Method and apparatus for cooling devices using phase change materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845975-B2
Application number	US-201615071165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

In some embodiments, cooling devices with metal hydrides are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
monitoring temperature of a first container coupled to a second container via a controllable value;
opening the controllable valve when the monitored temperature reaches a predetermined value such that hydrogen is released from the first container, wherein the controllable valve is electronically controllable in forward and reverse directions; and
cooling a processor, thermally coupled to the first container, in response to the released hydrogen.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to opening the controllable valve, the method comprises:
desorbing the hydrogen gas from the first container;
increasing pressure in the first container; and
transferring the hydrogen gas to the second container.

3. The method of claim 1 comprises filling the first container with a first metal hydride, and filling the second container with a second metal hydride.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second metallic hydride is to have a phase change temperature which is to be same as a phase change temperature for the first metallic hydride.

5. The method of claim 1 comprises positioning the second container in a cooler part of a computing platform away from the processor.

6. The method of claim 1 comprises recharging the first container with a first metallic hydride.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a first container having a first metal hydride, the first container configured to be mounted to a surface to conduct heat away from the surface through hydrogen being released from the first metal hydride;
a controllable valve which is operable to open when a monitored temperature reaches a predetermined value; and
a second container having a second metal hydride, the second container coupled to the first container through the controllable valve,
wherein the controllable valve is an electronically activated permeable Polymer Eletrolyte Membrane (PEM).

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the PEM is one of: a proton exchange membrane, or a Nafrom membrane.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 comprises a phase change material (PCM) atop the second container.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the PCM is one of: plastic crystals, poly alchole, or paraffin.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first metal hydride is different from the second metal hydride.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first container is to be positioned near a heat source, and wherein the second container is to be positioned near a cooler region of a platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the heat source is a processor chip.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controllable valve is electronically controllable in forward and reverse directions.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first metal hydride includes MmNi4.15Fe0.85, and wherein the second metallic hydride includes LaNi4.8Sn0.2.

16. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second metal hydride has a phase change temperature lower than a phase change temperature of the first metallic hydride.

17. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second containers are formed of stainless steel.

18. An apparatus comprising:
means for monitoring temperature of a first container coupled to a second container via a controllable value;
means for opening the controllable valve when the monitored temperature reaches a predetermined value such that hydrogen is released from the first container, wherein the controllable valve is electronically controllable in forward and reverse directions; and
means for cooling a processor, thermally coupled to the first container, in response to the released hydrogen.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 comprises:
means for desorbing the hydrogen gas from the first container;
means for increasing pressure in the first container; and
means for transferring the hydrogen gas to the second container.

Assignees

• Intel Corp
• Board Of Regents Of The Nevada System Of Higher Education On Behalf Of The Univerity Of Nevada Reno
• Univ Of Nevada Reno

Inventors

• Chandra Dhanesh
• Nelson Daryl J
• Tirumala Muralidhar
• Kumar Anupam
• Talekar Anjali

Classifications

• F25B41/04

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• F25B17/12 Primary

  using desorption of hydrogen from a hydride · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• F25B49/046

  Operating intermittently · CPC title