U.S. patent application number 13/063932 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-07 for providing connection elements for connecting fluid pipes to carry cooling fluid in a system.
Invention is credited to Tyrell Kyle Kumlin, Mark C. Solomon, Trentent Tye, Troy Garrett Tye.
Application Number | 20110162818 13/063932 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42059983 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110162818 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kumlin; Tyrell Kyle ; et
al. |
July 7, 2011 |
Providing Connection Elements For Connecting Fluid Pipes To Carry
Cooling Fluid In A System
Abstract
A system has a housing and a rigid fluid pipe fixedly mounted
inside the housing to carry cooling fluid, A first connection
element is attached to an end portion of the rigid fluid pipe, and
a heat-generating assembly is mounted inside the housing. The
heat-generating assembly has a flexible fluid pipe. A second
connection element is attached to an end portion of the flexible
fluid pipe, where the first and second connection elements are
removably connectable together and provide an automatic sealing
mechanism when the first and second connection elements are
disconnected.
Inventors: |
Kumlin; Tyrell Kyle;
(Calgary, CA) ; Tye; Trentent; (Calgary, CA)
; Tye; Troy Garrett; (Calgary, CA) ; Solomon; Mark
C.; (San Jose, CA) |
Family ID: |
42059983 |
Appl. No.: |
13/063932 |
Filed: |
September 23, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
September 23, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US08/77345 |
371 Date: |
March 14, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/67 ; 165/121;
165/178 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20272
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/67 ; 165/178;
165/121 |
International
Class: |
F28F 9/00 20060101
F28F009/00; F28F 13/00 20060101 F28F013/00 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: a housing; a rigid fluid pipe fixedly
mounted inside the housing to carry cooling fluid; a first
connection element attached, to an end portion of the rigid fluid
pipe; a heat-generating assembly mounted inside the housing,
wherein the heat-generating assembly has a flexible fluid pipe; and
a second, connection element attached to an end portion of the
flexible fluid pipe, wherein the first and second connection
elements are removably connectable together and provide an
automatic sealing mechanism when the first and second connection
elements are disconnected.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second connection
elements form a fluid quick-connect mechanism.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first connection element has
a sealing element to fluidically seal the end portion of the rigid
fluid pipe upon disconnection of the second connection element from
the first connection element.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat-generating assembly
comprises an electronic device and a heat sink attached to the
flexible fluid pipe.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the heat-generating assembly with
the flexible fluid pipe is mountable in the housing as a unit, and
wherein the flexible fluid pipe is arranged to enable manipulation
for connecting the first and second connection elements.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic device is
thermally contacted to the heat sink, and wherein the heat sink has
an internal fluid passage to receive cooling fluid from the
flexible fluid pipe.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the heat-generating assembly
further has a second flexible fluid pipe, and the system farther
comprises: a second rigid fluid pipe fixedly mounted inside the
housing; and a connection mechanism for removably connecting the
second flexible fluid pipe to the second rigid fluid pipe, wherein
the second flexible fluid pipe is to carry heated cooling fluid
away from the heat sink.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat-generating assembly is
removably mounted in the system.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat-generating assembly
comprises a heat exchanger.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the heat exchanger includes heat
fins and at least one fan to generate a flow of air across the
fins.
11. A method of providing cooling a system having a housing,
comprising: fixedly mounting a rigid fluid pipe inside the housing
to carry a cooling fluid; mounting a heat-generating assembly
inside the housing, wherein the heat-generating assembly has a
flexible fluid pipe; and removably connecting the rigid fluid pipe
to the flexible fluid pipe using a quick-connect mechanism, wherein
the quick-connect mechanism has an automatic sealing mechanism to
reduce likelihood of leakage of the cooling fluid upon
disconnection of the quick-connect mechanism.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein removably mounting the
heat-generating assembly inside the housing comprises removably
mounting an assembly including a heat sink in an electronic device
thermally contacted to the heat sink.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein removably mounting the
heat-generating assembly comprises removably mounting a heat
exchanger that includes heat fins and one or more fans.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: fixedly mounting
additional rigid fluid pipes inside the housing; and organizing
locations of the rigid fluid pipes to enable convenient insertion
and removal of the heat-generating assembly.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing
additional flexible fluid pipes attached to the heat-generating
assembly; and removably connecting the additional flexible fluid
pipes to corresponding additional rigid fluid, pipes using
respective quick-connect mechanisms.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] In modern electronic systems, a relatively large amount of
heat is generated due to operation of electronic devices in such
systems. Various approaches have been used for cooling electronic
devices of systems.
[0002] Traditionally, air flow generators, such as fans, are
provided within a system to generate air flow for cooling
electronic devices in the system. However, as operating speeds of
electronic devices, such as microprocessors, have dramatically
increased, the use of just air flow cooling techniques have
generally not been sufficient for cooling electronic devices of
certain types of systems, such as high-end computer servers,
storage systems, or communications systems.
[0003] Enhanced cooling can be provided by provision of fluid pipes
inside the chassis of a system, where the fluid pipes are used for
carrying a cooling fluid. The challenge of employing fluid pipes
within a system is that the fluid pipes may have to be routed to
many different points inside the system. The presence of such pipes
may make it difficult to access certain components in the system,
such as to perform repair or replacement tasks. Also, during
servicing, possible leakage of fluids from fluid pipes is also an
issue when a component is disconnected and removed from the
system,
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Some embodiments of the invention are described, by way of
example, with respect to the following figures:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary system having rigid
and flexible fluid pipes that are connected by quick-connect
mechanisms, in accordance with some embodiments;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of portions of a flexible
fluid pipe and a rigid fluid pipe, and associated connection
elements that arc part of a quick-connect mechanism, according to
an embodiment;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connection elements of a
quick-connect mechanism in a separated position, wherein the
quick-connect mechanism is used to connect a flexible fluid pipe
and a rigid fluid pipe according to an embodiment;
[0008] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the
system of FIG. 1 that incorporates an embodiment; and
[0009] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary system that includes
housing(or outer chassis) 100 (note that portions of the housing
100 have been omitted. to enable depiction of components within the
housing) for containing the components of the system. The "housing"
can be formed of multiple segments attached or otherwise connected
together to define an inner space or chamber for containing the
system components, or alternatively, the housing can be formed of
segments integrally connected together.
[0011] The system depicted in FIG. 1 can be a computer system, a
storage system, a communications system, and so forth. Certain of
the components within the system produce heat during operation.
Some of the components produce more heat than other components. An
example of a component that produces a relatively elevated amount
of heat during operation is a microprocessor.
[0012] In the ensuing discussion, reference is also made to FIGS. 4
and 5, which depict perspective views and rear views, respectively,
of the system.
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a heat-generating assembly 102, which
includes a heat sink 104 and an electronic device 106 (e.g., a
microprocessor or other type of electronic device) thermally
attached to the heat sink 104. In the example depicted in FIG. 1,
the heat-generating assembly 102 is mounted in the system on
mounting brackets 160 and 162. A heat sink is formed of a thermally
conductive material, such as metal (e.g., copper or other metal of
relatively high thermal conductivity), that conducts heat away from
the electronic device 106 during operation of the electronic device
106. The heat sink 104 includes internal fluid passages (not shown
in FIG. 1) for carrying a cooling fluid. A flow of cooling fluid is
induced in the fluid passages of the heat sink 104 to carry heat
away from the heat sink.
[0014] In accordance with some embodiments, rigid fluid pipes are
fixedly mounted inside the housing 100 of the system. A "rigid"
fluid pipe refers to a fluid pipe formed of a relatively sturdy
material that would make bending of the fluid pipe relatively
difficult. For example, the rigid fluid pipe can be formed of a
metal or plastic material. A "pipe" can be a generally cylindrical
conduit or can be any other type of conduit having other geometries
(e.g., rectangular cross-section, square cross-section, etc.). The
fluid pipe has an inner longitudinal bore enclosed by the wall of
the pipe, where the inner longitudinal bore is used for carrying
cooling fluid.
[0015] In the example depicted in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, rigid fluid
pipes 108, 110, 111, 112, 114, and 115 are provided. An additional
rigid fluid pipe 113 (not visible in FIG. 1) is depicted in FIG. 4,
which is a perspective view of the system. The fixedly mounted,
rigid fluid pipes 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, and 115 are
positioned according to a desired organization, The positions of
the rigid fluid pipes can be arranged to allow for relatively easy
access (insertion or removal) of certain components in the system,
such as for purposes of repair or replacement. For example, the
rigid fluid pipes can be positioned such that the heat-generating
assembly 102 can be easily inserted or removed inside the housing
100. Being able to fix the positions of the rigid fluid pipes
inside the housing 100 of the system enables a manufacturer to
achieve better organization of components inside the housing.
[0016] The heat sink 104 of the heat-generating assembly 102 has
various ports connected to respective flexible fluid pipes 118,
120, 122, 124, 126, and 128. A "flexible" fluid pipe is a pipe
formed of a relatively soft elastic material that allows the
flexible fluid pipe to be flexed or bent relatively easily. The
ports of the heat sink 104 include input ports and output ports. An
input port is to receive input cooling fluid for routing through
the inner fluid passages of the heat sink 104, and the output ports
are used for outputting heated cooling fluid for carrying such
heated fluid away from the heat sink 104.
[0017] The flexible fluid pipes 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128
are attached to the heat-generating assembly 102 such that the
assembly 102 with the attached flexible fluid pipes can be mounted
or dismounted from the system housing 100 as a unit. The flexible
fluid pipes are easily manipulated by a user for ease of connection
of the flexible fluid pipes to the corresponding rigid fluid
pipes.
[0018] A heat exchanger 130 is also provided in the system housing
100. The heat exchanger 130 also has internal fluid passages (not
shown) that are connected to corresponding fluid pipes, including
flexible fluid pipes 116 and 152 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). The heat
exchanger 130 has fins 150 over which air flow can be provided to
carry heat away from the heat exchanger. As depicted in FIG. 4,
fans 131 are provided as part of the heat exchanger 130 to generate
the air flow to dissipate heat away from the heat fins 150. Heated
cooling fluid from the heat sink 104 can be carried from output
ports of the heat sink 104 to the heat exchanger 130 (e.g., through
flexible fluid pipe 116), where air flow can remove heat from the
heat exchanger 130. Fluid that is cooled due to passage through the
heat exchanger 130 can then be returned back to the heat sink 104
(e.g., through flexible fluid pipe 152) for cooling the
heat-generating assembly 102.
[0019] The flexible fluid pipes 116 and 152 connected to ports of
the heat exchanger 130 are connected to respective rigid fluid
pipes 111 and 113. Note that the heat exchanger 130 is another
example of a heat-generating assembly that can be removably mounted
in the system. The use of the flexible fluid pipes 116 and 152
attached to the heat exchanger 130 enables convenient connection of
the heat exchanger 130 to the rigid pipes 111 and 113.
[0020] FIG. 1 also shows the rigid fluid pipes 108 and 115
connected to respective flexible fluid pipes 119 and 117, which are
in turn connected to a manifold 121.
[0021] In accordance with some embodiments, quick-connect
mechanisms 140 are provided for connecting each flexible fluid pipe
to a corresponding fluid pipe. The quick-connect mechanism 140
includes a first connection element attached to an end portion of
the rigid fluid pipe, and a second connection element attached to
an end portion of the corresponding flexible fluid pipe. The
quick-connect mechanism has a sealing element to automatically
provide a fluid seal when the first and second connection elements
are disconnected. The sealing element can be in the form of a valve
(e.g., a ball valve that is released from a sealing position when
the first and second connection elements are connected, but that is
allowed, to move to a sealing position when the first and second
connection elements are disconnected). The scaling elements of the
quick-connect mechanisms allow for heat-generating assemblies to be
disconnected from the rigid fluid pipes while reducing the
likelihood of leaking cooling fluids.
[0022] A quick-connect mechanism is a connection mechanism that
enables relatively easy snap-on connection and snap-off
disconnection such that a user can connect or disconnect components
without the use of tools. The flexible fluid pipes further enhance
convenience when connecting or disconnecting since the flexible
fluid pipes are easily manipulated when connecting the flexible
fluid pipes to corresponding rigid pipes using the quick-connect
mechanisms.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a rigid fluid
pipe 200 (which can be any of rigid fluid pipes depicted in FIGS.
1, 4, and 5), and a portion of a flexible fluid pipe 202 (which can
be any one of flexible fluid pipes in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5). FIG. 2
also shows a quick-connect mechanism 140 for releasably connecting
the fluid pipes 200 and 202. The quick-connect mechanism 110
includes a first connection element 204 (attached to the rigid
fluid. pipe 200) and a second connection element 206 (attached to
the flexible fluid pipe 202). One of the first and second
connection elements can be a female connection element, and the
other of the first and second connection elements can be a male
connection element. The first connection element 204 has a sealing
element 208 that provides an automatic seal when the first and
second connection elements 204 and 206 are disconnected. As noted
above, the sealing element 208 can be a valve, such as a ball
valve.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the quick-connect mechanism
140 with the first and second connection elements 204 and 206
separated from each other. The first connection element 204 has a
receptacle 302 to receive a male element 300 of the second
connection element 206. The first connection element 204 includes a
fitting for sealingly attaching the first connection element 204 to
a rigid fluid pipe. Similarly, the second connection element 206
has a fitting 304 for sealingly engaging a flexible fluid pipe.
[0025] In operation, a user mounts the heat-generating assembly
(102 or 130 in FIG. 1, for example) into the system housing, with
the first and second connection elements 204 and 206 disconnected.
Once the heat-generating assembly is mounted, a user can manipulate
each flexible fluid pipe to position the second connection element
206 such that the user can push the second connection element 206
into the first connection element 204 to provide a snap-on
connection.
[0026] In the disconnected position depicted in FIG. 3, the valve
(208 in FIG. 2) inside the first connection element 204 is in a
sealing position, such that any cooling fluid in the rigid fluid
pipe does not leak from the first connection element 204. Once the
male element 130 of the second connection clement 206 is pushed
into the receptacle 302 of the first connection element 204, the
valve inside the first connection element 204 is actuated to an
open position.
[0027] Although the first connection element 204 is depicted as a
female connection element, and the second connection element 206 is
depicted as a male connection element, an alternative embodiment
can implement the reverse, with the first connection element 204
implemented as a male connection element, whereas the second
connection element 206 is implemented as a female connection
element.
[0028] By employing the cooling assembly including flexible fluid
pipes, rigid fluid pipes, and quick-connect mechanisms, in
accordance with some embodiments, a solution is provided to enable
easy installation or removal of heat-generating assemblies from a
system housing, and to provide leak resistance when
connecting/disconnecting fluid pipes.
[0029] In the foregoing description, numerous details are set forth
to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present
invention may be practiced without these details. While the
invention has been disclosed with respect to a limited number of
embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous
modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the
appended claims cover such modifications and variations as fall
within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *