Variably configured sprayjet cooling system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsCullen E. Bash, Chandrakant D. Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular semiconductor chip cooling system having a readily openable enclosure defining a chamber configured to hold a printed circuit board carrying components to be cooled. The enclosure can include a reservoir, a condenser and a pump. Sprayers within the chamber are set in an array to spray a target area, and a controller controls which sprayers are activated based on information delineating the locations of the components to be cooled. The enclosure can be readily removed from a computer system through a quick release connection. The computer system can include a condenser and pump to operate all its modular cooling systems, removing the condensing function from the individual modules.
Claims41
A cooling system for cooling one or more hot portions of one or more heat-producing components, the one or more hot portions covering sections of a target area, using information delineating the sections of the target area covered by the one or more hot portions, comprising:
- a plurality of structurally interconnected spray-cooling nozzles configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted throughout the target area;
- and
- a controller configured to use the information delineating the sections of the target area to control the operation of the plurality of nozzles such that a first group of the plurality of nozzles is substantially active and a second group of the plurality of nozzles is substantially inactive;
- wherein the first group of the plurality of nozzles is targeted to cool the one or more hot portions of the one or more heat-producing components, and wherein the second group of the plurality of nozzles is targeted at sections of the target area not covered by the one or more hot portions of the one or more heat-producing components.
A cooling system for cooling one or more hot portions of one or more heat-producing components, the one or more hot portions covering sections of a target area, using information delineating the sections of the target area covered by the one or more hot portions, comprising:
- a means for spraying cooling fluid targeted throughout the target area;
- and
- a means for controlling the operation of the means for spraying, using the information delineating the sections of the target area, such that the means for spraying sprays the one or more hot portions of the one or more heat-producing components, and wherein means for spraying does not substantially spray the sections of the target area that are not covered by the one or more hot portions of the one or more heat-producing components.
A method for cooling one or more hot portions of one or more heat-producing components, the one or more hot portions covering sections of a target area, using information delineating the sections of the target area covered by the one or more hot portions, comprising:
- providing a means for spraying cooling fluid targeted throughout the target area;
- and
- controlling the operation of the means for spraying, using the information delineating the sections of the target area, such that the means for spraying sprays the one or more hot portions of the one or more heat-producing components, and wherein means for spraying does not substantially spray the sections of the target area that are not covered by the one or more hot portions of the one or more heat-producing components.
A cooling system for cooling a first heat-producing component and a second heat-producing component, comprising:
- a first spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted at the first heat-producing component;
- a second spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted at the second heat-producing component;
- and
- a controller configured to independently control the mass flow rates of the first and second spray-cooling nozzles in appropriate relation to the cooling needs of the first and second heat-producing components, respectively;
- wherein each of the nozzles are nozzles for incremental sprayers.
A cooling system for cooling a first heat-producing component and a second heat-producing component, comprising:
- a first spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted at the first heat-producing component;
- a second spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted at the second heat-producing component;
- and
- a controller configured to independently control the mass flow rates of the first and second spray-cooling nozzles in appropriate relation to the cooling needs of the first and second heat-producing components, respectively;
- wherein each of the nozzles are nozzles for thermal inkjet-type sprayers.
A cooling system for cooling a first heat-producing component and a second component, comprising:
- a first spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted at the first heat-producing component;
- a second spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted at the second heat-producing component;
- a controller configured to independently control the mass flow rates of the first and second spray-cooling nozzles in appropriate relation to the cooling needs of the first and second heat-producing components, respectively;
- and
- a third spray-cooling nozzle configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid targeted in the same general direction as at least one of the first and second spray-cooling nozzles;
- wherein the third spray-cooling nozzle is configured such that it is not targeted at a heat-producing component when the first and second spray-cooling nozzles are targeted at the first and second heat-producing components, respectively;
- wherein the third spray-cooling nozzle is configured to eject droplets of cooling fluid in response to a command from the controller;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured such that it does not command the third spray-cooling nozzle to spray.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.