US20130140002A1

US20130140002A1 - Cooling system for electronic device

Info

Publication number: US20130140002A1
Application number: US13/329,234
Authority: US
Inventors: Yao-Ting Chang
Original assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-12-06
Filing date: 2011-12-17
Publication date: 2013-06-06
Also published as: TW201325412A

Abstract

A cooling system for cooling an electronic device includes a heat exchanger, a first refrigerant pipe, a pump, a second refrigerant pipe, and a cooling apparatus. The heat exchanger, the first refrigerant pipe, the pump, and the second refrigerant pipe are connected in that order to form a first circulation system. The cooling apparatus is connected between the pump and the second refrigerant pipe. The cooling apparatus is exposed outside the electronic device. When the temperature outside the electronic device is higher than the temperature in the electronic device, the first circulation system cools the electronic device. When the temperature outside the electronic device is lower than the temperature in the electronic device, the refrigerant flows through the cooling apparatus to be cooled.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to cooling systems, and particularly, to a cooling system for an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
With increasing heavy use of on-line applications, the need for computer data centers has increased rapidly. Data centers are centralized computing facilities that include many servers, often arranged on server racks or shelves, and one rack or shelf with several servers can be considered a server system. During operation, server systems generate a lot of heat in the data centers, and a common method for dissipating the heat is to use a lot of air conditioners, which use a lot of energy, leading to energy waste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawing, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a cooling system of an electronic device, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the cooling system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure, including the accompanying drawing, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
Referring to the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an embodiment of a cooling system is provided for cooling an electronic device 100. The cooling system includes a heat exchanger 10, a first refrigerant pipe 20, a pump 30, a second refrigerant pipe 40, a first valve 50, a second valve 60, and a cooling apparatus 70. The first and second refrigerant pipes 20 and 40 receive refrigerants, which can circulate in the heat exchanger 10.
The heat exchanger 10, the first refrigerant pipe 20, the pump 30, the first valve 50, and the second refrigerant pipe 40 are connected in that order to form a first circulation system and circulate refrigerants. The heat exchanger 10, the first refrigerant pipe 20, the pump 30, the second valve 60, the cooling apparatus 70, and the second refrigerant pipe 40 are connected in that order to form a second circulation system and circulate refrigerants.
The electronic device 100 may be a container data center, which can generate a lot of heat.
The heat exchanger 10 is arranged in the electronic device 100 for cooling the electronic device 100. The heat exchanger 10 may be an air conditioner.
The first refrigerant pipe 20 and the second refrigerant pipe 40 are respectively connected to opposite ends of the heat exchanger 10, for transferring the refrigerants.
A first end of the pump 30 is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 20. The first valve 50 and the second valve 60 are connected to a second end of the pump 30. In this embodiment, the pump 30 transfers the refrigerants from the first refrigerant pipe 20 to the second refrigerant pipe 40. In another embodiment, the pump 30 can be directly connected to the second refrigerant pipe 40.
The cooling apparatus 70 is located on a top of the electronic device 100 or other positions outside the electronic device 100. The cooling apparatus 70 includes a metal pipe in a snake-like pattern.
When the electronic device 100 operates, if the temperature outside is higher than the temperature inside, the first valve 50 is opened and the second valve 60 is closed. The refrigerant is circulated in the first circulation system, to dissipate heat for the electronic device 100. If the temperature outside is lower than the temperature inside, the first valve 50 is closed and the second valve 60 is opened. The refrigerant is circulated in the second circulation system. The refrigerant can be cooled by the cooling apparatus 70, which can drop the temperature of the refrigerant, to reduce refrigerating output of the heat exchanger 10.
Obviously, functioning as switch apparatuses, the first valve 50 and the second valve 60 can be replaced by a three-port valve.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system for an electronic device, comprising:

a heat exchanger arranged in the electronic device for cooling the electronic device;

a first refrigerant pipe;

a pump;

a second refrigerant pipe, wherein the first and second refrigerant pipes receive refrigerants, which can circulate in the heat exchanger;

a first valve;

a second valve; and

a cooling apparatus located outside the electronic device;

wherein the heat exchanger, the first refrigerant pipe, the pump, the first valve, and the second refrigerant pipe are connected in that order to form a first circulation system and circulate refrigerants; the heat exchanger, the first refrigerant pipe, the pump, the second valve, the cooling apparatus, and the second refrigerant pipe are connected in that order to form a second circulation system and circulate refrigerants; and

wherein when the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed, the refrigerant is circulated in the first circulation system, to dissipate heat for the electronic device, when the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, the refrigerant is circulated in the second circulation system, the refrigerant flows through the cooling apparatus and is cooled by the cooling apparatus.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the cooling apparatus comprises a metal pipe in a snake-like pattern.

3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is an air conditioner.

4. A cooling system for an electronic device, comprising:

a first refrigerant pipe;

a pump;

a second refrigerant pipe, wherein the first and second refrigerant pipes receive refrigerants, which can circulate in the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger, the first refrigerant pipe, the pump, and the second refrigerant pipe are connected in that order to form a first circulation system and circulate refrigerants; and

a cooling apparatus connected between the pump and the second refrigerant pipe and located outside the electronic device;

Wherein when the temperature outside the electronic device is higher than the temperature in the electronic device, the first circulation system cools the electronic device, when the temperature outside the electronic device is lower than the temperature in the electronic device, the refrigerant flows through the cooling apparatus to be cooled.

5. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein the cooling apparatus comprises a metal pipe in a snake-like pattern.

6. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein the heat exchanger is an air conditioner.

7. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein a switch apparatus is connected to the pump, the switch apparatus is operated to control the refrigerant to flow through the cooling apparatus.

8. The cooling system of claim 7, wherein the switch apparatus comprises a first valve and a second valve, the first valve is connected between the pump and the second refrigerant pipe, the second valve is connected between the pump and the cooling apparatus.

9. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein when the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed, the refrigerant is circulated in the first circulation system, to dissipate heat for the electronic device, when the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, the refrigerant flows through the cooling apparatus and is cooled by the cooling apparatus.