APPARATUS AND METHOD WITH FORCED COOLANT VAPOR MOVEMENT FOR FACILITATING TWO-PHASE COOLING OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20110069453A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: ELLSWORTH, Michael J. JR., IYENGAR, Madhusudan K., CHU, Richard C., CAMPBELL, Levi A., SIMONS, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/700
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/203 by immersion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20827 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices

Abstract

Apparatus and method are provided for two-phase dielectric cooling of an electronic device. The apparatus includes a coolant flow path, a vapor condenser and one or more vapor fans. The coolant flow path is in fluid communication with the electronic device, where liquid dielectric coolant within the flow path vaporizes upon contacting the electronic device, forming dielectric coolant vapor, and thereby facilitating cooling of the electronic device. The vapor condenser is also in fluid communication with the coolant flow path and facilitates condensate formation from the dielectric coolant vapor. The one or more vapor fans are disposed within the flow path to actively move dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the vapor condenser, and thereby enhance cooling of the electronic device by facilitating coolant condensate formation and thus recirculation of the coolant condensate as liquid dielectric coolant.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating cooling of one or more electronic devices, the apparatus comprising:

a coolant flow path in fluid communication with the one or more electronic devices, wherein upon contacting the one or more electronic devices, liquid dielectric coolant in the coolant flow path vaporizes to form dielectric coolant vapor;

a vapor condenser in fluid communication with the coolant flow path for facilitating condensate formation from the dielectric coolant vapor; and

at least one vapor fan disposed to facilitate movement of the dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the vapor condenser, and thereby facilitate cooling of the one or more electronic devices through enhanced coolant condensate formation and thus enhanced recirculation of the coolant condensate as liquid dielectric coolant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a compartment about the one or more electronic devices to be cooled, and wherein the vapor condenser comprises a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending into the compartment in an upper portion of the compartment, the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins facilitating cooling of dielectric coolant vapor rising to the upper portion of the compartment, and wherein the at least one vapor fan is disposed within the compartment to facilitate moving dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins of the vapor condenser.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more electronic devices are disposed vertically within the compartment and wherein the apparatus further comprise a spray nozzle within the coolant flow path for directing a spray cone of liquid dielectric coolant towards the one or more electronic devices to be cooled, the at least one vapor fan being disposed within the compartment above the one or more electronic devices to be cooled.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising at least one vapor vane or baffle disposed within the compartment for directing dielectric coolant vapor within the compartment towards the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins of the vapor condenser.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a spray cone shroud disposed within the compartment about at least a portion of the spray cone to prevent coolant condensate dropping within the compartment from the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins from interfering with the spray cone, and wherein the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins comprise a plurality of angled condenser fins, the plurality of angled condenser fins being angled to direct coolant condensate dropping therefrom away from the spray cone.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the coolant flow path for sub-cooling the liquid dielectric coolant prior to passing through the spray nozzle, and wherein the coolant flow path is a closed-loop flow path.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the housing is configured to at least partially surround and form a sealed compartment about the one or more electronic devices to be cooled, and the coolant flow path is disposed within the sealed compartment, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a vapor baffle for directing dielectric coolant vapor within the sealed compartment towards the at least one vapor fan, and thus, towards the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins of the vapor condenser.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a compartment about the one or more electronic devices to be cooled, and a spray nozzle for directing a spray cone of liquid dielectric coolant towards the one or more electronic devices to be cooled, wherein the one or more electronic devices to be cooled are disposed vertically within the compartment, the vapor condenser is disposed separate from the housing, and the at least one vapor fan is associated with the vapor condenser, separate from the housing, the at least one vapor fan facilitating flow of dielectric coolant vapor from an upper portion of the compartment containing the one or more electronic devices to the vapor condenser.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a container sized to receive an electronics system therein, the electronics system comprising the one or more electronic devices to be cooled;

a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port associated with the container for facilitating ingress and egress of dielectric coolant through the container, wherein when the electronics system is operatively positioned within the container and dielectric coolant flows therethrough, the one or more electronic devices of the electronics system are immersion-cooled by the dielectric coolant; and

wherein the vapor condenser is disposed external to the container, and the at least one vapor fan is associated with the vapor condenser external to the container for facilitating flow of dielectric coolant vapor from the container to the vapor condenser.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a coolant inlet plenum and a coolant outlet plenum in fluid communication with the coolant flow path, and wherein the at least one vapor fan is disposed within the coolant flow path between the one or more electronic devices and the coolant outlet plenum, the coolant outlet plenum facilitating passage of dielectric coolant vapor to the vapor condenser, and the vapor condenser being disposed separate from the one or more electronic devices to be cooled.

11. A cooled electronic device comprising:

a substrate;

at least one electronic device coupled to the substrate; and

a cooling apparatus for cooling the at least one electronic device, the cooling apparatus comprising;

a coolant flow path in fluid communication with the at least one electronic device, wherein upon contacting a surface to be cooled associated with the at least one electronic device, liquid dielectric coolant in the coolant flow path vaporizes to form dielectric coolant vapor, thereby facilitating cooling of the surface to be cooled;

a vapor condenser in fluid communication with the coolant flow path for facilitating coolant condensate formation from the dielectric coolant vapor; and

at least one vapor fan disposed to facilitate movement of dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the vapor condenser, and thereby facilitate cooling of the surface to be cooled associated with the at least one electronic device through enhanced coolant condensate formation and thus enhanced recirculation of the coolant condensate as liquid dielectric coolant.

12. The cooled electronic device of claim 11, wherein the surface to be cooled associated with the at least one electronic device comprises one of a surface of the at least one electronic device or a thermally conductive surface coupled to the at least one electronic device, and wherein coolant flows through the coolant flow path in a coolant flow direction, and the at least one vapor fan is disposed within the coolant flow path downstream from the surface to be cooled.

13. The cooled electronic device of claim 12, wherein the at least one vapor fan is disposed within the coolant flow path between the surface to be cooled and the vapor condenser for facilitating movement of dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the vapor condenser and thus for facilitating coolant condensate formation.

14. The cooled electronic device of claim 11, further comprising a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a compartment about the surface to be cooled associated with the at least one electronic device, and wherein the vapor condenser comprises a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending into the compartment in an upper portion of the compartment, the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins facilitating cooling of dielectric coolant vapor rising to the upper portion of the compartment, and wherein the at least one vapor fan is disposed within the compartment to facilitate moving dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins of the vapor condenser, and wherein the at least one electronic device is disposed vertically in the compartment and the cooling apparatus further comprises a spray nozzle within the coolant flow path for directing a spray cone of liquid dielectric coolant towards the surface to be cooled, the at least one vapor fan being disposed within the compartment above the at least one electronic device.

15. The cooled electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a spray cone shroud disposed within the compartment about at least a portion of the spray cone to prevent liquid coolant condensate dropping within the compartment from the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins from interfering with the spray cone, and wherein the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins comprise a plurality of angled condenser fins, the plurality of angled condenser fins being angled to direct liquid coolant condensate dropping therefrom away from the spray cone.

16. The cooled electronic device of claim 11, further comprising a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a sealed compartment about the at least one electronic device, and wherein the coolant flow path is disposed within the sealed compartment, and the cooling apparatus further comprises a vapor baffle for directing dielectric coolant vapor within the sealed compartment towards the at least one vapor fan, and thus, towards the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins of the vapor condenser.

17. The cooled electronic device of claim 11, wherein the cooling apparatus further comprises a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a compartment about the at least one electronic device to be cooled, and a spray nozzle for directing a spray cone of liquid dielectric coolant towards the surface to be cooled associated with the at least one electronic device, wherein the surface to be cooled is disposed vertically within the compartment, the vapor condenser is disposed external to the housing, and the at least one vapor fan is associated with the vapor condenser, external to the housing, the at least one vapor fan facilitating flow of dielectric coolant vapor from an upper portion of the compartment to the vapor condenser disposed external to the housing.

18. The cooled electronic device of claim 11, wherein the cooling apparatus further comprises:

a container sized to receive an electronics system therein, the electronics system comprising the at least one electronic device;

a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port associated with the container for facilitating ingress and egress of dielectric coolant through the container, wherein when the electronics system is operatively positioned within the container and the dielectric coolant flows therethrough, the at least one electronic device of the electronics system is immersion-cooled by the dielectric coolant; and

wherein the vapor condenser is disposed external to the container, and the at least one vapor fan is associated with the vapor condenser external to the container for facilitating flow of dielectric coolant vapor from the container to the vapor condenser.

19. The cooled electronic device of claim 11, wherein the cooling apparatus further comprises a coolant inlet plenum and a coolant outlet plenum in fluid communication with the coolant flow path, wherein the at least one vapor fan is disposed within the coolant flow path between the at least one electronic device and the coolant outlet plenum, the coolant outlet plenum facilitating passage of dielectric coolant vapor to the vapor condenser, the vapor condenser being disposed separate from the at least one electronic device to be cooled.

20. A method of facilitating cooling of an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a liquid dielectric coolant in contact with the electronic device during operation thereof, wherein the liquid dielectric coolant vaporizes to form dielectric coolant vapor, thereby facilitating cooling of the electronic device;

providing a vapor condenser in fluid communication with a coolant flow path for facilitating coolant condensate formation from the dielectric coolant vapor; and

utilizing at least one vapor fan disposed within the coolant flow path to actively move the dielectric coolant vapor into contact with the vapor condenser, and thereby facilitate cooling of the electronic device by facilitating coolant condensate formation, and thus recirculation of liquid dielectric coolant through the coolant flow path.