Liquid cooling systems and coolers for electronic devices
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsArturo Navarro Alvarez, Jose Diaz Marin, Mark MacDonald, Akhilesh Rallabandi, Jose Salazar Delgado
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Abstract
Liquid cooling systems and coolers for electronic devices are disclosed herein. An example cooler includes a first thermal block having a first fluid passageway, a second thermal block having a second fluid passageway, and a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) coupled between the first thermal block and the second thermal block. The second thermal block is to be disposed on a processor of an electronic device such that the second thermal block is disposed between the TEC and the processor.
Claims19
A cooler for an electronic device, the cooler comprising:
- a first thermal block having a first fluid passageway;
- a second thermal block having a second fluid passageway, the second thermal block having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
- and
- a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) coupled between the first thermal block and the second thermal block, the second side of the second thermal block to be disposed on a processor of the electronic device such that the second thermal block is disposed between the TEC and the processor, the TEC on a central region on the first side of the second thermal block, the second fluid passageway outside of the central region such that the second fluid passageway is not directly between the TEC and the second side of the second thermal block.
A liquid cooling system for an electronic device, the liquid cooling system comprising:
- a first thermal block having a first fluid passageway, a second thermal block having a second fluid passageway, and a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) between the first and second thermal blocks;
- a fluid circuit coupled to the first and second fluid passageways;
- a valve coupled to the fluid circuit;
- and
- control circuitry to:
- during a first mode, control the valve to a first position to enable cooling liquid in the fluid circuit to flow to the second fluid passageway of the second thermal block but block the cooling liquid from flowing to the first fluid passageway of the first thermal block;
- and
- during a second mode, control the valve to a second position to enable the cooling liquid in the fluid circuit to flow to the first fluid passageway of the first thermal block but block the cooling liquid from flowing to the second fluid passageway in the second thermal block.
An electronic device comprising:
- a central processing unit (CPU);
- and
- a liquid cooling system to reduce a temperature of the CPU, the liquid cooling system including:
- a thermal block having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the second side on the CPU, the thermal block having a fluid passageway;
- a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) on the first side, the thermal block is between the TEC and the CPU;
- and
- a valve;
- the CPU to:
- during a first mode, deactivate the TEC and control the valve to direct cooling liquid through the fluid passageway of the thermal block;
- and
- during a second mode, activate the TEC and control the valve to cease directing the cooling liquid through the fluid passageway of the thermal block.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause processor circuitry to at least:
- operate a liquid cooling system of an electronic device in a first mode, the liquid cooling system including a cooler including a first thermal block having a first fluid passageway, a second thermal block having a second fluid passageway, and a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) between the first and second thermal blocks, the second thermal block disposed on or near a central processing unit (CPU) of the electronic device, the liquid cooling system including a fluid circuit coupled to the first and second fluid passageways and a valve coupled to the fluid circuit, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to operate the liquid cooling system in the first mode by deactivating the TEC and controlling the valve to a first position to direct cooling liquid to flow to the second fluid passageway of the second thermal block but block the cooling liquid from flowing to the first fluid passageway of the first thermal block;
- measure a parameter value;
- and
- in response to determining the parameter value meets a threshold, operate the liquid cooling system in a second mode by activating the TEC and controlling the valve to a second position to direct the cooling liquid to flow to the first fluid passageway of the first thermal block but block the cooling liquid from flowing to the second fluid passageway of the second thermal block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.