Modular Liquid Cooling System

• US 20090073658A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Balcerak, John A., Gollhardt, Neil, Keegan, Jeremy J., Siebert, William K., Day, Scott D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,081,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/701
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/10 Liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/322 the insulation forming channels for circulation of the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/325 Coil bobbins formers for coils in general H01F5/02

Abstract

A method and kit of components for configuring electronics cooling configurations, the kit comprising a plurality of passageway forming members, each forming member including an extruded member having first and second ends and forming at least one passageway and at least one of an input port and an output port that opens into the passageway, each forming member also including at least one plug insert secured to the second end of the forming member to block the at least one passageway, a plurality of elastomeric seals, a plurality of mechanical fasteners, wherein forming members can be arranged adjacent each other with ports aligned and the fasteners can be used to mechanically fasten the forming members together with seals there between to form various cooling configurations.

Claims

1. A kit of components for configuring cooling configurations, the kit comprising:

a plurality of passageway forming members, each forming member including an extruded member having first and second ends and forming at least one passageway and at least one of an input port and an output port that opens into the passageway, each forming member also including at least one plug insert secured to the second end of the forming member to block the at least one passageway;

a plurality of elastomeric seals;

a plurality of mechanical fasteners;

wherein forming members can be arranged adjacent each other with ports aligned and the fasteners can be used to mechanically fasten the forming members together with seals there between to form various cooling configurations.

2. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least a first of the forming members includes first and second passageways.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein the first forming member includes an inlet into the first passageway and an outlet that opens into the second passageway and wherein the first and second passageways are completely separate.

4. The kit of claim 3 wherein the first forming member includes first and second plug inserts at the first and second ends for blocking passageways.

5. The kit of claim 3 wherein at least a second of the forming members includes first and second passageways, a bridge passageway adjacent the second end that links the first and second passageways and an inlet into the first passageway and an outlet into the second passageway where the inlet and outlet are both proximate the first end of the forming member.

6. The kit of claim 5 wherein the inlet and outlet that open into the first and second passageways formed by the second forming member open in opposite directions.

7. The kit of claim 5 wherein the first forming member includes at least one connecting recess that opens into the first and second passageways formed by the first forming member wherein, when the first end of the second forming member is received in the connecting recess, the inlet and outlet of the second forming member open into the first and second passageways formed by the first forming member.

8. The kit of claim 7 wherein the first forming member includes a plurality of connecting recesses that open into the first and second passageways formed by the first forming member wherein each of the connecting recesses can receive a first end of a second forming member so that the inlet and outlet of the received second forming member opens into the first and second passageways formed by the first forming member.

9. The kit of claim 7 wherein the first forming member includes first and second oppositely facing surfaces and wherein the inlet and outlet are formed in the first surface and the connecting recess is formed in the second surface.

10. The kit of claim 2 wherein at least a subset of the forming members form a single passageway and include both an inlet and an outlet that open into the single passageway.

11. The kit of claim 1 wherein the passageways are formed along lengths of the forming members and wherein each of the forming members includes at least one of an inlet and an outlet that opens through a side wall portion of the forming member into at least one of the passageways.

12. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of the forming members include external surfaces that form O-ring receiving cannels for receiving elastomeric seals when two forming members are secured together.

13. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of the forming members are substantially rectilinear in cross section.

14. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the forming members includes first and second passageways, a bridge passageway adjacent the second end that links the first and second passageways and an inlet into the first passageway and an outlet into the second passageway where the inlet and outlet are both proximate the first end of the forming member.

15. The kit of claim 1 for use in cooling at least one electrical component, the electrical component including a coil having a plurality of turns disposed over at least one of the passageway forming members.

16. A method of configuring a cooling assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

extruding a first manifold member that forms at least one manifold passageway that is defined at least in part by a first manifold wall member where the first manifold wall member forms a first external surface;

extruding a second manifold member that forms at least one passageway that is defined at least in part by a second manifold wall member where the second manifold wall member forms a second external surface;

forming a first port in the first manifold wall member that opens into the passageway formed by the first manifold;

forming a second port in the second manifold wall member that opens into the passageway formed by the second manifold;

providing an elastomeric seal on the first external surface that surrounds the first opening; and

securing the second manifold member to the first manifold member with the first and second openings aligned and the seal sandwiched between the first and second external surfaces.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of forming a circular recess in the first external surface and wherein the step of providing an elastomeric seal includes placing the elastomeric O-ring in the circular recess.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the passageway formed by the first manifold includes first and second ends and wherein the method further includes the step of securing a plug insert into at least the first end of the passageway to close the passageway formed by the first manifold.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of extruding a second manifold includes extruding a second manifold that forms first and second manifold passageways and wherein the step of forming a second port includes forming the second port so that the second port only opens into the first passageway formed by the second manifold.

26. The method of claim 19 further including the step of forming a third port in the second manifold where the third port opens into the second passageway formed by the second manifold.

20. (canceled)

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the third port also opens into the first passageway formed by the second manifold.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

28. A method of forming a split flow tube comprising the steps of:

extruding a tube member that includes first and second passageways separated by an internal wall member where the tube member includes first and second ends;

plugging the first and second passageways proximate the first end;

removing a portion of the internal wall member proximate the second end of the tube member;

plugging the second end of the tube member with a plug insert where the plug insert is dimensioned so that a bridge passageway is formed between the insert and an adjacent edge of the internal wall member; and

forming inlet and outlet ports in the tube proximate the first end where the inlet port opens into the first passageway and the outlet port opens into the second passageway.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of extruding a tube member includes extruding a tube member that has a substantially D-shaped cross section.

30. The method of claim 29 further including the step of, prior to forming the inlet and outlet ports, removing a portion of the tube adjacent the first end to form a cylindrical connection head portion through which the first and second passageways pass, the step of forming the inlet and outlet ports including forming the ports in the head portion.

31. The method of claim 30 also for use in cooling at least one electrical component, the electrical component including a coil having a plurality of turns, the method further including the step of, after forming inlet and outlet ports, disposing the tube member at least in part within the coil turns.