Reservoir for liquid cooling systems used to provide make-up fluid and trap gas bubbles

• US 20080013278A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cooligy Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Cooligy Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Brewer, Richard, Landry, Fredric, Lin, Tien-Chih (Eric), Zhou, Peng, Conway, Bruce, Chow, Norman
• Application Number:
  US11/823,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013278A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• 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: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20272 Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds

Abstract

A fluid compensation apparatus is configured to provide replacement fluid to a fluid-based cooling loop, while removing dissolved gas or gas in gross bubbles from the cooling loop. Removal or reduction of gas from the cooling loop reduces or prevents pump vapor lock. The removed gas is retained within the fluid compensation apparatus. The fluid compensation apparatus is configured to prevent the trapped gas from being re-introduced to the fluid-based cooling loop, regardless of the orientation of the fluid compensation apparatus. Additionally, the fluid compensation apparatus is configured to remove gas from and add fluid to the cooling loop with limited or no pressure drop between the inlet port and the outlet port of the fluid compensation apparatus. As a result, the pump does not require additional power to compensate for such a pressure differential.

Claims

1. A fluid compensation apparatus comprising:

a. a fluid reservoir tank including an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured to store fluid;

b. an inlet fluid line coupled to the inlet port and configured to input fluid into the inlet port;

c. an outlet fluid line coupled to the outlet port and configured to output fluid from the outlet port; and

d. a bridging fluid line coupling the inlet port to the outlet port, wherein the bridging fluid line is configured to pass input fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port, further wherein the bridging fluid line includes one or more exchange vents, thereby exposing the fluid in the bridging fluid line to the fluid in the fluid reservoir tank, each of the one or more exchange vents is configured to enable gas present in the bridging fluid line to pass into the fluid reservoir tank and to enable fluid in the fluid reservoir tank to pass into the bridging fluid line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to substantially prevent the fluid in the bridging fluid line from passing through the one or more exchange vents.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to enable gas present in the bridging fluid line to pass through the one or more exchange vents and into the fluid reservoir tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to substantially prevent gas accumulated in the fluid reservoir tank from passing through the one or more exchange vents and into the bridging fluid line.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured such that gas accumulated in the fluid reservoir tank is not exposed to the bridging fluid line.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is orientation-independent.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is orientation-specific.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more exchange vents comprises a hole, slit, or perforation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more exchange vents comprises a mesh.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas present in the bridging fluid line comprises gas bubbles or soluble gas.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is sealed.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured to be opened.

13. A fluid compensation system comprising:

a. A fluid compensation apparatus including a fluid reservoir tank and a bridging fluid line, wherein the fluid reservoir tank includes an inlet port and an outlet port, and the fluid reservoir tank is configured to store fluid, further wherein the bridging fluid line couples the inlet port to the outlet port, and the bridging fluid line is configured to pass input fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port, further wherein the bridging fluid line includes one or more exchange vents, thereby exposing the fluid in the bridging fluid line to the fluid in the fluid reservoir tank, each of the one or more exchange vents is configured to enable gas present in the bridging fluid line to pass into the fluid reservoir tank and to enable fluid in the fluid reservoir tank to pass into the bridging fluid line; and

b. a fluid-based cooling loop coupled to the inlet port and to the outlet port of the fluid compensation apparatus, wherein the cooling loop is configured to provide fluid to and from the fluid compensation apparatus.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the cooling loop comprises one or more heat exchangers and a pump.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to substantially prevent the fluid in the bridging fluid line from passing through the one or more exchange vents.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to enable gas present in the bridging fluid line to pass through the one or more exchange vents and into the fluid reservoir tank.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to substantially prevent gas accumulated in the fluid reservoir tank from passing through the one or more exchange vents and into the bridging fluid line.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured such that gas accumulated in the fluid reservoir tank is not exposed to the bridging fluid line.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is orientation-independent.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is orientation-specific.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the one or more exchange vents comprises a hole, slit, or perforation.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the one or more exchange vents comprises a mesh.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the gas present in the bridging fluid line comprises gas bubbles or soluble gas.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is sealed.

25. The system of claim 13 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured to be opened.

26. A fluid compensation apparatus comprising:

a. a fluid reservoir tank including an access opening, wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured to store fluid;

b. an extension coupled to the access opening; and

c. a bridging fluid line coupled to the extension, wherein the bridging fluid line is configured to pass fluid therethrough, further wherein the bridging fluid line includes one or more exchange vents and is coupled to the extension such that the one of more exchange vents are exposed to fluid in the fluid reservoir tank via the extension, each of the one or more exchange vents is configured to enable gas present in the bridging fluid line to pass into the fluid reservoir tank and to enable fluid in the fluid reservoir tank to pass into the bridging fluid line.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to substantially prevent the fluid in the bridging fluid line from passing through the one or more exchange vents.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to enable gas present in the bridging fluid line to pass through the one or more exchange vents and into the fluid reservoir tank.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein a size of each of the one or more exchange vents, a surface tension of the fluid in the bridging fluid line, and a fluid flow rate of the fluid in the bridging fluid line are configured to substantially prevent gas accumulated in the fluid reservoir tank from passing through the one or more exchange vents and into the bridging fluid line.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured such that gas accumulated in the fluid reservoir tank is not exposed to the bridging fluid line.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein each of the one or more exchange vents comprises a hole, slit, or perforation.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein each of the one or more exchange vents comprises a mesh.

33. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the gas present in the bridging fluid line comprises gas bubbles or soluble gas.

34. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is sealed.

35. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the fluid reservoir tank is configured to be opened.

36. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the fluid reservoir tank includes more than one access opening and the fluid compensation apparatus comprises one or more extensions configured to couple the fluid reservoir tank to the bridging fluid line.