The present invention relates to system for removing heat from heat generating components, and more particularly to a method and system for removing heat from electronic circuit boards and electronic chips.
As is well known in the electronics industry, that the heat created by circuit boards and electronic chips during operation is a serious problem. Heat build-up may cause a circuit board or electronic chip to malfunction and cause the entire system to also malfunction or to shut down. The problem has become even more acute due to the fact that circuit boards have become smaller and/or more highly populated with components thus causing the source of heat to become more intense. Accordingly, the heat build-up in circuit boards and IC chips must be efficiently dissipated.
There are many existing method of heat dissipation from electronic circuit boards, IC chips and electronic systems. These include providing layers of exotic metals, forced gas and liquid cooling, heat convection, pulsating heat pipes, coolant baths and heat transfer directly to the system housing. Liquid cooling systems mentioned above, which are generally the most effective, require a pump to move a coolant from the heat source to a remote heat sink where the heat is dissipated. These latter systems are voluminous and heavy.
There is a need for providing a method and system for a circuit board and IC chip cooling system which will enable designers and engineers to create and operate electronic systems that are smaller in size and lighter in weight. It is thus an object and purpose of the present invention to address the foregoing problem and to provide a system and method for efficiently removing heat from circuit boards and IC chips which system is itself small and of light weight.
A cooling chamber for computers and for electronic components is disclosed. The cooling chamber comprises an enclosed heat conductive chamber for containing a fluid having a selected low boiling point. The electronic components that are to be cooled are operatively mounted in the chamber to be bathed by the fluid. The heat energy developed by the electronic components causes the fluid immediately adjacent the component to reach a temperature above the boiling point, and bubbles are created. Fluid turbulence will be induced adjacent to the electronic component. Fluid will circulate, whirl and rotate in the immediate vicinity of the component. The bubbles will rise and cause the fluid to be moved as the bubble rises toward the top level of the fluid. There are of course a large number of bubbles formed and the cumulative action of the bubbles will cause circulation of the fluid in the chamber thus provide circulating fluid flow around the electronic components and around the chamber. Cooling radiators and fins are mounted on the exterior of the chamber to dissipate the heat generated by the components and conveyed by the fluid to the radiators and fins.
The foregoing features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the invention. The accompanying drawings, listed herein below, are useful in explaining the invention.
Cooling chamber 11 comprises an enclosed fluid container 16 having a fill port 17 (see
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A number of bubble guide tubes 27 are mounted in positions above the IC chip(s) 12 and components 15. The lower ends of the tubes are formed in a funnel shape 28 to provide an enlarged opening to intercept the upwardly moving bubbles 20. Thus when the IC chip components 15 become hot and heat the methylene chloride adjacent the hot component to its boiling point of 39.6 degrees C. (104 F), bubbles 20A will be produced and will coalesce into bigger bubbles 20. As the bubbles rise up, the funnel shape 28 shape of the guide tubes will intercept and guide the bubbles 10 up the bubble guide tubes 27.
After the initially small bubbles 20A coalesce into larger bubbles 20 the resulting bubbles are approximately 4 mm in diameter. Bubble guide tubes 27 through which the bubbles move also have an internal diameter of 4 mm. As the fluid 19 continues to boil, more bubbles 20 are formed adjacent the hot IC chips components 15 and rise up the tube 27. The hot fluid 19A above the bubbles 20 is confined in tube 27 in the spacing between the bubbles. It has been found that the bubbles 10 push (carry) the hot fluid 19A confined between the bubbles upwardly through the guide tubes 27 (as depicted by the arrow lines generally labeled 29). The rising bubbles 10 thus provide a positive pumping, pushing and driving action to move the hot fluid 19A. When the bubbles 20 are of the same diameter of the guide tubes 27, the bubbles will also tend to siphon the fluid 19 immediately beneath the bubbles upwardly as the bubbles 20 move upwardly.
The hot methylene chloride fluid 19A is thus pumped and moved up tubes 27 by the rising bubbles 20, and as the hot fluid moves up the bubble guide tubes, the fluid movesheat energy away from the hot IC chips and components. Thus the hot fluid 19A is moved up the tubes 27 and flows out of the tops of the tubes. Liquid 19B then returns down around the outside of the tubes 27.
The returning fluid 19B, flows down the inside surfaces of housing 24 and the cooling fins 25 affixed thereto. The metal housing 24 and cooling fins 25 function as heat sinks/heat receptors to remove heat from the fluid 19. The housing 24 is configured to have some thicker wall areas at 24A and then tapers to thinner wall at 24B. The thicker wall area will more effectively absorb the heat energy from the hot fluid 19. The bottom of wall 24B can be thinner and lighter since the liquid 19 is cooler at the bottom of the housing 24. The fins 25 are likewise configured in the same tapered manner to better absorb and dissipate the heat from the hotter fluid 19 at the top of the container 16.
Thus heat energy is absorbed from the fluid 19 and conveyed to the housing 24 and the fins 25 and other external heat dissipating structure. The cooled fluid 19 returns down to the PC board 21 and the cycle is repeated. The apparatus of
Heat receptors or radiator fins 25 are affixed to container 18 which is formed of a copper metal (or other good heat conducting metal) and as the fluid 19 flows down the sides of the container 18, the container and the radiator fins 25 will remove heat energy from the hot fluid. This action will continue as long as the temperature of the fluid is above the fluid boiling point and bubbles 20 continue to be formed.
As the fluid 19 is cooled down, and/or as the bubbles get near the top of the chamber and condense, the bubbles break up as the fluid becomes cooler and as heat is extracted from the moving fluid. The bubbles 20 thus provide the pushing or driving force to move the hot fluid in a recirculating loop.
Also, the bubbles 20 developed by the hot components 15 on the circuit board or IC chip are utilized to generate turbulence and movement in the fluid 19 to cause the fluid to move about or circulate in the container 16. As the bubbles 20 move the hot fluid 19 upwardly to the top level of the fluid, the heat receptors absorb the heat energy from the fluid, thus cooling the hot fluid and causing the now cooled fluid to circulate or move back down toward the lower levels of the fluid as the heat transfer cycle repeats.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of the provisional application Ser. No. 61/516,212, filed on Mar. 31, 2011 of the same title and of the same inventor, Troy W. Livingston.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61516212 | Mar 2011 | US |