the heat rejector.

25. A system for cooling an electronic device, comprising:

a. a fluid heat exchanger;

b. a fluid conduit structure, coupled with the fluid heat exchanger,

c. a pump, coupled with the fluid conduit structure and configured to pass a fluid therethrough and further through the fluid heat exchanger;

d. a heat rejector, coupled with the fluid conduit structure and thermally coupled with the fluid contained therein; and

e. a thermoelectric device, coupled with the fluid conduit structure and thermally coupled with the fluid contained therein.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the thermoelectric device and the conduit structure are integrally formed.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the thermoelectric device and the conduit structure are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a manifold region for fluid delivery and a microscaled region.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the microscaled region comprises one of the following:

microchannels, micropillars, microlattice, and a microporous region.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the pump is one of the following:

an ionic pump and an electromechanical pump.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the thermoelectric device is thermally coupled to a heat-rejecting structure.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the thermoelectric device is thermally coupled to a heat exchanger.

33. A microprocessor cooling system, comprising:

a. a fluid heat exchanger thermally couplable with a microprocessor;

b. a thermoelectric device thermally coupled with the fluid heat exchanger and thermally couplable with the microprocessor;

c. a heat rejector thermally coupled with both the fluid heat exchanger and with the thermoelectric device; and

d. a pump configured to pass fluid through the fluid heat exchanger.

34. The microprocessor cooling system of claim 33, wherein the fluid heat exchanger, the heat rejector and the thermoelectric device are integrally formed.

35. The microprocessor cooling system of claim 33, wherein the fluid heat exchanger, the heat rejector and the thermoelectric device are modularly formed and coupled with one another.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a manifold region for fluid delivery and a microscaled region.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the microscaled region comprises one of the following:

microchannels, micropillars, microlattice, and a microporous region.