TWI851343B - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic apparatus including a casing, a heat conductive partition, a first sealing member, a dielectric cooling fluid, an air cooling module, and a first heat source. The casing has air inlet holes and air outlet holes. The heat conductive partition is disposed in the casing, and divides an inner space of the casing into a liquid cooling space and an air cooling space. The air cooling space is communicated with the air inlet holes and the air outlet holes. The first sealing member is disposed in the casing. The first sealing member surrounds the heat conductive partition and is fixed between the heat conductive partition and the casing. The dielectric cooling fluid is stored in the liquid cooling space. The air cooling module is disposed in the air cooling space. The first heat source is disposed in the liquid cooling space, and a part of the first heat source is immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid.

Description

Electronic equipment

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular to an electronic device combining liquid cooling technology and air cooling technology.

Immersion cooling technology belongs to liquid cooling technology. The heat source is immersed in a dielectric cooling fluid, and the dielectric cooling fluid absorbs the heat generated by the heat source and discharges the heat through single-phase circulation or two-phase phase change. In detail, in order to completely immerse the heat source in the dielectric cooling fluid, a large amount of dielectric cooling fluid must be injected into the casing of the computer host or server host, resulting in high costs. On the other hand, the liquid level of the dielectric cooling fluid in the casing is mostly higher than half of the height of the casing, that is, the volume occupied by the dielectric cooling fluid in the internal space of the casing exceeds half of the volume of the internal space of the casing, resulting in the overall weight of the computer host or server host being too heavy, which is not conducive to moving or carrying.

The present invention provides an electronic device, which helps to reduce costs and complies with the development trend of lightweight.

The present invention proposes an electronic device, including a casing, a heat-conducting baffle, a first seal, a dielectric cooling fluid, an air-cooling module and a first heat source. The casing has an air inlet and an air outlet. The heat-conducting baffle is arranged in the casing and divides the internal space of the casing into a liquid-cooling space and an air-cooling space. The air-cooling space is connected to the air inlet and the air outlet. The first seal is arranged in the casing. The first seal surrounds the heat-conducting baffle and is fixed between the heat-conducting baffle and the casing. The dielectric cooling fluid is stored in the liquid-cooling space. The air-cooling module is arranged in the air-cooling space. The first heat source is arranged in the liquid-cooling space, and a part of the first heat source is immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid.

Based on the above, based on the combination of liquid cooling technology and air cooling technology, the heat dissipation performance of the electronic device of the present invention can be significantly improved, and the usage of dielectric cooling fluid in the electronic device can be greatly reduced, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing costs and weight.

In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the housing 110 of FIG. 1A is shown in dashed lines. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the electronic device of FIG. 1A along the section line I-I. Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , in this embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be a computer host or a server host, and includes a housing 110, a heat conductive baffle 120, a first sealing member 130, a circuit board 140, a first heat source 141, an air cooling module, and a dielectric cooling fluid 103.

The housing 110 has a top 111, a bottom 112 opposite to the top 111, a side wall 113 between the top 111 and the bottom 112, an air inlet 114 and an air outlet 115, wherein the air inlet 114 penetrates the top 111, and the air outlet 115 penetrates the side wall 113. A heat-conducting baffle 120, a first sealing member 130, a circuit board 140, a first heat source 141, an air cooling module and a dielectric cooling fluid 103 are disposed in the housing 110, wherein the heat-conducting baffle 120 is located between the top 111 and the bottom 112, and is locked and fixed to the side wall 113, so as to separate the internal space of the housing 110 into a liquid cooling space 101 and an air cooling space 102. The dielectric cooling fluid 103 is stored in the liquid cooling space 101 , and the air cooling module is disposed in the air cooling space 102 .

1C to 1E are enlarged schematic diagrams of regions R1 to R3 in FIG1B. Referring to FIG1A to 1C, the heat conductive baffle 120 may be made of metal, alloy or other high heat conductive materials, and includes a baffle body 121 and a positioning side wall 122 protruding from the edge of the baffle body 121. The baffle body 121 divides the internal space of the housing 110 into a liquid cooling space 101 and an air cooling space 102, and the positioning side wall 122 is locked and fixed to the side wall portion 113.

On the other hand, the first seal 130 surrounds the heat conductive baffle 120 and is fixed between the positioning side wall 122 and the side wall portion 113. Specifically, the first seal 130 is arranged along the outer side of the positioning side wall 122 and is closely attached to the positioning side wall 122 and the side wall portion 113. The first seal 130 can block the path (such as the gap between the positioning side wall 122 and the side wall portion 113) of the liquid or gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103 from leaking from the liquid cooling space 101 to the air cooling space 102, which can not only avoid the dielectric cooling fluid 103 from being damaged, but also prevent the air cooling module from being damaged or malfunctioning due to moisture. For example, the first sealing member 130 may be a sealing ring made of silicone, rubber or other waterproof materials, and may be provided with or without a gel.

As shown in FIG. 1B to FIG. 1D , the first heat source 141 may be a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit, and is disposed on a circuit board 140. The circuit board 140 and the first heat source 141 are disposed in the liquid cooling space 101, and the circuit board 140 is completely immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid 103. On the other hand, the edge of the circuit board 140 does not contact the side wall portion 113, so as to facilitate the circulation of the dielectric cooling fluid 103 in the liquid cooling space 101.

The first heat source 141 is located between the circuit board 140 and the partition body 121, and a portion of the first heat source 141 is immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid 103. Further, the liquid level of the dielectric cooling fluid 103 is lower than the partition body 121, so it does not contact the partition body 121. The liquid level height of the dielectric cooling fluid 103 is H1, and the height of the housing 110 is H2. In one example, the liquid level height H1 may be one-third of the height H2. In another example, the liquid level height H1 may be one-half of the height H2. In yet another example, the liquid level height H1 may be greater than one-third of the height H2 and less than one-half of the height H2.

In other words, the volume of the dielectric cooling fluid 103 in the internal space of the housing 110 does not exceed half of the volume of the internal space of the housing 110, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the cost of the electronic device 100 and reducing the overall weight of the electronic device 100. In addition, the lightweight electronic device 100 is easy to move or carry, which greatly improves the flexibility of use.

1A, 1B and 1D, the air cooling module is thermally coupled to the partition body 121 and is located between the partition body 121 and the top 111. In addition, the air cooling space 102 is connected to the air inlet 114 and the air outlet 115. The air cooling module is used to introduce the cold air from the outside into the air cooling space 102 through the air inlet 114, and discharge the hot air in the housing 110 to the outside through the air outlet 115. The boiling point of the dielectric cooling fluid 103 is approximately between 50 degrees Celsius and 65 degrees Celsius. When the liquid dielectric cooling fluid 103 absorbs the heat generated by the first heat source 141 and evaporates into the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103, the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103 exchanges heat with the partition body 121 to condense back into the liquid dielectric cooling fluid 103. On the other hand, the heat absorbed by the partition body 121 is further discharged to the outside by the air cooling module to prevent the working temperature of the first heat source 141 from being too high and causing performance degradation or failure.

The air cooling module may include a first heat sink 150, a first fan 160 and a second fan 180, wherein the first heat sink 150 may be a heat sink fin and is thermally coupled to the partition body 121. The first heat sink 150 is arranged corresponding to the first heat source 141, wherein the first fan 160 is arranged on the first heat sink 150 corresponding to the air inlet 114, and the second fan 180 is arranged on the partition body 121 corresponding to the air outlet 115. The heat absorbed by the partition body 121 can be transferred to the first heat sink 150, and the cold air introduced by the first fan 160 exchanges heat with the first heat sink 150 to form hot air. The hot air flows toward the air outlet 115 driven by the second fan 180 and is discharged to the outside through the air outlet 115.

Please refer to FIG. 1B and FIG. 1D . In this embodiment, the partition body 121 has a through hole 121a connecting the liquid cooling space 101 and the air cooling space 102, wherein the first heat source 141 passes through the through hole 121a and contacts the first heat sink 150. Since the first heat source 141 is thermally coupled with the first heat sink 150, the heat generated by the first heat source 141 can be transferred to the first heat sink 150, and the cold air introduced by the first fan 160 exchanges heat with the first heat sink 150 to form hot air. The hot air flows toward the air outlet 115 driven by the second fan 180 and is discharged to the outside through the air outlet 115.

Based on the combination of liquid cooling technology and air cooling technology, the heat dissipation performance of the electronic device 100 can be significantly improved, and the usage of the dielectric cooling fluid 103 in the electronic device 100 can be greatly reduced, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing costs and weight.

FIG1F is a partial exploded schematic diagram of the internal structure of the electronic device of FIG1A. Referring to FIG1B, FIG1D and FIG1F, in this embodiment, the first heat sink 150 covers one side of the through hole 121a, and the electronic device 100 further includes a second sealing member 131. Specifically, the second sealing member 131 surrounds the through hole 121a and is fixed between the first heat sink 150 and the partition body 121. The first heat sink 150 is locked and fixed on the partition body 121, and the second sealing member 131 is tightly attached to the first heat sink 150 and the partition body 121. The second seal 131 can block the path (such as the gap between the first heat sink 150 and the partition body 121) of the liquid or gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103 from leaking from the liquid cooling space 101 to the air cooling space 102, which can not only avoid the dielectric cooling fluid 103 from being damaged, but also prevent the air cooling module from being damaged or malfunctioning due to moisture. For example, the second seal 131 can be a sealing ring made of silicone, rubber or other waterproof materials, and can be with or without gel.

Please refer to FIG. 1B and FIG. 1D , the electronic device 100 further includes a second heat source 142, and the first heat source 141 and the second heat source 142 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board 140. That is, the second heat source 142 is located between the circuit board 140 and the bottom 112. The second heat source 142 can be a memory, and is completely immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid 103. When the liquid dielectric cooling fluid 103 absorbs the heat generated by the second heat source 142 and evaporates into the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103, the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103 exchanges heat with the partition body 121 to condense back into the liquid dielectric cooling fluid 103. On the other hand, the heat absorbed by the partition body 121 is further discharged to the outside by the air cooling module to prevent the working temperature of the second heat source 142 from being too high and causing performance degradation or failure.

Please refer to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 1E, the electronic device 100 further includes a third heat source 143, wherein the third heat source 143 is disposed on the circuit board 140 and is located between the circuit board 140 and the partition body 121. That is, the first heat source 141 and the third heat source 143 are disposed on the same side of the circuit board 140. The third heat source 143 can be an active element or a passive element, and is partially immersed in or completely immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid 103. When the liquid dielectric cooling fluid 103 absorbs the heat generated by the third heat source 143 and evaporates into the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103, the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103 exchanges heat with the partition body 121 to condense back into the liquid dielectric cooling fluid 103. On the other hand, the heat absorbed by the partition body 121 is further discharged to the outside by the air cooling module to prevent the working temperature of the third heat source 143 from being too high and causing performance degradation or failure.

In this embodiment, the air cooling module further includes a second heat sink 170 disposed on the partition body 121 corresponding to the third heat source 143, wherein the second heat sink 170 may be a heat sink fin and is thermally coupled to the partition body 121. Therefore, the heat absorbed by the partition body 121 can be transferred to the second heat sink 170, and the cold air introduced by the first fan 160 exchanges heat with the second heat sink 170 to form hot air. The hot air flows toward the air outlet 115 driven by the second fan 180 and is discharged to the outside through the air outlet 115.

As shown in FIG. 1B , FIG. 1D and FIG. 1E , the first heat sink 150 overlaps the first heat source 141 and the second heat source 142, and the second heat sink 170 overlaps the third heat source 143. In addition, the second heat sink 170 is located between the first heat sink 150 or the first fan 160 and the second fan 180. The heat absorbed by the partition body 121 and the gaseous dielectric cooling fluid 103 during the heat exchange can be transferred to the first heat sink 150 and the second heat sink 170, and the cold air introduced by the first fan 160 can exchange heat with the partition body 121, the first heat sink 150 and the second heat sink 170 to form hot air. The hot air flows toward the air outlet 115 driven by the second fan 180 and is discharged to the outside through the air outlet 115.

In summary, based on the combination of liquid cooling technology and air cooling technology, the heat dissipation performance of the electronic equipment of the present invention can be significantly improved, and the use of dielectric cooling fluid in the electronic equipment can be greatly reduced, so as to achieve the purposes of reducing costs and weight reduction. On the other hand, the internal space of the casing is divided into a liquid cooling space and an air cooling space by a heat-conducting partition, wherein the dielectric cooling fluid is filled in the liquid cooling space, and the air cooling module is arranged in the air cooling space. In detail, the seal blocks the path of liquid or gaseous dielectric cooling fluid from the liquid cooling space to the air cooling space. It can not only avoid the loss of dielectric cooling fluid, but also prevent the air cooling module from malfunctioning or being damaged due to moisture.

Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be defined by the scope of the attached patent application.

100: electronic equipment 101: liquid cooling space 102: air cooling space 103: dielectric cooling fluid 110: housing 111: top 112: bottom 113: side wall 114: air inlet 115: air outlet 120: heat conductive baffle 121: baffle body 121a: through hole 122: positioning side wall 130: first seal 131: second seal 140: circuit board 141: first heat source 142: second heat source 143: third heat source 150: first heat sink 160: first fan 170: second heat sink 180: second fan H1: liquid level H2: height I-I: section line R1~R3: area

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an electronic device of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the electronic device of FIG. 1A along the section line I-I. FIG. 1C to FIG. 1E are enlarged schematic diagrams of regions R1 to R3 in FIG. 1B. FIG. 1F is a partial exploded schematic diagram of the internal structure of the electronic device of FIG. 1A.

100: Electronic equipment

101: Liquid cooling space

102: Air-cooled space

103: Dielectric cooling fluid

110: Chassis

111: Top

112: Bottom

113: Side wall

120: Thermal conductive partition

121: Partition body

122: Positioning side walls

140: Circuit board

141: The first heat source

142: Second heat source

150: First radiator

160: The First Fan

170: Second radiator

180: Second Fan

H1: Liquid level

H2: Height

R1~R3: Area

Claims (13)

An electronic device comprises: a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; a heat-conducting baffle disposed in the housing and dividing the internal space of the housing into a liquid cooling space and an air cooling space, wherein the air cooling space is connected to the air inlet and the air outlet; a first sealing member disposed in the housing, wherein the first sealing member surrounds the heat-conducting baffle and is fixed between the heat-conducting baffle and the housing; a dielectric cooling fluid A body, stored in the liquid cooling space; an air cooling module, disposed in the air cooling space; a first heat source, disposed in the liquid cooling space, and a portion of the first heat source is immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid; and a circuit board, disposed in the liquid cooling space and immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid, wherein the first heat source is disposed on the circuit board, and the first heat source is located between the heat conductive baffle and the circuit board. The electronic device as described in claim 1 further includes: a second heat source, which is disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board from the first heat source and immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid. The electronic device as described in claim 1 further includes: a third heat source, which is disposed on the same side of the circuit board as the first heat source, and at least a portion of the third heat source is immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid. The electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the housing further has a top, a bottom opposite to the top, and a side wall portion located between the top and the bottom, the air inlet hole penetrates the top, and the air outlet hole penetrates the side wall portion. The electronic device as described in claim 4, wherein the heat-conducting baffle includes a baffle body and a positioning side wall protruding from the edge of the baffle body, and the baffle body divides the internal space of the housing into the liquid cooling space and the air cooling space, and the positioning side wall is locked and fixed to the side wall. The electronic device as described in claim 5, wherein the first seal is arranged along the outer side of the positioning side wall and is fixed between the positioning side wall and the side wall portion, and the first seal is attached to the positioning side wall and the side wall portion. An electronic device as described in claim 5, wherein the partition body has a through hole connecting the liquid cooling space and the air cooling space, and the first heat source passes through the through hole and is thermally coupled to the air cooling module. An electronic device as described in claim 7, wherein the air cooling module includes a heat sink that is locked and fixed to the partition body, and the heat sink covers one side of the through hole and contacts the first heat source. The electronic device as described in claim 8 further includes: a second sealing member surrounding the through hole and fixed between the heat sink and the partition body, and the second sealing member is attached to the heat sink and the partition body. An electronic device as described in claim 5, wherein the liquid level of the dielectric cooling fluid is lower than the partition body. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the liquid level of the dielectric cooling fluid is greater than or equal to one third of the height of the housing, and less than or equal to one half of the height of the housing. The electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the air cooling module comprises: a first heat sink, which is disposed on the heat conductive baffle corresponding to the first heat source and is thermally coupled to the heat conductive baffle; a first fan, which is disposed on the first heat sink corresponding to the air inlet; and a second fan, which is disposed on the heat conductive baffle corresponding to the air outlet. The electronic device as described in claim 12 further includes: a second heat source, which is disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board and immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid; and a third heat source, which is disposed on the same side of the circuit board as the first heat source, and at least part of the third heat source is immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid, wherein the air cooling module further includes a second heat sink disposed on the thermally conductive baffle corresponding to the third heat source, and the second heat sink is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive baffle.

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