Pump and fan control concepts in a cooling system

• US 7,591,302 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cooligy Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Cooligy Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Munch, Mark, Sahu, Saroj, Lenehan, Daniel J., Goodson, Kenneth, Kenny, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric; Ljiljana (Lil) V
• Application Number:
  US10/731,674
• Time in Patent Office: 2,115 Days
• Field of Search: 165/247, 165/244, 165/104.33, 621/85, 622/284
• US Class Current: 165/247
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for cooling heat-generating devices in a cooling system is disclosed. The apparatus includes various sensors, control schemes and thermal models, to control pump flow rates and fan flow rates to minimize power consumption, fan noise, and noise transients. The apparatus further includes at least one heat-generating device, at least one heat exchanger, and at least one heat rejector. The apparatus can also include many pumps and fans. The method includes controlling a fluid flow rate of at least one pump and an air flow rate of at least one fan, in a cooling system for cooling at least one device. The method comprises the steps of: providing at least one temperature sensor coupled to measure a temperature value of each device; receiving the temperature value from each temperature sensor; and providing a controller to selectively control the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate, based on each temperature value. The method can further include the step of filling at least a portion of a heat exchanger with a thermal capacitance medium for maintaining the temperature value of the device below a maximum allowable temperature during thermal transients, wherein the heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a fluid flow rate and an air flow rate, for cooling at least one heat-generating device in a cooling system comprising a controller, at least one sensor, at least one fan for generating an air flow, and a fluid loop comprising at least one pump for generating a fluid flow, a heat rejector, a heat exchanger mechanically and thermally coupled with the at least one heat-generating device, and a thermally conductive fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a first temperature using the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is a first temperature sensor coupled to the heat exchanger and positioned to measure the temperature within the heat exchanger;

pumping the thermally conductive fluid through the fluid loop;

controlling the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate based on the first temperature such that the first temperature is maintained below a maximum allowable temperature, wherein the controller controls the at least one fan and the at least one pump to set the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the fluid flow rate wherein the fluid loop includes a flow rate sensor that measures the fluid flow rate and wherein the step of controlling the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate includes measuring the fluid flow rate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of providing a flow valve in the fluid loop and controlling the flow valve, wherein the fluid loop includes the flow valve that controls the flow rate in and wherein the step of controlling the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate includes adjusting the flow valve.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device comprises an electronic circuit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger contains internal flow regions for distributing fluid, and wherein the fluid is distributed through the internal flow regions of the heat exchanger.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the internal flow regions comprise microchannels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one additional temperature sensor measures at least one additional temperature value in the cooling system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of measuring the temperature of the ambient air around the at least one heat-generating device, wherein the at least one additional temperature sensor measures the ambient air temperature and wherein the step of controlling the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate is further based on the measured ambient air temperature.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of measuring the temperature of the fluid within the cooling loop, wherein the at least one additional temperature sensor measures the fluid temperature at a point in the cooling loop.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of measuring the temperature of the ambient air around the heat rejector, wherein the at least one additional temperature sensor measures the ambient air temperature around the heat rejector and wherein the step of controlling the fluid flow rate and the air flow rate is further based on the measured ambient air temperature.