Apparatus and method for controlling the temperature of an electronic device
AssigneeDelta Design, Inc.
InventorsTerry Craps, Ian G. Spearing, Matthew F. W. Brown, John E. Voshell, John D. Ruth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the temperature of an electronic device. The apparatus comprises a refrigeration system including a compressor and a multi-pass heat exchanger. The refrigeration system is operative to circulate a refrigerant fluid through a fluid flow loop such that the refrigerant fluid will change between gaseous and liquid states to alternately absorb and release thermal energy. The refrigerant fluid is pre-cooled in the heat exchanger by a pre-cooling refrigerant stream. A thermal head is connected into the fluid flow loop and has a temperature controlled surface.
Claims20
An apparatus for controlling the temperature of an electronic device, said apparatus comprising:
- a refrigeration system including a compressor, said refrigeration system being operative to circulate a refrigerant through a fluid flow loop such that said refrigerant will change between gaseous and liquid states so as to alternately absorb and release thermal energy;
- a thermal head having a temperature controlled surface, said thermal head defining a flow channel for passage of said refrigerant to thereby function as an evaporator in said refrigeration system;
- a heat exchanger located between said thermal head and said compressor in said fluid flow loop, said heat exchanger defining a supply channel to introduce said refrigerant into said thermal head, a return channel for receiving refrigerant exiting said thermal head and a pre-cooling channel adapted to receive said refrigerant from said compressor and exhaust said refrigerant to said return channel;
- a control valve located between said heat exchanger and said thermal head in said fluid flow loop, said control valve being operative to regulate introduction of said refrigerant into said flow channel of said thermal head;
- and
- a controller operative to control said control valve for maintaining a predetermined temperature at said temperature controlled surface.
An apparatus for controlling the temperature of an electronic device, said apparatus comprising:
- a refrigeration system including a compressor, said refrigeration system being operative to circulate a refrigerant through a fluid flow loop such that said refrigerant will change between gaseous and liquid states so as to alternately absorb and release thermal energy;
- at least two thermal head with each having a temperature controlled surface, each of said thermal heads defining a flow channel for passage of said refrigerant;
- a heat exchanger located between each of said thermal heads and said compressor in said fluid flow loop, said heat exchanger defining a supply channel to introduce said refrigerant into each of said thermal heads, a return channel for receiving refrigerant exiting each of said thermal heads and a pre-cooling channel adapted to receive said refrigerant from said compressor and exhaust said refrigerant to said return channel;
- a control valve located between said heat exchanger and each of said thermal head in fluid flow loop, said control valve being operative to regulate introduced of said refrigerant into said flow channel of each of said thermal heads;
- a controller operative to control said control valve for maintaining a predetermined temperature at said temperature controlled surface of each of said thermal heads;
- and
- a flow balance heater located in the flow loop between each of thermal heads and said compressor for selectively increasing the thermal load.
A method of maintaining multiple electronic devices at a predetermined temperature, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a refrigeration system having a compressor with multiple associated heat exchangers and thermal heads, each of said thermal heads including a temperature controlled surface in thermal contact with an electronic device;
- (b) provided a flow balance heater control associated with each of said heat exchangers;
- and
- (c) if the temperature of a heat exchanger falls below a selected temperature, activating said flow balance heater control to provide an additional thermal load on said heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.