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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9750159-B2
Application number	US-201514826421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

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 method comprising:
fabricating a cooling apparatus to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the fabricating comprising:
providing an enclosure comprising a compartment accommodating the at least one electronic component to be cooled;
providing a dielectric fluid circulating through the compartment and at least partially immersing the at least one electronic component;
associating a liquid-cooled heat sink with the enclosure to cool 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;
providing a pump disposed external to the enclosure and coupled in fluid communication with the compartment to facilitate pumped dielectric fluid flow 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;
providing 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
providing 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.

2. The method 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 method of claim 2 , further comprising providing 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 method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins are, at least partially, interleaved with the plurality of condenser fins.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins contact the baffle.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of dielectric fluid boiling fins extend through the baffle.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of condenser fins contact the baffle.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of condenser fins extend through the baffle.

9. The method 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.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing 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.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fins contact the baffle.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fins extend through the baffle.

13. A method comprising:
fabricating a cooling apparatus to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the fabricating comprising:
providing an enclosure comprising a compartment accommodating the at least one electronic component to be cooled;
providing a dielectric fluid within the compartment at least partially immersing the at least one electronic component;
associating a liquid-cooled heat sink with the enclosure to cool at least one cooling surface associated with the compartment, the at least one cooling surface facilitating heat transfer to the liquid-cooled heat sink from the at least one electronic component via the dielectric fluid within the compartment;
providing a pump disposed external to the compartment and coupled in fluid communication therewith to facilitate pumped dielectric fluid flow 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 at least one cooling surface; and

wherein the liquid-cooled heat sink is disposed over the compartment, and the pump is disposed over the liquid-cooled heat sink.

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