US20080179047A1 - Flexible heat cable device - Google Patents
Flexible heat cable device Download PDFInfo
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- US20080179047A1 US20080179047A1 US12/004,037 US403707A US2008179047A1 US 20080179047 A1 US20080179047 A1 US 20080179047A1 US 403707 A US403707 A US 403707A US 2008179047 A1 US2008179047 A1 US 2008179047A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- heat
- cooling
- electronic device
- heat sink
- unit
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/34—Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements
- H01L23/42—Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or encapsulations selected or arranged to facilitate heating or cooling
- H01L23/427—Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
- F28D15/02—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
- F28D15/0241—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes the tubes being flexible
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
- F28D15/02—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes
- F28D15/0266—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F28F2250/00—Arrangements for modifying the flow of the heat exchange media, e.g. flow guiding means; Particular flow patterns
- F28F2250/08—Fluid driving means, e.g. pumps, fans
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a cooling apparatus, especially for cooling an electronic device, and to a cooling method.
- Exemplary embodiments include a flexible heat transfer device for cooling electronic devices to be cooled using a heat sink which is located remotely from the electronic device to be cooled.
- the present disclosure relates to thermosyphon, in which two-phase heat transfer means are enclosed.
- a major aspect of a flexible heat transfer device which can be made from a flexible material is to define a flexible thermal path between electronic devices to be cooled and heat sinks. Such a mechanical flexibility allows easy routing and attaching of the heat cable in different geometric configurations of an electronic circuit.
- thermosyphon device A flexible thermosyphon device is described in Electronics Cooling Magazine, February 2006 (http://www.electronics-cooling.com/html/2006 led a3.html).
- the disclosed thermosyphon device consists of a boiler, a cap, a tube and a 100 mm ⁇ 100 mm condenser.
- the device allows a flexible arrangement between a heat source (i.e. an electronic component to be cooled) and a heat sink.
- the disclosed flexible heat pipe consists of a modular clamp-on plate, a flexible heat pipe code plate and a thermal bus receptacle.
- the heat pipe provides a mechanical support and a transfer of waste heat from a space station equipment to a thermal bus.
- the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,776 operates as a heat spreader for an integrated circuit chip placed in contact with the envelope surface. The heat is transferred across the plastic coating with only a small temperature differential.
- a foam plastic wick with channels efficiently transports condensed liquid back to the heat input location for evaporation. Some liquid, in particular that transported to the surface of the foam wick, is vaporized by the applied heat, and that liquid is continuously replaced by the capillary action of the wick and the channels.
- a disadvantage of the envelope heat pipe device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,776 is that the materials in the heat pipe are bad conductors of heat such that the heat conductivity is decreased.
- a heat pipe which is constructed to be bent to conform to a particular mechanical configuration after it is constructed.
- a wick in the evaporator region is constructed from sintered metal powder, while the wick in another region of the heat pipe is constructed with a screen wick to permit bending the pipe without destruction of the wick.
- the disclosed heat pipe comprises a completely enclosed casing of sufficiently thin and ductile material to permit bending of the casing at least once without rupture of the casing. Furthermore, the heat pipe comprises first and second wick structures, wherein the second wick structure consists of at least two separate screen layers. The outer screen layer is sintered to the inside surface of the casing and the other layer is located in intimate contact with the outer layer. An appropriate heat transfer fluid is provided in the heat pipe.
- the U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,642 discloses an articulated heat pipe wherein a multiple section heat pipe has flexible junctions between the sections.
- the individual sections are independent individual heat pipes configured to interlock with each other at rotatable joints filled with a liquid having a high heat conductivity.
- a clearance between the sections is maintained small enough to establish capillary forces that maintain the conductive liquid in place and also to minimize the temperature differential across the rotating joint.
- the thermal operation of the system depends only upon conventional operation of the heat pipes, such that a condensing section of heat pipe is located on one side of the rotating junction, while the evaporating region of the other heat pipe is in contact with the other side of the junction.
- a thin layer of conducting fluid spread over the relatively large surface area of the cylindrical geometry of the fluid gap maintains a minimal temperature difference between the co-acting regions of the two heat pipes.
- the U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,463 discloses a thermosyphon for removing heat from a permafrost foundation.
- the device can be installed in a frozen foundation with an evaporator section disposed either horizontally or with a negative slope, thereby allowing the evaporator section of the thermosyphon to be buried in a more shallow location of the foundation.
- the device comprises a condensate collecting ring device wherein condensate flows downwardly along a inner wall surface of a condenser section and collects in an inner ring.
- the ring slopes downwardly from the horizontal such that a condensate is collected a low point thereof.
- a condensate return tube communicates with the collector ring at the low point thereof and ducts the condensate into the evaporator section to a desired location within the evaporator section.
- the condenser return tube has a length which acts to deposit the condensate at the desired location within the evaporator section.
- a major disadvantage of conventional cooling systems is that electronic components to be cooled cannot be replaced in an easy and efficient manner.
- a cooling means with a high flexibility is disclosed.
- a cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device to be cooled, comprising: a) a heat collector device which is adapted to be in thermal contact with the electronic device; b) a heat sink for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device and comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit; c) a heat transfer device made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink, wherein d) the thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means.
- a method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled comprising the following steps: a) collecting heat from the electronic device to be cooled by a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device to be cooled; b) transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to a heat sink by means of a heat transfer device made from a flexible material c) absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device by means of the heat sink comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, the thermal interface unit being a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means; and d) cooling down the condenser unit via the thermal interface unit.
- FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram for illustrating the function of a thermosyphon
- FIG. 2 illustrates a flexible heat cable device arranged between power electronics module and a cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 illustrates a flexible heat cable device depicted in FIG. 2 and shown disassembled
- FIG. 4( a ) illustrates a heat collector device which is attached to the heat transfer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 4( b ) shows a detail of the heat collector device depicted in FIG. 4( a );
- FIG. 5 illustrates a condenser unit as a part of a heat sink in a cross-sectional view
- FIG. 6 illustrates details of liquid channels of the condenser unit shown in FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a condenser unit of another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure showing a liquid return hose;
- FIG. 8 shows a condensate collector which is included in the condenser unit shown in FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 9 is another detailed view of the condenser unit shown in FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 10 illustrates a liquid-cooled cylindrical condenser unit with direct contact to cooling water
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the heat sink mounted to the flexible heat cable device shown in FIG. 10 ;
- FIG. 12 is a condenser unit according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure using a unit for pumping condensed liquid.
- FIG. 13 shows details of a water-driven pump unit arranged in the heat sink of the flexible heat cable device shown in FIG. 11 .
- an open-ended heat transfer mechanism is provided, which is only completed with an external cooling interface similar to an electrical instrument which is delivered to a customer with a power plug.
- the essential concept of the present disclosure is to provide a flexible heat cable device which is capable of acting as a thermal equivalent of electrical cables and which has an increased flexibility in an overall mechanical design of power electronics systems.
- a cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device to be cooled comprises a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device, a heat sink for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device and comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit, and a heat transfer device made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink.
- the thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means.
- a method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled comprises the following steps: (i) collecting heat from the electronic device to be cooled by a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device to be cooled; (ii) transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink by means of a heat transfer device made from a flexible material; and (iii) absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device by means of a heat sink comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit.
- the thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means and an external cooling bus, respectively.
- the heat transfer device includes an electrical connection unit to simultaneously transfer thermal and electrical energy between the electronic device and the heat sink.
- the electronic device is soldered to the heat collector device.
- the heat transfer device can be made of a thermoplastic polymer.
- the heat transfer device can be made of at least one of polyethylene, polyethylene-terephthalate and polystyrene.
- the heat transfer device includes a metal layer deposited on the outer surface of the heat transfer device.
- the heat transfer device is made of super-elastic alloys.
- the condenser unit comprises a pump unit for pumping back liquid, which has been collected in a condensate collector.
- the pump unit of the condenser unit is driven by the flow of cooling water.
- the heat sink and the heat transfer device form a thermosyphon device.
- the heat sink is cooled by a secondary circulation of cooling water.
- the heat transfer device transfers heat from the heat collector device to the heat sink by transporting a liquid coolant from the heat collector device to the heat sink and by returning evaporated coolant from the heat sink to the heat collector device.
- the condenser unit of the heat sink is directly cooled by the circulating cooling water.
- the present disclosure in particular is related to cooling of power electronic systems and low voltage devices.
- a significant amount of heat can be generated within a small volume such that the generated heat must be dissipated to the environment.
- an intermediate mechanism of heat transfer in the form of a heat-carrying cable is used to separate the source and the sink of thermal energy.
- the heat cable can also be used to adapt standard products to special customer requirements, for example, by interfacing a drive to the customer's own cooling system.
- Two-phase heat transfer systems utilize liquid-vapour phase exchange processes for increased heat transfer between a heat source and a working fluid, and between a heat sink and the working fluid, respectively.
- Two-phase heat transfer components are heat pipes and thermosyphons.
- FIG. 1 shows a block diagram for explaining the operation of a thermosyphon.
- An electronic device 101 to be cooled is attached to an evaporator unit 102 . It is noted that different electronic devices 101 may be connected to a series of evaporator units 102 which in turn are connected to a single condenser unit 103 .
- An arrow 301 in FIG. 1 shows the heat transfer direction. The heat is transferred from the evaporator unit 102 to the condenser unit 103 which is cooled by cooling water 106 .
- a thermal contact between the evaporator unit 102 and the condenser unit 103 is established by a liquid-vapour circulation in which a liquid (cooling liquid) 104 is evaporated in the evaporator unit 102 by heat which is transferred to the evaporator unit 102 from the electronic device 101 to be cooled.
- the evaporated liquid (as vapour 105 ) is transferred back to the condenser unit 103 where it is condensed again into liquid 104 .
- the principle of exchanging liquid and vapour, respectively, between a heat source 101 , 102 and a heat sink 103 is used for a flexible connection of electronic devices 101 to be cooled in a circuit, in particular in a power circuit, and to flexibly transfer heat to a remote heat sink 103 , 200 .
- the electronic device 101 to be cooled is attached to a heat collector device 100 which acts as an interface between the electronic device 101 to be cooled and the evaporator unit 102 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates the heat cable arranged between a power electronics module and a cooling system.
- Reference numeral 101 denotes the power electronics module, i.e. the electronic device to be cooled. It is noted that more than one electronic device can be connected to a respective heat sink 200 using a heat transfer device 300 .
- the flexible heat cable device shown in FIG. 2 is according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the flexible heat cable device consists of a heat collector device 100 which is brought into thermo-contact with the electronic device 101 to be cooled.
- the heat transfer device 300 is used to transfer heat in the electronic device 101 to a heat sink 200 which essentially consists of a condenser unit 103 .
- a connector unit 107 is provided to fix the heat transfer device 300 detachable at the condenser unit 103 .
- the flexible heat cable device is configured in a similar fashion to electrical cables, but it is used to transfer thermal energy instead of electrical energy.
- the flexible heat cable device comprises an electrical cable as an electric connection to simultaneously transfer thermal and electrical energy between the electronic device 101 and the heat sink 200 . It is an advantage to construct the heat transfer device 300 from materials the high mechanical flexibility, thus permitting to route and attach the heat cable device in different geometrical configurations. The construction of the heat transfer device as a heat cable is discussed below.
- the heat cable device can be used within the casing of a drive system to transfer heat between an IGBT module (IGBT, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and a water or air heat exchanger.
- IGBT Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
- the mechanical design of the whole system is facilitated due to the capability of the flexible heat cable device which allows routing of the cable within the casing and permits a separation of heat sources and heat exchangers.
- a suitably designed heat cable can be mass-manufactured and used in different devices.
- the heat cable can also be routed out of the system casing and can be attached to an auxiliary heat exchanger, which can be shared by multiple systems. It is an advantage of the present disclosure, that different interfaces are provided to permit an adaptability of the heat cable device.
- FIG. 3 shows the flexible heat cable device of FIG. 2 in an explosive view.
- a sealing unit designed as an O-Ring is provided to seal the heat sink 200 to the heat transfer device 300 .
- FIGS. 4( a ) and 4 ( b ) illustrate the heat collector device 100 of the flexible heat cable device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
- the heat collector device 100 can be designated as a “boiling” section.
- the boiling section is a chamber that is partly filled with the working fluid 104 . Multiple components can be attached at the bottom and/or the side walls of this chamber.
- the chamber can be made of a material such as copper, brass, aluminum, etc., which has a high thermal conductivity. The selection of the material of the boiling section depends on the compatibility with the working fluid and on strength requirements.
- the boiling section comprises one flat surface.
- a thermal base-plate of the component is used to spread the heat to a larger area and to add to a thermal capacitance for an improved temperature stability when a fluctuating heat dissipation is encountered.
- the boiling section can also be integrated into this base-plate module.
- the substrate of the power module can be directly soldered to this boiling section.
- the whole power module can be delivered by a semi-conductor manufacturer in one piece together with the boiling section, wherein an interface or opening to the heat transfer device 300 is provided.
- a bottom face of the boiling section can be opened such that a cavity which is able to receive liquid is only formed when the boiling section is attached to the module base-plate.
- the liquid is in direct contact with the module base-plate.
- O-Ring or gas-cap-type seals can be used at the periphery of the base-plate in order to provide a vacuum-tight sealing.
- the heat transfer device 300 consists of a flexible conduit which is attached to the chamber to provide a gas-type conduit between the boiler and the condenser.
- a gas-type conduit between the boiler and the condenser.
- conduit construction There are different alternatives for the conduit construction.
- One possibility is to use a corrugated metal hose as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
- corrugated metal hoses are found in vacuum equipment. These hoses can withstand vacuum and high pressure at elevated temperatures. Most importantly, the solid metal hose is inherently gas-tight and is suitable for long term containment of a vacuum. This is a critical issue for power electronics equipment which have long term life-time expectancies.
- the conduit which forms the heat transfer device 300 is made from a thermoplastic polymer. More preferably, the conduit is made from materials such as polyethylene, polyethylene-tereftalat, polyvinylchloride and polystyrene.
- the conduit which forms the heat transfer device 300 is deposited by one or more layers of metal.
- metal Preferably, aluminium is chosen as a suitable coating material because of costs and ease of fabrication.
- a multi-layer coating can be applied.
- the heat transfer device can be constructed from super-elastic alloys which have an enhanced intrinsic flexibility.
- the super-elastic alloys are metals and thus offer a leak-proof seal. Complete strain recovery is reached for up to 10% of deformation. A tube made of this material could be more readily deformed over closer angles than a metallic tube.
- a shape-memory effect exhibited by these alloys can be utilized to correct the roughly bent shape of the conduit before operation of the cooling system.
- the heat sink 200 essentially consists of a condenser unit 103 , which has three main functions: (i) the condenser unit 103 provides a surface that is kept at a lower temperature than the saturation temperature of the vapour such that the vapour transferred through the heat transfer device 300 will contact this surface and will condensate; (ii) the condenser section provides a means by which the condensated liquid is able to flow backward into the boiling section of the heat collector device 100 ; and (iii) the condenser section acts as a thermal interface to an external cooling system with a minimal thermal resistance.
- the condenser unit 103 which is shown in FIG. 5 , is connected to the conduit, i.e. the heat transfer device 300 .
- the outer side of the condenser unit 103 is attached to a cold-plate.
- Condensed liquid 104 flows, under the effect of gravity, to the bottom part of the condenser plate and then back to the boiling chamber through the conduit walls. Evaporated liquid is introduced as vapour 105 into the condenser unit 103 .
- Flow guides are provided to evenly distribute the liquid around the conduit entrance 302 .
- a smooth surface or spirally configured corrugations of the conduit wall are to be preferred in order to minimize the liquid flow resistance.
- a cold plate (not shown in the figures) is attached to a thermal (cold plate) interface unit 201 of the condenser unit 103 .
- the thermal interface unit 201 is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit 103 of the heat sink 200 thermally and removably to an external cooling means. It is a major advantage of the present disclosure that an electronic device 101 can easily be connected and disconnected to external units with both electrical and thermal links.
- FIG. 6 exhibits details of the bottom part of the condenser unit 103 . Shown in FIG. 6 are liquid channels 108 a - 108 c where condensed liquid is accumulated and transferred back to the heat collector device 100 (boiling section) via the walls of the heat transfer device 300 .
- a secondary liquid conduit is provided.
- the secondary liquid conduit is arranged inside the primary conduit and can be of a smaller size, since the volumetric flow rate of the liquid is much smaller than the volumetric flow rate of the vapour.
- This secondary conduit is separated from the outside of the primary conduit, wherein special sealing properties have not to be provided.
- FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of the condenser unit 103 shown in FIG. 5 .
- a separate hose i.e. a liquid return hose 110
- a condensate collector 109 is provided to collect condensed vapour 105 and to guide it to the liquid return hose 110 .
- the liquid return hose 110 is connected to the heat collector device 100 and the evaporator unit 102 , respectively.
- FIG. 8 exhibits details of the heat sink 200 depicted in FIG. 7 . Especially, the construction of the condensate collector 109 is shown in greater detail.
- FIGS. 10 and 11 exhibit another concept for cooling the evaporator unit 102 of the heat sink 200 .
- cooling water 106 flows into the head of the condenser unit 103 and exits the condenser unit at an opposite end.
- the cooling water 106 is not used to cool a cold-plate, but it cools the condenser unit 103 directly. Details of the flow path of the cooling water 106 are depicted in FIG. 11 .
- a direct contact between the condenser unit 103 and the cooling water results in high heat transfer coefficients.
- the advantage of providing the condenser section and the outside cold-channel as two separate parts is to minimize the dimensions of the heat cable which aids the routing of the cable.
- several heat cable condensers can be plugged into a multi-cable-cored shell.
- FIGS. 10 and 11 show a cylindrical configuration of the condenser unit 103 , other units, i.e. rectangular forms or finned surfaces are also possible.
- FIGS. 12 and 13 show yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the devices shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 comprise a pump unit 112 in order to pump back liquid, which has been collected in the condensate collector 109 .
- the liquid is pumped from the condensate collector 109 into the liquid return hose 110 by the pump unit 112 .
- the condenser unit 103 can be placed below the evaporator unit 102 of the heat collector device 100 .
- One major advantage of a pumped two-phase system over a single-phase—(i.e. only liquid circulation)—system is that a much smaller amount of liquid needs to be pumped for the same amount of transferred energy. For example, in order to transfer 1000 W power with 10° C. temperature difference at both ends approximately 1.5 l/min of liquid water have to be pumped. The amount of liquid that must be evaporated and condensed for the same power level is only 26 ml/min (at 1 atmosphere operation pressure). Consequently, the size and cost of the pump unit 112 in a two-phase system can be made smaller.
- diaphragm-type pumps are preferred.
- a diaphragm-type pump consists of a flexible membrane that is attached to an oscillating mechanism driven by an electric motor. Two one-way valves provide intermittent but unidirectional flow. The flow circuit is inherently sealed from outside by the membrane and no shaft seals are needed for the motor.
- diaphragm pumps can operate dry or with both liquid and gas mixtures.
- an alternative to an electrically powered pump is utilized, which uses energy available in the external coolant liquid to pump the two-phase loop.
- a turbine-pump combination i.e. a hydraulically actuated pump
- the mechanical energy provided by the cooling water 106 is extracted from the coolant at the pump unit 112 , which is designed as a turbine, in order to pump the condensate.
- the pumps are located within the condenser interface between a condenser collection chamber and the liquid return hose.
- the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling apparatus for electronic devices 101 , to be cooled, wherein a flexible heat transfer device 300 can be used to transfer heat from within an electronic device 101 to be cooled to the outside without any openings.
- the present disclosure provides a cooling apparatus, wherein a high heat and heat-density at the heat collector device is provided.
- An effective cooling means at the condenser-site such as direct water-cooling or interfacing to a cold-plate, is provided.
- unknown geometry of an application site at the time of manufacturing poses no problem.
- the exact geometry of the cooling means of an application and the setting of the drive need not to be known.
- the flexibility of the conduit with respect to general purpose interfaces can be provided.
- the flexible heat cable device is an effective means to transfer heat to the outside of a casing without diminishing the ingress-protection-(IP)-class. This is especially important in industrial environments.
Abstract
A cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device to be cooled includes a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device, a heat sink for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device and comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit, and a heat transfer device made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink. The thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means.
Description
- This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to European Patent Application No. 06026855.4 filed in the European Patent Office on 23 Dec. 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
- The present disclosure relates to a cooling apparatus, especially for cooling an electronic device, and to a cooling method. Exemplary embodiments include a flexible heat transfer device for cooling electronic devices to be cooled using a heat sink which is located remotely from the electronic device to be cooled. In particular, the present disclosure relates to thermosyphon, in which two-phase heat transfer means are enclosed.
- A major aspect of a flexible heat transfer device which can be made from a flexible material is to define a flexible thermal path between electronic devices to be cooled and heat sinks. Such a mechanical flexibility allows easy routing and attaching of the heat cable in different geometric configurations of an electronic circuit.
- A flexible thermosyphon device is described in Electronics Cooling Magazine, February 2006 (http://www.electronics-cooling.com/html/2006 led a3.html). The disclosed thermosyphon device consists of a boiler, a cap, a tube and a 100 mm×100 mm condenser. The device allows a flexible arrangement between a heat source (i.e. an electronic component to be cooled) and a heat sink.
- Another conventional flexible heat pipe is disclosed in “http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/sbir/successes/ss/100text.html”. The disclosed flexible heat pipe consists of a modular clamp-on plate, a flexible heat pipe code plate and a thermal bus receptacle. The heat pipe provides a mechanical support and a transfer of waste heat from a space station equipment to a thermal bus.
- In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,776, a heat pipe in the form of a simple foil envelope and a method of construction such a heat pipe are disclosed. Two metal foil sheets coated with a plastic material are sealed together on all four edges to enclose a semi-rigid sheet of plastic film, and the envelope is evacuated and loaded with a suitable quantity of liquid to act as a heat pipe.
- The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,776 operates as a heat spreader for an integrated circuit chip placed in contact with the envelope surface. The heat is transferred across the plastic coating with only a small temperature differential. A foam plastic wick with channels efficiently transports condensed liquid back to the heat input location for evaporation. Some liquid, in particular that transported to the surface of the foam wick, is vaporized by the applied heat, and that liquid is continuously replaced by the capillary action of the wick and the channels. A disadvantage of the envelope heat pipe device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,776 is that the materials in the heat pipe are bad conductors of heat such that the heat conductivity is decreased.
- In U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,243, a heat pipe is disclosed, which is constructed to be bent to conform to a particular mechanical configuration after it is constructed. A wick in the evaporator region is constructed from sintered metal powder, while the wick in another region of the heat pipe is constructed with a screen wick to permit bending the pipe without destruction of the wick.
- The disclosed heat pipe comprises a completely enclosed casing of sufficiently thin and ductile material to permit bending of the casing at least once without rupture of the casing. Furthermore, the heat pipe comprises first and second wick structures, wherein the second wick structure consists of at least two separate screen layers. The outer screen layer is sintered to the inside surface of the casing and the other layer is located in intimate contact with the outer layer. An appropriate heat transfer fluid is provided in the heat pipe.
- The U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,642 discloses an articulated heat pipe wherein a multiple section heat pipe has flexible junctions between the sections. The individual sections are independent individual heat pipes configured to interlock with each other at rotatable joints filled with a liquid having a high heat conductivity. A clearance between the sections is maintained small enough to establish capillary forces that maintain the conductive liquid in place and also to minimize the temperature differential across the rotating joint.
- The thermal operation of the system depends only upon conventional operation of the heat pipes, such that a condensing section of heat pipe is located on one side of the rotating junction, while the evaporating region of the other heat pipe is in contact with the other side of the junction. A thin layer of conducting fluid spread over the relatively large surface area of the cylindrical geometry of the fluid gap maintains a minimal temperature difference between the co-acting regions of the two heat pipes.
- The U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,463 discloses a thermosyphon for removing heat from a permafrost foundation. The device can be installed in a frozen foundation with an evaporator section disposed either horizontally or with a negative slope, thereby allowing the evaporator section of the thermosyphon to be buried in a more shallow location of the foundation. The device comprises a condensate collecting ring device wherein condensate flows downwardly along a inner wall surface of a condenser section and collects in an inner ring. The ring slopes downwardly from the horizontal such that a condensate is collected a low point thereof. A condensate return tube communicates with the collector ring at the low point thereof and ducts the condensate into the evaporator section to a desired location within the evaporator section. The condenser return tube has a length which acts to deposit the condensate at the desired location within the evaporator section.
- A major disadvantage of conventional cooling systems is that electronic components to be cooled cannot be replaced in an easy and efficient manner.
- A cooling means with a high flexibility is disclosed.
- A cooling apparatus is disclosed for cooling an electronic device to be cooled, comprising: a) a heat collector device which is adapted to be in thermal contact with the electronic device; b) a heat sink for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device and comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit; c) a heat transfer device made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink, wherein d) the thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means.
- A method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled is disclosed, comprising the following steps: a) collecting heat from the electronic device to be cooled by a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device to be cooled; b) transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to a heat sink by means of a heat transfer device made from a flexible material c) absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device by means of the heat sink comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, the thermal interface unit being a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means; and d) cooling down the condenser unit via the thermal interface unit.
- Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are depicted in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description. In the drawings, like or similar elements bear like reference numerals.
-
FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram for illustrating the function of a thermosyphon; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a flexible heat cable device arranged between power electronics module and a cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 illustrates a flexible heat cable device depicted inFIG. 2 and shown disassembled; -
FIG. 4( a) illustrates a heat collector device which is attached to the heat transfer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4( b) shows a detail of the heat collector device depicted inFIG. 4( a); -
FIG. 5 illustrates a condenser unit as a part of a heat sink in a cross-sectional view; -
FIG. 6 illustrates details of liquid channels of the condenser unit shown inFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a condenser unit of another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure showing a liquid return hose; -
FIG. 8 shows a condensate collector which is included in the condenser unit shown inFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 9 is another detailed view of the condenser unit shown inFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 10 illustrates a liquid-cooled cylindrical condenser unit with direct contact to cooling water; -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the heat sink mounted to the flexible heat cable device shown inFIG. 10 ; -
FIG. 12 is a condenser unit according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure using a unit for pumping condensed liquid; and -
FIG. 13 shows details of a water-driven pump unit arranged in the heat sink of the flexible heat cable device shown inFIG. 11 . - According to an aspect of the disclosure, an open-ended heat transfer mechanism is provided, which is only completed with an external cooling interface similar to an electrical instrument which is delivered to a customer with a power plug.
- Various condenser-side interfaces may be provided. Thus the essential concept of the present disclosure is to provide a flexible heat cable device which is capable of acting as a thermal equivalent of electrical cables and which has an increased flexibility in an overall mechanical design of power electronics systems.
- According to an aspect of the present disclosure a cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device to be cooled comprises a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device, a heat sink for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device and comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit, and a heat transfer device made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink.
- It is an advantage of the present disclosure that the thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means.
- According to a further aspect, a method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled comprises the following steps: (i) collecting heat from the electronic device to be cooled by a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device to be cooled; (ii) transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink by means of a heat transfer device made from a flexible material; and (iii) absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device by means of a heat sink comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit. The thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means and an external cooling bus, respectively.
- In line with one exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat transfer device includes an electrical connection unit to simultaneously transfer thermal and electrical energy between the electronic device and the heat sink.
- In line with a further exemplary development of the present disclosure, the electronic device is soldered to the heat collector device.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat transfer device can be made of a thermoplastic polymer.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat transfer device can be made of at least one of polyethylene, polyethylene-terephthalate and polystyrene.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat transfer device includes a metal layer deposited on the outer surface of the heat transfer device.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat transfer device is made of super-elastic alloys.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the condenser unit comprises a pump unit for pumping back liquid, which has been collected in a condensate collector.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the pump unit of the condenser unit is driven by the flow of cooling water.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat sink and the heat transfer device form a thermosyphon device.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat sink is cooled by a secondary circulation of cooling water.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the heat transfer device transfers heat from the heat collector device to the heat sink by transporting a liquid coolant from the heat collector device to the heat sink and by returning evaporated coolant from the heat sink to the heat collector device.
- In line with yet another exemplary development of the present disclosure, the condenser unit of the heat sink is directly cooled by the circulating cooling water.
- The present disclosure in particular is related to cooling of power electronic systems and low voltage devices. In power electronic systems, a significant amount of heat can be generated within a small volume such that the generated heat must be dissipated to the environment.
- Instead of attaching the heat generating components directly to a heat sink, an intermediate mechanism of heat transfer in the form of a heat-carrying cable is used to separate the source and the sink of thermal energy.
- This kind of separation assists in the mechanical design of power electronic systems. In addition to that, the heat cable can also be used to adapt standard products to special customer requirements, for example, by interfacing a drive to the customer's own cooling system.
- The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown.
- Two-phase heat transfer systems utilize liquid-vapour phase exchange processes for increased heat transfer between a heat source and a working fluid, and between a heat sink and the working fluid, respectively. Two-phase heat transfer components are heat pipes and thermosyphons.
-
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram for explaining the operation of a thermosyphon. Anelectronic device 101 to be cooled is attached to anevaporator unit 102. It is noted that differentelectronic devices 101 may be connected to a series ofevaporator units 102 which in turn are connected to asingle condenser unit 103. Anarrow 301 inFIG. 1 shows the heat transfer direction. The heat is transferred from theevaporator unit 102 to thecondenser unit 103 which is cooled by coolingwater 106. - A thermal contact between the
evaporator unit 102 and thecondenser unit 103 is established by a liquid-vapour circulation in which a liquid (cooling liquid) 104 is evaporated in theevaporator unit 102 by heat which is transferred to theevaporator unit 102 from theelectronic device 101 to be cooled. The evaporated liquid (as vapour 105) is transferred back to thecondenser unit 103 where it is condensed again intoliquid 104. - The principle of exchanging liquid and vapour, respectively, between a
heat source heat sink 103 is used for a flexible connection ofelectronic devices 101 to be cooled in a circuit, in particular in a power circuit, and to flexibly transfer heat to aremote heat sink electronic device 101 to be cooled is attached to aheat collector device 100 which acts as an interface between theelectronic device 101 to be cooled and theevaporator unit 102. -
FIG. 2 illustrates the heat cable arranged between a power electronics module and a cooling system.Reference numeral 101 denotes the power electronics module, i.e. the electronic device to be cooled. It is noted that more than one electronic device can be connected to arespective heat sink 200 using aheat transfer device 300. - The flexible heat cable device shown in
FIG. 2 is according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The flexible heat cable device consists of aheat collector device 100 which is brought into thermo-contact with theelectronic device 101 to be cooled. Theheat transfer device 300 is used to transfer heat in theelectronic device 101 to aheat sink 200 which essentially consists of acondenser unit 103. Aconnector unit 107 is provided to fix theheat transfer device 300 detachable at thecondenser unit 103. - The flexible heat cable device is configured in a similar fashion to electrical cables, but it is used to transfer thermal energy instead of electrical energy. In an exemplary deployment of the present disclosure, the flexible heat cable device comprises an electrical cable as an electric connection to simultaneously transfer thermal and electrical energy between the
electronic device 101 and theheat sink 200. It is an advantage to construct theheat transfer device 300 from materials the high mechanical flexibility, thus permitting to route and attach the heat cable device in different geometrical configurations. The construction of the heat transfer device as a heat cable is discussed below. - An important application for the heat cable device is, besides cooling of electronic devices, cooling of high power electronic systems such as motor drives. To this end, the heat cable device can be used within the casing of a drive system to transfer heat between an IGBT module (IGBT, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and a water or air heat exchanger. The mechanical design of the whole system is facilitated due to the capability of the flexible heat cable device which allows routing of the cable within the casing and permits a separation of heat sources and heat exchangers. When a heat carrying cable is flexible, a suitably designed heat cable can be mass-manufactured and used in different devices.
- The heat cable can also be routed out of the system casing and can be attached to an auxiliary heat exchanger, which can be shared by multiple systems. It is an advantage of the present disclosure, that different interfaces are provided to permit an adaptability of the heat cable device.
-
FIG. 3 shows the flexible heat cable device ofFIG. 2 in an explosive view. A sealing unit designed as an O-Ring is provided to seal theheat sink 200 to theheat transfer device 300. -
FIGS. 4( a) and 4(b) illustrate theheat collector device 100 of the flexible heat cable device shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 . Theheat collector device 100 can be designated as a “boiling” section. The boiling section is a chamber that is partly filled with the workingfluid 104. Multiple components can be attached at the bottom and/or the side walls of this chamber. The chamber can be made of a material such as copper, brass, aluminum, etc., which has a high thermal conductivity. The selection of the material of the boiling section depends on the compatibility with the working fluid and on strength requirements. - As most electronic components, i.e.
electronic devices 101, have a planar geometry with one side used for electrical interfacing and the other for thermal interfacing, the boiling section comprises one flat surface. In this case, a thermal base-plate of the component is used to spread the heat to a larger area and to add to a thermal capacitance for an improved temperature stability when a fluctuating heat dissipation is encountered. - According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the boiling section can also be integrated into this base-plate module. This means that the substrate of the power module can be directly soldered to this boiling section. Thus, the whole power module can be delivered by a semi-conductor manufacturer in one piece together with the boiling section, wherein an interface or opening to the
heat transfer device 300 is provided. - In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a bottom face of the boiling section can be opened such that a cavity which is able to receive liquid is only formed when the boiling section is attached to the module base-plate. The liquid is in direct contact with the module base-plate. O-Ring or gas-cap-type seals can be used at the periphery of the base-plate in order to provide a vacuum-tight sealing.
- The
heat transfer device 300 consists of a flexible conduit which is attached to the chamber to provide a gas-type conduit between the boiler and the condenser. There are different alternatives for the conduit construction. One possibility is to use a corrugated metal hose as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 . - These kind of corrugated metal hoses are found in vacuum equipment. These hoses can withstand vacuum and high pressure at elevated temperatures. Most importantly, the solid metal hose is inherently gas-tight and is suitable for long term containment of a vacuum. This is a critical issue for power electronics equipment which have long term life-time expectancies.
- In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the conduit which forms the
heat transfer device 300 is made from a thermoplastic polymer. More preferably, the conduit is made from materials such as polyethylene, polyethylene-tereftalat, polyvinylchloride and polystyrene. - In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the conduit which forms the
heat transfer device 300, is deposited by one or more layers of metal. Preferably, aluminium is chosen as a suitable coating material because of costs and ease of fabrication. Furthermore, a multi-layer coating can be applied. - In addition to that the heat transfer device can be constructed from super-elastic alloys which have an enhanced intrinsic flexibility. Advantageously, the super-elastic alloys are metals and thus offer a leak-proof seal. Complete strain recovery is reached for up to 10% of deformation. A tube made of this material could be more readily deformed over closer angles than a metallic tube. Moreover, a shape-memory effect exhibited by these alloys can be utilized to correct the roughly bent shape of the conduit before operation of the cooling system.
- With reference to
FIGS. 5 to 9 , theheat sink 200 of the flexible heat cable device will be described. Theheat sink 200 essentially consists of acondenser unit 103, which has three main functions: (i) thecondenser unit 103 provides a surface that is kept at a lower temperature than the saturation temperature of the vapour such that the vapour transferred through theheat transfer device 300 will contact this surface and will condensate; (ii) the condenser section provides a means by which the condensated liquid is able to flow backward into the boiling section of theheat collector device 100; and (iii) the condenser section acts as a thermal interface to an external cooling system with a minimal thermal resistance. - The
condenser unit 103, which is shown inFIG. 5 , is connected to the conduit, i.e. theheat transfer device 300. The outer side of thecondenser unit 103 is attached to a cold-plate. Condensed liquid 104 flows, under the effect of gravity, to the bottom part of the condenser plate and then back to the boiling chamber through the conduit walls. Evaporated liquid is introduced asvapour 105 into thecondenser unit 103. - Flow guides are provided to evenly distribute the liquid around the
conduit entrance 302. A smooth surface or spirally configured corrugations of the conduit wall are to be preferred in order to minimize the liquid flow resistance. In order to cool down thecondenser unit 103, a cold plate (not shown in the figures) is attached to a thermal (cold plate)interface unit 201 of thecondenser unit 103. - According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure the
thermal interface unit 201 is designed as a thermal plug for connecting thecondenser unit 103 of theheat sink 200 thermally and removably to an external cooling means. It is a major advantage of the present disclosure that anelectronic device 101 can easily be connected and disconnected to external units with both electrical and thermal links. -
FIG. 6 exhibits details of the bottom part of thecondenser unit 103. Shown inFIG. 6 are liquid channels 108 a-108 c where condensed liquid is accumulated and transferred back to the heat collector device 100 (boiling section) via the walls of theheat transfer device 300. - In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a secondary liquid conduit is provided. The secondary liquid conduit is arranged inside the primary conduit and can be of a smaller size, since the volumetric flow rate of the liquid is much smaller than the volumetric flow rate of the vapour. This secondary conduit is separated from the outside of the primary conduit, wherein special sealing properties have not to be provided. The main advantage of this design is that it avoids re-entrainment limitations due to the friction between the vapour and liquid in counter-flow.
-
FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of thecondenser unit 103 shown inFIG. 5 . Here, a separate hose, i.e. aliquid return hose 110, is provided to return condensed liquid from thecondenser unit 103 to theevaporator unit 102 of the heat collector device. Furthermore, acondensate collector 109 is provided to collectcondensed vapour 105 and to guide it to theliquid return hose 110. Within theheat transfer device 300, theliquid return hose 110 is connected to theheat collector device 100 and theevaporator unit 102, respectively. -
FIG. 8 exhibits details of theheat sink 200 depicted inFIG. 7 . Especially, the construction of thecondensate collector 109 is shown in greater detail. - One disadvantage of the cold-plate design which is depicted in the previous figures, is that the thermal contact resistance (i.e. the thermal interface) between the condenser plate and the cold-plate is high. This resistance, having high values, is able to hamper the performance of the whole cooling apparatus. In order to overcome this drawback,
FIGS. 10 and 11 exhibit another concept for cooling theevaporator unit 102 of theheat sink 200. - As shown in
FIG. 10 , coolingwater 106 flows into the head of thecondenser unit 103 and exits the condenser unit at an opposite end. The coolingwater 106 is not used to cool a cold-plate, but it cools thecondenser unit 103 directly. Details of the flow path of the coolingwater 106 are depicted inFIG. 11 . A direct contact between thecondenser unit 103 and the cooling water results in high heat transfer coefficients. The advantage of providing the condenser section and the outside cold-channel as two separate parts is to minimize the dimensions of the heat cable which aids the routing of the cable. Alternatively, several heat cable condensers can be plugged into a multi-cable-cored shell. - It is to be noted, that, although
FIGS. 10 and 11 show a cylindrical configuration of thecondenser unit 103, other units, i.e. rectangular forms or finned surfaces are also possible. -
FIGS. 12 and 13 show yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Wherein in the previous figures, the flow of the condensed liquid back to theevaporator unit 102 depends on gravity forces, the devices shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 comprise apump unit 112 in order to pump back liquid, which has been collected in thecondensate collector 109. The liquid is pumped from thecondensate collector 109 into theliquid return hose 110 by thepump unit 112. - If a liquid pump as a
pump unit 112 is provided, thecondenser unit 103 can be placed below theevaporator unit 102 of theheat collector device 100. One major advantage of a pumped two-phase system over a single-phase—(i.e. only liquid circulation)—system is that a much smaller amount of liquid needs to be pumped for the same amount of transferred energy. For example, in order to transfer 1000 W power with 10° C. temperature difference at both ends approximately 1.5 l/min of liquid water have to be pumped. The amount of liquid that must be evaporated and condensed for the same power level is only 26 ml/min (at 1 atmosphere operation pressure). Consequently, the size and cost of thepump unit 112 in a two-phase system can be made smaller. - In order to provide a
pump unit 112, diaphragm-type pumps are preferred. A diaphragm-type pump consists of a flexible membrane that is attached to an oscillating mechanism driven by an electric motor. Two one-way valves provide intermittent but unidirectional flow. The flow circuit is inherently sealed from outside by the membrane and no shaft seals are needed for the motor. In addition to that, diaphragm pumps can operate dry or with both liquid and gas mixtures. - According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an alternative to an electrically powered pump is utilized, which uses energy available in the external coolant liquid to pump the two-phase loop.
- A turbine-pump combination (i.e. a hydraulically actuated pump) is inserted between the external coolant and the internal condensate circuits, as shown in
FIG. 13 . The mechanical energy provided by the coolingwater 106 is extracted from the coolant at thepump unit 112, which is designed as a turbine, in order to pump the condensate. Thus a system is created that can operate against gravity forces. In both electrical and hydraulic pumped loops, the pumps are located within the condenser interface between a condenser collection chamber and the liquid return hose. - The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling apparatus for
electronic devices 101, to be cooled, wherein a flexibleheat transfer device 300 can be used to transfer heat from within anelectronic device 101 to be cooled to the outside without any openings. - It is an advantage that several electronic components can be grouped into a high IP-class casing with air circulation inside. The circulation can be facilitated either by a dedicated fan or by inherent cooling fans of the components. A flexible heat transfer device can then be used to transfer heat to the outside of the casing without interfering with the high IP-(Ingress Protection)-class of the whole electronic system.
- The present disclosure provides a cooling apparatus, wherein a high heat and heat-density at the heat collector device is provided. An effective cooling means at the condenser-site, such as direct water-cooling or interfacing to a cold-plate, is provided.
- It is a further aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure that unknown geometry of an application site at the time of manufacturing poses no problem. The exact geometry of the cooling means of an application and the setting of the drive need not to be known. The flexibility of the conduit with respect to general purpose interfaces can be provided.
- The flexible heat cable device is an effective means to transfer heat to the outside of a casing without diminishing the ingress-protection-(IP)-class. This is especially important in industrial environments.
- While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.
- Furthermore, the disclosure is not limited to the specific application areas mentioned above.
- It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
-
- 100 Heat collector device
- 101 Electronic device
- 102 Evaporator unit
- 103 Condenser unit
- 104 Liquid
- 105 Vapor
- 106 Cooling water
- 107 Connector unit
- 108 a- Liquid channel
- 108 c
- 109 Condensate collector
- 110 Liquid return hose
- 111 Sealing unit
- 112 Pump unit
- 200 Heat sink
- 201 Thermal interface unit
- 300 Heat transfer device
- 301 Heat transfer direction
- 302 Conduit entrance
Claims (15)
1. A cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device to be cooled, comprising:
a) a heat collector device which is adapted to be in thermal contact with the electronic device;
b) a heat sink for absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device and comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, wherein the condenser unit is cooled down via the thermal interface unit;
c) a heat transfer device made from a flexible material for transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to the heat sink, wherein
d) the thermal interface unit is designed as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means.
2. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device includes an electrical connection unit to simultaneously transfer thermal and electrical energy between the electronic device and the heat sink.
3. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device forms an integral unit with the heat collector device.
4. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device is made of a thermoplastic polymer.
5. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device is made of at least one of polyethylene, polyethylene-terephthalate and polystyrene.
6. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device includes a metal layer deposited on the outer surface of the heat transfer device.
7. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device is made of super-elastic alloys.
8. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the condenser unit comprises a pump unit for pumping back liquid, which has been collected in a condensate collector.
9. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the pump unit of the condenser unit is driven by the flow of cooling water.
10. The cooling apparatus for cooling an electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat collector device, the heat sink and the heat transfer device form a thermosyphon device.
11. A method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled, comprising the following steps:
a) collecting heat from the electronic device to be cooled by a heat collector device which is in thermal contact with the electronic device to be cooled;
b) transferring heat which is emitted from the heat collector device to a heat sink by means of a heat transfer device made from a flexible material
c) absorbing heat which is emitted from the heat collector device by means of the heat sink comprising a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit, the thermal interface unit being a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to an external cooling means; and
d) cooling down the condenser unit via the thermal interface unit.
12. The method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the heat sink is cooled by a secondary circulation of cooling water.
13. The method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the heat transfer device transfers heat from the heat collector device to the heat sink by transporting a liquid coolant from the heat collector device to the heat sink and by returning evaporated coolant from the heat sink to the heat collector device.
14. The method for cooling an electronic device to be cooled as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the condenser unit of the heat sink is directly cooled by the circulating cooling water.
15. A cooling apparatus, comprising:
a) a heat collector device adapted for a thermal contact;
b) a heat sink for absorbing emitted heat, the heat sink including a condenser unit and a thermal interface unit;
c) a heat transfer device formed of a flexible material for transferring heat from the heat collector device to the heat sink; and
d) an external cooling means, wherein the thermal interface unit is configured as a thermal plug for connecting the condenser unit of the heat sink thermally and removably to the external cooling means.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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EP06026855.4 | 2006-12-23 | ||
EP06026855A EP1937047B1 (en) | 2006-12-23 | 2006-12-23 | Flexible heat cable device |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20080179047A1 true US20080179047A1 (en) | 2008-07-31 |
Family
ID=38229769
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/004,037 Abandoned US20080179047A1 (en) | 2006-12-23 | 2007-12-20 | Flexible heat cable device |
Country Status (3)
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US (1) | US20080179047A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1937047B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE519360T1 (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1937047A1 (en) | 2008-06-25 |
EP1937047B1 (en) | 2011-08-03 |
ATE519360T1 (en) | 2011-08-15 |
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Owner name: ABB RESEARCH LTD, SWITZERLAND Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:YESIN, BERK;JYLHAKALLIO, MERVI;KAUHANEN, MATTI;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:020331/0346 Effective date: 20071218 |
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