Modular heat-transfer systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9496200-B2
Application number	US-201213559340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2012
Priority date	Jul 27, 2011
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Some modular heat-transfer systems can have an array of at least one heat-transfer element being configured to transfer heat to a working fluid from an operable element. A manifold module can have a distribution manifold and a collection manifold. A decoupleable inlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the distribution manifold to a respective heat-transfer element. A decoupleable outlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the respective heat-transfer element to the collection manifold. An environmental coupler can be configured to receive the working fluid from the collection manifold, to transfer heat to an environmental fluid from the working fluid or to transfer heat from an environmental fluid to the working fluid, and to discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold.

First claim

Currently claimed inventions:

1. A modular heat-transfer system comprising:
an array having a plurality of heat-transfer elements, each defining an inlet and an outlet and having at least one component heat-exchange module in thermal contact with a corresponding operable element to provide conduction heat-transfer between the at least one component heat-exchange module and the corresponding operable element, wherein the at least one component heat-exchange module is configured to transfer heat to a working fluid from the operable element, or to transfer heat from the working fluid to the operable element, wherein the at least one component heat-exchange module comprises a pump positioned in the at least one component heat-exchange module and being configured to urge the working fluid through the respective heat-transfer element;
a manifold module having a distribution manifold and a collection manifold,
a decoupleable inlet coupler corresponding to each respective inlet of each respective heat-transfer element in the array, wherein the respective inlet coupler is configured to fluidicly couple the distribution manifold to the inlet of the respective heat-transfer element;
a decoupleable outlet coupler corresponding to each respective outlet of each respective heat-transfer element in the array, wherein the respective outlet coupler is configured to fluidicly couple the outlet of the respective heat-transfer element to the collection manifold; and
an environmental coupler configured to receive the working fluid from the collection manifold, to transfer heat to an environmental fluid from the working fluid or to transfer heat from an environmental fluid to the working fluid, and to discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold, wherein no pumps other than the pumps in the component heat-exchange modules circulate the working fluid among the plurality of heat-transfer elements, the manifold module, and the environmental coupler.

2. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the heat-transfer elements in the array comprises a respective plurality of component heat-exchange modules.

3. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the respective plurality of component heat-exchange modules are fluidicly coupled with each other in series.

4. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component heat-exchange module comprises a first component heat-exchange module and a second component heat-exchange module, wherein the pump comprises a first pump corresponding to the first component heat-exchange module, wherein the second component heat-exchange module comprises a second pump configured to urge the working fluid through the corresponding heat-transfer element.

5. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the respective heat-transfer element is so fluidicly coupleable to the distribution manifold, the outlet of the respective heat-transfer element is so fluidicly coupleable to the collection manifold, and the environmental coupler is so fluidicly coupleable to the distribution manifold and to the collection manifold as to be capable of defining a closed-loop fluid circuit, and wherein the pump is so configured as to be capable of urging the working fluid through the closed-loop fluid circuit.

6. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental coupler comprises a liquid-liquid heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to or from a liquid-phase of the environmental fluid.

7. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the decoupleable inlet coupler is so configured as not to be matingly engageable with the collection manifold.

8. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the decoupleable outlet coupler is so configured as not to be matingly engageable with the distribution manifold.

9. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component heat-exchange module comprises a corresponding pair of component heat-exchange modules, wherein each in the pair of component heat-exchange modules is configured to transfer heat dissipated by respective electrical, opto-electrical or optical device to the working fluid.

10. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising a rack configured to receive at least one independently operable server, wherein each in the at least one independently operable server comprises an operable element, wherein the rack is configured to mountably receive the manifold module, and one heat-transfer element corresponds to each at least one independently operable server and is configured to transfer heat dissipated by the respective independently operable server to the working fluid, and the environmental coupler is configured to reject at least a portion of the heat dissipated by the respective independently operable server to the environmental fluid from the working fluid.

11. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to emit a signal corresponding to one or more of a relative humidity of an environment, an absolute humidity of an environment, a temperature of an environment, a wet-bulb temperature of an environment, a temperature of the working fluid in a portion of the manifold module, a temperature of the working fluid in a portion of the environmental coupler, a temperature of the environmental fluid in a portion of the environmental coupler, a volume of the working fluid in a portion of the environmental coupler, a temperature of the working fluid in a portion of one or more heat-transfer elements, a leak of the working fluid, a leak of the environmental fluid, or a combination thereof.

12. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more actuatable valves configured to limit a flow of the working fluid, the environmental fluid, or both, at least partially responsively to the signal emitted by the sensor.

13. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 10 , further comprising a supply apparatus configured to supply to the environmental coupler the environmental fluid at a relatively lower temperature compared to a temperature of the working fluid within the environmental coupler.

14. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 13 , further comprising a heat exchanger configured to reject, from the environmental fluid to an environment, heat absorbed by the environmental fluid from the working fluid within the environmental coupler.

15. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 13 , wherein the supply apparatus comprises an air-cooled environmental heat exchanger configured to reject heat from the environmental fluid to atmospheric air.

16. The modular heat-transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising a working fluid reservoir being fluidicly coupleable to the manifold module.

17. A modular heat-transfer system comprising:
an array having a plurality of heat-transfer elements, wherein each heat-transfer element defines an inlet and an outlet, and at least one of the heat-transfer elements includes a component heat-exchange module having a heat exchanger in combination with an integrated housing and a pump positioned in the housing, wherein the heat exchanger is positioned in thermal contact with a corresponding operable element to provide a conduction heat-transfer path between the heat exchanger and the corresponding operable element, and thereby is configured to transfer heat to a working fluid in the housing from the corresponding operable element, or to transfer heat from the working fluid in the housing to the operable elem

Assignees

• Lyon Geoff Sean
• Holden Mike
• Gierl Brydon
• Coolit Systems Inc

Inventors

• Lyon Geoff Sean
• Holden Mike
• Gierl Brydon

Classifications

• H10W40/47

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

• H01L2924/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L23/473 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K7/20781 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H01L2924/0002

  Electricity · mapped topic