SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COOLING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090021908A1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bash, Cullen E., Sharma, Ratnesh K., Patel, Chandrakant
• Granted Patent: US 7,903,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/688
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for cooling an electronic device having a heat-generating component includes a passive cooling device having a cooling ability designed to expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component and an active cooling device configured to at least one of dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device, when the active cooling device is activated. The system also includes a controller configured to activate the active cooling device after a determination that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition is selected to occur after the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.

Claims

1. A system for cooling an electronic device having a heat-generating component, said system comprising:

a passive cooling device having a cooling ability designed to expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component;

an active cooling device configured to at least one of dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device, when the active cooling device is activated; and

a controller configured to activate the active cooling device after a determination that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition is selected to occur after the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device configured to track a predetermined condition, wherein the controller is configured to receive data from the input device and to determine whether the predetermined threshold condition has occurred based upon the data, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a timer and a temperature sensor, and wherein occurrence of the predetermined threshold condition comprises at least one of an expiration of a predetermined amount of time and reaching of a predetermined temperature.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the passive cooling device comprises a phase change material and wherein the active cooling device comprises at least one cold plate, wherein the at least one cold plate is housed within the passive cooling device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the passive cooling device comprises a heat pipe connected to a heat sink, said heat pipe being configured to collect heat from the heat-generating component and to convey the collected heat toward the heat sink and wherein the heat sink comprises fins configured to dissipate at least some of the heat generated by the heat-generating component.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the active cooling device comprises at least one of an electrically actuated air mover and a thermoelectric cooling device.

6. An electronic device having a cooling system, said electronic device comprising:

a heat-generating component;

a passive cooling device having a cooling ability designed to expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component;

an active cooling device configured to dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device, when the active cooling device is activated; and

a controller configured to activate the active cooling device after a determination that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition is selected to occur after the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of heat generating components, said plurality of heat generating components being arranged in a stacked configuration with respect to each other, and wherein the passive cooling device comprises sections that extend between adjacent ones of the plurality of heat generating components.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the passive cooling device comprises a phase change material encapsulated in a housing.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the passive cooling device is replaceable.

10. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic device comprises a cavity containing the heat-generating component, and wherein the passive cooling device comprises phase change material that substantially fills the cavity.

11. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the active cooling device comprises a cold plate in thermal contact with the heat-generating component and a conduit for conveying cooling fluid from the cold plate to a heat sink, and wherein the passive cooling device is in thermal contact with the cold plate.

12. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the active cooling device comprises a conduit for conveying cooling fluid to a heat sink, and wherein the conduit is positioned on an exterior of the passive cooling device to thereby cool the passive cooling device.

13. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the active cooling device comprises a conduit for conveying cooling fluid to a heat sink, and wherein the conduit is positioned within the passive cooling device to thereby directly cool the passive cooling device.

14. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein a rear portion of the electronic device is deformable, to thereby enable the rear portion to conform to a user'"'"'s hand.

15. A method for cooling a heat-generating component in an electronic device with a cooling system having a passive cooling device and an active cooling device, said method comprising:

cooling the heat-generating component with the passive cooling device until a cooling ability of the passive cooling device to cool the heat-generating component has substantially expired;

determining that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred when the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired; and

activating the active cooling device in response to a determination that the predetermined threshold condition has occurred, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the level of heat generated by the heat-generating component has decreased below a predetermined level; and

de-activating the active cooling device in response to a determination that the level of heat generated by the heat-generating component has decreased below the predetermined level.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein activating the active cooling device further comprises gradually increasing a power consumption level of the active cooling device as the heat-generating component continues to generate heat.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring activity of the heat-generating component by monitoring at least one of a heat-generating component power state, a power consumption level of the heat-generating component, a power consumption level of the heat-generating component, and a temperature over time; and

wherein determining that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred further comprises determining that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred based upon the monitored activity.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

substantially balancing performance of the heat-generating component and the active cooling device to reduce a power consumption level of the active cooling device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein substantially balancing performance further comprises receiving user input regarding a selected mode of operation and substantially balancing performance of the heat-generating component and the active cooling device according to the user input.