U.S. patent application number 17/348867 was filed with the patent office on 2022-01-27 for cooler.
The applicant listed for this patent is Nidec Corporation. Invention is credited to Takaya OKUNO, Takehito TAMAOKA, Toshihiko TOKESHI.
Application Number | 20220026137 17/348867 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005698485 |
Filed Date | 2022-01-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220026137 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
OKUNO; Takaya ; et
al. |
January 27, 2022 |
COOLER
Abstract
A cooler includes a cold plate to absorb heat from a heat source
into coolant, a housing filled with the coolant and located on an
upper side of the cold plate in a first direction X, and a
partition located on a lower side in the housing. An inflow port
and an outflow port are provided on one side in a second direction
Y perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first
direction X. The cold plate includes a first plate chamber and a
second plate chamber in which the coolant flows between the cold
plate and the partition. The partition includes a first
through-hole communicating with the first plate chamber. The first
plate chamber is farthest from the inflow port to the other side in
the second direction Y. The housing includes a communication flow
path allowing the inflow port to communicate with the first
through-hole.
Inventors: |
OKUNO; Takaya; (Kyoto,
JP) ; TOKESHI; Toshihiko; (Kyoto, JP) ;
TAMAOKA; Takehito; (Kyoto, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nidec Corporation |
Kyoto |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005698485 |
Appl. No.: |
17/348867 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/069 20130101;
F25D 11/02 20130101; F25D 17/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/02 20060101
F25D017/02; F25D 11/02 20060101 F25D011/02; F25D 23/06 20060101
F25D023/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 22, 2020 |
JP |
2020-125612 |
Feb 8, 2021 |
JP |
2021-018304 |
Claims
1. A cooler comprising: a cold plate to absorb heat from a heat
source into coolant; a housing filled with the coolant and located
on an upper side of the cold plate in a first direction; and a
partition located on a lower side in the housing; wherein the
housing includes: an inflow port through which the coolant flows
into the housing; and an outflow port through which the coolant
flows out of the housing; the inflow port and the outflow port are
provided on one side in a second direction perpendicular or
substantially perpendicular to the first direction; the cold plate
includes a first plate chamber and a second plate chamber in which
the coolant flows between the cold plate and the partition; the
partition includes a first through hole communicating with the
first plate chamber; the first plate chamber is farthest from the
inflow port to another side in the second direction; and the
housing includes a communication flow path allowing the inflow port
to communicate with the first through-hole.
2. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a
tank chamber; the second plate chamber is located on a lower side
in the first direction of the tank chamber; the partition includes
a second through-hole allowing the first plate chamber to
communicate with the tank chamber; the inflow port, the
communication flow path, the first plate chamber, the tank chamber,
the second plate chamber, and the outflow port communicate with
each other in this order; and the communication flow path bypasses
the tank chamber and extends from the one side to the another side
in the second direction.
3. The cooler according to claim 2, wherein the first through-hole
is located at a center of the first plate chamber; and the
communication flow path is bent in a third direction perpendicular
or substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the
second direction on the other side in the second direction.
4. The cooler according to claim 2, wherein the partition includes
a third through-hole through which the tank chamber communicates
with the second plate chamber; the cold plate includes a plurality
of fins protruding toward the tank chamber; and the first
through-hole and/or the third through-hole overlap the plurality of
fins in the first direction.
5. The cooler according to claim 4, wherein the third through-hole
extends in the second direction; and the plurality of fins extend
in a third direction.
6. The cooler according to claim 2, further comprising: a pump to
circulate the coolant; wherein the housing includes a pump chamber
in which the pump is provided; the pump chamber is provided on the
one side in the second direction with respect to the tank chamber;
and the pump chamber is between (i) the first plate chamber and the
second plate chamber and (ii) the outflow port, to communicate with
the first and second plate chambers, and the outflow port.
7. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the housing opens on a
lower side in the first direction; the partition is separate from
the housing, and is located in an opening of the housing; the
partition includes a partition wall extending downward in the first
direction and being in contact with the cold plate; and the
partition wall defines each of the first plate chamber and the
second plate chamber.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn. 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-125612 filed on
Jul. 22, 2020 and Japanese Application No. 2021-018304 filed on
Feb. 8, 2021 the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a cooling unit.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Cooling systems have been conventionally known, the cooling
systems each including a metal cooling panel for cooling a heating
element such as a battery or an electronic component, and a resin
flow path that is joined to the metal cooling panel and through
which coolant flows. The resin flow path has a coolant injection
port and a coolant recovery port. The conventional cooling systems
have a structure in which the resin flow path is provided in a
horizontal direction with respect to the heating element.
[0004] The conventional flow path has a port through which the
coolant flows in and out, and the coolant flows evenly throughout
the flow path when the coolant has a constant flow rate at any
location. Unfortunately, the flow rate of the coolant is not
actually constant. For example, when a pump is provided near the
coolant injection port and a coolant flow branch port, the coolant
has a high flow rate toward the coolant injection port and the
coolant flow branch port, and a low flow rate toward a coolant
confluence port and the coolant recovery port. Thus, the coolant is
likely to accumulate at the coolant confluence port and the coolant
recovery port, so that cooling efficiency is lowered there.
SUMMARY
[0005] An example embodiment of a cooler according to the present
disclosure includes a cold plate to absorb heat from a heat source
into coolant, a housing filled with the coolant and located on an
upper side of the cold plate in a first direction, and a partition
located on a lower side in the housing. The housing includes an
inflow port through which the coolant flows into the housing, and
an outflow port through which the coolant flows out of the housing.
The inflow port and the outflow port are provided on one side in a
second direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to
the first direction. The cold plate includes a first plate chamber
and a second plate chamber in which the coolant flows between the
cold plate and the partition. The partition includes a first
through-hole communicating with the first plate chamber. The first
plate chamber is farthest from the inflow port to another side in
the second direction. The housing includes a communication flow
path allowing the inflow port to communicate with the first
through-hole.
[0006] The above and other elements, features, steps,
characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will
become more apparent from the following detailed description of the
example embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cooling system equipped with
a cooler of an example embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a general perspective view of a cooler according
to a first example embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cooler according to the
first example embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a view of the inside of a housing according to the
first example embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a view of a cold plate according to the first
example embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from an
upper side in a first direction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present disclosure
will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present
application, a direction in which a housing 2 is disposed with
respect to a cold plate 1 is referred to as a "first direction X".
Then, a vertical direction is defined such that a direction in
which the housing 2 is disposed with respect to the cold plate 1 is
referred to as an "upper side Xa", and a direction opposite to the
direction in which the housing 2 is disposed is referred to as a
"lower side Xb". In the present application, the vertical direction
and a horizontal direction are defined for convenience of
description, and thus do not limit an orientation of a cooler A
according to the present disclosure at the time of manufacture and
at the time of use.
[0013] A direction orthogonal to the first direction X is referred
to as a "second direction Y". One side in the second direction Y is
referred to as "one side Ya in the second direction", and the other
side is referred to as "the other side Yb in the second direction".
Then, a direction orthogonal to the first direction X and the
second direction Y is referred to as a "third direction Z". One
side in the third direction Z is referred to as "one side Za in the
third direction", and the other side is referred to as "the other
side Zb in the third direction".
[0014] Additionally, an "orthogonal direction" in the present
disclosure includes a substantially orthogonal direction.
[0015] A cooling system S and the cooler A according to an example
embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a
schematic view of the cooling system S equipped with the cooler A
of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a general perspective view of
the cooler A according to a first example embodiment of the present
disclosure. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cooler A according to
the first example embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a
view of the inside of a housing according to the first example
embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a view of the cold
plate 1 according to the first example embodiment of the present
disclosure as viewed from an upper side in a first direction X.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the cooling system S equipped
with the cooler A of the present disclosure. The cooling system S
includes the cooler A, a radiator B, and a coolant pipe C. The
cooler A and the radiator B communicate with each other using a
coolant pipe C, and coolant flows through these components. The
coolant in the present example embodiment is a liquid, and
available examples of the liquid include an antifreeze such as an
ethylene glycol aqueous solution or a propylene glycol aqueous
solution, and pure water.
[0017] The cooler A is provided with a heat generating component D
attached as a heat source, and the cooler A receives heat from the
heat generating component D. Examples of the heat generating
component D include a microprocessor used in a computer, a power
semiconductor used in an inverter, and the like. The cooler A
receives heat that transfers using the coolant flowing through the
coolant pipe C into the radiator B. When the coolant having the
heat flows through the radiator B, the heat is dissipated to the
outside.
[0018] The cooler A includes the cold plate 1, the housing 2, a
partition 3, and a pump 4. The housing 2 and the pump 4 are
disposed on the upper side Xa in the first direction of the cold
plate 1.
[0019] The cold plate 1 is made of a metal having high thermal
conductivity such as copper or aluminum. In the present example
embodiment, the cold plate 1 is a plate component in a rectangular
shape expanding in the second direction Y and the third direction Z
in top view. The cold plate 1 according to the present example
embodiment has a quadrangular shape in top view, but is not limited
thereto. For example, the cold plate 1 may have a polygonal shape
having a plurality of corners or a circular shape, in top view. The
heat generating component D is in contact with a lower surface of
the cold plate 1.
[0020] The cold plate 1 includes a plurality of fins 13 protruding
toward the housing 2. The fins 13 are formed by a method called
skiving in which the metal material of the cold plate 1 is shaved
off to be erected. When the coolant flows between the fins 13, heat
absorbed by the cold plate 1 can be more efficiently exchanged with
the coolant. Thus, when the heat generating component D is brought
into contact with the cold plate 1 on a side opposite a side where
the fins 13 are located, the heat generating component D having a
larger heating value can be heat exchanged with the cold plate 1
more efficiently.
[0021] The housing 2 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped,
and is made of a resin material. The housing 2 can be easily made
as compared with when the housing 2 is made of metal. Additionally,
even in an environment where moisture or the like adheres, the
housing 2 can be prevented from rusting.
[0022] The housing 2 includes an inflow port 21 through which
coolant flows into the housing 2, and an outflow port 22 through
which the coolant flows out of the housing 2. The coolant pipe C is
attached to each of the inflow port 21 and the outflow port 22. The
inflow port 21 and the outflow port 22 are provided on the one side
Ya in the second direction. When the inflow port 21 and the outflow
port 22 are each provided at a position in an identical direction,
the cooler 1 can be reduced in length in the second direction
Y.
[0023] The housing 2 includes a tank chamber 24 for storing
coolant. The tank chamber 24 is a recess portion formed when the
housing 2 is recessed to the upper side Xa in the first direction.
The tank chamber 24 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped.
When the cooler B includes the tank chamber 24, the amount of
coolant circulating in the cooling system S can be increased. For
example, the coolant gradually leaks from a joint portion between a
coolant pipe D and each component. Decrease in the amount of
coolant deteriorates cooling efficiency. Ingress of air into the
pump 4 deteriorates ability of the pump 4 to circulate coolant into
the cooling system S. When the coolant is stored in the tank
chamber 24, the amount of coolant for maintaining the cooling
efficiency of the cooling system S can be secured. Additionally,
even when air enters the cooling system S, the air can be stored in
the tank chamber 24. This enables preventing deterioration in the
ability to circulate the coolant due to the ingress of air into the
pump 4.
[0024] The housing 2 includes a pump chamber 25 in which the pump 4
is disposed. The pump chamber 25 is provided on the one side Ya in
the second direction with respect to the tank chamber 24. The pump
chamber 25 is located between a plate chamber described later and
the outflow port 22. The pump chamber 25 is provided on the lower
side Xb with a suction port 251 communicating with the plate
chamber, and the coolant flows from the plate chamber into the pump
chamber 25 through the suction port 251. The pump 4 is a
centrifugal pump, and sucks up the coolant in the plate chamber
through the suction port 251 in the first direction X to feed the
coolant toward the outflow port 22.
[0025] The housing 2 opens on the lower side Xb in the first
direction. The partition 3 is located in an opening of the housing
2. That is, the partition 3 is located on the lower side Xb of the
housing 2. In the present example embodiment, the partition 3 is
separate from the housing 2.
[0026] The cold plate 1 includes the plate chamber in which the
coolant flows between the cold plate 1 and the partition 3. The
plate chamber includes a first plate chamber 11 and a second plate
chamber 12. The partition 3 includes a partition wall 41 extending
to the lower side Xb in the first direction and being in contact
with the cold plate 1. The partition wall 41 defines each of the
plate chambers. The first plate chamber 11 and the second plate
chamber 12 are located in this order from the other side Yb in the
second direction. That is, the first plate chamber 11 is provided
at a position farthest from the inflow port 21 and the outflow port
22 provided on the one side Ya in the second direction.
[0027] The partition 3 includes a plurality of through-holes
passing through the respective plate chambers and the housing 2.
Specifically, the partition 3 includes a first through-hole 31
allowing the first plate chamber 11 to communicate with a
communication flow path 23 described later, a second through-hole
32 allowing the first plate chamber 11 to communicate with the tank
chamber 24, and a third through-hole 33 allowing the tank chamber
24 to communicate with the second plate chamber 12.
[0028] The heat generating component D is one of multiple heat
generating components D that are each in contact with a surface on
the lower side Xb of the cold plate 1 located in the corresponding
one of the plate chambers. Heat of the heat generating components D
is absorbed in the corresponding plate chambers.
[0029] The plate chambers are isolated for each of the heat
generating components D, so that the coolant easily reaches corners
in each of the plate chambers. This enables reducing stagnation of
the coolant. Reducing the stagnation of the coolant enables heat to
be exchanged more efficiently.
[0030] The housing 2 further includes the communication flow path
23 allowing the inflow port 21 to communicate with the first
through-hole 31. The communication flow path 23 bypasses the tank
chamber 24 and extends from the one side Ya to the other side Yb in
the second direction. More specifically, the communication flow
path 23 is located in a side portion in the tank chamber 24 in the
third direction Z. This allows the inflow port 21, the
communication flow path 23, the first plate chamber 11, the tank
chamber 24, the second plate chamber 12, and the outflow port 22 to
communicate with each other in this order.
[0031] When the inflow port 21 and the outflow port 22 are each
provided at a position in an identical direction, the cooler 1 can
be reduced in length in the second direction Y. If the plate
chamber is a large continuous plate chamber from the one side Ya to
the other side Yb in the second direction, a portion corresponding
to the first plate chamber 11 is away from the inflow port 21. This
slows a flow of the coolant, so that the coolant tends to stagnate
in the first plate chamber 11. The pump 4 is also provided on the
one side Ya in the second direction of the housing 2 and is located
away from the first plate chamber 11. This causes the coolant to
circulate near the pump 4, so that the coolant is less likely to
flow and is likely to stagnate at a position away from the pump
4.
[0032] When the plate chambers are isolated for each of the heat
generating components D, stagnation of the coolant is reduced. When
the inflow port 21 communicates with the first through-hole 31,
i.e., when the first plate chamber 11 farthest from the inflow port
21 and the outflow port 22 is provided with the communication flow
path 23 that first communicates with the inflow port 21, the
stagnation of the coolant in the first plate chamber 11 can be
reduced. This enables maintaining heat exchange efficiency of the
heat generating component D disposed closer to the first plate
chamber 11.
[0033] The first through-hole 31 is located substantially at the
center of the first plate chamber 11. The substantial center of the
first plate chamber 11 means a position at which distances between
the center of the first through-hole 31 and respective ends of the
first plate chamber 11 in each of the second direction Y and the
third direction Z are substantially equal to each other. The
communication flow path 23 extending in the second direction Y is
formed with a flow path that bends in the third direction Z from
the other side Yb in the second direction, i.e., a first plate
chamber 11 side.
[0034] When the first through-hole 31 is located at the center of
the first plate chamber 11, the coolant flows and spreads
throughout the first plate chamber 11 while flowing downward from
the upper side Xa to the lower side Xb in the first direction
through the first through-hole 31, thereby reducing stagnation in
the first plate chamber 11.
[0035] The second plate chamber 12 is located on the lower side Xb
in the first direction in the tank chamber 24. The partition 3 in
the tank chamber 24 includes the third through-hole 33. The second
plate chamber 12 is located on the lower side Xb of the third
through-hole 33. The fins 13 are located in the second plate
chamber 12. The third through-hole 33 is provided at a position
overlapping the fins 13 in the first direction X. As described
above, the plurality of fins 13 are provided upright in the first
direction X, so that the coolant needs to flow from the upper side
Xa in the first direction.
[0036] The third through-hole 33 extends in the second direction Y,
and the plurality of fins 13 are disposed to extend in the third
direction Z. When the fins 13 each have a shape extending in the
third direction Z, the coolant once flows in the third direction Z
and flows to an end of the second plate chamber 12. The pump 4 is
located on the one side Ya in the second direction, so that the
coolant flows to the one side Ya in the second direction. When the
third through-hole 33 is formed to extend in the second direction
Y, the coolant also flows to the other side Yb in the second
direction of the second plate chamber 12, thereby enabling
stagnation of the coolant in the second plate chamber 12 to be
reduced.
[0037] In the example embodiment, the heat generating component D
having a higher amount of heat is desirably disposed on the lower
side Xb of the second plate chamber 12 including the fins 13.
However, when each of the multiple heat generating components D
generates a large amount of heat, the fins 13 may be provided in
the first plate chamber 11. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the
multiple heat generating components D, placement and the number of
heat generating components D are not limited, and thus the heat
generating components D may be disposed as appropriate.
[0038] The above example embodiment is merely an example of the
present disclosure. The configuration of the example embodiment may
be appropriately changed without departing from the technical idea
of the present disclosure. Example embodiments also may be
implemented in combination as far as possible.
[0039] Features of the above-described preferred example
embodiments and the modifications thereof may be combined
appropriately as long as no conflict arises.
[0040] While example embodiments of the present disclosure have
been described above, it is to be understood that variations and
modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without
departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The
scope of the present disclosure, therefore, is to be determined
solely by the following claims.
* * * * *