Heat transfer apparatus for a computer environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11249522-B2
Application number	US-201615199003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with coolant systems for computer and electrical environments are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus for selectively transferring of heat within a computer environment may include a cold plate thermally coupled to a liquid line of a liquid coolant system of the computer environment, the cold plate to transfer heat to the liquid line and a thermally-conductive body to cool a component of the computer environment. The apparatus may further include a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) thermally coupled with the cold plate on a first side of the TEC and thermally coupled with the thermally-conductive body on a second side of the TEC, the TEC to increase an amount of heat transfer from the second side of the TEC to the first side of the TEC in response to energy provided to the TEC.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for removing heat from an airflow within a computer environment used to air cool heat generating components of a server board of the computer environment, comprising:
a thermally-conductive body that includes a plurality of fins to remove an amount of heat from the airflow used to air cool the heat generating components of the server board, wherein the fins are disposed between a first heat generating component and a second heat generating component of the heat generating components to intercept the airflow flowing from the first heat generating component to the second heat generating component;
a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the second side of the TEC thermally coupled to the thermally-conductive body;
a cold plate thermally coupled with the first side of the TEC to remove heat from the thermally-conductive body; and
a coupling portion thermally coupled with the cold plate and with a liquid coolant system of the computer environment, the coupling portion including an area to come into thermal contact with the liquid coolant system;
wherein the liquid coolant system removes heat transferred from the coupling portion from the computer environment and wherein the liquid coolant system is defined by a closed loop system entirely located on the server board of the computer environment;
wherein energy is to be variably applied to the TEC in response to a sensed condition within the computer environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermally-conductive body includes a heat spreader that is thermally coupled to the second heat generating component of the computer environment, the heat spreader to be cooled based on the increase in the amount of heat transfer by the TEC.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
A the liquid coolant system to selectively move liquid coolant through a pipe based on a temperature of the component of the computer environment to be cooled by the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the energy provided to the TEC is varied based on a temperature of the heat generating components of the computer environment to be cooled by the apparatus, and wherein the amount of heat transfer from the second side to the first side is proportional to the amount of energy provided to the TEC.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the energy provided to the TEC is varied based on a level of operation of the heat generating components of the computer environment to be cooled by the apparatus, and wherein the amount of heat transfer from the second side to the first side is proportional to the amount of energy provided to the TEC.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer environment is a server chassis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first heat generating component or the second heat generating component of the computer environment to be cooled by the thermally-conductive body is a memory device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the TEC is a first TEC, wherein the thermally-conductive body is a first thermally-conductive body, wherein the first thermally-conductive body is thermally coupled to a first side of the first heat generating component, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a second thermally-conductive body that is thermally coupled to a second side of the first heat generating component; and
a second TEC thermally coupled with a second cold plate on a first side of the second TEC and thermally coupled with the second thermally-conductive body on a second side of the second TEC, the second TEC to increase an amount of heat transfer from the second side of the second TEC to the first side of the second TEC in response to energy provided to the second TEC, wherein the second cold plate is coupled to a second pipe of the liquid coolant system of the computer environment through a second coupling portion in tangential contact with at least a part of a surface of the second pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion and the cold plate are located between a heat exchanger and a coolant plate for cooling of the heat generating components of the computer environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the TEC is to increase an amount of heat transfer from the thermally-conductive body to the cold plate, in response to energy provided to the TEC.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermally-conductive body includes a heat sink, the heat sink to be cooled based on the increase in the amount of heat transfer by the TEC, and wherein the heat sink is to cool air within the computer environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of fins are substantially parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the airflow within the computer environment in a direction toward the second heat generating component.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heat sink is located between a fan that directs air into the computer environment and the second heat generating component of the computer environment to be cooled.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the air directed into the computer environment is at ambient temperature.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first heat generating component is located between the fan and the heat sink.

16. A method for removing heat from an airflow within a computer environment used to air cool at least one heat generating component of a server board of the computer environment, comprising:
sensing for a condition precedent associated with a predetermined condition at which to cool the at least one heat generating component;
determining that the condition precedent exists, wherein the condition precedent is that a level of operation of the at least one heat generating component exceeds a threshold level of operation; and
providing energy to a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in response to determining that the condition precedent exists,
the TEC being thermally coupled to a cold plate and a thermally-conductive body, the thermally-conductive body including a plurality of fins disposed between a first heat generating component and a second heat generating component of the at least one heat generating component to intercept the airflow flowing from the first heat generating component to the second heat generating component,
the cold plate being thermally coupled to a pipe of a liquid coolant system of the computer environment through thermal contact with a coupling portion of the cold plate, and to transfer heat from the cold plate to the liquid coolant via the pipe,
the thermally-conductive body being employed to remove an amount of heat from the airflow used to air cool the at least one heat generating component of the server board, and the TEC increasing a rate of heat transfer from the thermally-conductive body to the cold plate based on the energy being provided,
wherein the liquid coolant system removes the amount of heat transferred from the coupling portion from the computer environment and wherein the liquid coolant system is defined by a closed loop system entirely located on the server board of the computer environment,
wherein the energy being provided to the TEC is based on the level of operation exceeding the threshold level of operation to allow the amount of heat transferred to be moved out of the computer environment.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the TEC is thermally coupled to the cold plate on a hot side of the TEC and the thermally-conductive body on a cold side of the TEC

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Kulkarni Devdatta P
• Hanna Timothy G

Classifications

• G06F1/203 Primary

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

• G06F2200/201

  Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid · CPC title

• F25B21/02

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title