U.S. patent application number 10/937017 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-24 for method and apparatus for cooling devices that in use generate unwanted heat.
Invention is credited to Bond, Richard C..
Application Number | 20050061013 10/937017 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34316500 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050061013 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bond, Richard C. |
March 24, 2005 |
Method and apparatus for cooling devices that in use generate
unwanted heat
Abstract
A cooler comprising coils and passageways defined by and between
the coils through which ambient air moves, from the inlet of the
cooler to the outlet of the cooler, is positioned with its outlet
in register with an ambient air inlet for an enclosed space. A
device that in use generates heat is positioned within the enclosed
space. The enclosed space includes an ambient air inlet and an
outlet through which ambient air from the ambient air inlet to the
outlet. The cooler is used to cool the ambient air that is
immediately forwardly of the ambient air inlet for the enclosed
space. An air mover in the enclosed space, or thermal flow, is used
for moving the cooled ambient air into the ambient air inlet,
through the enclosed space, and out from the outlet of the enclosed
space.
Inventors: |
Bond, Richard C.; (Kirkland,
WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Delbert J. Barnard
P.O. Box 58888
Seattle
WA
98138-1888
US
|
Family ID: |
34316500 |
Appl. No.: |
10/937017 |
Filed: |
September 9, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60501906 |
Sep 10, 2003 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/259.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/20 20130101; H05K
7/20827 20130101; G06F 1/183 20130101; F25D 2400/38 20130101; F25D
11/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/259.2 |
International
Class: |
F25D 023/12; F25D
023/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. For use with an enclosed space that contains at least one device
that in use generates heat, and which includes an ambient air inlet
and, an outlet in which ambient air moves through the space from
the ambient air inlet to the outlet, an ambient air cooler
comprising: an inlet for ambient air, an inner space, an outlet
from the inner space, and a device in the inner space that is
adapted for removing heat from the ambient air as the ambient air
passes through the inner space from the inlet to the outlet;
wherein said cooler is adapted to be positioned with its outlet in
register with the ambient air inlet for the enclosed space, so that
the ambient air that is moved through the enclosed space is ambient
air that has been cooled by the cooler; and wherein the cooler is
adapted to remove heat from the ambient air in an amount sufficient
such that while in the enclosed space the cooled ambient air will
remove a desired amount of the heat that is generated by the device
in the enclosed space.
2. The ambient air cooler of claim 1 in which the cooler has flow
through passage ways defined by and between cooling coils and
leading from the ambient air inlet of the cooler to the outlet of
the cooler.
3. The ambient air cooler of claim 1, comprising a connector for
connecting the cooler to the enclosed space substantially
immediately in front of the device in the enclosed space that
generates heat during its use.
4. The ambient air cooler of claim 3, wherein the cooler includes
wheeled base allowing it to be rolled towards and away from the
inlet of the enclosed space.
5. For use with an enclosed space that includes a plurality of
compartments, each said compartment containing at least one device
that in use generates heat, and which includes an ambient air inlet
for each compartment, an outlet for each compartment, and in which
ambient air moves through the compartment from the inlet of the
compartment to the outlet of the compartment, an ambient air cooler
comprising: inlet for ambient air, an inner space, an outlet from
the inner space, and the device in the inner space which is adapted
for removing heat from the ambient air as the ambient air passes
through the inner space from the inlet to the outlet; wherein said
cooler is adapted to be positioned with its outlet in register with
ambient air inlet for at least one compartment of the enclosed
space, so that the ambient air that is moved through at least one
compartment of the enclosed space is ambient air that has been
cooled by the cooler; and wherein the cooler is adapted to remove
heat from the ambient air in an amount sufficient such that while
in the at least one compartment of the enclosed space the cooled
ambient air will remove a desired amount of the heat that is
generated by the device in the compartment.
6. The ambient air cooler of claim 5 in which the cooler has flow
through passage ways defined by cooling coils and leading from the
ambient air inlet of the cooler to the outlet of the cooler.
7. The ambient air cooler of claim 5, comprising a connector for
connecting the cooler to the enclosed space substantially
immediately in front of the device in the enclosed space that
generates heat during its use.
8. The ambient air cooler of claim 7, wherein the cooler includes
wheels allowing it to be rolled towards and away from the inlet of
the enclosed space.
9. A method of removing heat from a device that in use generates
heat, comprising: positioning the device that in use generates heat
inside of an enclosed space that includes an ambient air inlet, an
outlet and through which ambient air moves from the ambient air
inlet to the outlet; providing an ambient air cooler that comprises
an inlet for ambient air, an inner space, an outlet from the inner
space, and a device in the inner space that is adapted for removing
heat from the ambient air as the ambient air passes through the
inner space from the inlet to the outlet; positioning the cooler
with its outlet in register with the ambient air inlet for the
enclosed space, so that the ambient air that is moved through the
enclosed space is ambient air that has been cooled by the cooler;
and removing the heat from the ambient air in an amount sufficient
so that while it is in the enclosed space the cooled ambient air
will remove a desired amount of heat that is generated by the
device in the enclosed space.
10. The method of claim 9, comprising providing a cooler that has
flow through passageways that are defined by and between cooling
coils.
11. The method of claim 9, comprising providing the cooler with a
wheeled base and rolling the cooler towards the enclosed space into
the position in which the outlet of the cooler is in register with
the ambient air inlet of the enclosed space.
12. The method of claim 9, comprising connecting the cooler to the
enclosed space after the outlet of the cooler has been put into
register with the ambient air inlet of the enclosed space.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims benefit of the filing date of
Provisional Application No. 60/501,906, filed Sep. 10, 2003, and
entitled Cooling System For Electronic Equipment.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to devices, such as computers, that
in use generate unwanted heat making it necessary to cool the
devices. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus
for providing cool ambient air directly in front of the devices
that need to be cooled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Computers are sometimes cooled by cooling the air in the
room in which the computers are located. When air is used as the
cooling medium, variations in airflow occur, particularly when the
heat density rises in a region of the equipment room, or when the
absolute heat load approaches the maximum load that the air can
handle. In an effort to solve resulting problems, systems have been
made in which the devices that heat up are placed inside of a
closure and the air inside the enclosure is cooled. These systems
have been found to be inadequate when the heat density is above
about 8 Kw. None of the existing systems are able to effectively
operate in an environment in which the heat density is between
about 20 to about 40 Kw. Yet, manufactures are starting to make
computer equipment in which that much power exists in the system.
Currently, when the heat density is high, the systems are provided
with greater floor space and larger air handlers and chillers. This
approach has led to the creation of "hot spots" in the equipment.
The known systems fail when the power level raises to about 400
watts per square foot, or when the cooling requirements vary
substantially in a given space.
[0004] When airflow in a single rack approaches about 3,000 cubic
feet per minute, and an aisle of about 20 racks approaches 52,000
cubic feet per minute, the conventional systems cannot handle the
airflow in a computer room of conventional size. The use of larger
rooms is expensive and they are still subject to the airflow
problems that are created. These problems include the creation of
"hot spots" which are regions in the room that are not sufficiently
cooled and in which the devices that generate the heat are
adversely affected by the heat. There is a need for a cooling
system that avoids the problems of the prior art systems and which
eliminates the "hot spots". A principal object of the present
invention is to fulfill this need.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides an ambient air cooler for use
to cool an enclosed space cabinet that contains at least one device
that in use generates heat. The enclosed space has an ambient air
inlet, an outlet and a device for moving ambient air through the
space from the inlet to the outlet. The cooler has an inlet for
ambient air, an inner space, an outlet from the inner space, and a
device in the inner space that is adapted for removing heat from
the ambient air as the ambient air passes through the inner space
from the inlet to the outlet. The cooler is adapted to be
positioned with its outlet in register with the ambient air inlet
for the enclosed space. As a result, the ambient air that is moved
through the enclosed space is ambient air that has been cooled by
the cooler. The cooler is adapted to remove heat from the ambient
air in an amount sufficient that while in the enclosed space the
cooled ambient air will remove a desired amount of the heat that it
generated by the device in the enclosed space.
[0006] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a cooler is
connected to an enclosed space or cabinet substantially immediately
in front of the device that generates heat during use. The cooler
is preferably a unit that is on wheels so that can be rolled
towards and away from the inlet of the enclosed space.
[0007] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the
enclosed space has a plurality of compartments and each compartment
contains at least one device that in use generates heat. Each
compartment has an ambient air inlet, an outlet and an air mover
for moving ambient air through the compartment from the inlet of
the compartment to the outlet of the compartment. By way of
example, the air mover can be a fan or pump positioned in the
compartment and adapted for moving the air from the inlet to the
outlet of the compartment. In this embodiment, the air cooler is
smaller than the entire enclosed space. It has an inlet, an inner
space, an outlet and a device in the inner space that is adapted
for removing heat from the ambient air as the ambient air passes
through the inner space from the inlet to the outlet. This cooler
is adapted to be positioned with its outlet in register with the
ambient air inlet for at least one compartment of the enclosed
space. The ambient air that is moved through the at least one
compartment of the enclosed space is ambient air that has been
cooled by the cooler. The coolers used with compartments in which
substantial heat is generated can be provided with a greater
cooling capacity than the coolers associated with other
compartments in which less heat is generated. By placing the cooler
immediately in front of the compartment which requires the most
cooling, "hot spots" in the room are avoided. Also, extreme density
cooling (about 20 about 50 Kw. per rack or compartment, or more)
may be efficiently and effectively performed.
[0008] In the system in which the cooler is sized to cool fewer
than all of the compartments in the enclosed space, the cooler may
be connected to the housing structure that defines the compartment
in the enclosed space. The cooler may be connected to the housing
in a variety of ways, including by a hinged connection between the
cooler and the housing. Suitable seals may be provided where the
outlet of the cooler mates with the inlet of the housing in which
the device to be cooled is located.
[0009] The method and apparatus of the invention can be applied to
any environment which includes equipment that needs to be cooled,
but it is particularly suited for cooling electrical and electronic
devices in hot environments, or where a uniformly cold environment
is not possible or desirable. The cooled air is supplied at the
required temperature and it is released into the room in which the
enclosed space is located so that it can be recirculated through
the cooler and reused. Uniform distribution of the cooling air is
accomplished without the creation of "hot spots" and separate air
moving equipment is not necessary. Each computer or other device
that needs to be cooled has its own fan, or the like, for moving
air into and through it, from its inlet to its outlet. Additional
fans can be used to boost airflow, but the system does not require
additional fans when the equipment to be cooled is adapted itself
to provide airflow through it.
[0010] Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will
become apparent from the description of the Best Mode set forth
below, from the drawings, from the claim and from the principles
that are embodied in the specific structures that are illustrated
and described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Like reference numerals are used to designate like parts
throughout the several views of the drawing, and:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded pictorial view of a cooler spaced from
the inlet of an enclosed space that contains a device which in use
generates heat;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1, but showing the cooler
attached to the front of the enclosed space that contains the heat
generating device or devices;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown by
FIG. 2;
[0015] FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale top plan view of the assembly
shown by FIGS. 2 and 3;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a view of a modified embodiment in which the
enclosed space is composed of a plurality of compartments and the
cooler is selectively alignable with each of the compartments;
and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a diagram of a basic refrigeration system, such
view being presented for an understanding of a type of cooler that
can be used in the system of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] FIGS. 1-4 show an enclosed space 10 that is within a housing
or cabinet 12. The enclosed space 10 and the housing 12 have an
inlet 14, an outlet 16 and an air mover 18 for moving ambient air
through the space 10 from the inlet 14 to the outlet 16. The
enclosed space 10 also includes at least one device 20 that in use
generates heat. In FIG. 1, the housing or cabinet 12 may be a
standard computer housing or may be a rack of computer components,
or similar equipment. At least some of the computer components
generate heat when they are in use.
[0019] A cooler 22 is provided for cooling ambient air at a
location immediately forwardly of the inlet 14. Any device that can
cool a fluid can be used forwardly of the inlet 14. In the
embodiments shown by FIGS. 1-4, the cooler 22 is located within a
housing 24 that is connectable to the housing 12, in the manner
shown by FIGS. 2-4. By way of example, one or more hinges 26 may be
provided along one rear corner boundary of the cooler 22, for
connecting it to the adjacent front corner boundary 28 of the
housing 12. The second rear corner boundary 30 on the cooler 24 may
be connected by a latch mechanism to the second forward corner
boundary 32 on the housing 12. In some embodiments, the housing 12
includes wheels 34 and the cooler 22 includes wheels 36. This
allows the cooler 22 to be easily moved towards and away from the
inlet end 14 of housing 12.
[0020] When the cooler 22 is positioned immediately in front of the
enclosed space 10, with its outlet in register with the inlet of
the housing 12, "hot spots" are avoided and extreme density cooling
(e.g. about 20 to about 50 Kw. per rack, or more) may be
efficiently and effectively performed. Heat in the ambient air is
removed from ambient air by an evaporator E, lowering the
temperature of the air that flows through the cooler 22. Flexible
or tubing in the cooler 22 with a condenser C that is associated
with the cooler 22. A seal may be provided by connect these
peripheries of the cooler outlet 38 and the housing inlet 14. The
peripheries are generally aligned and the cooler 22 is moved
against the housing 12 and then the cooler 22 and the housing 12
are connected together. FIG. 1 shows the cooler 22 spaced from the
inlet 14 of the housing 12. FIG. 2 shows the cooler 22 coupled to
the housing 12. The ambient air outwardly of the cooler 22 must
pass through the cooler 22 in order to reach the inlet 14 of the
housing 12. While inside the cooler 22, in the passageways that are
defined by and between the evaporator tubing T in the cooler 22,
heat is extracted from the ambient air, lowering its temperature.
It is this cooled air that is drawn into the housing 12 by the fan
or other air mover 18 (FIG. 4). By way of typical example, the rear
wall of the housing 12 may include opening 16 that together define
an outlet for the interior of the housing 12. The air exhausting
through the outlet 16 may be released into the room in which the
enclosure 12 is located.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows a larger enclosed space 10 divided into
compartments 40, 42, 44, 46, 48. In this embodiment, the cooler 22
is sized to connect to one or more but not all of the compartments
40, 42, 44,46, 48. In FIG. 5, the cooler 22 is shown sized to match
up with a single compartment. The cooler 22 is moved into a
position in front of the compartment that requires its service in
cooling the ambient air that will be drawn into and through the
compartment, over the device in the compartment that needs to be
cooled.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 3, the dimension a may typically be about
4 inches to about 8 inches. The dimension b may typically be about
30 inches to about 38 inches. The dimension c may typically be
about 70 inches to about 120 inches. Referring to FIG. 4, the
dimension d may typically be about 14 inches to about 24 inches.
However, these dimensions are all variable.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a diagram of the basic components of one type of
cooler 22. Tubing T in the cooler 22 defines the evaporator E
through which the coolant flows. As shown by FIG. 6, in a typical
system, an endless path 50 includes an evaporator E, a compressor
CP, a condenser C and an expansion valve EV. A liquid coolant under
low pressure enters into the evaporator E at low pressure. Heat is
removed from the ambient air in the evaporator E. The liquid
becomes a vapor at low pressure. The compressor CP compresses the
vapor to make it a vapor at high pressure. The high pressure vapor
enters the condenser C and expels heat at high pressure. The fluid
becomes a liquid under high pressure. This liquid flows through the
expansion valve EV where it again becomes a low pressure liquid.
Coolers of this basic construction are quite well known and
therefore further details of the cooler are not disclosed.
[0024] The illustrated embodiments are only examples of the present
invention and, therefore, are non-limitive. It is to be understood
that many changes in the particular structure, materials and
features of the invention may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is my intention
that my patent rights not be limited by the particular embodiments
that are illustrated and described herein, but rather are to be
determined by the following claims, interpreted according to
excepted doctrines of claim interpretation, including use of the
Doctrine of Equivalents.
* * * * *