Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150138723 | METHOD OF COOLING SERIES-CONNECTED HEAT SINK MODULES - A method of cooling two or more heat-providing surfaces using a cooling apparatus having two or more fluidly connected heat sink modules in a series configuration can include providing a flow of single-phase liquid coolant to a first heat sink module mounted on a first heat-providing surface. The method can include projecting the flow of single-phase liquid coolant against the first heat-providing surface within the first heat sink module and causing phase change of a first portion of the liquid coolant and thereby forming two-phase bubbly flow with a first quality. The method can include transporting the two-phase bubbly flow to a second heat sink module and projecting the two-phase bubbly flow against a second heat-providing surface within the second heat sink module and causing phase change of a second portion of the coolant and formation of two-phase bubbly flow with a second quality greater than the first quality. | 05-21-2015 |
20150189796 | METHOD OF OPERATING A COOLING APPARATUS TO PROVIDE STABLE TWO-PHASE FLOW - A method of operating a cooling apparatus is described that allows flexible cooling lines connecting an inlet manifold to an outlet manifold to be safely added or removed during operation of the cooling apparatus without causing unstable two-phase flow. The method can include providing a cooling apparatus having an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold, and a bypass extending from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold. Each manifold can include a plurality of connection ports, such as quick-connect couplers, to accommodate adding and removing cooling lines between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold. The method can include providing a flow rate of single-phase liquid coolant to the inlet manifold and setting a pressure regulator in the bypass to provide a certain flow rate through the bypass. The flow rate through the bypass can be determined as a function of an average flow rate through each of the cooling lines. | 07-02-2015 |
20150192368 | METHOD OF CONDENSING VAPOR IN TWO-PHASE FLOW WITHIN A COOLING APPARATUS - A method of condensing vapor present in two-phase bubbly flow within a cooling apparatus can include mixing a first flow of coolant containing two-phase bubbly flow with a second flow of coolant containing single-phase liquid flow. The two-phase bubbly flow can have a first flow quality greater than zero and can include vapor bubbles dispersed in liquid coolant. The single-phase liquid flow can have a flow quality of about zero. Mixing the first flow of coolant and the second flow of coolant within the cooling apparatus can result in heat transfer from the first flow of coolant to the second flow of coolant and can cause vapor bubbles within first flow of coolant to condense, thereby providing a third flow of coolant with a third flow quality that is less than the first flow quality. | 07-09-2015 |
20150208549 | HEAT SINK MODULE - A heat sink module for cooling a heat providing surface can include an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber formed within the heat sink module. The outlet chamber can have an open portion that can be enclosed by the heat providing surface when the heat sink module is installed on the heat providing surface. The heat sink module can include a dividing member disposed between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber. The dividing member can include a first plurality of orifices extending from a top surface of the dividing member to a bottom surface of the dividing member. The first plurality of orifices can be configured to deliver a plurality of jet streams of coolant into the outlet chamber and against the heat providing surface when the heat sink module is installed on the heat providing surface and when pressurized coolant is provided to the inlet chamber. | 07-23-2015 |
20150230366 | FLEXIBLE TWO-PHASE COOLING SYSTEM - A flexible two-phase cooling apparatus for cooling microprocessors in servers can include a primary cooling loop, a first bypass, and a second bypass. The primary cooling loop can include a reservoir, a pump, an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold, and flexible cooling lines extending from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold. The flexible cooling lines can be routable within server housings and can be fluidly connected to two or more series-connected heat sink modules that are mountable on microprocessors of the servers. The flexible cooling lines can be configured to transport low-pressure, two-phase dielectric coolant. The first bypass can include a first pressure regulator configured to regulate a first bypass flow of coolant through the first bypass. The second bypass can include a second pressure regulator configured to regulate a second bypass flow of coolant through the second bypass. | 08-13-2015 |
20150233619 | METHOD OF PROVIDING STABLE PUMP OPERATION IN A TWO-PHASE COOLING SYSTEM - A method of providing stable pump operation in a two-phase cooling system is disclosed. The method can include providing a cooling system with a reservoir fluidly connected to a pump. The reservoir can include a liquid-vapor interface when partially filled with liquid coolant. The liquid-vapor interface can separate an amount of liquid coolant from an amount of vapor coolant. The method can include delivering two-phase bubbly flow to an upper portion of the reservoir above the liquid-vapor interface. The two-phase bubbly flow can include vapor bubbles of coolant dispersed in liquid coolant. The vapor bubbles can condense upon interacting with and transferring heat to subcooled liquid coolant in the reservoir. The method can include delivering a continuous outlet flow of single-phase liquid coolant from the reservoir to the pump, thereby ensuring stable pump operation despite the presence of two-phase flow in certain portions of the cooling system. | 08-20-2015 |
20150237767 | HEAT SINK FOR USE WITH PUMPED COOLANT - A heat sink for cooling a heat source can include a thermally conductive base member configured to mount on, or be placed in thermal communication with, a heat source. The heat sink can include a heat sink module mounted on the thermally conductive base member. The heat sink module can include an inlet chamber formed within the heat sink module and an outlet chamber formed at least partially in the heat sink module and bounded by the surface of the thermally conductive base member. The heat sink module can include a first plurality of orifices extending from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber. The first plurality of orifices can be configured to deliver a plurality of jet streams of coolant into the outlet chamber and against the surface of the thermally conductive base member when pumped coolant is provided to the inlet chamber. | 08-20-2015 |
20150257303 | METHOD OF COOLING MULTIPLE PROCESSORS USING SERIES-CONNECTED HEAT SINKS - A method of cooling multiple processors of an electronic device can employ a two-phase cooling system with series-connected heat sink modules. A flow of dielectric single-phase liquid coolant can be provided to a first heat sink module on a first processor. A first amount of heat can be transferred from the first processor to the liquid coolant resulting in vaporization of a portion of the liquid coolant within the first heat sink module, thereby changing the flow of single-phase liquid coolant to two-phase bubbly flow and absorbing heat across the heat of vaporization of the coolant. The two-phase bubbly flow is then transferred from the first heat sink module to a second heat sink module mounted on a second processor. Within the second module, heat transfer from the second processor to the coolant can result in vaporization of a portion of the remaining liquid coolant, thereby further increasing vapor quality. | 09-10-2015 |