CN102929366A - Cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A cooling system is adapted to be in thermal contact with an electronic component, and includes a first heat dissipation system. The electronic component has a working temperature range when operating, and the first heat dissipation system includes a first pipeline and a pump. The first pipeline is internally provided with a first cooling liquid, the first pipeline is in thermal contact with the electronic element, and the boiling point of the first cooling liquid is in the working temperature range of the electronic element. When the pump makes the first cooling liquid flow to the position of the electronic element, the first cooling liquid absorbs the heat of the electronic element to generate phase change, and further takes away the heat generated by the electronic element to avoid the electronic element from being halted.

Description

cooling system

technical field

The invention relates to a cooling system, in particular to a cooling system for preventing electronic components from overheating.

Background technique

In general, electronic devices include desktop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or servers, and each electronic device has a suitable upper limit of safe operating temperature. When the temperature of the operating electronic device exceeds the upper limit of the safe operating temperature, the electronic device may crash or even cause irreversible damage, such as damage to internal components, or even cause a fire. Therefore, each electronic device is equipped with a cooling device, so that the electronic device can operate in an environment lower than the upper limit of the safe working temperature, thereby prolonging the working life of the electronic device. The cooling device is, for example, an air cooling device or a liquid cooling device. device.

Taking the server as an example, if the existing server adopts an air-cooling device, the conventional method is to let the fan run so that the cold air outside the server is sucked into the server. Afterwards, the sucked cold air absorbs the heat inside the server and heats up into hot air. Fans then move this hot air out of the server. However, when the heat dissipated by the electronic device is higher, the rotating speed of the fan needs to be higher to extract a larger amount of cold air to exchange heat with the electronic device, thereby maintaining the temperature of the electronic device within a safe temperature range. However, the higher the speed of the fan, the louder the noise generated by the fan, and the more power the fan consumes.

As for the liquid cooling device, the existing liquid cooling device has a pipeline, a cooling device and a fluid pump, the pipeline is filled with cooling liquid, and the pipeline is in contact with the electronic device. When the fluid pump drives the coolant to flow through the position where the pipeline is in contact with the electronic device, the coolant will absorb the heat generated by the electronic device to increase its temperature, and then the heated liquid coolant will flow to the cooling device to reduce the temperature of the coolant The heat is removed to the cooling unit. Then, the cooled coolant is again driven by the fluid pump to the position where the pipeline contacts the electronic device. The heat of the electronic device is transferred to the cooling device repeatedly to form a cooling cycle.

However, because the calculation speed of today's electronic devices is getting faster and faster, the heat generated by them is also increasing. The existing liquid cooling devices provide low-temperature cooling liquid to take away the heat, but after the cooling liquid absorbs heat, the temperature increases a lot. , to be recycled, it is necessary to use high-power cooling devices such as compressors and chillers to return the coolant to a low-temperature state. Therefore, temperature control has always had the problem of high power consumption.

Contents of the invention

In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system to solve the problem of high power consumption in temperature control in the prior art.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling system suitable for an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes at least one frame, and an electronic component is included in the frame. The electronic component has a working temperature range during operation, and the cooling system It includes a first cooling system and a second heat exchanger. Wherein, the first cooling system includes a first heat exchanger and a first pipeline. The first heat exchanger is disposed on the electronic component and is in thermal contact with the electronic component. The first pipeline is in thermal contact with the first heat exchanger. There is a first cooling liquid inside the first pipeline. The boiling point of the first cooling liquid falls within the working temperature range of the electronic components. The second heat dissipation system includes a second heat exchanger.

Wherein, the first cooling liquid in the first pipeline exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger. Afterwards, the first coolant in the first pipeline exchanges heat with the second heat exchanger of the second heat dissipation system.

A first heat dissipation system. The first heat dissipation system includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first pipeline and a pump. The first heat exchanger is disposed on the electronic component and is in thermal contact with the electronic component. A second heat exchanger is located within the rack. The first pipeline is in thermal contact with the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. There is a first cooling liquid inside the first pipeline. The boiling point of the first cooling liquid falls within the working temperature range of the electronic components. The pump communicates with the first pipeline, and is used to drive the first cooling liquid to flow to the position where the first pipeline contacts the first heat exchanger, and then flows to the position where the first pipeline contacts the second heat exchanger, and then Return to the pump, where the pressure inside the first line is lower than the upper limit of the pressure that the pump can provide.

According to a refrigerant disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention, the boiling point of the refrigerant falls within the range of 50 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius.

In the cooling system disclosed in the above embodiments, the boiling point of the first cooling liquid falls within the operating temperature range of the electronic components to be dissipated, and the temperature of the first cooling liquid before thermal contact with the electronic components should not be too low. When the first cooling liquid flows to the position of the electronic component, if the temperature of the electronic component does not exceed the first cooling liquid at this time, the first cooling liquid will not absorb heat; if the temperature of the electronic component exceeds the first cooling liquid, the second The cooling liquid absorbs the heat released by the electronic components, so that the temperature of the first cooling liquid rises to the boiling point, resulting in a phase change from a liquid state to a vapor state. In the case that the temperature does not change during this phase change, the energy absorbed is called latent heat or phase change enthalpy. Since the latent heat absorbed by the phase change is much greater than the heat absorbed by the liquid due to temperature rise, the first cooling liquid can take away the waste heat generated by the electronic components with little temperature change.

The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but not as a limitation of the present invention.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a cooling system disposed in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the first heat exchanger of Figure 1;

3 is a schematic plan view of a cooling system disposed in an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of the second heat exchanger in FIG. 3 .

Among them, reference signs

10 electronic devices

20 cooling system

110 electronic components

200 The first cooling system

210 The first heat exchanger

230 First pipeline

231 The first coolant

240 pump

300 second cooling system

310 second heat exchanger

320 second pipeline

330 cooling water tower

331 second coolant

340 water delivery device

Detailed ways

Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, structural principle and working principle of the present invention are specifically described:

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 at the same time. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a cooling system disposed in an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the first heat exchanger in FIG. 1 .

In the first embodiment, the electronic device 10 may be, but not limited to, a server, a notebook computer or a desktop computer. The electronic device 10 has at least one electronic component 110 , and the electronic component 110 has an operating temperature range. The operating temperature range referred to here is between the temperature at the initial stage of operation of the electronic component 110 and the preset temperature upper limit, wherein the preset temperature upper limit can be the temperature set for protecting the electronic component 110 from crashing or avoiding The electronic component 110 is prevented from burning out at the set temperature. The electronic component 110 is, for example, a central processing unit display chip, a north-south bridge chip, or a memory and other electronic integrated circuit chipsets that generate heat. In this embodiment, the central processing unit is taken as an example, wherein the operating temperature range of the central processing unit is, for example, between 30 degrees Celsius and 80 degrees Celsius.

The cooling system 20 of this embodiment at least includes a first heat dissipation system 200 and a second heat dissipation system 300 . The first cooling system 200 at least includes a first heat exchanger 210 and a first pipeline 230 . The first heat exchanger 210 is disposed on the electronic component 110 and is in thermal contact with the electronic component 110 . The second heat dissipation system 300 of this embodiment includes a second heat exchanger 310. The second heat exchanger 310 is, for example, a heat dissipation module including heat dissipation fins and a fan. The heat dissipation fins include a plurality of heat dissipation plates arranged in parallel with each other. The heat of the electronic component 110 can be conducted to the air through the heat sink.

The first pipeline 230 has a first cooling liquid 231 inside, and the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231 falls within the working temperature range of the electronic component 110 . The first cooling liquid 231 in this embodiment can be a liquid whose boiling point temperature falls between 50 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius under normal pressure. In this embodiment and some other embodiments, the first cooling liquid 231 is an environmentally friendly refrigerant, wherein the so-called environmentally friendly refrigerant refers to a refrigerant that does not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The first cooling liquid 231 is, for example, pentafluorobutane (HFC-365mfc) or heptafluorotrimethoxypropane (HFE-7000). The first pipeline 230 is in thermal contact with the first heat exchanger 210. After the first coolant 231 in the first pipeline 230 exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 210, the first coolant in the first pipeline 230 231 to exchange heat with the second heat exchanger 310 of the second heat dissipation system 300 . In addition, since the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231 in this embodiment falls between 50 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius under normal pressure, the first cooling liquid 231 is in a liquid state under normal temperature and pressure, wherein the so-called normal temperature Atmospheric pressure refers to 25 degrees Celsius and one atmospheric pressure respectively.

Since the first cooling liquid 231 in this embodiment is liquid at normal temperature and pressure, the first cooling liquid 231 can be directly filled into the first pipeline 230 under normal temperature and pressure. On the contrary, compared with the existing cooling cycle system using low-temperature refrigerant, because this cooling cycle system needs to use a compressor to make the refrigerant in a gaseous state at normal temperature and pressure, the prior art must first let the existing The liquid refrigerant is stored in the high-pressure steel cylinder to keep the existing refrigerant in a liquid state. After that, the refrigerant in the high-pressure steel cylinder is poured into the existing cooling cycle system with a compressor. As can be seen from the above, since the first cooling liquid 231 of the above-mentioned embodiment is in a liquid state at normal temperature and pressure, compared with the existing cooling cycle system using a compressor, the filling of cooling liquid or refrigerant in this embodiment is more efficient. The filling procedure of the example is relatively simple.

In addition, the first coolant 231 of this embodiment circulates in the first pipeline 230, and before exchanging heat with the first heat exchanger 210, it does not need to drop to a too low temperature, because it is mainly absorbed by phase change. If the temperature of the first cooling liquid 231 is too low, it cannot immediately rise to the boiling point when exchanging heat with the first heat exchanger 210 . At the same time, compared with the existing cooling circulation system using low-temperature refrigerant, the water vapor in the environment will not condense on the pipe wall of the system to generate dew. In detail, the existing cooling circulation system using low-temperature refrigerant uses components such as compressors and condensers to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant. However, the temperature of the low-temperature refrigerant is often lower than the dew point temperature of the water vapor in the environment, causing the water vapor in the environment to condense on the outer surface of the pipeline. Taking the room temperature as 29 degrees and the relative humidity as 73% as an example, the dew point temperature of the water vapor in the air is 24 degrees Celsius in such an environment. However, for the existing cooling cycle system using a compressor, the temperature of the expanded refrigerant is often reduced to about 10 degrees Celsius, or even lower. In this way, the water vapor in the environment will condense on the outer wall of the pipeline due to contact with the pipeline. When the water condensed on the outer surface of the pipeline falls onto the electronic components or the circuit board inside the server, it is easy to cause short circuit of the electronic components or the circuit board.

The temperature of the first coolant 231 in this embodiment is maintained at a temperature equivalent to its boiling point after heat exchange with the first heat exchanger 210, so as long as it passes through the second heat exchanger 310 to dissipate heat, it will change from gaseous state to liquid and releases the latent heat of phase change. The second heat exchanger 310 mainly removes the latent heat released when the first cooling liquid 231 changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state, so that the first cooling liquid 231 returns to a liquid state. Therefore, this embodiment does not use high power consumption facilities such as compressors and low-temperature coolers like the existing cooling cycle systems using compressors. Therefore, the cooling system 20 of the present invention is relatively power-saving, and the present invention will not have water in the air. The problem of gas condensing on the outer wall of the first pipe 230 arises.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 again. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a cooling system disposed in an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of the second heat exchanger in FIG. 3 . The electronic device 10 in this embodiment is described as a server. The electronic device 10 includes an electronic component 110 , and the electronic component 110 has an operating temperature range. The operating temperature range referred to here is between the temperature at the initial stage of operation of the electronic component 110 and the preset temperature upper limit, wherein the preset temperature upper limit can be the temperature set for protecting the electronic component 110 from crashing or avoiding The electronic component 110 is prevented from burning out at the set temperature. The electronic component 110 is, for example, a central processing unit, a memory, a display chip, or a north-south bridge chip and other electronic integrated circuit chipsets that generate heat. This embodiment takes the CPU as an example, where the operating temperature range of the CPU is, for example, between 30°C and 80°C.

The cooling system 20 of this embodiment includes a first heat dissipation system 200 and a second heat dissipation system 300 . The first cooling system 200 includes a first heat exchanger 210 , a first pipeline 230 and a pump 240 . The first heat exchanger 210 is disposed on the electronic component 110 and is in thermal contact with the electronic component 110 .

The first pipeline 230 has a first cooling liquid 231 inside, and the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231 falls within the working temperature range of the electronic component 110 . The first cooling liquid 231 in this embodiment can be a liquid whose boiling point temperature falls between 50 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius under normal pressure. In this embodiment and some other embodiments, the first cooling liquid 231 is an environmentally friendly refrigerant, wherein the so-called environmentally friendly refrigerant refers to a refrigerant that does not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The first cooling liquid 231 is, for example, pentafluorobutane (HFC-365mfc) or heptafluorotrimethoxypropane (HFE-7000). The first cooling liquid 231 in the first pipeline 230 exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 210, since the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231 in this embodiment falls between 50 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius under normal pressure Therefore, the first cooling liquid 231 is in a liquid state under normal temperature and pressure, wherein the so-called normal temperature and pressure respectively refer to 25 degrees Celsius and atmospheric pressure.

Since the first cooling liquid 231 in this embodiment is liquid at normal temperature and pressure, the first cooling liquid 231 can be directly filled into the first pipeline 230 under normal temperature and pressure. On the contrary, compared with the existing cooling cycle system using low-temperature refrigerant, because this cooling cycle system needs to use a compressor to make the refrigerant in a gaseous state at normal temperature and pressure, the prior art must first let the existing The liquid refrigerant is stored in the high-pressure steel cylinder to keep the existing refrigerant in a liquid state. After that, the refrigerant in the high-pressure steel cylinder is poured into the existing cooling cycle system with a compressor. As can be seen from the above, since the first cooling liquid 231 of the above-mentioned embodiment is in a liquid state at normal temperature and pressure, compared with the existing cooling cycle system using a compressor, the filling of cooling liquid or refrigerant in this embodiment is more efficient. The filling procedure of the example is relatively simple.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first coolant 231 circulates in the first pipeline 230, and before exchanging heat with the first heat exchanger 210, it does not need to drop to a too low temperature, because it is mainly the latent heat absorbed by the phase change. To take away the heat, if the temperature of the first coolant 231 is too low, it cannot be immediately raised to the boiling point when exchanging heat with the first heat exchanger 210, so compared with the existing cooling cycle system using low-temperature refrigerant, it is not Dew condensation will be produced on the pipe walls of the system. In detail, the existing cooling circulation system using low-temperature refrigerant uses components such as compressors and condensers to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant. However, the temperature of the cooled refrigerant is often lower than the dew point temperature of the water vapor in the environment, which causes the water vapor in the environment to condense on the outer surface of the pipeline. Taking the room temperature as 29 degrees and the relative humidity as 73% as an example, the dew point temperature of the water vapor in the air is 24 degrees Celsius in such an environment. However, for the existing cooling cycle system using a compressor, the temperature of the expanded refrigerant is often reduced to about 10 degrees Celsius, or even lower. In this way, the water vapor in the environment will condense on the outer wall of the pipeline due to contact with the pipeline. When the water condensed on the outer surface of the pipeline falls onto the electronic components or the circuit board inside the server, it is easy to cause short circuit of the electronic components or the circuit board.

The temperature of the first coolant 231 in this embodiment is maintained at a temperature corresponding to its boiling point after heat exchange with the first heat exchanger 210, so it will change from a gaseous state to a liquid state as long as it passes through the second cooling system 300 for heat dissipation , and release the latent heat of phase change. The second cooling system 300 can remove the latent heat released when the first cooling liquid 231 in the first cooling system 200 changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state, so that the first cooling liquid 231 returns to a liquid state. Therefore, this embodiment does not use high power consumption facilities such as compressors and low-temperature coolers like the existing cooling cycle systems using compressors. Therefore, the cooling system 20 of the present invention is relatively power-saving, and the present invention will not have water in the air. The problem of gas condensing on the outer wall of the first pipe 230 arises.

On the other hand, the pump 240 communicates with the first pipeline 230, and the pump 24 is used to drive the first coolant 231, so that the first coolant 231 flows to the first pipeline 230 and is connected to the first heat exchanger 210 Then flow to the position where the first pipeline 230 exchanges heat with the second cooling system 300 , and then return to the pump 240 .

In this embodiment, the second heat dissipation system 300 includes a second heat exchanger 310 , a second pipeline 320 , a cooling water tower 330 and a water delivery device 340 . Wherein, the second heat exchanger 310 is, for example, a plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat conduction plates arranged parallel to each other and at least one pipeline passing through these heat conduction plates. The heat in the pipeline can be conducted to the Heat exchange in the air or with other pipelines. In this embodiment, the second pipeline 320 has a second coolant 331 inside, and the second coolant 331 of the second pipeline 320 and the first coolant 231 of the first pipeline 230 are exchanged in the second heat exchanger 310 For heat exchange, the second cooling liquid 331 in this embodiment can be pure water or water added with a condensing agent. In other words, the first pipeline 230 and the second pipeline 320 of this embodiment are in thermal contact with the second heat exchanger 310 respectively, and allow the first cooling liquid 231 in the first pipeline 230 and the second pipeline 320 The second cooling liquid 331 inside performs heat exchange, that is, the second cooling liquid 331 cools down the temperature of the first cooling liquid 231 and takes away the latent heat released when the first cooling liquid 231 changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state. The second cooling liquid 331 in the second pipeline 320 flows through the second heat exchanger 310 , then flows into the cooling water tower 330 for cooling, and then flows back to the water delivery device 340 . The water delivery device 340 in this embodiment can be a fluid pump.

The cooling water tower 330 of this embodiment can be a closed cooling water tower, the second pipeline 320 passes through the interior of the cooling water tower 330, and the cooling water tower 330 will sprinkle water on the second pipeline 320 to take away the heat of the second cooling liquid 331 . After that, the second cooling liquid 331 flows back to the water delivery device 340 . However, in other embodiments, it is not limited to use a closed cooling water tower, and it can also be an open cooling water tower. At this time, the second pipeline 320 is connected to the cooling water tower 330, and the cooling water tower 330 is connected to the water delivery device 240, so that the second The cooling liquid 331 flows back to the water delivery device 340 . In addition, compared with the existing cooling circulation system using a compressor, the cooling water tower 330 in this embodiment saves more power. The main reason is that the first cooling liquid 231 takes away the heat of the electronic component 110 by means of temperature difference, and when the operating temperature of the electronic component 110 is higher than or equal to the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231, the first cooling liquid 231 alone A large amount of heat from the electronic component 110 is taken away by means of phase change. At this time, the second heat dissipation system 300 does not need to lower the first cooling liquid 231 to a very low temperature like the existing cooling circulation system using low-temperature refrigerant, but only needs to condense the first cooling liquid 231 into a saturated refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 310 The liquid may make the subcooling degree of the first cooling liquid 231 slightly lower than the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231 , so this embodiment saves power.

Next, it will be described how the first cooling liquid 231 in the vapor state changes into the first cooling liquid 231 in the liquid state when flowing through the second heat exchanger 310 . When the first cooling liquid 231 in a vapor state or a liquid-gas coexistence state flows through the position of the second heat exchanger 310, the first cooling liquid 231 with a higher temperature exchanges heat with the second cooling liquid 331 at a lower temperature. Heat exchange is performed in the container 310. At this time, under the environment of normal temperature and pressure, the first cooling liquid 231 in the vapor state or the liquid-gas coexistence state is converted into the first cooling liquid 231 in the liquid state because the temperature drops below the boiling point of the first cooling liquid 231 .

According to the cooling system disclosed in the above embodiments, the boiling point of the first cooling liquid falls within the working temperature range of the electronic components. When the first cooling liquid flows to the position of the operating electronic components, the first cooling liquid absorbs the heat dissipated by the electronic components, causing the first cooling liquid to undergo a phase change and change from a liquid state to a gaseous state. In this way, the upper limit of the heat that can be taken away by the first cooling liquid can be increased through the phase change.

In addition, since the first cooling liquid is liquid at normal temperature, the pressure of the liquid flowing inside the pipeline is lower than the pressure of the gas flowing inside the pipeline, so the existing compressor can be replaced by a pump to save the cost of the cooling system.

Certainly, the present invention also can have other multiple embodiments, without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and deformations according to the present invention, but these corresponding Changes and deformations should belong to the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims (8)

1. A cooling system, suitable for being arranged on an electronic device, the electronic device comprises an electronic component, and the electronic component has a working temperature range during operation, it is characterized in that the cooling system comprises: A first cooling system, comprising: a first heat exchanger disposed on the electronic component and in thermal contact with the electronic component; and a first pipeline in thermal contact with the first heat exchanger, the first pipeline has a first cooling liquid inside, and the boiling point of the first cooling liquid falls within the working temperature range of the electronic component; and A second cooling system, comprising: a second heat exchanger; Wherein, the first cooling liquid in the first pipeline exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger, and then, the first cooling liquid in the first pipeline exchanges heat with the second cooling fluid of the second cooling system. The heat exchanger performs heat exchange. 2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling system further comprises: A pump, communicated with the first pipeline, used to drive the first cooling liquid to flow to the position where the first pipeline is in contact with the first heat exchanger, and then flow to the first pipeline and the second heat exchanger The position where the exchanger contacts, and then returns to the pump, wherein the pressure value inside the first pipeline is lower than the upper limit of the pressure that the pump can provide. 3. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the boiling point of the first cooling liquid falls within the range of 50 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius. 4. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling liquid does not contain HCFCs and HCFCs. 5. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein the first cooling liquid is pentafluorobutane or heptafluorotrimethoxypropane. 6. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the second heat exchanger is a heat plate heat exchanger. 7. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the second heat exchanger is a heat dissipation module comprising at least one heat dissipation fin and at least one fan. 8. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling system further comprises: a second pipeline, in thermal contact with the second heat exchanger, having a second cooling liquid inside the second pipeline; a cooling water tower, the second pipeline communicates with the cooling water tower; and A water delivery device, communicated with the second pipeline, used to drive the second cooling liquid to flow to the position where the second pipeline is connected to the second heat exchanger, then flow to the cooling water tower, and then return to the water delivery device.

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