Cooligy, Inc.

Apple Inc.

Girish Upadhya

Peng Zhou

Kenneth E Goodson

Mark McMaster

Mark Munch

David Albert Lundgren

Thomas W Kenny

Douglas Lea Heirich

Daniel J Riccio

Paul Tsao

Douglas E Werner

Robert Norman Olson

Richard Grant Brewer

Larry Forsblad

James Gill Shook

Norman Chow

James Hom

Ian G Spearing

David Corbin

Richard A Herms

Tim Schrader

Frederic Landry

Wayne H Miller

Richard Peter Smith

Dave B Corbin

Sudhakar Gopalakrishnan

James Lovette

Brandon R Leong

Adrian Correa

Bruce R Conway

Steve Holmes

Tien Chih (Eric) Lin

Dolf Van Der Heide

Hae-won Choi

James Horn

Ian Spearing

An integrated cooling system includes a first layer having a contact area configured for coupling to a heat source, wherein the first layer has a fluid path passes adjacent to the contact area where the heat source is in thermal contact with first layer. Coupled to the first layer is a second layer to which a number of air fins are attached. A pump is connected to the fluid path forming a closed path for circulating a fluid through the first layer. Within the first layer, the fluid path will contain a plurality of fluid fins which control the flow of a fluid within the fluid path. Within the fluid path, a structure providing a double-counter flow adjacent to one or more electronic devices. Additionally the fluid path can include a microchannel plate structure. The system can include a programmable controller connect the an air-mover, pump and temperature sensing device.

Integrated liquid to air conduction module

A device, method, and system for a fluid cooled micro-scaled heat exchanger is disclosed. The fluid cooled micro-scaled heat exchanger utilizes a micro-scaled region and a spreader region with a highly thermally conductive material and sized to yield high heat dissipation and transfer area per unit volume from a heat source. The micro-scaled region preferably comprises microchannels.

Optimal spreader system, device and method for fluid cooled micro-scaled heat exchange

The rear panel of an electronics enclosure includes one or more heat exchangers. The rear panel can be cooling door configured to provide access to the cables and equipment located within the electronics enclosure. Such access can be provided by swinging the door open on hinges like a standard door. In the case where there are multiple heat exchangers, the door can be configured into segments, one segment per heat exchanger, and each segment includes hinges so as to be opened independently from the other segments. In some embodiments, each segment swivels open like a standard door. In other embodiments, each segment is configured to swivel up or down about a horizontal axis. In still other embodiments, each segment is configured to be disconnected from the electronics enclosure and moved out of the way, in which case each heat exchanger is connected using either flexible tubing that can be bent out of the way or quick disconnects. In other embodiments, the entire rear door, or each segment of the rear door, can be configured to slide open and closed like a drawer.

Internal access mechanism for a server rack

Liquid-based cooling solutions used to transfer heat produced by one or more heat generating devices from one or more electronics servers to the ambient. Each electronics server includes one or more heat generating devices. Integrated onto each electronics server is a liquid based cooling system. Each liquid based cooling system includes a server pump and one or more microchannel cold plates (MCP) coupled together via fluid lines. The liquid based cooling system for each electronics server includes a rejector plate configured with micro-channels. The MCPs, the server pump and the rejector plate form a first closed loop. The rejector plate is coupled to a chassis cold plate via a thermal interface material. In a multiple electronics server configuration, the rejector plates for each of the electronics servers are coupled to the chassis cold plate configured with fluid channels which are coupled via fluid lines to a liquid-to-air heat exchanging system to form a second closed loop.

Liquid cooling loops for server applications

A mounting system provides mechanisms and form factors for bringing a heat exchanger from a server rack into thermal contact with a heat exchanger from a electronics server. To ensure good thermal contact, pressure is applied between the two heat exchangers, the rejector plate and the chassis cold plate. The mounting mechanism used to engage and disengage the heat exchangers is configured to isolate the force applied to the two heat exchangers. The mounting mechanism includes an interlocking mechanism that prevents transfer of the applied force to the rest of the electronics server. Without isolating this force, the force is applied to the electronics server and/or the rack chassis, possibly disconnecting the electrical connections between the electronics server and the rack, as well as providing mechanical stress to the electronics server and the rack chassis. The mounting mechanism is also coupled to the electronics server locking mechanism such that the action of locking the electronics server into the rack causes the heat exchangers to engage in thermal contact. This is a fail safe procedure since no separate process is required to engage the electronics server cooling loop.

An apparatus and method of controlling freezing in a liquid system is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heat exchanger having a initial zone characterized by a surface area to volume ratio. The apparatus also includes means for initiating freezing of a fluid from the initial zone to facilitate volume expansion during freezing in the direction of a final zone characterized by a final zone surface area to volume ratio. The apparatus can further include a plurality of zones located between the initial zone and the final zone, wherein a zone surface area to volume ratio is calculated for each zone. Preferably, the zone surface area to volume ratio of each zone progressively decreases from the initial zone in the direction of the final zone. Preferably, the final freezing zone has the lowest surface area to volume ratio and has sufficient elasticity to accommodate the volume expansion of all the fluid that has frozen from the initial zone.

Method and apparatus for controlling freezing nucleation and propagation

A heat exchanger includes features for alleviating high pressure drops and controlling the expansion of fluid during freezing. The heat exchanger includes an interface layer in which heat is transferred from a heat source to a fluid. A manifold layer couples to the interface layer. The manifold layer includes a first set of substantially vertical fluid paths for directing the fluid to the interface layer. The manifold layer further includes a second set of substantially horizontal fluid paths, perpendicular to the first set of fluid paths, for removing the fluid from the interface layer. Preferably, the heat exchanger includes an upper layer for circulating the fluid to and from the manifold layer. The upper layer can include at least one of a plurality of protruding features and a porous structure. Preferably, a porous structure is disposed along the interface layer.

Apparatus and method of efficient fluid delivery for cooling a heat producing device

A method of controlling temperature of a heat source in contact with a heat exchanging surface of a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanging surface is substantially aligned along a plane. The method comprises channeling a first temperature fluid to the heat exchanging surface, wherein the first temperature fluid undergoes thermal exchange with the heat source along the heat exchanging surface. The method comprises channeling a second temperature fluid from the heat exchange surface, wherein fluid is channeled to minimize temperature differences along the heat source. The temperature differences are minimized by optimizing and controlling the fluidic and thermal resistances in the heat exchanger. The resistances to the fluid are influenced by size, volume and surface area of heat transferring features, multiple pumps, fixed and variable valves and flow impedance elements in the fluid path, pressure and flow rate control of the fluid, and other factors.

Method and apparatus for achieving temperature uniformity and hot spot cooling in a heat producing device

A plate is thermally coupled to a heat generating device and thermally coupled to two heat pipes. Each heat pipe is configured to have a predetermined boiling point temperature selected according to design criteria. One or more additional heat pipes can be coupled to the plate. A heat spreader can be in thermal contact with the heat generating device and with at least one of the heat pipes. The heat pipes can differ in outer cross-sectional dimensions depending on thermal distance position relative to the heat generating device, such that the heat pipes located a farther thermal distance from the heat generating device have smaller outer cross-sectional dimensions than the heat pipes located a shorter thermal distance from the heat generating device.

Optimized multiple heat pipe blocks for electronics cooling

A heat exchanger and method of manufacturing thereof comprises an interface layer for cooling a heat source. The interface layer is coupled to the heat source and is configured to pass fluid therethrough. The heat exchanger further comprises a manifold layer that is coupled to the interface layer. The manifold layer includes at least one first port that is coupled to a first set of individualized holes which channel fluid through the first set. The manifold layer includes at least one second port coupled to a second set of individualized holes which channel fluid through the second set. The first set of holes and second set of holes are arranged to provide a minimized fluid path distance between the first and second ports to adequately cool the heat source. Preferably, each hole in the first set is positioned a closest optimal distance to an adjacent hole the second set.

Method and apparatus for efficient vertical fluid delivery for cooling a heat producing device

A device, method, and system for a fluid cooled channeled heat exchange device is disclosed. The fluid cooled channeled heat exchange device utilizes fluid circulated through a channel heat exchanger for high heat dissipation and transfer area per unit volume. The device comprises a highly thermally conductive material, preferably with less than 200 W/m-K. The preferred channel heat exchanger comprises two coupled flat plates and a plurality of fins coupled to the flat plates. At least one of the plates preferably to receive flow of a fluid in a heated state. The fluid preferably carries heat from a heat source (such as a CPU, for example). Specifically, at least one of the plates preferably comprises a plurality of condenser channels configured to receive, to condense, and to cool the fluid in the heated state. The fluid in a cooler state is preferably carried from the device to the heat source, thereby cooling the heat source.

Channeled flat plate fin heat exchange system, device and method

A heat exchanger apparatus and method of manufacturing comprising: an interface layer for cooling a heat source and configured to pass fluid therethrough, the interface layer having an appropriate thermal conductivity and a manifold layer for providing fluid to the interface layer, wherein the manifold layer is configured to achieve temperature uniformity in the heat source preferably by cooling interface hot spot regions. A plurality of fluid ports are configured to the heat exchanger such as an inlet port and outlet port, whereby the fluid ports are configured vertically and horizontally. The manifold layer circulates fluid to a predetermined interface hot spot region in the interface layer, wherein the interface hot spot region is associated with the hot spot. The heat exchanger preferably includes an intermediate layer positioned between the interface and manifold layers and optimally channels fluid to the interface hot spot region.

Method and apparatus for flexible fluid delivery for cooling desired hot spots in a heat producing device

A microchannel heat exchanger coupled to a heat source and configured for cooling the heat source comprising a first set of fingers for providing fluid at a first temperature to a heat exchange region, wherein fluid in the heat exchange region flows toward a second set of fingers and exits the heat exchanger at a second temperature, wherein each finger is spaced apart from an adjacent finger by an appropriate dimension to minimize pressure drop in the heat exchanger and arranged in parallel. The microchannel heat exchanger includes an interface layer having the heat exchange region. Preferably, a manifold layer includes the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers configured within to cool hot spots in the heat source. Alternatively, the interface layer includes the first set and second set of fingers configured along the heat exchange region.

Interwoven manifolds for pressure drop reduction in microchannel heat exchangers

An apparatus for removing heat from heat generating elements is disclosed. The apparatus is a thermal management system having a thermal distribution assembly in either one of or both of conductive and radiative communication with heat generating elements. The thermal distribution assembly has thermal zones, each of which is associated with at least one heat generating element. The thermal distribution assembly includes a heat spreading frame and a heat conducting frame. Heat passes from the heat generating elements to the heat conducting frame and then to the heat spreading frame, from which the heat is removed via convection.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Girish Upadhya