U.S. patent application number 14/988225 was filed with the patent office on 2016-07-14 for cooling apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is ABB Technology Oy. Invention is credited to Bruno Agostini, Mathieu Habert, Roman Jauhonen, Timo Koivuluoma, Anna Rumpunen.
Application Number | 20160201993 14/988225 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52347161 |
Filed Date | 2016-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160201993 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rumpunen; Anna ; et
al. |
July 14, 2016 |
COOLING APPARATUS
Abstract
This invention relates to a cooling apparatus comprising a first
cooling element (5) with first channels (6) extending between a
first manifold (1) and a second manifold (2) and with a base plate
(9) with a first surface (10) for receiving a heat load from an
electric component (11), and a second cooling element (14) with
second channels (16) extending between a third manifold (3) and a
fourth manifold (4). A first section (21) of the second cooling
element (14) is provided with openings (19) for allowing an airflow
(18) to pass through the first section (21). The second cooling
element (14) comprises a second section (22) provided with openings
(19), and the cooling apparatus is configured to conduct the
airflow (18) which has passed through the first section (21)
through the openings (19) of the second section (22).
Inventors: |
Rumpunen; Anna; (Helsinki,
FI) ; Agostini; Bruno; (Zurich, CH) ; Habert;
Mathieu; (Rheinfelden, CH) ; Jauhonen; Roman;
(Helsinki, FI) ; Koivuluoma; Timo; (Vantaa,
FI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ABB Technology Oy |
Helsinki |
|
FI |
|
|
Family ID: |
52347161 |
Appl. No.: |
14/988225 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.14 ;
165/104.21; 165/104.34 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D 15/0266 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; F28F 13/06 20130101; F28D 15/025 20130101;
H01L 23/427 20130101; H01L 23/467 20130101; H01L 23/3672 20130101;
H01L 2924/00 20130101; F28D 15/0275 20130101; H01L 2924/0002
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/02 20060101
F28D015/02; F28F 13/06 20060101 F28F013/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 9, 2015 |
EP |
15150632.6 |
Claims
1. A cooling apparatus comprising: a first cooling element with
first channels extending between a first manifold and a second
manifold and with a base plate with a first surface for receiving a
heat load from an electric component and for passing said heat load
into a fluid in the first channels, and a second cooling element
with second channels extending between a third manifold and a
fourth manifold, the third manifold of the second cooling element
is arranged to receive fluid from the second manifold of the first
cooling element and to pass the received fluid via the second
channels to the fourth manifold, a first section of the second
cooling element is provided with openings for allowing an airflow
to pass through the first section, the second cooling element
comprising a second section provided with openings, and the cooling
apparatus is configured to conduct the airflow which has passed
through the first section through the openings of the second
section.
2. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second
cooling element is curved and wherein the first and second sections
of the second cooling element consists of different parts of the
curved second cooling element.
3. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first
section and the second section of the second cooling element are in
fluid communication with each other via one or more additional
manifolds.
4. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first
section and the second section of the second cooling element are
stacked on top of each other whereby the airflow is conducted
straight forward through the openings of the first and second
sections without any substantial changes in the flow direction.
5. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling
apparatus is provided with an intermediate space which the airflow
enters once the airflow has passed through the first section, and
the intermediate space is shaped to change the flow direction to
conduct the airflow towards the second section.
6. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base
plate comprises a second surface arranged along a part of the flow
path of the airflow to dissipate heat directly from the base plate
to the airflow.
7. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second
surface of the base plate conducts the airflow towards the second
section by changing the direction of the airflow.
8. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one
of the first channels of the first cooling element or of the second
channels of the second cooling element are arranged into a
plurality of tubes, such that longitudinal walls of the tubes
separates the first channels or second channels of one tube,
respectively, from each other.
9. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openings
of the second cooling element are provided with fins extending
between the second channels.
10. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling
apparatus is provided with a fan for producing the airflow.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a cooling apparatus for cooling an
electric component.
[0003] 2Description of Prior Art
[0004] Previously there is known a heat sink to which an electric
component may be attached in order to cool the electric component.
Such a heat sink is provided with a surface area which is as large
as possible in order to dissipate heat into the surrounding air as
efficiently as possible. A problem with such a heat sink is that
the electric component may produce a greater heat load than the
heat sink is capable of dissipating. This typically occurs when the
available space is limited and the surface area of the heat sink
can therefore not be increased to a sufficient size.
[0005] Previously there is also known a cooling device where a
fluid is utilized in order to handle a heat load produced by an
electric component. In this cooling device the electric component
is attached to an evaporator which provides a condenser with heated
fluid. The condenser dissipates the heat from the fluid to the
surrounding air.
[0006] It would be advantageous if the known cooling device could
be used in place of the known heat sink in order to obtain a more
efficient cooling in existing electric devices. However, in many
existing electric devices the space where the heat sink is located
is too small for an above mentioned cooling device utilizing fluid
circulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling
apparatus which can be used in various implementations in order to
provide efficient cooling. This object is achieved with a cooling
apparatus according to independent claim 1.
[0008] The use of a cooling apparatus with a first and second
section through which the airflow is conducted makes it possible to
obtain a compact and efficient cooling apparatus.
[0009] Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the
dependent claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] In the following the present invention will be described in
closer detail by way of example and with reference to the attached
drawings, in which
[0011] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of a cooling
apparatus,
[0012] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of a cooling
apparatus, and
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of a cooling
apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE EMBODIMENT
[0014] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of a cooling
apparatus. The cooling apparatus comprises a first cooling element
5 with first channels 6 extending between a first manifold 1 and a
second manifold 2. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 a
plurality of tubes 7 are utilized for housing the channels 6. Each
illustrated tube 7 comprises longitudinal side walls 8 which
separate the first channels 6 of one tube 7 from each other, as
illustrated in more detail in FIG. 5. The tubes may be MPE
(Multi-Port Extrusion) tubes, for instance.
[0015] The first element 5 additionally comprises a base plate 9. A
first surface 10 of the base plate is provided with an electric
component 11 (or more than one electric component). During use the
electric component 11 produces a heat load which is received by the
base plate via the first surface. In the illustrated example a
second surface 12 of the base plate 9 is provided with grooves 13
into which the pipes 7 with the first channels 6 are arranged. Heat
originating from the electric component 11 is therefore efficiently
passed on to fluid in the first channels 6.
[0016] The first cooling element 5 may operate as an evaporator, in
which case the fluid evaporates due to heat originating from the
electric component, and as a consequence the fluid is transferred
upwards in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the second manifold 2. The second
manifold 2 similarly as the other illustrated manifolds, may
consist of an elongated pipe connecting the first channels 6 of
each pipe 7 to each other in the upper end of the first cooling
element 5.
[0017] The cooling apparatus additionally comprises a second
cooling element 14 with second channels 16 extending from a third
manifold 3 to a fourth manifold 4. Similarly as the first channels,
also the second channels 16 may be arranged into tubes 17 having
longitudinal internal walls separating the second channels 16 from
each other. In practice, the tubes 17 may be similar as tubes 7
illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0018] An airflow 18 is provided to pass via openings 19 between
the second channels 16, which in the illustrated example are
located in different tubes 17, in order to cool the fluid in the
second channels 16 of the second cooling element. The second
cooling element 14 may operate as a condenser, in which case the
fluid may condensate into a liquid state while moving through the
second channels 16 towards the fourth manifold 4. A tube 15
provides fluid communication between the fourth manifold 4 and the
first manifold 1 such that the fluid which has been cooled may
enter the lower part of the first manifold 1. When the cooling
apparatus is kept in the upright position illustrated in FIGS. 1
and 2, fluid circulation through the cooling apparatus may be
obtained without a need for a pump. The fluid circulation may be
even further enhanced by utilizing first channels 6 having a
capillary dimension in the first cooling element 5.
[0019] In order to obtain efficient cooling, the cooling apparatus
is configured to conduct the airflow 18 to pass through openings 19
in a first section 21 of the second cooling element 14 and
subsequently also through a second section 22 of the second cooling
element 14. In the illustrated example the same airflow passes
still through a third section 23 of the second cooling element 14.
A third section is, however, not necessary in all embodiments. Due
to the fact that the same airflow passes through more than one
section of the second cooling element 14, the cooling capabilities
of the airflow 18 can be very efficiently utilized, which gives the
cooling apparatus excellent cooling properties despite of the fact
that the cooling apparatus may be implemented as a very compact and
space saving cooling apparatus. The cooling capabilities become
even more better if the openings are provided with fins 24
extending between the second channels 16 (and tubes 17) as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0020] In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2 the first section 21 and the
second section 22 are stacked on top of each other and connected to
each other with additional manifolds 26. The airflow 18 is
conducted straight forward through the openings 19 of the first and
second sections without any substantial changes in the flow
direction. The cooling apparatus may be provided with a fan 25
which generates the airflow or alternatively the airflow may
originate from an external fan which is not a part of the cooling
element. The direction of the airflow may be as illustrated in the
figures or alternatively opposite.
[0021] From FIG. 2 it can be seen that the second surface 12 of the
base plate 9 is arranged along a part of the flow path of the
airflow 18 to ensure that the airflow 18 is conducted in the
correct direction. Thereby the second surface 12 of the base plate
9 is in contact with the airflow such that it dissipates heat
originating from the electric component 11 directly into the
airflow 18.
[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of a cooling
apparatus. The cooling apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 is very similar
to the one explained in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. Therefore
the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 will in the following be explained
mainly by pointing out the differences between these
embodiments.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a side view of the cooling element. However, the
longitudinal internal walls 8 which separate the first channels 6
in the pipes 7 from each other, and which normally are not visible
from the outside of the pipes, are illustrated. Similarly channels
16 in pipes 17 are also illustrated.
[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of the first cooling
element 5 along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3 the grooves 13 in
the second surface 12 of the base plate 9 are visible. Also the
longitudinal internal walls 8 separating the first channels 6 of
the pipes 7 can be seen in FIG. 4.
[0025] In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 the second cooling
element 14' is provided with a first section 21' and a second
section 22' which have openings through which the airflow 18
passes. However, instead of being stacked on top of each other the
first section 21' and second section 22' which are attached to each
other with the additional manifolds 26 are arranged in such a
configuration that an intermediate space 27' is obtained between
the first cooling element 5 and the second cooling element 14'. The
airflow which has passed through the first section 21' enters this
intermediate space, where the direction of the airflow 18 changes
due to the shape of the intermediate space, such that the airflow
19 is directed towards the second section 22'. In practice the
second surface 12 of the base plate turns and conducts the airflow
towards the second section 22'. Simultaneously heat is dissipated
from the second surface 12 of the base plate directly into the
airflow 18.
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of a cooling
apparatus. The cooling apparatus of FIG. 5 is very similar to the
one explained in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. Therefore the
embodiment of FIG. 5 will in the following be explained mainly by
pointing out the differences between these embodiments.
[0027] In FIG. 5 the second cooling element 14'' comprises curved
tubes 17'' and channels 16'' and is consequently curved. The first
section 21'' and second section 22' consist of different parts of
the curved second cooling element 14''. In the illustrated example
the first section 21'' consists of the lower part of the second
cooling element 14'' while the second section 22'' consists of the
upper part of the second cooling element 14''.
[0028] It is to be understood that the above description and the
accompanying figures are only intended to illustrate the present
invention. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that
the invention can be varied and modified without departing from the
scope of the invention.
* * * * *