Cooling system for a computer system

• US 10,599,196 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asetek Incorporated (Asetek Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Asetek Incorporated (Asetek Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eriksen, Andre Sloth
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwu, Davis D
• Application Number:
  US15/991,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20180275730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 165 804
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20263 Heat dissipaters releasing heat from coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20272 Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling system for a computer system, said computer system comprising at least one unit such as a central processing unit (CPU) generating thermal energy and said cooling system intended for cooling the at least one processing unit and comprising a reservoir having an amount of cooling liquid, said cooling liquid intended for accumulating and transferring of thermal energy dissipated from the processing unit to the cooling liquid. The cooling system has a heat exchanging interface for providing thermal contact between the processing unit and the cooling liquid for dissipating heat from the processing unit to the cooling liquid. Different embodiments of the heat exchanging system as well as means for establishing and controlling a flow of cooling liquid and a cooling strategy constitutes the invention of the cooling system.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising:

a reservoir configured to circulate a cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including;

a pump chamber housing an impeller and defined at least in part by an impeller cover and a double-sided chassis, the impeller being positioned on one side of the chassis and a stator of the pump is positioned on an opposite side of the chassis, wherein the pump chamber includes;

an inlet defined by the impeller cover positioned below a center of the impeller configured to enable a cooling liquid to flow into the center of the pump chamber;

an outlet defined by the impeller cover positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller;

a thermal exchange chamber configured to be disposed between the pump chamber and a heat-generating component when the system is installed on a heat-generating component;

a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of a heat-generating component and an inner surface that defines a plurality of channels that direct the flow of the cooling liquid within the thermal exchange chamber;

a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid;

a first passage fluidly coupling the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber, wherein the first passage is configured to direct the cooling liquid from the outlet of the pump chamber into the thermal exchange chamber between a first end and a second end of the thermal exchanger chamber.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the thermal exchange chamber includes at least one second passage configured to direct the cooling liquid out of the thermal exchange chamber, the at least one second passage is positioned at either a first end or a second end of the thermal exchange chamber.

3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the double-sided chassis shields the stator from the cooling liquid in the reservoir.

4. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat-exchanging interface is formed of copper.

5. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a clip having legs configured to secure the double-sided chassis, and the heat-exchanging interface to a heat-generating component.

6. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the double-sided chassis defines a recess configured to house the stator.

7. The liquid cooling system of claim 6, wherein the recess forms at least part of a pump volute.

8. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a fan configured to direct air through the heat radiator, the fan being driven by a motor separate from the motor of the pump.

9. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels is defined by a plurality of fins.

17. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the stator windings are isolated from the cooling liquid in the reservoir.

10. A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising:

a reservoir configured to circulate a cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including;

a pump chamber housing an impeller and defined at least in part by an impeller cover and a double-sided chassis, the impeller being positioned on one side of the chassis and a stator of the pump is positioned on an opposite side of the chassis, wherein the pump chamber includes;

an inlet defined by the impeller cover positioned below a center of the impeller configured to enable a cooling liquid to flow into the center of the pump chamber;

an outlet defined by the impeller cover positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller;

a thermal exchange chamber configured to be disposed between the pump chamber and a heat-generating component when the system is installed on a heat-generating component;

a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of a heat-generating component and an inner surface that defines a plurality of parallel channels that are configured to direct the flow of the cooling liquid within the thermal exchange chamber;

a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid;

a set of four mounting legs configured to secure the heat-exchanging interface to a heat-generating component of a computer.

11. The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the double-sided chassis shields the stator from the cooling liquid in the reservoir.

12. The liquid cooling system of claim 10, wherein the heat-exchanging interface is formed of copper.

13. The liquid cooling system of claim 10, wherein the double-sided chassis defines a recess configured to house the stator.

14. The liquid cooling system of claim 10, further comprising a fan configured to direct air through the heat radiator, the fan being driven by a motor separate from the motor of the pump.

15. The liquid cooling system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of channels is defined by a plurality of fins.

18. The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the stator windings are isolated from the cooling liquid in the reservoir.

16. A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising:

a reservoir configured to circulate a cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including;

a pump chamber housing an impeller and defined at least in part by an impeller cover and a double-sided chassis, the impeller being positioned on one side of the chassis and a stator of the pump is positioned on an opposite side of the chassis, wherein the pump chamber includes;

an inlet defined by the impeller cover positioned below a center of the impeller configured to enable a cooling liquid to flow into the center of the pump chamber;

an outlet defined by the impeller cover positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller;

a thermal exchange chamber configured to be disposed between the pump chamber and a heat-generating component when the system is installed on a heat-generating component;

a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of a heat-generating component and an inner surface that defines a plurality of channels that are configured to direct the flow of the cooling liquid within the thermal exchange chamber;

a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid;

wherein the stator is brushless and configured to drive the impeller.

19. The cooling system of claim 16, wherein the stator windings are isolated from the cooling liquid in the reservoir.