Cooling system and device housing apparatus using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9288931-B2
Application number	US-201214131230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2012
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A cooling system comprising: an evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant by performing heat exchange with outside air; a condenser for condensing a gas refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant by making a refrigerant and a cooling medium perform heat exchange with each other; a gas refrigerant pipe and a liquid refrigerant pipe connecting the evaporator and the condenser; and the evaporator including: an upper part header provided in a highest position of the evaporator, and connected with the condenser by the gas refrigerant pipe, through the gas refrigerant pipe a gas refrigerant flowing; a lower part header provided in a lowest position of the evaporator, and connected with the condenser by the liquid refrigerant pipe, through the liquid refrigerant pipe a liquid refrigerant flowing; a middle header provided in an intermediate position between the upper part header and the lower part header, and connected with the condenser by the liquid refrigerant pipe, through the liquid refrigerant pipe the liquid refrigerant flowing; an upper part evaporator, arranged between the upper part header and the middle header, including an upper part steam generating tube having a first flow path for leading a refrigerant of the middle header to the upper part header while making the refrigerant of the middle header perform heat exchange with outside air and having a second flow path for leading a refrigerant of the lower part header to the upper part header while making the refrigerant of the lower part header perform heat exchange with outside air; and a lower part evaporator, arranged between the lower part header and the middle header, including a lower part steam generating tube having a third flow path inserted into the middle header while making a refrigerant of the lower part header perform heat exchange with outside air, the lower part steam generating tube communicated with the second flow path of the upper part steam generating tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooling system for cooling an electronic device, comprising:
an evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant by performing heat exchange with outside air;
a condenser for condensing a gas refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant by making a refrigerant and a cooling medium perform heat exchange with each other;
a gas refrigerant pipe and a liquid refrigerant pipe connecting the evaporator and the condenser; and
the evaporator including:
an upper part header provided in a highest position of the evaporator, and connected with the condenser by the gas refrigerant pipe, through the gas refrigerant pipe a gas refrigerant flowing;
a lower part header provided in a lowest position of the evaporator, and connected with the condenser by the liquid refrigerant pipe, through the liquid refrigerant pipe a liquid refrigerant flowing;
a middle header provided in an intermediate position between the upper part header and the lower part header, and connected with the condenser by the liquid refrigerant pipe, through the liquid refrigerant pipe the liquid refrigerant flowing;
an upper part evaporator, arranged between the upper part header and the middle header, including an upper part steam generating tube having a first flow path for leading a refrigerant of the middle header to the upper part header while making the refrigerant of the middle header perform heat exchange with outside air and having a second flow path for leading a refrigerant of the lower part header to the upper part header while making the refrigerant of the lower part header perform heat exchange with outside air; and
a lower part evaporator, arranged between the lower part header and the middle header, including a lower part steam generating tube having a third flow path inserted into the middle header while making a refrigerant of the lower part header perform heat exchange with outside air, the lower part steam generating tube being communicated with the second flow path of the upper part steam generating tube.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
a convex portion extending along a flow path direction of a refrigerant is formed in a flow path inner wall of at least one of the first flow path, the second flow path and the third flow path.

3. The cooling system according to claim 2 , wherein
a fin is fixed to an outer wall of the upper part steam generating tube and the lower part steam generating tube in a thermally contacting manner.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3 , wherein
the middle header includes a bypass pipe for making the second flow path of the upper part evaporator and the third flow path of the lower part evaporator communicate with each other.

5. The cooling system according to claim 4 , wherein
the bypass pipe is formed in a manner being integrated with the upper part steam generating tube or the lower part steam generating tube.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5 , wherein
the condenser includes a fin fixed to an inner wall of the condenser in a thermally contacting manner.

7. The cooling system according to claim 6 , wherein
the condenser includes a fin fixed to an outer wall of the condenser in a thermally contacting manner.

8. The cooling system according to claim 7 , wherein
the gas refrigerant pipe and the liquid refrigerant pipe are refrigerant pipes having flexibility.

9. A device housing apparatus, comprising:
a rack for mounting a plurality of electronic devices;
a cooling system according to claim 8 provided corresponding to the rack; and
an air blower for taking in outside air and blowing the taken air at the electronic device to cool the electronic device and blowing out the outside air having a temperature risen by the electronic device via the cooling system.

10. The cooling system according to claim 9 , comprising
a duct enclosing the electronic device and the evaporator.

11. The cooling system according to claim 8 , wherein
heat insulation processing is applied to at least the liquid refrigerant pipe.

12. The cooling system according to claim 10 , wherein
the cooling medium is cooling water set to a temperature lower than a temperature of a gas refrigerant flowing into the condenser.

13. The cooling system according to claim 12 , wherein
a size of the evaporator is formed as a size smaller than the electronic device.

Assignees

• Inaba Kenichi
• Yoshikawa Minoru
• Sakamoto Hitoshi
• Chiba Masaki
• Matsunaga Arihiro
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Inaba Kenichi
• Yoshikawa Minoru
• Sakamoto Hitoshi
• Chiba Masaki
• Matsunaga Arihiro

Classifications

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• F28D15/0266

  with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers (F28D15/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20727

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title

• H05K7/20318

  Condensers · CPC title

• H05K7/20818

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title