Cooling system for an information handling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11503740-B2
Application number	US-202117172749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2021
Priority date	Feb 10, 2021
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An information handling system having a heat exchanger positioned near and in thermally-conductive conduct with an electrical, heat-generating component of the information handling system, such as a central processing unit or graphics processing unit. A fan directs air across the heat exchanger to cool the electrical component by convection. A first portion of the heat pipe may be in direct physical contact with the electrical component and a second portion of the heat pipe may be in thermal contact with the electrical component and the first portion and in direct physical contact with an additional heat exchanger. The fan may direct air across both heat exchangers to cool the electrical component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an electrical component of an information handling system;
a heat pipe having a first portion positioned vertically above the electrical component, the first portion in thermal contact with the electrical component;
a first heat exchanger positioned vertically above the electrical component, the first heat exchanger in thermal contact with the first portion of the heat pipe; and
a first fan having a first outlet configured to drive air within a chassis of the information handling system to the first heat exchanger and through a first chassis outlet positioned on a perimeter of the chassis;
wherein:
the first heat exchanger is aligned along a different axis from the first outlet of the first fan; and
the electrical component is positioned closer to the perimeter than is the first fan.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical component is at least one of a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first heat exchanger is a fin stack;
the first fan is configured to drive air from the first outlet along a first flow path such that the air traveling along the first flow path travels a first distance from the first outlet to the first heat exchanger and a second distance from the first heat exchanger to the first chassis outlet; and
the first distance is greater than the second distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is laterally spaced away from a first axis that is aligned with and intersects the first outlet of the first fan.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second heat exchanger in thermal contact with a second portion of the heat pipe,
wherein the second portion of the heat pipe is in thermal contact with the electrical component and the first portion of the heat pipe.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first fan has the first outlet and a second outlet, the first and second outlets configured to discharge air in two different directions along the first axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a second chassis outlet positioned on the perimeter of the chassis, wherein the first chassis outlet and the second chassis outlet are configured to discharge air from the chassis.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second heat exchanger in direct physical contact with a second portion of the heat pipe positioned adjacent to a second fan,
wherein the second fan is configured to drive air across the second heat exchanger, and
wherein the second portion of the heat pipe is in thermal contact with the electrical component and the first portion of the heat pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second heat exchanger is a fin stack and wherein the first fan is configured to drive air from the first outlet to the first heat exchanger in a direction away from the second fan.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a second chassis outlet, wherein the first chassis outlet and the second chassis outlet are configured to discharge air from the chassis.

11. A method, comprising:
driving air from a first outlet of a first fan along a first flow path across a chassis of an information handling system to dissipate heat off a first heat exchanger and out of a first chassis outlet,
wherein:
the driven air along the first flow path passes from the first heat exchanger to the first chassis outlet without passing through an additional fan;
the first heat exchanger is positioned vertically above and in thermal contact with a first portion of a heat pipe;
the first portion of the heat pipe is positioned vertically above an electrical component of the information handling system and in thermal contact with the electrical component; and
the first heat exchanger is aligned along a different axis from the first outlet of the first fan.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first heat exchanger is laterally spaced from a first axis that is aligned with and intersects the first outlet of the first fan.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein driving the air lowers the temperature of the electrical component by at least three degrees Centigrade.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein driving the air raises the temperature of the chassis housing the electrical component by less than it lowers the temperature of the electrical component.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
driving air across a second heat exchanger,
wherein the second heat exchanger is in thermal contact with the electrical component and direct physical contact with a second portion of the heat pipe, the second portion positioned adjacent to a first fan.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein driving the air across the second heat exchanger comprises driving the air with the first fan.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first fan has the first outlet and a second outlet, the first and second outlets configured to discharge air in two different directions along a first axis.

18. An information handling system, comprising:
a chassis having:
a perimeter that includes a first side and a second side,
a first outlet positioned on the first side and configured to discharge air from the chassis
a second outlet positioned on the second side and configured to discharge air from the chassis;

an electrical component within the chassis;
a heat pipe having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion positioned vertically above and in thermal contact with the electrical component and the second portion in thermal contact with the electrical component and the first portion of the heat pipe;
a first heat exchanger positioned vertically above and in thermal contact with the first portion of the heat pipe;
a second heat exchanger in thermal contact with the second portion of the heat pipe; and
a fan configured to drive air within the chassis,
wherein:
the electrical component is disposed between the first side of the perimeter and the fan;
the fan includes a first outlet configured to discharge air along a first path and a second outlet configured to discharge air along a second path;
the first path extends from the first outlet of the fan, to the first heat exchanger, to the first outlet on the first side of the chassis; and
the second path extends from the second outlet of the fan, to the second heat exchanger, to the second outlet on the second side of the chassis.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein the electrical component is at least one of a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit.

20. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein:
the first outlet of the fan, the second outlet of the fan, the second heat exchanger, and the second outlet of the chassis are positioned along a first axis; and
the first heat exchanger is positioned along a second axis that is parallel to the first axis.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• He Qinghong
• Hampton Patrick

Classifications

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/203

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

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title

• H05K7/20336 Primary

  Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title