Combined architecture for cooling devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11710678-B2
Application number	US-201916369801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A piezoelectric cooling system and method for driving the cooling system are described. The piezoelectric cooling system includes a first piezoelectric cooling element and a second piezoelectric cooling element. The first piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct a fluid toward a surface of a heat-generating structure. The second piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct the fluid to an outlet area after heat has been transferred to the fluid by the heat-generating structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system comprising:
a first piezoelectric cooling element configured to undergo a first vibrational motion when actuated and being substantially flat when not actuated, the first piezoelectric cooling element lying along a first plane when not actuated, the first vibrational motion directing a fluid toward a surface of a heat-generating structure, the first piezoelectric cooling element residing in and coupled with a chamber;
a plurality of orifices distributed on at least one surface of the chamber, the plurality of orifices being in a fluidic path between the heat-generating structure and the first piezoelectric cooling element, the first vibrational motion driving the fluid through the plurality of orifices and toward the surface of the heat-generating structure to be incident on the surface of the heat-generating structure along a first direction; and
a second piezoelectric cooling element, at least a portion of the second piezoelectric cooling element configured to undergo a second vibrational motion when actuated, the at least the portion of the second piezoelectric cooling element lying along a second plane when not actuated, the second plane being oriented at a nonzero angle from the first plane, the nonzero angle being greater than zero degrees and not more than ninety degrees, the second vibrational motion of the second piezoelectric cooling element directing the fluid along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, the second vibrational motion directing the fluid to an outlet area after heat has been transferred to the fluid by the heat-generating structure.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first piezoelectric cooling element has a first side and a second side, the first side being distal to the heat-generating structure and in communication with the fluid, the second side being proximal to the heat-generating surface and in communication with the fluid, the first piezoelectric cooling element being configured to direct the fluid using the first vibrational motion from the first side of the first piezoelectric cooling element to the second side and such that the fluid exiting the plurality of orifices moves in the first direction such that the fluid is incident on a surface of the heat-generating structure at a substantially perpendicular angle.

3. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the second piezoelectric cooling element is a blade element.

4. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first piezoelectric cooling element and the second piezoelectric cooling element are selectively enabled.

5. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first piezoelectric cooling element and the second piezoelectric cooling element are each at least ten microns thick and not more than twenty-five microns thick.

6. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first piezoelectric cooling element is at least fifty microns and not more than five hundred microns from the surface of the heat-generating structure.

7. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first vibrational motion of the first piezoelectric cooling element directs the fluid to be incident on the surface of the heat-generating structure along the first direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the heat-generating structure, the second vibrational motion of the second piezoelectric cooling element directs the fluid along the second direction substantially parallel to the surface of the heat-generating structure.

8. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first vibrational motion of the first piezoelectric cooling element causes an increase or decrease in a volume of the chamber as the first piezoelectric cooling element is deformed, wherein the plurality of orifices forms an array of orifices that allow escape of the fluid from within the chamber during the decrease in the volume in response to a first vibration of the first piezoelectric cooling element; and
a valve configured to admit the fluid into the chamber when the volume increases and to substantially prevent fluid from exiting the chamber through the valve when the chamber volume decreases.

9. The cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the chamber further includes:
an additional valve configured to allow fluid to exit the chamber through the array of orifices when the volume of the chamber decreases and to substantially prevent fluid from entering the chamber through the orifices when the volume of the chamber increases.

10. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the second piezoelectric cooling element resides in an additional chamber and the second vibrational motion forces the fluid to the outlet area.

11. The cooling system of claim 10 , wherein the second piezoelectric cooling element causes an increase or decrease in a volume of the additional chamber as the second piezoelectric cooling element is deformed and wherein the additional chamber further includes
an array of orifices distributed on at least one surface of the additional chamber, the array of orifices allowing escape of the fluid from within the additional chamber during the decrease in the volume in response to the second vibrational motion of the second piezoelectric cooling element; and
a valve configured to admit the fluid into the additional chamber when the volume increases and to substantially prevent fluid from exiting the additional chamber through the valve when the volume of the additional chamber decreases.

12. A piezoelectric cooling system, comprising:
a first plurality of cells, each of the first plurality of cells including a chamber, a first piezoelectric cooling element, and a plurality of orifices distributed on at least one surface of the chamber, the first piezoelectric cooling element being in and coupled with the chamber, the first piezoelectric cooling element undergoing a first vibrational motion when actuated and being substantially flat when not actuated, the first piezoelectric cooling element lying along a first plane when not actuated, the first vibrational motion driving a fluid through the plurality of orifices and toward a surface of a heat-generating structure to be incident on the surface of the heat-generating structure along a first direction; and
a second plurality of cells, each of the second plurality of cells including a second piezoelectric cooling element, at least a portion of the second piezoelectric cooling element configured to undergo a second vibrational motion when actuated, the at least the portion of the second piezoelectric cooling element lying along a second plane when not actuated, the second plane being oriented at an angle from the first plane, the angle being greater than zero degrees and not more than ninety degrees, the second vibrational motion of the second piezoelectric cooling element directing the fluid along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, the second vibrational motion directing the fluid to an outlet area after heat has been transferred to the fluid by the heat-generating structure.

13. The piezoelectric cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the second piezoelectric cooling element is a blade element having a thickness of at least ten microns and not more than twenty-five microns.

14. The piezoelectric cooling system of claim 11 wherein the first vibrational motion of the first piezoelectric cooling element causes an increase or decrease in a volume of the chamber as the first piezoelectric cooling element is deformed, wherein the plurality of orifices allow escape of the fluid from within the chamber during the decrease in the volume in response to the first vib

Assignees

• Frore Systems Inc

Inventors

• Ganti Suryaprakash
• Madhavapeddy Seshagiri Rao
• Fennell Leonard Eugene
• Mukundan Vikram

Classifications

• H10W40/776

  Arrangements for jet impingement, e.g. for spraying · CPC title

• H10W40/70

  Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or in encapsulations for thermal protection or control · CPC title

• H10W40/47

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

• H10W40/40

  involving heat exchange by flowing fluids · CPC title

• H10W40/475 Primary

  using jet impingement (H10W40/776 takes precedence) · CPC title