Electronic assembly with cooling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9445523-B2
Application number	US-201113808901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2011
Priority date	Jul 7, 2010
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic assembly comprising a plurality of electronic component groups and a cooling device for cooling the electronic component groups. The cooling device provides a cooling-power distributor. A cooling power of the cooling device can be individually controlled by the cooling-power distributor for every component group. Furthermore, the assembly provides temperature-registering means for every component group for registering a temperature of every component group, and a load-determining device for determining a parameter for every component group which describes the load experienced by a component group on the basis of the temperature registered for this component group. A control unit controls the cooling-power distributor on the basis of the parameters determined for the component groups.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic assembly comprising: a plurality of electronic component groups; and a cooling device for cooling the electronic component groups, wherein
a temperature-registering means is provided for each component group for the individual registration of a temperature of each component group;
a load-determining device is provided for determining a parameter for each component group which describes the load experienced by a component group on the basis of the temperature registered for this component group;
a cooling-power distributor is provided for distributing a cooling power of the cooling device to the component groups; and
a control unit is provided for controlling the distribution by the cooling-power distributor on the basis of the determined parameters of the component groups, wherein the parameter for each component group is the estimated residual-operating life of the respective component group, and the load-determining device is suitable for determining the parameter for each component group on the basis of the temperature characteristic experienced by this component group,
wherein the load-determining device is suitable for re-determining the parameter for every component group at periodic intervals, and the control unit is suitable for controlling the cooling-power distributor in such a manner that the cooling power is distributed to the component groups on the basis of the re-determined parameter for the component groups.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein an input unit for entering user interactions connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is embodied in such a manner that the temperature characteristic of one of the component groups is deleted in consequence of the entry of a given user interaction.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the load-determining device is suitable for estimating the residual-operating life of each component group on the basis of the adjusted cooling power for this component group.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control unit is suitable for controlling the cooling-power distributor so that the cooling power is distributed to the component groups in such a manner that the residual-operating life of the electronic assembly determined from the residual operating lives of the component groups is maximal.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein an output device is provided for outputting the parameters of the individual component groups.

6. A method for cooling a plurality of electronic component groups, comprising:
determining a temperature for each component group;
determining a parameter for each component group which describes the load experienced by a component group on the basis of the temperature registered for this component group; and
controlling a distribution of a cooling power to the component groups on the basis of the parameters determined for the component groups, wherein the residual-operating life of each component group is estimated as the parameter for the respective component group, and the parameter for each component group is determined on the basis of the temperature characteristic experienced by the respective component group,
wherein the parameter for each component group is re-determined at periodic intervals, and the distribution of the cooling power to the component groups is controlled on the basis of the re-determined parameter for this component group.

7. The method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the residual-operating life of each component group is determined taking into consideration the adjusted cooling power for this component group.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the cooling power for each component group is controlled in such a manner that the residual-operating life of the electronic assembly determined from the residual operating lives of the component groups is maximal.

9. The method according to claim 6 ,
further comprising outputting of the parameters for the individual component groups.

Assignees

• Holzmann Gottfried
• Mittermaier Werner
• Jelen Matthias
• Roth Martin
• Oetjen Martin
• Moser Albert
• Mahr Roland
• Rohde & Schwarz

Inventors

• Holzmann Gottfried
• Mittermaier Werner
• Jelen Matthias
• Roth Martin
• Oetjen Martin
• Moser Albert
• Mahr Roland

Classifications

• H05K7/20 Primary

  Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/207 Primary

  Thermal management, e.g. cabinet temperature control · CPC title