JP5117287B2 - Electronic equipment cooling system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus for an electronic device having a semiconductor integrated circuit mounted therein such as a personal computer, and more particularly to a cooling apparatus that efficiently cools heat generated in a semiconductor integrated circuit.

  In recent electronic devices, a high-performance semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted as represented by a CPU of a personal computer. This semiconductor integrated circuit has been rapidly increased in speed and increased in integration due to the demand for higher performance of electronic equipment, and the amount of heat generated has increased accordingly. However, the semiconductor integrated circuit cannot be maintained with the performance possessed by the semiconductor integrated circuit when the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, but is destroyed due to excessive heat generation. Therefore, the semiconductor integrated circuit of the electronic device needs to be cooled by some means.

  A general cooling method for a semiconductor integrated circuit of an electronic device is an air cooling method in which a heat sink is thermally connected to the semiconductor integrated circuit, and cooling air is blown to the heat sink by a fan. However, in this air cooling system, in order to improve the cooling performance in response to an increase in the heat generation temperature of the heating element, a large and high-speed fan is mounted to increase the air flow rate. On the other hand, with the diversification of uses of electronic devices, the development of portable small devices is rapidly progressing. In other words, a cooling device for a semiconductor integrated circuit in an electronic device requires a small and high-performance cooling device, and an air-cooling cooling device may be difficult to cope with. For this reason, attention is focused on a liquid-cooling cooling system that increases the cooling performance by heat transfer of the refrigerant liquid.

  However, in this liquid cooling system, the number of parts is larger than that in the air cooling system, and thus downsizing and cost reduction are problems.

  As a method for downsizing and cost reduction, it is conceivable to integrate each part. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a technique for integrating a heat receiving unit and a pump unit. Among these, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a cooling device that does not use a fin for heat dissipation. In patent document 2, the example of the cooling device which uses the radiation fin which has a microfin is disclosed.

JP 2005-142191 A JP 2007-35901 A

  In order to realize downsizing and cost reduction in the heat receiving member of the heat exchanger in the liquid cooling system, there is a technical problem that must be solved in the conventional technology as described above.

  The cooling device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured such that a part of the casing is made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity, and this part receives heat by contacting a heating element. However, when considering the heat receiving performance, a decrease in the heat receiving performance is expected as compared with a heat receiving portion structure specialized in the heat receiving capability, for example, a heat receiving portion having a dense fin shape. In addition, the heat of the heating element is easily transmitted to the pump itself, which has a problem of adversely affecting the life of the pump.

  On the other hand, the cooling device disclosed in Patent Document 2 uses micro fins in the heat receiving portion. In this case, if the fitting and contact with the casing is insufficient due to the high flow resistance between the fins, the refrigerant flows not in the fins but in the gap between the fitting or contacting portions, and the heat receiving performance is significantly reduced. become. In addition, since the distance from the heating element to the top of the fin is reduced with the miniaturization of the fin, there is a problem that heat of the heating element is easily transmitted to the pump unit side through the fin. However, specific solutions for these are not disclosed.

  An object of the present invention is to solve these problems, and to provide a small cooling device for electronic equipment that has good heat receiving performance and that does not easily transmit heat of a heating element to the pump unit side.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an electronic device cooling apparatus for cooling a heating element by heat transfer of a refrigerant, comprising a base for receiving heat generated by the heating element and an opening, and covering a part of the base In order to circulate the refrigerant between the heat receiving portion and the heat radiating portion, a pressure member provided on the opposite side of the heat generating member, a heat receiving portion having a flow path through which the refrigerant flows, a heat radiating portion that radiates heat received by the refrigerant, and In the flow path of the heat receiving part, the refrigerant flows in from the opening of the pressing member, and flows out from the periphery of the pressing member outside the opening.

  The present invention also provides a plate-like base for receiving heat generated by a heating element, fins formed in a region opposite to the heating element of the base so that the height thereof is substantially equal to the height of the surrounding base, and openings. A pressure member that covers a part of the top of the fin and a part of the base, a heat receiving part having a flow path through which the refrigerant flows, a heat radiating part that radiates heat received by the refrigerant, and between the heat receiving part and the heat radiating part And a pump part for circulating the refrigerant, and in the flow path of the heat receiving part, the refrigerant flows in from the top part of the fin in the opening part of the pressing member, and from the top part of the fin around the pressing member other than the opening part. It is characterized by leaking.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the fall of the heat receiving performance accompanying size reduction can be prevented. Furthermore, there is an effect of making it difficult for the heat of the heating element to be transmitted to the pump part side. As a result, a small and highly efficient cooling apparatus for electronic equipment can be realized, which can contribute to improvement in performance of electronic equipment such as a small personal computer.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device equipped with the cooling device of the present invention.
The electronic device 401 includes a circuit board 402, a power supply 410, an HDD 411, and the like. The circuit board 402 has a heating element 403 such as a semiconductor element.

  The cooling device 404 for cooling the heating element 403 is composed of the following members. The heat receiving unit 405 is thermally connected to the heating element 403 and absorbs heat by heat transfer to the refrigerant flowing inside. The heat dissipating unit 408 dissipates heat absorbed by the refrigerant to the outside of the electronic device 401 through heat transfer by passing cooling air through the core tube and the heat dissipating fins. The pump unit 406 is integrated with the heat receiving unit 405, and circulates and drives the refrigerant between the heat receiving unit 405 and the heat radiating unit 408. The tank 409 stores the refrigerant of the cooling device 404, and the pipe 407 is connected so as to circulate the refrigerant between the pump unit 406 and the heat radiating unit 408.

  Here, the electronic device 401 is not assumed to be a specific device, and in this embodiment, the semiconductor element is described as the heating element 403. However, the electronic device 401 is not limited to the semiconductor element, such as an HDD. The cooling device 404 against heat generation may be used. Further, although the tank 409 is arranged independently, it may be integrated with the heat radiating portion 408.

The heat receiving unit 405 and the pump unit 406 of the cooling device 404 of the present invention will be described in detail below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a heat receiving unit and a pump unit in the cooling device of the present invention.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from the pump portion side, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. In FIG. 1A, since a part of the fin 202 is hidden behind the pressing member 203, the part is indicated by a broken line.

  The pump unit 406 in this embodiment is a vortex pump, and has a first suction port 101 for sucking refrigerant and a first discharge port 102 for discharging refrigerant, which communicate with a pipe 407. Furthermore, it has the 2nd discharge port 104 and the 2nd suction port 105 which are the characteristics of this invention, and these opening parts are provided toward the heat receiving part 405 side. There are partitions 103 and 106 between the respective inlets and outlets. With these partitions, the respective inlets and outlets function. The impeller 107 is magnetized, and the impeller 107 is rotated by the coil 109 and the driving substrate 110, and the blades 108 move the refrigerant to cause a liquid flow. The refrigerant flowing in the pump unit 406 flows from the first suction port 101 into the second discharge port 104, passes through the heat receiving unit 405, and then enters the second suction port 105 again. It goes out from the discharge port 102.

  Next, the heat receiving part 405 joined to the pump part 406 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of only the heat receiving portion 405. 206 and 208 indicate the refrigerant along with its flow direction. Reference numeral 207 denotes the central top of the fin 202. Further, since a part of the fin 202 is hidden behind the pressing member 203 or inside the heat receiving portion 405, the portion is indicated by a broken line.

  The heat receiving unit 405 includes a base 201, fins 202, and pressing members 203. The tops of the fins 202 are at substantially the same height as the top surface of the base 201. The substantially same height means that the level difference between the top of the fin 202 and the upper surface of the base 201, which is generated when the fin 202 is processed and formed, is the same height that can be absorbed by the pressing member 203. .

  The bottom surface portion 205 of the fin 202 is thinner than the base 201. There is a pressing member 203 on the base 201 and the fin 202, and the pressing member 203 has an opening 204. The pressing member 203 is for eliminating the gap between the pump part and the fin and ensuring the flow of the refrigerant to the fin even when there is some variation in the dimensions such as the height of the fin 202. Therefore, the pressing member 203 is made of a material having flexibility and heat resistance capable of withstanding the heat of the fins. For example, a gel sheet that can maintain flexibility over a wide temperature range may be used. If the heating element 403 is a semiconductor element, flexibility should be maintained in an ambient temperature that guarantees its operation, for example, in the range of -20 ° C to 100 ° C. As a result, the step between the top of the fin 202 and the upper surface of the base 201 can be absorbed by the pressing member 203 within a necessary temperature range.

  Here, the flow of the refrigerant in the heat receiving unit 405 will be described. The refrigerant 206 exiting the second discharge port 104 of the pump unit 406 flows along the opening 204 of the pressing member and flows into the central top portion 207 of the fin 202. The refrigerant that has flowed into the fin 202 springs out from the periphery of the pressing member 203. The refrigerant 208 that has flown out naturally flows into the second suction port 105 of the pump unit 406 because the periphery is sealed by the O-ring 111. As described above, even when the position of the refrigerant inlet / outlet of the heat receiving part is not at the upper part of the fin but at the upper part of the base, it is possible to enter and exit the refrigerant from the upper part of the fin, contributing to downsizing. Can do. In addition, in the heat receiving part by this invention, even if the position of the 2nd discharge port 104 is arbitrary, it can respond easily. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, even when the second discharge port 104 exists at the position shown in FIG. 5B instead of the position shown in FIG. It can respond by changing as shown here.

  Therefore, it is possible to arrange the second discharge port 104 at a position that is not unreasonable for the pump unit. Further, the second suction port 105 may be arbitrarily positioned as long as it does not cover the pressing member 203. With this configuration, the degree of freedom in design can be increased, and the pump unit and the heat receiving unit can be integrated with a minimum size.

In addition, as described above, since there is no gap between the pump part and the fin, there is an effect that the problem that the refrigerant flows through the part other than the fin and the heat receiving performance is lowered can be solved.
Further, as described above, since the second outlet 104 is provided toward the heat receiving portion 405, there is an effect of further improving the cooling effect.

  In this embodiment, the thickness of the base 201 is 1.5 mm and the thickness of the pressing member 203 is 0.5 mm. Moreover, since the 2nd discharge port 104 and the 2nd suction port 105 of the pump 406 are mere opening shapes, the thickness of a pump part does not increase from a single item state. Therefore, the thickness increase by joining the heat receiving portion from the state of the pump alone is only 2 mm.

  Further, conventionally, there is a problem that heat of the heating element is easily transmitted to the pump unit side through the fins, and particularly when the pump shaft 112 is near the fins, deterioration around the shaft is accelerated by heat, and the pump However, as described above, the pressing member 203 is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than a metal, such as a gel sheet, and further has an opening 204 at the center thereof. Provided. Since the refrigerant flows in the opening 204, it has an effect of preventing the heat on the heat receiving part from being directly transferred to the pump part. For this reason, there exists an effect which can solve the problem that the heat of a heat generating body is transmitted to the pump side. Compared with the case where the pressing member 203 is not actually used, the temperature rise on the pump side can be improved by about 3 to 6 degrees.

  In the embodiment described so far, the fin 202 has a plate shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a pin-shaped fin may be arranged. Also, the pump is not limited to the vortex pump described so far, and may be a centrifugal pump or a gear pump, for example.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which a gear pump is used. Here, 301 indicates internal teeth and 302 indicates external teeth. In addition, the same number is given to the component which may be the same as that of the Example of FIG. The gear-type pump shown in FIG. 3 drives the liquid by engaging the inner teeth 301 and the outer teeth 302 while rotating. Also in this pump, in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, in addition to the first suction port (not shown) for connection to the outside and the first discharge port 102, the second exhaust for connection to the heat receiving unit is also provided. An outlet 104 and a second inlet 105 are provided. Further, the top of the fin 202 is at substantially the same height as the base 201, and the pressing member 203 is located between the fin 202 and the second discharge port 104. As with the previous embodiment, these configurations ensure the flow of refrigerant to the micro fins to prevent a decrease in heat receiving performance, prevent the heat of the fins from being transmitted to the pump unit, and are approximately the same size as a single pump. Now, there is an effect that the joining with the heat receiving portion becomes possible.

  Although the description so far has shown what provided many fins at short intervals including FIG. 1, this is not a limiting condition. Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. These are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view drawn in the same manner as in FIG. Similar components may be given the same number.

  FIG. 6 shows a case where there are three fins 202. Even in the case where a small number of fins are provided at long intervals as in this example, the present invention is applicable and the same effect can be obtained. The fins can be made thicker than those in FIG. 1 to increase the heat dissipation effect.

  FIG. 7 shows a case where no fin is provided. In this example, a gap is easily formed between the pressing member 203 and the pump side as compared with FIG. 1, but when this becomes a problem, it can be solved by using an adhesive or the like. The refrigerant exits from the second discharge port 104 and flows into the opening 204 of the pressing member. In particular, after cooling the bottom surface portion 205 of the base, it flows out from the periphery of the pressing member 203 and flows from the second water suction port 105 to the pump unit. Inhaled. Similarly to FIG. 1, the present invention can be applied and the same effect can be obtained.

  In addition, for example, in the case of FIG. 2, the direction in which the refrigerant flows so far is indicated by arrows 206 and 208. In order to reduce the temperature rise of the pump unit 406 including the pump shaft 112, for example, as shown in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the position of the refrigerant inlet / outlet of the small and high performance heat receiving part can be arbitrarily determined, the heat receiving part and the pump part can be easily integrated, and the microfin When the heat receiving part with the pump is integrated with the pump, it becomes easy to eliminate the gap between the micro fin and the pump, which causes a decrease in the heat receiving performance, and the heat is transmitted from the micro fin to the pump and the life of the pump is reduced. In addition, since the heat receiving portion and the pump can be integrated with a size substantially the same as the pump size, a high-performance, small, and low-cost liquid-cooled cooling device can be realized.

1 shows an embodiment of a heat receiving part and a pump part of a cooling device according to the present invention. (A) is a perspective view, (b) is a sectional view. It is a perspective view which shows the heat receiving part of a present Example. It is sectional drawing which shows other one Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the electronic device carrying the cooling device of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the shape of the press member in the heat receiving part of a present Example. Another embodiment of the heat receiving part and the pump part of the cooling device according to the present invention is shown. Another embodiment of the heat receiving part and the pump part of the cooling device according to the present invention is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... 1st inlet 102 ... 1st outlet 103 ... Partition 104 ... 2nd outlet 105 ... 2nd inlet 106 ... Partition 111 ... O-ring 201 ... base 202 ... fin 203 ... pressing member 204 ... opening of pressing member 401 ... electronic device 402 ... circuit board 403 ... heating element 404 ... cooling Apparatus 405 ... Heat receiving part 406 ... Pump part 407 ... Piping 408 ... Heat radiation part 409 ... Tank.

Claims (5)

In a cooling device for an electronic device that cools a heating element by heat transfer of a refrigerant,
A heat receiving unit having a base that receives heat generated by the heating element, a pressing member that includes an opening and covers a part of the base and is provided on the opposite side of the heating element, and a flow path through which the refrigerant flows. And
A heat radiating part for radiating heat received by the refrigerant;
A pump unit for circulating the refrigerant between the heat receiving unit and the heat radiating unit;
The electronic apparatus cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the flow path of the heat receiving unit, the refrigerant flows in from the opening of the pressing member and flows out of the pressing member except for the opening. In a cooling device for an electronic device that cools a heating element by heat transfer of a refrigerant,
A plate-like base that receives the heat generated by the heating element; a fin formed in a region of the base opposite to the heating element so that its height is substantially equal to the height of the surrounding base; and an opening A heat receiving part having a pressing member that covers a part of the top of the fin and a part of the base, and a flow path through which the refrigerant flows,
A heat radiating part for radiating heat received by the refrigerant;
A pump unit for circulating the refrigerant between the heat receiving unit and the heat radiating unit;
In the flow path of the heat receiving portion, the refrigerant flows in from the top of the fin in the opening of the pressing member, and flows out from the top of the fin around the pressing member except for the opening. An electronic device cooling device characterized by the above. In the cooling device for electronic devices of Claim 1 or 2,
The heat receiving portion and the pump portion are integrated structures joined to form a watertight structure from above and below via the pressing member,
The pump unit includes a first suction port for sucking the refrigerant into the pump unit, a first discharge port for discharging the refrigerant to the outside of the pump unit, and a second suction port for sucking the refrigerant from the heat receiving unit. An electronic device cooling apparatus comprising: a second discharge port that has an end surface disposed in a direction facing the heat receiving unit and discharges the refrigerant to the heat receiving unit. In the cooling device of the electronic device according to claim 3,
A partition that divides the pump chamber for circulating the refrigerant inside the pump,
The first suction port and the second discharge port are provided in a first divided portion divided by the partition part,
The electronic apparatus cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the second suction port and the first discharge port are provided in a second divided portion divided by the partition portion. In the cooling device of the electronic device of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4,
A cooling device for electronic equipment, wherein a gel sheet that retains flexibility in a range of ambient temperature that guarantees the operation of the heating element is used as the pressing member.

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