Method and apparatus for cooling electrical components

• US 6,035,656 A
• Filed: 12/01/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pfister, Dennis M., Byrd, Charles M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/201,745
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 62/476, 62/480, 62/497, 62/259.2
• US Class Current: 62/259.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 17/08 the absorbent or adsorbent being a solid, e.g. salt F25B17/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2333/005 the generator or boiler uses electromagnetic energy in the form of microwaves for desorbing the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 35/04 using a solid as sorbent
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/026 specially adapted for sorption type systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/046 Operating intermittently
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• 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: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/701 using microwave applicators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/802 for heating fluids methods of heating fluids in conventional microwave ovens H05B6/687
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/808 Microwave heating adapted for vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20363 Refrigerating circuit comprising a sorber

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling an electrical component is disclosed which comprises a sorber containing a sorbent; a condenser in fluid communication with the sorber; an evaporator in fluid communication with both the sorber and the condenser and connected in heat-exchange relation to the electrical component; wherein a sorbate which has been condensed in the condenser is evaporated in the evaporator, thereby absorbing heat from the electrical component, and then adsorbed onto the sorbent; an electromagnetic wave generator; a waveguide coupler for directing the electromagnetic waves to the sorbent; wherein the sorbate is desorbed from the sorbent by the electromagnetic waves and condensed in the condenser; and wherein the desorption of the sorbate from the sorbent is substantially isothermal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cooling an electrical component which comprises:

at least one sorber containing a sorbent;

a condenser in fluid communication with the sorber;

an evaporator in fluid communication with both the sorber and the condenser and coupled in heat-exchange relation to the electrical component;

wherein a sorbate which has been condensed in the condenser is evaporated in the evaporator, thereby absorbing heat from the electrical component, and then adsorbed onto the sorbent;

an electromagnetic wave generator coupled to the sorber;

wherein the sorber comprises a housing a forming an enclosure for the sorbent, the housing being constructed of a dielectric material and configured to propagate the electromagnetic waves onto the sorbent;

wherein the sorbate is desorbed from the sorbent by the electromagnetic waves and then condensed in the condenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sorber further comprises a first stripline transmission line formed in or positioned adjacent the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first stripline transmission line comprises a ground plane conductor located on a first side of the enclosure and a stripline conductor located on a side of the enclosure opposite the first side.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a second stripline transmission line which is electrically coupled to the first stripline transmission line.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a coaxial connector which is electrically coupled to the first stripline transmission line.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a coaxial cable connected between the electromagnetic wave generator and the coaxial connector.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a waveguide which is electrically coupled to the first stripline transmission line.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first waveguide coupled to the sorber and configured to propagate the electromagnetic waves onto the sorbent.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a second waveguide which is electrically coupled to the first waveguide.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second waveguides comprise a single waveguide.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, a coaxial connector which is electrically coupled to the first waveguide.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a coaxial cable connected between the electromagnetic wave generator and the coaxial connector.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaporator comprises:

an evaporator housing having a depending shroud adapted to be positioned over the electrical component;

a manifold located in the evaporator housing above the shroud;

a plurality of holes connecting in the manifold with a space encompassed by the shroud;

an inlet for providing fluid communication between the manifold and the condenser; and

an outlet for providing fluid communication between the space and the sorber.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the manifold comprises a plurality of interconnecting branches.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the holes are preferably approximately 0.004 to 0.030 inch in diameter.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sorber comprises a hollow outer conductor and an inner conductor extending coaxially into the outer conductor, the inner and outer conductors being sized and spaced to form a waveguide for the electromagnetic waves.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the inner conductor extends substantially the length of the outer conductor and the sorbent is positioned between the inner and outer conductors.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a waveguide which is electrically coupled to the inner and outer conductors.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a coaxial connector electrically coupled to the inner and other conductors.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a coaxial cable connected between the electromagnetic wave generator and the coaxial connector.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state electromagnetic wave generating device.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit board which is adapted to be removably plugged into an expansion slot of a computer;

wherein the sorber and the electromagnetic wave generator are mounted on the circuit board.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state electromagnetic wave generating device.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sorber and the evaporator are integrated into a single structure which is adapted to be connected to a circuit board.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state electromagnetic wave generating device which is integrated into the single structure.

26. A sorber device for use in a sorption cooling apparatus wherein a sorbate is selectively desorbed from a sorbent using electromagnetic waves, the sorber device comprising a housing forming an enclosure for the sorbent, wherein the housing is constructed of a dielectric material and wherein the housing is configured to enable propagation of the electromagnetic waves onto the sorbent.

27. The device of claim 26, further comprising a first stripline transmission line formed in or positioned adjacent the housing and configured to propagate the electromagnetic waves onto the sorbent.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the first stripline transmission line comprises a ground plane conductor located on a first side of the enclosure and a stripline conductor located on a side of the enclosure opposite the first side.

29. The device of claim 26, further comprising a waveguide configured to propagate the electromagnetic waves onto the sorbent.