Electronic device having a coolant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684662-B2
Application number	US-201515546951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing enclosure, which at least sealingly contains an electronic component, a barrier, a pump, and a coolant. The electronic component is located on a substrate, while the barrier defines a circulation loop in which the coolant is exposed to the electronic component. The pump is positioned within the circulation loop to cause flow of the coolant through the circulation loop along one side of the at least one barrier in one direction and along an opposite side of the at least one barrier in an opposite direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing enclosure at least sealingly containing:
at least one first heat generating member on a printed circuit board;
at least one barrier protruded from a surface of the printed circuit board to define a circulation loop in which a coolant is exposed to each respective first heat generating member, the circulation loop extending, within one plane formed by the surface of the printed circuit board, along one side of the at least one barrier, along an opposite side of the at least one barrier, and around an outside of opposite ends of the at least one barrier; and
at least one pump positioned within the circulation loop to cause flow of the coolant through the circulation loop, including, within the one plane in contact with the surface of the printed circuit board, along the one side of the at least one barrier in one direction, along the opposite side of the at least one barrier in an opposite direction, and around the outside of the opposite ends of the at least one barrier.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first heat generating member comprises a plurality of first heat generating members, which comprise all of the heat generating members on the printed circuit board.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pump comprises an array of pumps arranged in a line generally perpendicular to a direction of coolant flow along the circulation loop.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one barrier defines a non-circulation zone of the printed circuit board that is external to the circulation loop, and wherein at least one second heat generating member is located in the non-circulation zone, wherein the at least one second heat generating member produces heat at least an order of magnitude less than the heat generated by the at least one first heat generating member.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:
the at least one pump being at least partially formed contemporaneously with a portion of the printed circuit board; and
the at least one barrier being at least partially formed contemporaneously with, and extends from, the printed circuit board.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the printed circuit board is monolithic with the at least one of barrier and the at least one pump.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:
the coolant being dielectric; and
the at least one first heat generating member sealed to be electrically isolated from the coolant and the coolant exhibiting at least one of non-dielectric or semi-dielectric properties.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising:
a heat transfer element positioned at a wall of the housing enclosure to be removably coupled to an external thermal management mechanism and in communication with the coolant in the circulation loop.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising:
a cooling manager including:
a temperature sensing module to sense temperatures within the electronic device; and
a pump selector module to selectively activate and deactivate the at least one pump to control a rate of flow of the coolant in the circulation loop based on at least the sensed temperatures obtained from the temperature sensing module.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , the at least one pump to cause flow of the coolant through the circulation loop in an order including, within the one plane in contact with the surface of the printed circuit board, along the one side of the at least one barrier in the one direction, around the outside of one of the opposite ends of the at least one barrier, along the opposite side of the at least one barrier in the opposite direction, and around the outside of an opposite one of the opposite ends of the at least one barrier.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , the at least one pump to cause flow of the coolant around the outside of the opposite ends of the at least one barrier in a same direction as the one direction or the opposite direction.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one barrier is positioned within a perimeter of the printed circuit board.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the circulation loop encircles the at least one barrier.

14. A mobile computing device comprising:
a sealed housing at least containing:
a printed circuit board on which is provided:
a plurality of electronic components; and
at least one barrier protruded from a surface of and forming a monolithic structure with a portion of the printed circuit board, the at least one barrier defining a circulation loop to expose a dielectric coolant to each respective electronic component, the circulation loop including, within one plane formed by the surface of the printed circuit board, a first portion along one side of the at least one barrier, a second portion along an opposite side of the at least one barrier, a first end portion around an outside of one end of the at least one barrier, and a second end portion around an outside of an opposite end of the at least one barrier; and
at least one pump to cause circulating flow of the dielectric coolant around the circulation loop within the one plane in contact with the surface of the printed circuit board, including flow of the dielectric coolant in a first direction within the first portion, in an opposite second direction within the second portion, from the first portion to the second portion within the first end portion, and from the second portion to the first portion within the second end portion.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one pump forms part of the monolithic structure with the at least one barrier and the portion of the printed circuit board.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , comprising:
a heat transfer element positioned at a wall of the sealed housing to be removably coupled to an external thermal management mechanism and in communication with the dielectric coolant in the circulation loop.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , the at least one pump to cause circulating flow of the dielectric coolant around the circulation loop within the one plane in contact with the surface of the printed circuit board in an order including in the first direction within the first portion, from the first portion to the second portion within the first end portion, in the opposite second direction within the second portion, and from the second portion to the first portion within the second end portion.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , the at least one pump to cause circulating flow of the dielectric coolant in a same direction within the first end portion and within the second end portion.

19. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:
forming a monolithic structure including at least one barrier and at least one pump which protrude from a surface of a substrate of a printed circuit board, comprising at least arranging the at least one barrier to at least partially define a circulation loop to circulate flow of a dielectric coolant via the pump, the circulation loop extending, within one plane formed by the surface of the substrate of the printed circuit board, along one side of the at least one barrier, along an opposite side of the at least one barrier, and around an outside of opposite ends of the at least one barrier;
arranging electronic components on the printed circuit

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Moore David A
• Naeli Kianoush
• Marty Valerie J
• Mckinnell James

Classifications

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• F28F2250/08

  Fluid driving means, e.g. pumps, fans · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• H05K7/20

  Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title