Pump-enhanced, immersion-cooling of electronic component(s)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9357675-B2
Application number	US-201314058530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Cooling apparatuses and methods of fabricating thereof are provided which facilitate pumped immersion-cooling of an electronic component(s). The cooling apparatus includes an enclosure having a compartment accommodating the electronic component(s), and dielectric fluid within the compartment at least partially immersing the electronic component(s). A liquid-cooled heat sink is associated with the enclosure to cool at least one cooling surface associated with the compartment, and facilitate heat transfer to the heat sink from the electronic component(s) via the dielectric fluid. A pump is disposed external to the compartment and in fluid communication therewith to facilitate pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment. The pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment enhances heat transfer from the electronic component(s) to the liquid-cooled heat sink via the cooling surface(s). In one implementation, the pumped dielectric fluid flow provides two-phase cooling to the electronic component(s) via flow boiling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling apparatus comprising:
an enclosure comprising a compartment accommodating at least one electronic component to be cooled;
a dielectric fluid circulating through the compartment and at least partially immersing the at least one electronic component to be cooled;
a liquid-cooled heat sink associated with the enclosure and cooling a plurality of fins disposed in an upper region of the compartment, the plurality of fins facilitating heat transfer to the liquid-cooled heat sink from the at least one electronic component via the dielectric fluid within the compartment;
a pump disposed external to the enclosure and coupled in fluid communication with the compartment to facilitate pumped dielectric fluid flow into and out of the enclosure through the compartment, the pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment enhancing heat transfer from the at least one electronic component to the liquid-cooled heat sink via the plurality of fins, the pumped dielectric fluid flow at least partially immersing the plurality of fins;
a dielectric fluid inlet and a dielectric fluid outlet associated with the enclosure to allow the pumped dielectric fluid flow into and out of the enclosure and through the compartment; and
a baffle disposed within the compartment and directing the pumped dielectric fluid flow into the enclosure across the at least one electronic component, and then across the plurality of fins downstream of the least one electronic component, before exiting through the dielectric fluid outlet.

2. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pumped dielectric fluid flow provides two-phase cooling of the at least one electronic component, and the plurality of fins comprise a plurality of condenser fins.

3. The cooling apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins coupled to the at last one electronic component, the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins facilitating heat transfer from the at least one electronic component to the pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment via flow boiling.

4. The cooling apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins are, at least partially, interleaved with the plurality of condenser fins.

5. The cooling apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fins and the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins extend through the baffle.

6. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pump draws single-phase liquid dielectric fluid from the compartment and provides single-phase liquid dielectric fluid to the compartment to facilitate the pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment.

7. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled heat sink is disposed over the compartment, and the pump is mounted on top of the liquid-cooled heat sink.

8. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one other enclosure comprising at least one other compartment accommodating at least one other electronic component to be cooled, and wherein the pump further facilitates pumped dielectric fluid flow through the at least one other compartment, at least partially immersing the at least one other electronic component to be cooled.

9. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fins contact the baffle.

10. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fins extend through the baffle.

11. A cooled electronic system comprising:
at least one electronic component; and
a cooling apparatus comprising:
an enclosure comprising a compartment accommodating at least one electronic component to be cooled;
a dielectric fluid circulating through the compartment and at least partially immersing the at least one electronic component to be cooled;
a liquid-cooled heat sink associated with the enclosure and cooling a plurality of fins disposed in an upper region of the compartment, the plurality of fins facilitating heat transfer to the liquid-cooled heat sink from the at least one electronic component via the dielectric fluid within the compartment;
a pump disposed external to the enclosure and coupled in fluid communication with the compartment to facilitate pumped dielectric fluid flow into and out of the enclosure through the compartment, the pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment enhancing heat transfer from the at least one electronic component to the liquid-cooled heat sink via the plurality of fins, the pumped dielectric fluid flow at least partially immersing the plurality of fins;
a dielectric fluid inlet and a dielectric fluid outlet associated with the enclosure to allow the pumped dielectric fluid flow into and out of the enclosure and through the compartment; and
a baffle disposed within the compartment and directing the pumped dielectric fluid flow into the enclosure across the at least one electronic component, and then across the plurality of fins downstream of the at least one electronic component, before exiting through the dielectric fluid outlet.

12. The cooled electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the pumped dielectric fluid flow provides two-phase cooling of the at least one electronic component, and the plurality of fins comprise a plurality of condenser fins.

13. The cooled electronic system of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins coupled to the at least one electronic component, the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins facilitating heat transfer from the at least one electronic component to the pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment via flow boiling, and wherein the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins are, at least partially, interleaved with the plurality of condenser fins.

14. The cooled electronic system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of fins and the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins extend through the baffle.

15. The cooled electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one pump draws single-phase liquid dielectric fluid from the compartment and provides single-phase liquid dielectric fluid to the compartment to facilitate the pumped dielectric fluid flow through the compartment.

16. The cooled electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one liquid-cooled heat sink is disposed over the compartment, and the at least one pump is mounted on top of the liquid-cooled heat sink.

17. The cooled electronic system of claim 11 , further comprising at least one other enclosure comprising at least one other compartment accommodating at least one other electronic component to be cooled, and wherein the at least one pump further facilitates pumped dielectric fluid flow through the at least one other compartment, at least partially immersing the at least one other electronic component to be cooled.

18. The cooled electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of fins contact the baffle.

19. The cooled electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of fins extend through the baffle.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Campbell Levi A
• Chu Richard C
• David Milnes P
• Ellsworth Jr Michael J
• Iyengar Madhusudan K
• Schmidt Roger R
• Simons Robert E

Classifications

• Y10T29/49361

  Tube inside tube · CPC title

• H05K7/20809 Primary

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

• H05K7/20781

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20318 Primary

  Condensers · CPC title

• H05K7/203

  by immersion · CPC title