Cooling assembly for an electrical appliance and method for liquid cooling

• US 20070223194A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Birger Laing, Karsten Laing, Oliver Laing
• Original Assignee: Birger Laing, Karsten Laing, Oliver Laing
• Inventors: Laing, Karsten
• Application Number:
  US11/710,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20070223194A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take 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

Abstract

A cooling assembly for an electrical appliance with one or several heat sources is provided, wherein the electrical appliance has an electrical power supply unit with at least one heat source; the cooling assembly comprises a fan device for cooling the at least one heat source of the power supply unit by means of a stream of air and a liquid cooling device. The fan device is arranged such that a radiator of the liquid cooling device can be acted upon at least partially by a steam of air from the fan device.

Claims

1. Cooling assembly for an electrical appliance with one or several heat sources, wherein the electrical appliance has an electrical power supply unit with at least one heat source, said cooling assembly comprising

a fan device for cooling the at least one heat source of the power supply unit by means of a stream of air;

and

a liquid cooling device;

wherein the fan device is arranged such that a radiator of the liquid cooling device is adapted to be acted upon at least partially by a stream of air from the fan device.

2. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the fan device and the radiator are arranged with respect to the power supply unit such that the at least one heat source of the power supply unit and the radiator are adapted to be cooled via the fan device.

3. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is designed to be fan-free.

4. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the fan device is arranged in a space next to the power supply unit.

5. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the radiator is arranged in a space next to the power supply unit.

6. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the power supply unit and the fan device are arranged on a common support.

7. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the power supply unit and the radiator are arranged on a common support.

8. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the fan device and the radiator are arranged on a common support.

9. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein a circulation pump of the liquid cooling device and the power supply unit are arranged on a common support.

10. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the radiator is integrated into the power supply unit.

11. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein a circulation pump is provided for the liquid cooling.

12. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump is integrated into the power supply unit.

13. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump is arranged on a housing of the power supply unit.

14. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump is arranged outside a housing interior of a housing of the power supply unit.

15. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump is connected to at least one thermal contact element.

16. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one thermal contact element is connected to the circulation pump via liquid lines in such a manner that a heat source is adapted to be contacted thermally by the at least one thermal contact element.

17. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein in the flow guidance for cooling liquid the circulation pump is arranged upstream of the radiator with respect to a direction of flow for heated cooling liquid.

18. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump is arranged at or in the vicinity of a feed-through of the power supply unit for a loom of cables.

19. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump is arranged on a supporting plate located opposite an electrical connection of the power supply unit.

20. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein an axis of rotation of the fan device is oriented transversely to an axis of rotation of the circulation pump.

21. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the radiator and the fan device are arranged one behind the other.

22. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the radiator is arranged beneath an electrical connection of the power supply unit.

23. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the circulation pump has an electric motor with a spherically mounted rotor.

24. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 23, wherein a blade wheel of the circulation pump is connected to the rotor.

25. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one compensation reservoir for cooling liquid is provided.

26. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 25, wherein the at least one compensation reservoir is arranged next to the power supply unit.

27. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 25, wherein the at least one compensation reservoir is arranged next to a circulation pump.

28. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 26, wherein the at least one compensation reservoir is integrated into a circulation pump.

29. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, having the radiator, a circulation pump, an expansion reservoir and the fan device.

30. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 29, comprising liquid conduits, at least one thermal contact element being arranged at said conduits.

31. Cooling assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the liquid cooling device is prefilled with such an amount of cooling liquid that no subsequent filling is necessary during an expected service life.

32. Method for the liquid cooling of at least one heat source of an electrical appliance, comprising:

applying a stream of air from a fan device on a radiator;

wherein a stream of air from the fan device also acts on a power supply unit of the electrical appliance such that one or more heat sources of the power supply unit are cooled by means of the stream of air.