TWI898603B - Desktop computer with hybrid cooling - Google Patents

Abstract

A desktop computer with hybrid cooling including a housing, at least one electronic module, and a heat sink is provided. The housing contains a first coolant. The electronic module is disposed in the housing and immersed into the first coolant. The heat sink is assembled to the housing and includes a circulation pipe containing a second coolant. A portion of the circulation pipe is immersed into the first coolant and thermal contacted to the electronic module. Another portion of the circulation pipe is extended upward and out of the housing. The boiling point of the first coolant is higher than the boiling point of the second coolant.

Description

Desktop computer with hybrid cooling

The present invention relates to a desktop computer, and more particularly to a desktop computer with hybrid cooling.

Immersion cooling is an emerging heat dissipation method that utilizes a non-conductive, specialized liquid with a specific boiling point to dissipate heat from computer systems. The computer system's main computing components (heat-generating elements) are immersed in a container filled with the specialized liquid. This liquid is circulated by a pump or undergoes a liquid/vapor phase transition, allowing the heat generated by the computing components to be carried away from the computer system.

However, these methods have their drawbacks. One is that they require a container with ample space and a sufficient amount of special liquid to fully immerse the computing components. A typical desktop computer case has a capacity of approximately 30 liters, and a corresponding circulation mechanism is also required. Therefore, achieving effective heat dissipation using these methods is costly. Furthermore, if a two-phase transition of the special liquid is used for heat dissipation, the case must be sufficiently airtight to accommodate the liquid/vapor phase transition of the special liquid.

The present invention provides a desktop computer with composite cooling, which uses a combination of coolants with different boiling points to provide the required cooling effect for the desktop computer with a simple structure.

The desktop computer with hybrid cooling of the present invention includes a chassis, at least one electronic module, and a heat sink. The chassis contains a first coolant. The electronic module is disposed within the chassis and immersed in the first coolant. The heat sink is assembled to the chassis. The heat sink has a circulation pipe containing a second coolant. Part of the circulation pipe is immersed in the first coolant, and another part of the circulation pipe extends outside the chassis. The boiling point of the first coolant is higher than that of the second coolant.

Based on the above, desktop computers employ a hybrid cooling system, where a first coolant is contained within the computer chassis, submerging the electronic modules. A heat sink is then placed in thermal contact with the electronic modules. The heat sink's circulation tubes are filled with a second coolant, with the first coolant having a higher boiling point than the second coolant. This way, when the desktop computer is in operation, the heat generated by the electronic modules will preemptively activate the cooling effect of the second coolant, effectively activating the cooling function of the heat sink. At the same time, because the circulation tube is partially immersed in the first coolant, the first and second coolants can serve as thermal buffers for each other. This further increases the desktop computer's heat capacity and improves the operating efficiency of the electronic modules.

100, 200: Desktop computer

110: Chassis

111: Cabinet

112: Upper cover

112a, 112b: Components

120: Radiator

121: Circulatory tube

121a: upper part

121b: lower part

121c: Insulation layer

122: Steaming Parts

123: Heat sink

123a, 123b: Air inlet

123c: Air outlet

123d: Channel

124: Thermal Conductor

125: Fan

C1: Heat absorption section

C2: Condensation Section

F1: First coolant

F2: Second coolant

G1: Gravity direction

M1, M2: Electronic modules

M11, M21: Main heat source

M12, M13, M14: Secondary heat sources

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a desktop computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the desktop computer in Figure 1.

Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of the partial components of the heat sink.

Figure 3B is an exploded schematic diagram of the partial components of Figure 3A.

Figures 4A and 4B show side views of a desktop computer from different perspectives.

Figure 5 is a desktop computer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a desktop computer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the desktop computer in Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2 together, in this embodiment, the desktop computer 100 includes a chassis 110, at least one electronic module (here, two electronic modules M1 and M2 are used as an example), and a heat sink 120. The chassis 110 includes a housing 111 and a cover 112, wherein the housing 111 contains a first coolant F1. The electronic modules M1 and M2 are disposed within the chassis 110 and immersed in the first coolant F1. The heat sink 120 is assembled to the chassis 110. The heat sink 120 has a circulation tube 121 that holds a second coolant F2. A portion of the circulation tube 121 is immersed in the first coolant F1 and in thermal contact with the electronic modules M1 and M2. Another portion of the circulation tube 121 extends outside the chassis 110. The boiling point of the first coolant F1 is higher than that of the second coolant F2.

As shown in Figure 2, the upper cover 112 comprises assembleable components 112a and 112b. Components 112b are correspondingly assembled to component 112a to form an opening for the circulation pipe 121 to pass through. The heat sink 120 further includes an evaporator 122 and a heat sink 123. The circulation pipe 121 is positioned above and below the chassis 110 (corresponding to the direction of gravity G1). The lower portion 121b of the circulation pipe 121 connects to the evaporator 122, forming the heat absorption section C1 of the heat sink 120. The upper portion 121a of the circulation pipe 121 passes through the heat sink 123, forming the condensation section C2 of the heat sink 120. The second coolant F2 fills the circulation circuit formed by the evaporator 122 and the circulation tube 121. Through the evaporator 122, it comes into thermal contact with the primary heat source M11 (e.g., the CPU) of the electronic module M1 and the primary heat source M21 (e.g., the GPU) of the electronic module M2. Heat is supplied to the liquid second coolant F2 within the evaporator 122 at the heat absorption section C1. This causes the second coolant F2 to absorb heat and change phase to vapor, which is then transferred upward from the lower portion 121b to the upper portion 121a of the circulation tube 121.

Furthermore, the heat sink 123 of this embodiment comprises multiple stacked fins, with the upper portion 121a of the circulation tube 121 passing through these fins. As the vaporous second coolant F2 passes through the heat sink 123, it dissipates heat through these fins. At the condensation section C2, the second coolant F2 condenses from vapor to liquid due to the heat dissipation and is transferred from the upper portion 121a back to the lower portion 121b. This phase change and transfer allows the second coolant F2 to continuously circulate within the circulation tube 121. Simply put, the heat sink 120 of this embodiment is a two-phase flow thermosiphon cooling circuit.

Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a partial heat sink component. Figure 3B is an exploded schematic diagram of the partial components of Figure 3A. Referring to Figures 3A and 3B together and comparing them with Figures 1 or 2, the contours of the individual fins that comprise heat sink 123 are tapered from bottom to top (relative to the aforementioned direction of gravity G1). When stacked, they further form channels 123d, air inlets 123a, 123b, and air outlets 123c that taper from bottom to top. With inlets 123a and 123b located on opposite sides of the bottom, and outlet 123c at the top, and because it communicates with the external environment, heat sink 123 is equivalent to having multiple channels 123d extending from bottom to top. When heat sink 123 absorbs heat from circulation tube 121 and warms the ambient air, a chimney effect is created through passage 123d, allowing hot air to exit heat sink 123 through outlet 123c. This allows cool ambient air to enter through inlets 123a and 123b, creating an airflow that enhances heat dissipation (the generated airflow is shown by the arrows in Figure 1). This also forms the aforementioned condensation section C2, allowing the second refrigerant F2 to undergo a vapor/liquid phase change cycle within circulation tube 121 and evaporator 122.

As shown in Figure 2, the circulation pipe 121 is also equipped with an insulating layer 121c where the second refrigerant F2 moves from the condensing section C2 to the heat absorbing section C1. This ensures that the liquid second refrigerant F2 does not absorb heat and transform into a vapor during its journey to the heat absorbing section C1, thereby preventing the normal circulation of the second refrigerant F2.

Figures 4A and 4B illustrate side views of a desktop computer from different perspectives. Referring to Figures 4A and 4B and comparing them with Figure 2 , in this embodiment, electronic module M1 has a primary heat source M11 and secondary heat sources M12, M13, and M14, while electronic module M2 has a primary heat source M21. All of these are immersed in the first coolant F1 along with electronic modules M1 and M2. When electronic modules M1 and M2 are in operation, the heat generated by primary heat sources M11 and M21 is greater than that generated by secondary heat sources M12, M13, and M14, and the maximum heat-generating surface area of primary heat sources M11 and M21 is in contact with evaporator 122. Here, electronic module M1 is, for example, a motherboard, and primary heat source M11 is, for example, the CPU. Secondary heat sources M12, M13, and M14 are, for example, memory, solid-state drives, and electronic cards (wireless transmission cards). Electronic module M2 is, for example, a graphics card, and primary heat source M21 is the GPU.

In addition to the chassis 110 containing the first coolant F1, which immerses the electronic modules M1 and M2, the desktop computer 100 also features a heat sink 120 in thermal contact with the electronic modules M1 and M2. The lower portion 121b of the heat sink 120's circulation tube 121 is also immersed in the first coolant F1. More importantly, in addition to the evaporator 122 structurally contacting the primary (largest) heat-generating surface of the primary heat sources M11 and M21, the boiling point of the first coolant F1 in this embodiment is higher than that of the second coolant F2, with the boiling point of the first coolant F1 being higher than or equal to 110°C, while the boiling point of the second coolant F2 is lower than or equal to 50°C. Furthermore, the maximum operating temperature of the electronic modules M1 and M2 is lower than the boiling point of the first coolant F1.

In this way, when the electronic modules M1 and M2 are activated, the heat they generate will preferentially activate the heat sink 120 and the second coolant F2 therein. This will first cause the second coolant F2 to undergo a phase change (from liquid to vapor), allowing the heat sink 120 to dissipate heat from the electronic modules M1 and M2. Subsequently, as the electronic modules M1 and M2 continue to operate and accumulate heat, the second coolant F2 absorbing heat in the heat-absorbing section C1 will also transfer some of its heat to the first coolant F1 contained in the chassis 110, as the lower portion 121b of the circulation tube 121 is immersed in the first coolant F1. In this embodiment, the heat sink 120 further includes a heat conductor 124, represented here by a plurality of fins, disposed within the circulation tube 121 and located where the second coolant F2 moves from the heat absorption section C1 to the condensation section C2. The heat conductor 124 is immersed in the first coolant F1, thereby smoothly transferring heat from the second coolant F2 to the first coolant F1.

Since the secondary heat sources M12, M13, and M14 generate less heat than the primary heat sources M11 and M21, they only need to be dissipated by the first coolant F1. Conversely, in this embodiment, the first coolant F1 only needs to cover the secondary heat sources M12, M13, and M14, as well as the lower portion 121b of the circulation tube 121 and the heat conducting element 124. Furthermore, the phase change of the first coolant F1 does not need to be considered.

In addition, the chassis 110 of this embodiment is made of metal, so some of the heat of the first coolant F1 can be dissipated to the external environment through the chassis 110. Alternatively, a heat dissipation mechanism can be provided on the surface of the chassis 110 to achieve the effect of dissipating the first coolant F1.

Thus, the desktop computer 100 with hybrid cooling is constructed by combining the heat sink 120 with the chassis 110 containing the first coolant F1. More importantly, because the lower portion 121b of the circulation tube 121 is immersed in the first coolant F1, the heat sink 120 (and the second coolant F2 therein) can act as a thermal buffer with the first coolant F1, generating a heat regulation effect. When the temperature of the first coolant F1 is higher than that of the second coolant F2, the heat of the first coolant F1 is transferred to the second coolant F2 in the heat sink 120, increasing the vaporization rate of the second coolant F2 and accelerating the heat dissipation circulation of the heat sink 120. Conversely, when the temperature of the first coolant F1 is lower than that of the second coolant F2, some of the heat from the second coolant F2 can be transferred to the first coolant F1. Since the volume of the first coolant F1 is significantly greater than that of the second coolant F2, the first coolant F1 can effectively disperse the heat from the second coolant F2, preventing excessive heat generated by the electronic modules M1 and M2 from being concentrated in the heat sink 120 and increasing its load. Based on this, the second coolant F2 in the heat sink 120 achieves heat dissipation through phase change, while the first coolant F1 does not. Therefore, the usage of the first coolant F1 can be effectively reduced.

It should also be noted that, in order to smoothly achieve the aforementioned coordination between the first coolant F1 and the second coolant F2, in this embodiment, the liquid level of the second coolant F2 is lower than the liquid level of the first coolant F1 within the chassis 110. This allows the first coolant F1 and the second coolant F2 to serve as a thermal buffer for each other via the circulation tube 121 (and the heat conducting element 124).

Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of a desktop computer according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 5 and comparing it with Figure 1 , unlike the previous embodiment, desktop computer 200 further includes at least one fan (here, multiple fans 125 are shown as an example) positioned above heat sink 123 and adjacent to air outlet 123c, generating airflow as indicated by the arrows. Consequently, fan 125 further enhances the chimney effect of heat sink 123, improving its heat dissipation efficiency.

In summary, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the desktop computer utilizes a hybrid cooling system, wherein a first coolant is contained within the chassis to immerse the electronic module, a heat sink is in thermal contact with the electronic module, and a second coolant is filled within the heat sink's circulation tube. The boiling point of the first coolant is higher than that of the second coolant.

In this way, when the desktop computer is in operation, the heat generated by its electronic modules will first activate the cooling effect of the second coolant, effectively activating the cooling function of the radiator. Furthermore, because the circulation tube is partially immersed in the first coolant, the first and second coolants act as heat buffers for each other. This further increases the desktop computer's thermal capacity and improves the operating efficiency of the electronic modules.

In one embodiment, the circulation pipe is further equipped with a heat conductor. This conductor is located where the second coolant moves from the heat absorption section to the condensation section, and is immersed in the first coolant, further enhancing the heat transfer efficiency between the first and second coolants. Furthermore, the liquid level of the second coolant is kept lower than the level of the first coolant within the chassis. Consequently, when the temperature of the first coolant is higher than that of the second coolant, heat from the first coolant is transferred to the second coolant, accelerating the heat dissipation cycle of the radiator 120. Conversely, when the temperature of the first coolant is lower than that of the second coolant, some of the heat from the second coolant can be transferred to the first coolant. Since the volume of the first coolant is significantly higher than that of the second coolant, the heat from the second coolant can be effectively distributed to the first coolant. This effectively uses the first coolant to dissipate heat from the second coolant, preventing excessive heat generated by the electronic module from being concentrated on the heat sink, thereby increasing its load.

100:Desktop Computer

110: Chassis

120: Radiator

121: Circulatory tube

123: Heat sink

123a, 123b: Air inlet

123c: Air outlet

G1: Gravity direction

Claims (13)

A desktop computer with a composite cooling system includes: a chassis containing a first coolant; at least one electronic module disposed within the chassis and immersed in the first coolant; and a heat sink assembled with the chassis, the heat sink having a circulation pipe containing a second coolant, a portion of the circulation pipe being immersed in the first coolant and in thermal contact with the electronic module, and another portion of the circulation pipe extending upwardly out of the chassis. The boiling point of the first coolant is higher than that of the second coolant, wherein the circulation pipe is arranged in an upper and lower position relative to the chassis, and the radiator further includes an evaporator and a heat sink. The lower portion of the circulation pipe is connected to the evaporator to form a heat absorption section, and the upper portion of the circulation pipe passes through the heat sink to form a condensation section. The circulation pipe is also provided with an insulation layer in the portion where the second coolant moves from the condensation section to the heat absorption section. In the desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 1, the liquid level of the second coolant in liquid form is lower than the liquid level of the first coolant in the chassis. In the desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 1, the heat sink is a plurality of fins stacked on top of each other. In the desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 3, the profile of each fin tapers from bottom to top to form a channel taper from bottom to top between two adjacent fins. A desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 3, wherein the heat sink has two air inlets located on both sides of the bottom and an air outlet located on the top. The desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 5 further includes at least one fan disposed next to the heat sink to cool the heat sink. A desktop computer with composite cooling as described in claim 1, wherein the electronic module has at least one main heat source and at least one secondary heat source, immersed in the first coolant; when the electronic module is activated, the heat generated by the main heat source is greater than the heat generated by the secondary heat source, and the maximum heat-generating surface of the main heat source is in thermal contact with the evaporator. The desktop computer with composite cooling as described in claim 1 further includes a heat conductive element arranged in the circulation pipe and located in the part where the second coolant moves from the heat absorption section to the condensation section, and the heat conductive element is immersed in the first coolant. The desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 1, wherein the boiling point of the first cooling liquid is higher than or equal to 110°C. The desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 1, wherein the maximum operating temperature of the electronic module is lower than the boiling point of the first coolant. The desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 1, wherein the boiling point of the second cooling liquid is lower than or equal to 50°C. In the desktop computer with composite cooling as described in claim 1, the chassis is made of metal, and part of the heat of the first cooling liquid is dissipated to the external environment through the chassis. The desktop computer with hybrid cooling as described in claim 1, wherein the heat sink is a two-phase flow thermosiphon cooling circuit.