Liquid cooling device, coolant circulation system and liquid leakage detecting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11408692-B2
Application number	US-201916425983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2018
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A liquid cooling device includes a liquid cooling conductor, a detecting probe, and a determining circuit. The liquid cooling conductor includes a chamber defined therein for communicating with the outside, the chamber is configured to accommodate the coolant, and the surface of the liquid cooling conductor is provided with at least one communicating port communicating with the chamber; wherein the liquid cooling conductor is formed joining at least two combination blocks, and at least one of the two combination blocks is a metal conductor. The detecting probe is disposed on the liquid cooling conductor and normally electrically disconnected from the metal conductor. The determining circuit is electrically connected to the metal conductor and the detecting probe, and generates a liquid leakage alarm signal when the metal conductor and the detecting probe are electrically connected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid cooling device, comprising:
a liquid cooling conductor, including a chamber defined therein for communicating with outside, the chamber being configured to accommodate a coolant, and the surface of the liquid cooling conductor being provided with at least one communicating port communicating with the chamber; wherein the liquid cooling conductor is formed by joining at least two combination blocks, at least one of the at least two combination blocks is a metal conductor, and at least a part of the metal conductor is exposed in the chamber and configured to contact the coolant flowing in the chamber;
a detecting probe, disposed on the liquid cooling conductor and normally electrically disconnected from the metal conductor; and
a determining circuit, electrically connected to the metal conductor and the detecting probe, and generating a liquid leakage alarm signal when the metal conductor and the detecting probe are electrically connected;
wherein one of the at least two combination blocks is the metal conductor, the other combination block is an insulator, and the detecting probe is disposed on the insulator without contacting the metal conductor; or the at least two combination blocks are metal conductors, and the liquid cooling device further comprises an insulating patch attached to one of the metal conductors, and the detecting probe is attached to the insulating patch;
wherein a seam is formed between the at least two combination blocks, and the detecting probe is disposed beside the seam; or the detecting probe surrounds the at least one communicating port;
wherein a sealing member surrounds the seam or the communicating port and located inside the detecting probe, another sealing member surrounds the seam or the communicating port and located outside the detecting probe, the another sealing member is a conductive rubber ring and the conductive rubber ring is electrically connected to the detecting probe.

2. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a capillary structure, disposed between the detecting probe and the sealing member.

3. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the capillary structure is made of absorbent material.

4. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the capillary structure is surface structure formed on a surface of the insulator.

5. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the surface structure covers the surface of the insulator at the part disposing the sealing member.

6. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the surface structure is hairline texture, and at least includes two sets of directional interleaving hairlines.

7. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the detecting probe is attached on the surface structure.

8. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the capillary structure includes absorbent material and a surface structure formed on a surface of the insulator.

9. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detecting probe is configured into a capillary structure, and the detecting probe covers the surface of the insulator at the part disposing the sealing member.

10. A liquid cooling device, comprising:
a liquid cooling conductor, including a chamber defined therein for communicating with outside, the chamber being configured to accommodate a coolant, and the surface of the liquid cooling conductor being provided with at least one communicating port communicating with the chamber; wherein the liquid cooling conductor is formed by joining at least three combination blocks, and the three combination blocks comprise at least one metal conductor, a first insulator and a second insulator, and at least a part of the metal conductor is exposed in the chamber and configured to contact the coolant flowing in the chamber; the first insulator includes a through hole and a first trough, the first trough is located on a first side of the first insulator, and the through hole communicates with the first trough and a second side of the first insulator; the second insulator is joined to the first side of the first insulator to cover the first trough; and the metal conductor is joined to the second side of the first insulator to cover the through hole, so that the first trough and the through hole are sealed to form the chamber;
a detecting probe, disposed on the liquid cooling conductor and normally electrically disconnected from the metal conductor; and
a determining circuit, electrically connected to the metal conductor and the detecting probe, and generating a liquid leakage alarm signal when the metal conductor and the detecting probe are electrically connected;
wherein a seam is formed between the at least two combination blocks, and the detecting probe is disposed beside the seam; or the detecting probe surrounds the at least one communicating port.

11. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a second trough is formed on a side of the second insulator facing the first trough to increase the volume of the chamber.

12. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the communicating port extends from the outer surface of the second insulator to the second trough and communicates with the chamber through the second trough; or the communicating port penetrates the solid portions of the first insulator and the second insulator from the outer surface of the second insulator to be communicated to the second side of the first insulator.

13. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second side of the first insulator is provided with a fourth trough corresponding to the communicating port.

14. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the metal conductor further comprises a third trough, the metal conductor is joined to the second side of the first insulator, and the third trough faces the through hole.

15. A coolant circulation system, comprising:
the liquid cooling device according to claim 1 ;
a liquid pump, connected to the at least one communicating port by a pipe; and
a driving circuit, electrically connected to the liquid pump and the determining circuit for driving the liquid pump, and shutting down the liquid pump when receiving the liquid leakage alarm signal from the determining circuit.

16. The coolant circulation system as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a reservoir, wherein the liquid pump is connected to the communicating port and the reservoir by the pipe.

17. The coolant circulation system as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising an alarm electrically connected to the determining circuit, and the alarm receives the liquid leakage alarm signal to generate a corresponding alarm message.

18. A liquid leakage detecting method, comprising:
providing a liquid cooling conductor forming a chamber by joining at least two combination blocks; wherein a seam is formed between the at least two combination blocks, at least one of the at least two combination blocks is a metal conductor, and at least a part of the metal conductor is exposed in the chamber and configured to contact a coolant flowing in the chamber;
disposing a detecting probe beside the seam, or disposing the detecting probe around at least one communicating port communicating with the chamber formed interior of the liquid cooling conductor, wherein one of the at least two combination blocks is a metal conductor, the other combination block is an insulator, and the detecting probe is disposed on the ins

Assignees

• Giga Byte Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Shun-Chih
• Mao Tai-Chuan
• Lu Ching-Yu
• Lin Yi-Jhen
• Wu liang-yu

Classifications

• H10W40/47

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

• H10W40/258

  Metallic materials (H10W40/254, H10W40/257, H10W40/255, H10W40/251, H10W40/253 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/20281

  Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control · CPC title

• G01M3/16

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title