Method and system for cooling electrical components

• US 6,349,553 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• 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:
  US09/618,979
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 622/592, 624/80, 624/97, 621/01, 624/76, 361/700, 361/695
• 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. A system configured to cool an electrical component during use, comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound; and

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, and wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical component comprises a microprocessor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sorbate comprises ammonia.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sorbent comprises strontium bromide.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise radio frequency waves.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise microwaves.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a condenser coupled to the sorber, wherein the condenser is configured to condense at least a portion of the sorbate desorbed from the sorbent during use.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a reservoir coupled to the condenser and the evaporator, wherein the reservoir is configured to collect at least a portion of the condensed sorbate.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controllable valve coupled to the evaporator, wherein the valve is configured to control an amount of sorbate provided to the evaporator during use.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a waveguide coupler configured to couple the electromagnetic wave generator to the sorber during use.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the additional sorber during use.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sorber comprises a hollow outer conductor and an inner conductor coaxial with the outer conductor, and wherein the inner and outer conductors are sized and spaced to form a waveguide for the electromagnetic waves.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a waveguide electrically coupled to the inner and outer conductors.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a coaxial cable coupled to the electromagnetic wave generator and a coaxial connector coupled to the coaxial cable and the inner and outer conductors.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the inner conductor extends substantially the length of the outer conductor and the sorbent is positioned between the inner and outer conductors.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller coupled to the electromagnetic wave generator, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the electromagnetic wave generator during use.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the evaporator is disposed within a computer, and wherein the electrical component is disposed on a motherboard of the computer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sorber and the electromagnetic wave generator are positioned external to the computer.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power source configured to supply power to the system during use, wherein the power source comprises a socket on a computer, and wherein the electrical component is disposed within the computer.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is disposed within a computer, and wherein the computer comprises the electrical component.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the sorber comprises a housing forming an enclosure for the sorbent, and wherein the housing comprises a dielectric material.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a ground plane conductor positioned on a first side of the sorber and a stripline conductor disposed on a second side of the sorber, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side, and wherein the ground plane conductor and the stripline conductor are configured to transmit the generated electromagnetic waves to the sorber during use.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state oscillator device.

24. A system configured to cool an electrical component, wherein the electrical component is located within a computer, the system comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound; and

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use, and wherein the system is mounted on a printed circuit board.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the printed circuit board is located within the computer.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a motherboard of the computer.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the printed circuit board is plugged into an expansion slot connected to a system bus of the computer.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising a power circuit, wherein the power circuit and the electromagnetic wave generator are coupled by conductive tracings on the printed circuit board.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising a condenser coupled to the sorber, wherein the condenser is configured to condense at least a portion of the sorbate desorbed from the sorbent during use.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the condenser is disposed on an edge of the printed circuit board such that the condenser is positioned external to the computer.

31. The system of claim 24, further comprising at least one additional sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the additional sorber during use.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein a microprocessor of the computer is coupled to the system, and wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the system during use.

33. The system of claim 24, further comprising a local bus coupled to a system bus and a power supply of the computer through conductors and an expansion slot such that power supplied to the system is obtained from the power supply of the computer.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising a controllable valve coupled to the evaporator, wherein the valve is configured to control a flow of sorbate into the evaporator during use, and wherein the valve is coupled to the local bus such that the power supplied to the valve is obtained from the power supply of the computer.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in the evaporator during use, and wherein the pressure sensor is coupled to the local bus such that the power supplied to the pressure sensor is obtained from the power supply of the computer.

36. The system of claim 24, wherein the sorber is disposed on an edge of the printed circuit board such that the sorber is positioned external to the computer.

37. The system of claim 24, wherein the evaporator comprises:

a housing comprising a depending shroud, wherein the electrical component is disposed within a space encompassed by the shroud during use;

a manifold disposed in the housing above the shroud; and

a plurality of holes formed in the housing and configured to couple the manifold and the space encompassed by the shroud during use.

38. The system of claim 24, wherein the evaporator is etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

39. The system of claim 24, further comprising a sorbate flow line etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

40. The system of claim 24, further comprising valves, wherein the valves comprise micro-mechanical devices etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

41. The system of claim 24, wherein the sorber is formed on an integrated circuit chip, and wherein the integrated circuit chip is disposed on the printed circuit board.

42. The system of claim 24, wherein the sorber comprises a chamber etched into the printed circuit board.

43. The system of claim 24, wherein the sorber comprises a housing forming an enclosure for the sorbent, wherein the housing comprises a dielectric material.

44. The system of claim 24, further comprising a ground plane conductor positioned on a first side of the sorber and a stripline conductor disposed on a second side of the sorber, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side, and wherein the ground plane conductor and the stripline conductor are configured to transmit the generated electromagnetic waves to the sorber during use.

45. The system of claim 24, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state oscillator device.

46. The system of claim 24, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a stripline microwave amplifier circuit.

47. The system of claim 24, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a microwave oscillator comprising conductive tracings on the printed circuit board.

48. A method for cooling an electrical component, comprising:

evaporating at least a portion of a sorbate in an evaporator, wherein the evaporator is positioned proximate to the electrical component such that evaporation of the sorbate cools the electrical component;

adsorbing the evaporated sorbate onto a sorbent to form a sorbate/sorbent compound, wherein the sorbent is disposed within a sorber; and

directing electromagnetic waves to the sorbent such that the sorbate is desorbed from the sorbate/sorbent compound, wherein desorption of the sorbate is substantially isothermal.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising transporting the evaporated sorbate from the evaporator to the sorbent through a port in the sorber.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the electrical component comprises a microprocessor.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the sorbate comprises ammonia.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the sorbent comprises strontium bromide.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise radio frequency waves.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise microwaves.

55. The method of claim 48, further comprising condensing at least a portion of the desorbed sorbate in a condenser, wherein the condenser is coupled to the sorber.

56. The method of claim 48, further comprising controlling an amount of sorbate provided to the evaporator.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the amount of sorbate provided to the evaporator is controlled with a controllable valve.

58. The method of claim 48, wherein the directed electromagnetic waves are generated by an electromagnetic wave generator, and wherein the electromagnetic wave generator is coupled to the sorber with a waveguide coupler.

59. The method of claim 48, wherein the sorbent is disposed within at least one additional sorber coupled to the evaporator, the method further comprising transporting the evaporated sorbate from the evaporator through a port in each sorber.

60. The method of claim 48, wherein the sorber comprises a hollow outer conductor and an inner conductor coaxial with the outer conductor, the inner and outer conductors being sized and spaced to form a waveguide for the electromagnetic waves.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein a waveguide is electrically coupled to the inner and outer conductors.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein a coaxial cable is coupled to an electromagnetic wave generator and a coaxial connector, and wherein the coaxial connector is coupled to the inner and outer conductors.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein the inner conductor extends substantially the length of the outer conductor and the sorbent is positioned between the inner and outer conductors.

64. The method of claim 48, wherein the directed electromagnetic waves are generated by an electromagnetic wave generator, the method further comprising controlling the electromagnetic wave generator with a microcontroller.

65. The method of claim 48, wherein the evaporator is disposed within a computer, and wherein the electrical component is disposed on a motherboard of the computer.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the sorber and an electromagnetic wave generator are positioned external to the computer.

67. The method of claim 48, further comprising supplying power to the system with a power source, wherein the power source comprises a socket on a computer, and wherein the electrical component is disposed within the computer.

68. The method of claim 48, wherein the system is disposed within a computer, and wherein the computer comprises the electrical component.

69. The method of claim 48, wherein the sorber comprises a housing forming an enclosure for the sorbent, and wherein the housing comprises a dielectric material.

70. The method of claim 48, wherein the sorber comprises a ground plane conductor positioned on a first side of the sorber and a stripline conductor disposed on a second side of the sorber, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side, and wherein the ground plane conductor and the stripline conductor are configured to transmit the generated electromagnetic waves to the sorber.

71. The method of claim 48, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state oscillator device.

72. A method for cooling an electrical component, wherein the electrical component is located within a computer, comprising:

evaporating at least a portion of a sorbate in an evaporator, wherein the evaporator is positioned proximate to the electrical component such that evaporation of the sorbate cools the electrical component;

adsorbing the evaporated sorbate onto a sorbent to form a sorbate/sorbent compound, wherein the sorbent is disposed within a sorber; and

directing electromagnetic waves to the sorbent such that the sorbate is desorbed from the sorbate/sorbent compound, wherein desorption of the sorbate is substantially isothermal, and wherein the system is mounted on a printed circuit board.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the printed circuit board is located within the computer.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a motherboard of the computer.

75. The method of claim 72, wherein the printed circuit board is plugged into an expansion slot connected to a system bus of the computer.

76. The method of claim 72, further comprising supplying power to the system using a power circuit, wherein the power circuit and the electromagnetic wave generator are coupled by conductive tracings on the board.

77. The method of claim 72, further comprising condensing at least a portion of the desorbed sorbate in a condenser, wherein the condenser is coupled to the sorber.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the condenser is disposed on an edge of the printed circuit board such that the condenser is positioned external to the computer.

79. The method of claim 72, wherein the sorbent is disposed within at least one additional sorber coupled to the evaporator, the method further comprising transporting the evaporated sorbate from the evaporator through a port in each sorber.

80. The method of claim 72, wherein a microprocessor of the computer is coupled to the system, and wherein the system is controlled by the microprocessor.

81. The method of claim 72, further comprising supplying power to the system with a local bus coupled to a system bus and a power supply of the computer through conductors and an expansion slot such that power supplied to the system is obtained from the power supply of the computer.

82. The method of claim 81, further comprising controlling a flow of sorbate into the evaporator with a valve and supplying power to the valve through a local bus, wherein the local bus is coupled to the valve such that the power supplied to the valve is obtained from the power supply of the computer.

83. The method of claim 81, further comprising generating a signal indicative of the pressure in the evaporator with a pressure sensor and supplying power to the pressure sensor through the local bus, wherein the local bus is coupled to the pressure sensor such that the power supplied to the pressure sensor is obtained from the power supply of the computer.

84. The method of claim 72, wherein the sorber is disposed on an edge of the printed circuit board such that the sorber is positioned external to the computer.

85. The method of claim 72, wherein the evaporator comprises:

a housing comprising a depending shroud, wherein the electrical component is disposed within a space encompassed by the shroud;

a manifold disposed in the housing above the shroud; and

a plurality of holes formed in the housing and configured to couple the manifold and the space encompassed by the shroud.

86. The method of claim 72, wherein the evaporator is etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

87. The method of claim 72, further comprising flowing sorbate through a line etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

88. The method of claim 72, further comprising controlling the flow of sorbate through the system with valves, wherein the valves comprise micro-mechanical devices etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

89. The method of claim 72, wherein the sorber is formed on an integrated circuit chip, and wherein the integrated circuit chip is disposed on the printed circuit board.

90. The method of claim 72, wherein the sorber comprises a chamber etched into the printed circuit board.

91. The method of claim 72, wherein the sorber comprises a housing forming an enclosure for the sorbent, wherein the housing comprises a dielectric material.

92. The method of claim 72, further comprising a ground plane conductor positioned on a first side of the sorber and a stripline conductor disposed on a second side of the sorber, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side, and wherein the ground plane conductor and the stripline conductor are configured to transmit the generated electromagnetic waves to the sorber.

93. The method of claim 72, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a solid state oscillator device.

94. The method of claim 72, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a stripline microwave amplifier circuit.

95. The method of claim 72, wherein the electromagnetic wave generator comprises a microwave oscillator comprising conductive tracings on the printed circuit board.

96. A system configured to cool an electrical component during use, comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate, wherein the evaporator is disposed within a computer, and wherein the electrical component is disposed on a motherboard of the computer;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound; and

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use, and wherein the sorber and the electromagnetic wave generator are positioned external to the computer.

97. A system configured to cool an electrical component, wherein the electrical component is located within a computer, the system comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound; and

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use, wherein the system is mounted on the printed circuit board, and wherein the sorber is disposed on an edge of the printed circuit board such that the sorber is positioned external to the computer.

98. A system configured to cool an electrical component, wherein the electrical component is located within a computer, the system comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate, and wherein the evaporator is etched into a substrate of a printed circuit board;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound; and

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use, and wherein the system is mounted on the printed circuit board.

99. A system configured to cool an electrical component, wherein the electrical component is located within a computer, the system comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound;

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use, and wherein the system is mounted on a printed circuit board; and

a sorbate flow line etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.

100. A system configured to cool an electrical component, wherein the electrical component is located within a computer, the system comprising:

an evaporator disposed proximal to the electrical component, wherein the evaporator is configured such that passage of a sorbate through the evaporator during use evaporates at least a portion of the sorbate;

a sorber coupled to the evaporator such that evaporated sorbate passes from the evaporator to the sorber during use;

a sorbent disposed within the sorber, wherein the sorbent reversibly interacts with a sorbate during use to form a sorbate/sorbent compound;

an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate electromagnetic waves during use and coupled to the sorber such that generated electromagnetic waves propagate through the sorber to desorb at least a portion of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound during use, wherein desorption of the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound is substantially isothermal, wherein the sorber is configured such that desorbed sorbate passes back to the evaporator during use, and wherein the system is mounted on a printed circuit board; and

at least one valve, wherein at least the one valve comprises a micro-mechanical device etched into a substrate of the printed circuit board.