US20120291997A1

US20120291997A1 - Liquid cooling device

Info

Publication number: US20120291997A1
Application number: US13/431,478
Authority: US
Inventors: Chien-An Chen; Hsing-Yu Chiang
Original assignee: Wistron Corp
Current assignee: Wistron Corp
Priority date: 2011-05-20
Filing date: 2012-03-27
Publication date: 2012-11-22
Also published as: TW201248104A; CN102790020A; TWI438388B

Abstract

A liquid cooling device includes a heat absorbing part, a first transmitting tube, a second transmitting tube, and a heat dissipation part, wherein the heat absorbing part has a heat block, a first expansion pipe, and a second expansion pipe. The heat block is connected to an external heat-generating component, and includes a plurality of flow channels to facilitate the flow of a coolant for absorbing the heat generated from the external heat-generating component. The first expansion pipe and the second expansion pipe are connected to the heat block respectively. The first transmitting tube and the second transmitting tube are connected to the heat dissipation part respectively to form a cooling cycle among the heat absorbing part, the first transmitting tube, the second transmitting tube, and the heat dissipation part for allowing the cooling fluid to circulate in the cycle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-dissipating device; more particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid cooling device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A heat-dissipating device is essential for cooling high performance electronic devices as well as a built-in heat-generating device to maintain normal operation of electronic devices. In a heat-dissipating device to cool a CPU of a computer, for instance, the conventional cooling method uses a liquid cooling system. There is a chamber located inside a heat-absorbing copper component, which contacts the CPU of the heat-dissipating device to allow the cooling fluid to flow and generate a heat exchange process to cool the CPU. However, this kind of cooling system is fairly large because the chamber occupies a certain volume, and the contact area of the heat-absorbing copper and the cooling fluid is limited, which can lead to insufficient cooling.
Disclosed herein is a liquid cooling device that has a chamber with multiple depressed parts inside it to increase the contact area of the cooling fluid and the heat block. However, the chamber of the prior art still occupies quite a large volume, such that the total volume of the liquid cooling device is not reduced.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a liquid cooling device which not only omits the chamber but also increases the heat exchange area of the cooling fluid and the CPU to reduce the volume and increase the heat exchange rate of the liquid cooling device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid cooling device with a heat block that has a plurality of flow channels inside, that can increase the heat exchange area between the cooling fluid and the external heat-generating component.
To achieve the abovementioned objects, the liquid cooling device of the present invention includes: a heat absorbing part, a first transmitting tube, a second transmitting tube, and a heat dissipation part, wherein the heat absorbing part includes a heat block, a first expansion pipe, and a second expansion pipe. The heat block, which has a plurality of flow channels inside it, is used for contacting an external heat-generating component to allow the cooling fluid to flow and to absorb heat generated by the external heat-generating component during operation. The first expansion pipe, which is connected to one side of the heat block, allows the cooling fluid to flow into the plurality of flow channels. The second expansion pipe, which is connected to the other side of the heat block, allows the cooling fluid to flow out of the plurality of flow channels. The first transmitting tube is connected to the first expansion pipe. The second transmitting tube is connected to the second expansion pipe. The heat dissipation part is connected to the first transmitting tube and the second transmitting tube to form a cooling cycle among the heat absorbing part, the heat dissipation part, the first transmitting tube, and the second transmitting tube. This cooling cycle allows the cooling fluid to circulate within it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the liquid cooling device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded schematic view of the heat absorbing part of the liquid cooling device according to one embodiment of the heat absorbing part of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates another exploded schematic view of the heat absorbing part of the liquid cooling device according to another embodiment of the heat absorbing part of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of the heat block according to another embodiment of the heat block of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates another schematic view of the heat block according to a further embodiment of the heat block of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates another schematic view of the liquid cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The advantages and innovative features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed descriptions when taken together with the accompanying drawings.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which illustrates the liquid cooling device according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the liquid cooling device.
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid cooling device 1 is used for contacting an external heat-generating component 90 to dissipate heat generated by the external heat-generating component 90. The liquid cooling device 1 comprises a heat absorbing part 10, a first transmitting tube 20, a second transmitting tube 30, and a heat dissipation part 40, such that a cooling cycle is formed for allowing a cooling fluid 60 to circulate within the cooling cycle along the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat block 10 is made of, but not limited to, copper. The heat block 10 can be made of any material with high thermal conductivity. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first transmitting tube 20 and the second transmitting tube 30 can be made of either plastic or copper. The cooling fluid 60 can be a coolant or fluorinert electronic liquid such as FC72. In this embodiment, the heat dissipation part 40 includes a fan 41 and cooling fins 42, which are located next to the fan 41. The cooling fins 42 are connected to the first transmitting tube 20 and the second transmitting tube 30. The fan 41 and the cooling fans 42 are used for cooling the cooling fluid 60, and then the cooled cooling fluid 60 is transmitted into the heat absorbing part 10 again via the first transmitting tube 20 to cool the external heat-generating component 90 continuously. In one embodiment of the present invention, the external heat-generating component 90, which is in contact with the liquid cooling device 1, is a Central Processing Unit (CPU), but the present invention is not limited to that application. The liquid cooling device 1 can be in contact with any heat-generating device, such as a graphics processing chip, a south bridge chip, a north bridge chip, or other similar devices, for dissipating heat generated by the heat-generating device.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which illustrates the heat absorbing part of the liquid cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded schematic view of the heat absorbing part of the liquid cooling device.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the heat absorbing part 10 includes a heat block 11, a first expansion pipe 12, and a second expansion pipe 13. The heat block 11 contacts the external heat-generating component 90 to absorb heat generated by the external heat-generating component 90. The heat block 11 is equipped with a plurality of flow channels 111 inside it, and the plurality of flow channels 111 is used for allowing the cooling fluid 60 to flow along the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 to absorb the heat generated by the external heat-generating component 90 during operation.
The first expansion pipe 12 has an intake connector 121 and a heat block connector 122. One end of the first expansion pipe 12 is connected to the first transmitting tube 20 via the intake connector 121; the other end of the first expansion pipe 12 is connected to the heat block 11 via the heat block connector 122. The intake connector 121, which is connected to the first transmitting tube 20, is a single channel pipe for facilitating the cooling fluid 60 to flow into the first expansion pipe 12, from which the cooling fluid 60 flows into the plurality of flow channels 111. The first expansion pipe 12 is used for guiding the cooling fluid 60 that flows from the first transmitting tube 20 (a single channel pipe) to flow into the plurality of flow channels 111 of the heat block 11 (multiple channels) to cool the external heat-generating component 90. In order to match the size of the heat block 11, a diameter of the heat block connector 122 substantially matches a diameter of a side that is connected to the heat block connector 122 of the heat block 11.
The second expansion pipe 13 has an outlet connector 131 and a heat block connector 132. One end of the second expansion pipe 13 is connected to the heat block 11 via the heat block connector 132, and the other end of the second expansion pipe 13 is connected to the second transmitting tube 30 via the outlet connector 131. The outlet connector 131 is a single channel pipe which is connected to the second transmitting tube 30 such that the cooling fluid 60, which has absorbed the heat from the external heat-generating component 90, can flow out of the second expansion pipe 13. The second expansion pipe 13 is used for guiding the cooling fluid 60 from the plurality of flow channels 111 (multiple channels) of the heat block 11 into the second transmitting tube 30 (a single channel pipe). In order to match the size of the heat block 11, a diameter of the heat block connector 132 substantially matches a diameter of a side that is connected to the heat block connector 132 of the heat block 11. After flowing out of the second expansion pipe 13, the cooling fluid 60 flows through the second transmitting tube 30 and then into the heat dissipation part 40.
As shown in FIG. 2, in an embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of flow channels 111 has circular cross-section, and the diameter of each flow channel is substantially smaller than 3 mm. However, the present invention is not limited to that design. By using the heat block 11 of the present invention, which is directly contacting the external heat-generating component 90, together with the plurality of flow channels 111 inside the heat block 11, the heat exchange area between the cooling fluid 60 and the external heat-generating component 90 is increased, and the cooling rate is increased accordingly. Moreover, the cooling fluid flowing in each flow channel 111 has a lower mass flow rate than the mass flow rate in a single channel. As a result, the cooling fluid flowing in each flow channel 111 reaches its boiling point faster; i.e., the phase transformation (transforming from the liquid phase to gaseous phase) of the cooling fluid occurs quicker, such that more heat can be absorbed under this transformation. Therefore, both the thermal efficiency of the heat block 11 and the cooling efficiency of the liquid cooling device 1 for cooling the external heat-generating component 90 can be enhanced accordingly. Furthermore, the volume of the heat absorbing part 10 is reduced because the flow channel 111, for facilitating the circulation of the cooling fluid 60, is located inside the heat absorbing part 10 of the liquid cooling device 1.
It is noted that, as shown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment of the present invention, the shapes of the first expansion pipe 12 and of the second expansion pipe 13 are substantially triangular, and the cooling fluid 60 in the heat absorbing part 10 flows in a straight line, but the present invention is not limited to this design. The shapes of the first expansion pipe 12, the second expansion pipe 13, and the direction of flow of the cooling fluid 60 in the heat absorbing part 10 may vary.
Please refer to FIG. 3, which is related to the heat absorbing part of the liquid cooling device according to another embodiment, wherein FIG. 3 illustrates another exploded schematic view of the heat absorbing part. As shown in FIG. 3, in another embodiment of the present invention, the first expansion pipe 12 a and the second expansion pipe 13 a of the heat absorbing part 10 a are pipes with a rectangular cross-section. The intake connector 121 is located at an end of the first expansion pipe 12 a, and the outlet connector 131 is located at an end of the second expansion pipe 13 a. The flowing direction of the cooling fluid 60 in the heat absorbing part 10 a is indicated by an arrow in FIG. 3. As the cooling fluid 60 enters the first expansion pipe 12 a via the intake connector 121, the direction of flow is from top to bottom. After that, the cooling fluid 60 flows into the plurality of flow channels 111 of the heat block 11 to absorb the heat generated by the external heat-generating component 90. The cooling fluid 60, which has absorbed the heat from the external heat-generating component 90, flows from left to right and then enters the second expansion pipe 13 a in order to flow out of the plurality of flow channels 111. Finally, the cooling fluid 60 flows from the bottom to the top to enter the second transmitting tube 30 via the outlet connector 131.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in an embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of flow channels 111 of the heat block 11 has a circular cross-section, but the present invention is not limited to this design. The plurality of flow channels 111 can be of other shapes.
Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, which illustrate the heat block according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic views of the heat block.
As shown in FIG. 4, in another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of flow channels 111 a of the heat block 11 a are pipes with a rectangular cross-section, and, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of flow channels 111 b of the heat block 11 b are pipes with a star-like cross-section in yet another embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the abovementioned descriptions.
Furthermore, the plurality of flow channels 111, 111 a, and 111 b can collaborate with any one of the first expansion pipes 12, 12 a or the second expansion pipes 13, 13 a. In addition, in order to enhance the heat-absorbing rate of the heat block 11, cooling fans or internal threads can be installed in the plurality of flow channels 111, 111 a, and 111 b.
Please refer to FIG. 6, which illustrates the liquid cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6 illustrates another schematic view of the liquid cooling device.
As shown in FIG. 6, in another embodiment of the present invention, the liquid cooling device 1 a includes a heat absorbing part 10, a first transmitting tube 20, a second transmitting tube 30, a heat dissipation part 40, and a pump 50 to increase the heat dissipation cycle speed of the cooling fluid 60. The pump 50 is used for pumping the cooling fluid 60, which has been cooled by the heat dissipation part 40, back into the first transmitting tube 20, such that the cooling fluid 60 enters the heat absorbing part 10 again to continue the heat dissipation cycle for cooling the external heat-generating component 90. In this embodiment, the pump 50 is located at the first transmitting tube 20, but the present invention is not limited to that location.
It must be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for illustration purpose. It is intended that the present invention covers modifications and variations of this invention provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling device comprising:

a heat absorbing part comprising:

a heat block for contacting an external heat-generating component, the heat block having a plurality of flow channels inside and allowing a cooling fluid to flow within it in order to absorb heat generated by the external heat-generating component;

a first expansion pipe connected to one side of the heat block for allowing the cooling fluid to flow into the plurality of flow channels; and

a second expansion pipe connected to the other side of the heat block for allowing the cooling fluid to flow out of the plurality of flow channels;

a first transmitting tube connected to the first expansion pipe;

a second transmitting tube connected to the second expansion pipe; and

a heat dissipation part connected to the first transmitting tube and the second transmitting tube to form a cooling cycle among the heat absorbing part, the heat dissipation part, the first transmitting tube, and the second transmitting tube for allowing the cooling fluid to circulate in the cooling cycle.

2. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of each flow channel of the plurality of flow channels is smaller than 3 mm.

3. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of flow channels has a substantial circular cross-section.

4. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of flow channels has a substantially rectangular or star-like cross-section.

5. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first expansion pipe or the second expansion pipe is substantially triangular shape.

6. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first expansion pipe or the second expansion pipe has a substantially rectangular cross-section; the first transmitting tube is connected to an end of the first expansion pipe; the second transmitting tube is connected to an end of the second expansion pipe.

7. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pump that is located at the first transmitting tube.

8. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation part further comprises a fan and cooling fins.

9. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat absorbing part is made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

10. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the heat absorbing part is made of copper.