Cooling apparatus and cooling system for electronic-device exhaustion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727101-B2
Application number	US-201113638343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2011
Priority date	Mar 30, 2010
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The cooling apparatus ( 10 ) for electronic-device exhaustion includes an evaporator unit ( 201 ), a fluid piping ( 306 ) and a vapor piping ( 305 ). A plurality of evaporator units ( 201 ) is disposed in a rack ( 100 ) in the height direction, and have a dimension in height of any of 2U, 3U, and 4U with 1U being 44.45 mm. The evaporator unit causes a coolant fluid thereinside to vaporize and produce a coolant vapor by heat of the exhaust air from an electronic device loaded in the rack ( 100 ), and cools the exhaust air. The fluid piping ( 306 ) is a supply route of the coolant fluid to the evaporator units ( 201 ), the vapor piping ( 305 ) is a discharging route of the coolant vapor from the evaporator units ( 201 ), and both are commonly connected to the plurality of evaporator units ( 201 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooling apparatus for electronic-device exhaustion which cools exhaust air from an electronic device loaded in a rack by endothermic action of a coolant circulating via a condenser unit, the cooling apparatus comprising:
a plurality of evaporator units disposed in the rack along a height direction of the rack, and configured to cause a coolant fluid filled in each evaporator unit to vaporize and produce a coolant vapor by heat of exhaust air flowing in and passing through the each evaporator unit to cool the exhaust air;
a fluid pipe that is a supply route of the coolant fluid to the each evaporator unit; and
a vapor pipe that is a discharging route of the coolant vapor from the each evaporator unit, wherein:
the fluid pipe is provided on a surface of one side portion of the each evaporator unit, is coupled to an end of the one side portion on a lower part of the each evaporator unit, and is connected to the condenser unit,
the vapor pipe includes a plurality of branched vapor pipes,
each of the plurality of branched vapor pipes is a straight pipe and is provided on a surface of another side portion of the each evaporator unit and is coupled to an end of the another side portion on an upper part of the each evaporator unit,
the one side portion and the another side portion are disposed on different sides of the each evaporator unit,
the condenser unit is connected to and disposed above the cooling apparatus,
the vapor pipe is connected to the condenser unit without having a portion downwardly extending from the plurality of evaporator units to the condenser unit, and
a length of the each evaporator unit in the height direction of the rack is any of 2 U, 3 U, and 4 U, where 1 U is a unit of the height of the rack, in accordance with a position where the each evaporator unit is disposed in the height direction of the rack,
wherein the each evaporator unit comprises:
a coolant vapor tank that accumulates thereinside the coolant vapor;
a coolant fluid tank which is provided downwardly of the coolant vapor tank and which accumulates thereinside the coolant fluid;
a plurality of coolant tubes which communicates with the coolant fluid tank and the coolant vapor tank; and
a heat receiving fin which is joined with the coolant tube and which receives heat from the exhaust air,

wherein each of the coolant tubes is a straight piping,
wherein the each evaporator units are disposed in a manner forming at least double layers of the evaporator units in a direction in which the exhaust air passes through,
wherein the double layers dispose the plurality of evaporator units configuring respective layers in a zig-zag layout to each other in the height direction of the rack,
wherein the zig-zag layout is an arrangement of first evaporator units and second evaporator units among the plurality of evaporator units such that the first evaporator units adjoin in the height direction of the rack to configure a first layer of the double layers, and the second evaporator units adjoin in the height direction of the rack to configure a second layer of the double layers, so that exhaust air passing through a space between the first evaporator units or exhaust air passing through an upper part of one of the first evaporator units passes through a lower part of any of the second evaporator units, the upper part having a first predetermined length and located downwardly from a space between the first evaporator units, the lower part having a second predetermined length.

2. The cooling apparatus for electronic-device exhaustion according to claim 1 , further comprising an air-guiding member which is disposed at a side of the each evaporator unit where the exhaust air flows in and which adjusts and directs the exhaust air to the each evaporator unit.

3. The cooling apparatus for electronic-device exhaustion according to claim 2 , wherein
the evaporator units configure a first area and a second area segmented in a width direction of the rack,
the air-guiding member adjusts and guides the exhaust air to the first area, but blocks the exhaust air to the second area,
the cooling apparatus further comprises a flow-direction changing member which is provided at, with reference to the first area, an opposite side to a surface of the first area where the exhaust air flows in, and which guides the exhaust air having passed through the first area to a surface of the second area opposite to the surface of the first area where the exhaust air flows in.

4. The cooling apparatus for electronic-device exhaustion according to claim 1 , wherein 1 U is 44.45 mm.

5. The cooling apparatus for electronic-device exhaustion according to claim 1 , wherein the vapor pipe is free of bent portions.

6. The cooling apparatus for electronic-device exhaustion according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid pipe is connected to the condenser unit without having a portion upwardly extending from the condenser unit to the plurality of evaporator units.

Assignees

• Yoshikawa Minoru
• Inaba Kenichi
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Yoshikawa Minoru
• Inaba Kenichi

Classifications

• H05K7/20818

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · 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

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title