Computer cooling system operable under the force of gravity in first orientation and against the force of gravity in second orientation

Apparatus for cooling a heat dissipating component, the apparatus being capable of operating in a first orientation and in a second orientation in an environment with an ambient pressure over a temperature range, the apparatus comprising:

• an evaporator unit having a first thermally conductive wall in thermal contact with the heat dissipating component;
• a condenser unit located vertically above the evaporator unit in the first orientation and vertically below the evaporator unit in the second orientation;
• a first conduit connecting the evaporator unit and the condenser unit;
• a second conduit connecting the condenser unit to the evaporator unit to form a hermetic enclosure with an interior and an internal pressure, the hermetic enclosure having at least one wall which is sufficiently flexible that the internal pressure remains substantially at the ambient pressure over the entire temperature range;
• a liquid coolant disposed within tile hermetic enclosure interior, the liquid coolant having a sufficiently low boiling point that the liquid coolant is changed to a vapor by the heat dissipated from the component;
• and
• a heater operative only in the second orientation for heating a portion of the hermetic enclosure sufficiently to cause bubbles of coolant vapor to form and rise in the first conduit.

Computer apparatus capable of operating in a first orientation and in a second orientation in an environment with an ambient pressure over a temperature range, the apparatus comprising:

• a heat dissipating microprocessor;
• a memory unit;
• an evaporator unit having a first thermally conductive wall in contact with the microprocessor;
• a condenser unit located vertically above the evaporator unit in the first orientation and vertically below the evaporator unit in the second orientation;
• a first conduit connecting the evaporator unit and the condenser unit;
• a second conduit connecting the condenser unit to the evaporator unit to form a hermetic enclosure with an interior and an internal pressure, the condenser unit having at least one wall which is sufficiently flexible that the internal pressure remains substantially at the ambient pressure over the entire temperature range;
• a liquid coolant disposed within the hermetic enclosure interior, the liquid coolant having a sufficiently low boiling point that the liquid coolant is changed to a vapor by the heat dissipated from the microprocessor;
• and
• a heater operative only in the second orientation for heating a portion of the first conduit sufficiently to cause bubbles of coolant vapor to form and rise in the first conduit.