Heat transfer apparatus for a computer environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12093092-B2
Application number	US-202217568615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

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 electronic device comprising:
a first thermoelectric cooler (TEC) to remove heat from a first component of one or more components of the electronic device, wherein the first TEC is variably controllable based on a change to an amount of energy provided to the first TEC, and wherein the first TEC is activated based on an identification that a level of operation of the first component exceeds a threshold level of operation of the first component;
a second TEC to remove heat from a second component of the one or more components, wherein the second TEC is variably controllable based on a change to an amount of energy provided to the second TEC, and wherein the second TEC is activated based on an identification that a level of operation of the second component exceeds a threshold level of operation of the second component; and
a liquid coolant system coupled with the first TEC, wherein the liquid coolant system is to remove heat from the first TEC;
wherein the change to the amount of energy provided to the first TEC is dynamic and is controllable individually of the change to the amount of energy provided to the second TEC.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the change in amount of energy provided to the first TEC changes a thermal conductivity of the first TEC.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the change to the amount of energy provided to the first TEC includes a change in voltage, a change in current, or a change in wattage.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the change to the amount of energy provided to the first TEC is based on a change in temperature of the one or more components.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first TEC includes:
a first substrate material;
a second substrate material;
a conductive N-type material at least partially between the first substrate material and the second substrate material; and
a conductive P-type material at least partially between the first substrate material and the second substrate material.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more components is a memory or a processor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a server chassis.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coolant system is mounted on a same chassis as a chassis to which the one or more components are to be mounted.

9. A method comprising:
comparing, by one or more processors of an electronic device, a level of operation of a first component of one or more components of the electronic device to a threshold level of operation of the first component;
comparing, by the one or more processors, a level of operation of a second component of the one or more components of the electronic device to a threshold level of operation of the second component;
changing, by the one or more processors of the electronic device based on the comparison of the level of operation of the first component to the threshold level of operation of the first component, an amount of energy provided to a first thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that is to change a temperature of the first component by removing heat from the first component to a liquid coolant system coupled with the first TEC; and
changing, by the one or more processors of the electronic device based on the comparison of the level of operation of the second component to the threshold level of operation of the second component, an amount of energy provided to a second TEC that is to change a temperature of the first component;
wherein changing the amount of energy provided to the second TEC is dynamic and individually controllable from changing the amount of energy provided to the first TEC.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein changing the amount of energy provided to the first TEC includes changing a voltage, current, or wattage provided to the first TEC.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first TEC includes:
a first substrate material;
a second substrate material;
a conductive N-type material at least partially between the first substrate material and the second substrate material; and
a conductive P-type material at least partially between the conductive N-type material and the first substrate material.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the components include a memory or a processor.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein changing the amount of energy of the first TEC changes a thermal conductivity of the first TEC.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the one or more components is a memory or a processor.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of an electronic device, are to cause the electronic device to:
change, based on an identification that a level of operation of a first component of the electronic device has exceeded a threshold level of operation of the first component, an amount of energy provided to a first thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that is to change a temperature of the first component by removing heat from the first component to a liquid coolant system coupled with the first TEC; and
change, based on an identification that a level of operation of a second component of the electronic device has exceeded a threshold level of operation of the second component, an amount of energy provided to a second TEC that is to change a temperature of the second component;
wherein changing the amount of energy provided to the second TEC is dynamic and individually controllable from changing the amount of energy provided to the first TEC.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein changing the amount of energy provided to the first TEC includes changing a voltage, current, or wattage provided to the first TEC.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the first TEC includes:
a first substrate material;
a second substrate material;
a conductive N-type material at least partially between the first substrate material and the second substrate material; and
a conductive P-type material at least partially between the conductive N-type material and the first substrate material.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the components include a memory or a processor.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein changing the amount of energy of the first TEC changes a thermal conductivity of the first TEC.

20. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the threshold level of operation of the first component is based on a percentage of a maximum level of operation of the first component.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Kulkarni Devdatta P
• Hanna Timothy G

Classifications

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• F25B21/02

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

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• G06F2200/201

  Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid · CPC title

• G06F1/203 Primary

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