Method of absorbing sensible and latent heat with series-connected heat sinks

A method of absorbing heat from two or more processors in an electronic device by flowing coolant through two or more fluidly connected heat sink modules arranged in a series configuration, the method comprising:

• providing a flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant to a first heat sink module, the first heat sink module comprising a first thermally conductive base member in thermal communication with a first processor in an electronic device, the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant having a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature at a first inlet of the first heat sink module, the predetermined temperature being below a saturation temperature of the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant at the predetermined pressure;
• projecting the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant against the thermally conductive base member within the first heat sink module, wherein the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant absorbs a first amount of heat from the first processor through the thermally conductive base member as sensible heat;
• providing a second heat sink module comprising a second thermally conductive base member in thermal communication with a second processor, the second heat sink module comprising a second inlet;
• providing a first section of tubing having a first end connected to the first outlet of the first heat sink module and a second end connected to the second inlet of the second heat sink module;
• transporting through the first section of tubing the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant from the first outlet of the first heat sink module to the second inlet of the second heat sink module;
• and
• projecting the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant against the second thermally conductive base member within the second heat sink module, wherein the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant absorbs a second amount of heat from the second processor through the second thermally conductive base member as sensible heat resulting in the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant reaching its saturation temperature and becoming a flow of saturated single-phase liquid coolant, wherein the flow of saturated single-phase liquid coolant absorbs a third amount of heat from the second processor through the second thermally conductive base member as latent heat resulting in vaporization of a first portion of the flow of saturated single-phase liquid coolant thereby changing the flow of saturated single-phase liquid coolant to two-phase bubbly flow comprising saturated liquid coolant with vapor coolant dispersed as bubbles in the saturated liquid coolant.

A method of absorbing heat from two or more devices using a two-phase cooling apparatus configured to pump low-pressure coolant through two or more fluidly-connected and series-connected heat sink modules, the method comprising:

• providing a flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant to an inlet of a first heat sink module in thermal communication with a first device, of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant, in the form of impinging jet streams, against a first surface to be cooled within the first heat sink module, wherein the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant absorbs a first amount of heat from the first device as sensible heat within the first heat sink module;
• transporting the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant from an outlet of the first heat sink module to an inlet of a second heat sink module, the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant, in the form of impinging jet streams, against a second surface to be cooled within the second heat sink module, wherein the flow of subcooled single-phase liquid coolant absorbs a second amount of heat from the second device partially as sensible heat and partially as latent heat and becomes two-phase bubbly flow comprising saturated liquid coolant with vapor bubbles of coolant dispersed in the saturated liquid coolant;
• and
• transporting the two-phase bubbly flow comprising the first amount of heat and the second amount of heat away from the first and second devices.