Two stage radiation thermoelectric cooling apparatus

• US 6,880,346 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Original Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Hsiang-Chieh, Chou, Chia-Min, Yeh, Chia-Feng, Liu, Yi-Song
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US10/885,762
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 62/32, 62/33, 62/37, 622/592, 165/104.21, 136/203, 136/204
• US Class Current: 62/3.7
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0212 of electric power, current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0251 by a gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0252 by liquids or two-phase fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/38 Cooling arrangements using the Peltier effect
• 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 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction

Abstract

The present invention provides a thermoelectric cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device such as a CPU, or a computer chip. The apparatus cools the electronic device by two stages. In the first stage, a heat absorbing block collects the heat produced by the electronic device and the apparatus pre-cools the electronic device by dissipating a portion of the collected heat in a distant location through a front heat conductive device and a front radiator. Thereby the heat of the electronic device is reduced to a degree that a TEC can efficiently handle. In the second stage, a TEC of the apparatus dissipate the residual of the heat produced by the electronic device through at least a back heat pipe and a back radiator.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device comprising:

a front heat absorbing block having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being the opposite side of said second surface, said first surface contacting said electronic device;

a front heat conductive device having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being connected with said front heat absorbing block, said second portion extending from an end of said first portion to a remote end away from said front heat absorbing block;

a front radiator connected with said second portion of said front heat conductive device;

a thermoelectric cooler having a cold side and a hot side, said cold side being the opposite side of said hot side, said cold side contacting said second surface of said front heat absorbing block for transmitting heat collected from said front heat absorbing block from said cold side to said hot side; and

a back radiating module contacting said hot side of said thermoelectric cooler for radiating heat collected therefrom.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fan for blowing said front radiator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said front heat conductive device comprises at least a heat pipe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said front heat conductive device comprises a water-cooling loop for systematically linking up said front heat absorbing block, said back radiating module, said front radiator and a pump, said water-cooling loop having cooling water within for water circulation by said pump.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said front heat conductive device comprises a water-cooling loop for systematically linking up said front heat absorbing block, said front radiator and a pump, said water-cooling loop having cooling water within for water circulation by said pump.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor and a control circuit, said temperature sensor directly contacting said electronic device and providing an indication thereof to said control circuit wherein the said control circuit is coupled to said thermoelectric cooler for varying amount of electricity in accordance with said indication.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first portion of said front heat conductive device is embedded in said front heat absorbing block and said second portion of said front heat conductive device is installed in said front radiator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said back radiating module comprises:

a back heat absorbing block, contacting said hot side of said thermoelectric cooler;

at least a back heat pipe, having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being connected with said back heat absorbing block, said second portion extending from an end of said first portion to a remote end away from said back heat absorbing block; and

a back radiator, connected with said second portion of said at least a back heat pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said at least a back heat pipe further comprises a third portion extending from the other end of said first portion thereof to a remote end away from said back heat absorbing block, said first portion of said at least a back heat pipe being embedded in said back heat absorbing block, said second and said third portions of said at least a back heat pipe being installed in said back radiator.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a fan, wherein said front radiator comprises plural parallel first cooling fins having plural first channels formed therebetween, said back radiator having plural parallel second cooling fins having plural second channels formed therebetween, said first channels being aligned with said second channels, said fan blowing said first channels first, then said second channels.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor and a control circuit, said temperature sensor directly contacting said electronic device and providing an indication thereof to the control circuit wherein said control circuit is coupled to said two thermoelectric coolers for varying amount of electricity in accordance with said indication.

11. A thermoelectric cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device comprising:

a front heat absorbing block comprising a bottom surface and two side surfaces, said bottom surface contacting said electronic device;

a front heat conductive device having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being connected with said front heat absorbing block, said second portion extending from an end of said first portion to a remote end away from said front heat absorbing block;

a front radiator, connected with said second portion of said front heat conductive device;

two thermoelectric coolers, each of said two thermoelectric coolers having a cold side and a hot side, said cold side being the opposite side of said hot side, each of said two thermoelectric coolers contacting one of said two side surfaces of said front heat absorbing block with said cold side for transmitting heat collected from said front heat absorbing block from said cold side to said hot side; and

two back radiating modules contacting said hot sides of said two thermoelectric coolers respectively for radiating heat collected therefrom.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said front heat conductive device comprises at least a heat pipe.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said front heat conductive device comprises a water-cooling loop for systematically linking up said front heat absorbing block, said two back radiating modules, said front radiator and a pump, said water-cooling loop having cooling water within for water circulation by said pump.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said front heat conductive device comprises a water-cooling loop for systematically linking up said front heat absorbing block, said front radiator and a pump, said water-cooling loop having cooling water within for water circulation by said pump.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a fan for blowing said front radiator.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first portion of said front heat conductive device is embedded in said front heat absorbing block and said second portion of said front heat conductive device is installed in said front radiator.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of said two back radiating modules comprises:

a back heat absorbing block, contacting a hot side of one of said two thermoelectric coolers;

at least a back heat pipe, having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being connected with said back heat absorbing block, said second portion extending from an end of said first portion to a remote end away from said back heat absorbing block; and

a back radiator, connected with said second portion of said at least a back heat pipe.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said second portion of said at least a back heat pipe is crooked into said back radiator, said first portion of said at lease a back heat pipe being embedded in said back heat absorbing block.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a fan wherein said front radiator comprises plural parallel first cooling fins having plural first channels formed therebetween, said two back radiators having plural parallel second cooling fins having plural second channels formed therebetween said first channels being aligned with said second channels, said fan blowing said first channels first, then said second channels.