Flow blocking mechanism, thermally adaptive flow regulating device and method

Abstract

This invention relates to the technical field of liquid cooling systems, and more particularly to a flow blocking mechanism, a thermally adaptive flow regulation device, and a method. The device includes a temperature control component comprising a heated element that deforms with temperature changes and a driving element that sets the deformation direction of the heated element, the free end of the driving element forming a driving surface; and an adjustment component, fitted to the free end of the driving element, comprising a regulator, the sidewall of which has a lifting surface that mates with the driving surface, the tail end of which extends into the medium pipe to form a blockage. This flow blocking mechanism, thermally adaptive flow regulation device, and method utilize the deformation of the heated element due to temperature changes to control the movement of the driving element along the deformation direction of the heated element, thereby moving the regulator and changing the flow cross-section of the medium pipe to achieve automatic flow regulation with temperature changes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of liquid cooling systems, and more particularly to a flow blocking mechanism, a thermally adaptive flow regulation device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the main way to adjust the flow rate of liquid cooling systems in data centers is through flow regulating valves or by adjusting the inlet diameter of the coolant pipes during the initial design phase. If regulating valves are used, the product is bulky and the operation is cumbersome. If the inlet diameter is designed for adjustment, it can only be adapted to fixed operating conditions. If the heat source power consumption changes or the flow rate requirement of the cold plate is different, it cannot be well adapted. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the inconvenience of adjusting different coolant flow rates in existing methods, this invention is proposed.

[0004] Therefore, the first objective of this invention is to provide a flow blocking mechanism that can automatically adjust according to temperature.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a flow blocking mechanism, comprising a temperature control component, which includes a heated element that deforms under temperature changes and a driving element that sets the deformation direction of the heated element, the free end of the driving element forming a driving surface; and an adjustment component, which is coupled to the free end of the driving element, comprising an adjuster, the side wall of the adjuster being provided with a lifting surface that cooperates with the driving surface, the tail end of the adjuster extending into the medium pipe to form a blockage.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the flow blocking mechanism of the present invention, the heated component adopts an integrated bellows structure with an expansion space inside, and the driving component is located at the telescopic end of its tubular structure.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the flow blocking mechanism of the present invention, the heated component may adopt a piston-type structure, which includes a mounting cylinder, a sealing block slidably disposed in the mounting cylinder, an expansion space being formed between the mounting cylinder and the sealing block, and the driving component being located at the end of the moving direction of the sealing block.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the flow blocking mechanism of the present invention, the temperature control component further includes a housing, the heated element, the driving element and the regulator are all located inside the housing, the tail end of the regulator penetrates through the housing and extends outside it, an elastic element is provided between the top end of the regulator and the inner cavity sidewall of the housing, and a sealing ring is provided between the sidewall of the housing and the tail end sidewall.

[0009] The beneficial effects of this flow blocking mechanism are as follows: the heated component deforms due to temperature changes, and the driving component moves along the direction of the deformation of the heated component, thereby moving the regulator and changing the flow cross-section of the medium pipeline, thus realizing automatic adjustment of flow rate with temperature changes.

[0010] The second objective of this invention is to provide a thermally adaptive flow regulation device that can automatically adjust the flow rate inside a pipeline based on temperature.

[0011] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a thermally adaptive flow regulation device, including a flow blocking mechanism, a condenser, and a heat source component, at least one of which is connected to the condenser via a condenser pipe; the temperature control component is connected to the heat source component, and the regulation component is connected to the condenser pipe.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the thermal adaptive flow regulation device of the present invention, it further includes a collector connected to the heat source component; the collector and the condenser are connected by a suction pump.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the thermal adaptive flow regulating device of the present invention, the housing is fixed to the outer wall of the condenser tube and conforms to the side wall of the heat source component to obtain heat; the tail end of the regulator is movably inserted into the condenser tube and forms a blockage to the fluid in the condenser tube.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this thermal adaptive flow regulation device are as follows: the temperature of the heat source component increases, heating the interior of the expansion space. The volume change of the expansion space causes the driving surface and the lifting surface to move synchronously, thereby controlling the regulator to move in the condenser tube, thus controlling the flow rate inside the condenser tube and automatically increasing the cooling effect on the heat source component.

[0015] The third objective of this invention is to provide a thermally adaptive flow regulation method that can automatically adjust the flow rate inside a pipeline based on temperature.

[0016] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a thermally adaptive flow rate regulation method, including a thermally adaptive flow rate regulation device, the regulation steps of which are: by connecting a temperature control component to a heat source component, the temperature change of the heat source component controls the temperature inside the expansion space to change synchronously, thereby causing its volume to change, and controlling the driving surface to move; the movement of the driving surface drives the lifting surface to move synchronously, causing the tail end of the regulator to slide in the condenser tube to change the flow area of ​​the condenser tube, so that the coolant entering the heat source component through the condenser tube can automatically adjust the flow rate according to the temperature change of the heat source component.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the thermal adaptive flow regulation method of the present invention, when the expansion space is filled with pure gaseous working fluid, the moving distance of the driving surface is... The calculation formula is as follows: , When the expansion space is filled with a gas-liquid phase change working fluid, the moving distance of the driving surface... The calculation formula is as follows: , Among them, among them, Represents external pressure. The effective cross-sectional area of ​​the heated component being a thermal spring is represented by K, the axial stiffness coefficient of the heated component being a thermal spring is represented by V, the internal volume of the heated component being a thermal spring is represented by n, the number of gas moles is represented by R, the gas constant is represented by T, and the gas temperature is represented by T. This represents the saturated vapor pressure.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the thermal adaptive flow regulation method of the present invention, when the angle between the moving direction of the driving surface and the lifting surface is θ, the rising distance of the regulator is... The calculation formula is: , When the moving direction of the driving surface is in the same direction as the moving direction of the regulator, the rising distance of the regulator is... = ; in This is the stiffness coefficient of the elastic element.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this thermal adaptive flow regulation method are as follows: the temperature of the heat source component increases, heating the interior of the expansion space. The volume change of the expansion space causes the driving surface and the lifting surface to move synchronously, thereby controlling the regulator to move in the condenser tube, thus controlling the flow rate inside the condenser tube and automatically increasing the cooling effect on the heat source component. The movement distance of the regulator can be controlled by factors such as the filling medium inside the expansion space, the movement direction of the driving surface, and the movement direction of the regulator. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of one configuration of Embodiment 1 is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another configuration of Embodiment 1 is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the contact state between the driving surface and the lifting surface in Embodiment 1 is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the heat-receiving component of Embodiment 2 is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a heat-receiving component according to Embodiment 3 is shown; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another heat-receiving component in Embodiment 3 is shown; Figure 7 An overall schematic diagram of Embodiment 4 is shown; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the sealing ring of Example 4 is shown; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the driving surface movement direction and the included angle of the lifting surface in Embodiment 5 is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0023] The terminology used in this invention is that which is currently widely used in the art in consideration of the function of the invention; however, these terms may vary according to the intent of those skilled in the art, precedent, or new technology in the art. Furthermore, specific terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their detailed meanings will be described in the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this specification should not be construed as simple names, but rather based on their meanings and the overall description of the invention.

[0024] Example 1, referring to Figures 1-3 The first embodiment of the present invention provides a flow blocking mechanism, which includes a temperature control component 100 and an adjustment component 200.

[0025] The temperature control component 100 includes a heat-receiving element 101 that deforms under temperature changes and a driving element 102 that sets the deformation direction of the heat-receiving element 101. The free end of the driving element 102 forms a driving surface 102a. The driving element 102 is made of a hard material fixed to the surface of the heat-receiving element 101.

[0026] The regulating component 200 is coupled to the free end of the driving component 102. It includes a regulator 201. The side wall of the regulator 201 is provided with a lifting surface 201a that cooperates with the driving surface 102a. The tail end W of the regulator 201 extends into the medium pipeline G to form a blockage.

[0027] The heated component 101 adopts an integrated bellows structure with an expansion space M-1 inside, and the drive component 102 is located at the telescopic end of its tubular structure.

[0028] When in use, the temperature control component 100 is in contact with the heat source, and the driving surface 102a can move accordingly with the temperature change of the heat source. The bottom of the regulator 201 is inserted into the medium pipeline G, and the regulator 201 and the pipeline are sealed together.

[0029] The expansion space M-1 is filled with a pure gaseous working fluid or a gas-liquid two-phase working fluid. When its temperature increases, its pressure increases, which causes the expansion space M-1 to expand and become larger. Conversely, when its temperature decreases, its pressure decreases, which causes the expansion space M-1 to contract and become smaller. In turn, both of these will cause the displacement driving surface 102a outside the expansion space M-1 to move.

[0030] When the temperature of the heated component 101 increases, the driving surface 102a moves, causing the lifting surface 201a and the tail end W of the regulator 201 to move within the medium pipe G, increasing the flow area of ​​the medium pipe G; when the temperature of the heated component 101 decreases, the driving surface 102a moves, causing the lifting surface 201a and the tail end W of the regulator 201 to move within the medium pipe G, decreasing the flow area of ​​the medium pipe G.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, when the moving direction of the driving surface 102a is inconsistent with the moving direction of the regulator 201, the lifting surface 201a is an inclined surface. When the driving surface 102a moves, it can squeeze the lifting surface 201a and drive the regulator 201 to move in the pipe, which can change the flow cross-section of the coolant in the medium pipe G, thereby changing the flow rate of the coolant entering the heat source.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, when the moving direction of the driving surface 102a is consistent with the moving direction of the regulator 201, the lifting surface 201a is a plane. The movement of the driving surface 102a can drive the lifting surface 201a to move, which in turn drives the regulator 201 to move in the pipe, thereby changing the flow cross-section of the coolant in the medium pipe G and thus changing the flow rate of the coolant entering the heat source.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the driving surface 102a and the lifting surface 201a are in contact and do not separate, and they can slide relative to each other. The driving surface 102a and the lifting surface 201a are connected by a snap-fit ​​to ensure that they are in contact and do not separate. When the heated part 101 is heated or cooled, the movement of the driving surface 102a can drive the lifting surface 201a to move synchronously.

[0034] Example 2, refer to Figure 4This is the second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the heated component 101 may adopt a piston structure, which includes a mounting cylinder 101a, a sealing block 101b slidably disposed in the mounting cylinder 101a, an expansion space M-1 formed between the mounting cylinder 101a and the sealing block 101b, and a driving component 102 located at the end of the moving direction of the sealing block 101b; wherein the sealing block 101b and the driving component 102 may be integrally formed.

[0035] The expansion space M-1 is filled with a pure gaseous working fluid or a gas-liquid two-phase working fluid. When its temperature increases, its pressure increases, which causes the expansion space M-1 to expand and become larger. Conversely, when its temperature decreases, its pressure decreases, which causes the expansion space M-1 to contract and become smaller. In turn, both of these will cause the displacement driving surface 102a outside the expansion space M-1 to move.

[0036] The rest of the structure is the same as that in Example 1.

[0037] Example 3, referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is the third embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that the temperature control component 100 further includes a housing 103. The heated component 101, the driving component 102 and the regulator 201 are all located inside the housing 103. The tail end W of the regulator 201 penetrates through the housing 103 and extends outside it. An elastic component 202 is provided between the top end of the regulator 201 and the inner cavity side wall of the housing 103. A sealing ring 103a is provided between the side wall of the housing 103 and the side wall of the tail end W.

[0038] The elastic element 202 is made of a spring or a metal sheet. The driving surface 102a is in contact with the lifting surface 201a, and the two can be separated. The driving surface 102a and the lifting surface 201a do not need to be connected by a snap-fit. When the expansion space M-1 is heated, the driving surface 102a moves, which in turn moves the lifting surface 201a and compresses the elastic element 202, increasing the flow cross-section of the medium pipeline G. When the expansion space M-1 cools down, the driving surface 102a moves and separates from the lifting surface 201a. At this time, the elastic element 202 will rebound and cause the lifting surface 201a of the regulator 201 to contact the driving surface 102a, thus reducing the flow cross-section of the medium pipeline G.

[0039] like Figure 5As shown, the heated component 101 is made of a thermal spring, and the driving component 102 is mounted on the surface of the thermal spring. The expansion space M-1 is the internal space of the thermal spring. Furthermore, the moving direction of the driving component 102 is not the same as the moving direction of the regulator 201. The housing 103 has a limiting cavity M-2 for mounting the heated component 101 and a mounting cavity M-3 for mounting the regulator 201. The limiting cavity M-2 can restrict the expansion direction of the heated component 101. After the heated component 101 expands and fits against the inside of the mounting cavity M-3, it will expand along the moving direction of the driving component 102.

[0040] Or such as Figure 6 As shown, the heated component 101 is made of a mounting cylinder 101a, and the sealing block 101b is slidably installed in the mounting cylinder 101a. The sealing block 101b is fixed to the driving component 102. The space between the sealing block 101b and the mounting cylinder 101a is the expansion space M-1. At this time, the moving direction of the driving component 102 can be consistent with the moving direction of the regulator 201. The expansion direction of the heated component 101 is unique and consistent with the moving direction of the driving component 102. The housing 103 does not need to restrict the expansion direction of the heated component 101.

[0041] The remaining structure is the same as that in Example 2.

[0042] Example 4, refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The fourth embodiment of the present invention provides a thermally adaptive flow regulation device, which includes a condenser 300, a heat source assembly 400, and a flow blocking mechanism.

[0043] The heat source component 400 is at least one and is connected to the condenser 300 via a condenser pipe 301. The temperature control component 100 is connected to the heat source component 400, and the regulating component 200 is connected to the condenser pipe 301. The tail end W of the regulator 201 is slidably inserted into the condenser pipe 301 to form a blockage. The number of flow blocking mechanisms is consistent with the number of heat source components 400.

[0044] The temperature control component 100 is connected to the heat source component 400. When the temperature of the heat source component 400 rises, the volume of the expansion space M-1 inside the temperature control component 100 increases. This controls the movement of the drive component 102 and simultaneously controls the regulator 201 to slide in the condenser tube 301, increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the coolant flow in the condenser tube 301 and improving the cooling effect of the heat source component 400.

[0045] Furthermore, it also includes a collector 500, which is connected to the heat source assembly 400; the collector 500 is connected to the condenser 300 through a suction pump 501, and the collector 500 can collect the coolant passing through the heat source assembly 400 and then inject it into the condenser 300 through the suction pump 501 for heat exchange, thereby circulating and cooling the heat source assembly 400.

[0046] Furthermore, the housing 103 is fixed to the outer wall of the condenser tube 301 and adheres to the side wall of the heat source assembly 400 to obtain heat; the tail end W of the regulator 201 is movably inserted into the condenser tube 301 and forms a blockage against the fluid inside the condenser tube 301.

[0047] The remaining structure is the same as that in Example 3.

[0048] Example 5, refer to Figure 9 The fifth embodiment of the present invention provides a thermally adaptive flow rate regulation method, including a thermally adaptive flow rate regulation device, wherein the regulation steps are as follows: By controlling the temperature control component 100 and the heat source component 400, the temperature change of the heat source component 400 controls the internal temperature of the expansion space M-1 to change synchronously, thereby causing its volume to change and controlling the drive surface 102a to move.

[0049] The movement of the driving surface 102a causes the lifting surface 201a to move synchronously, which in turn causes the tail end W of the regulator 201 to slide in the condenser tube 301, changing the flow area of ​​the condenser tube 301. The coolant entering the heat source component 400 through the condenser tube 301 can automatically adjust its flow rate according to the temperature change of the heat source component 400.

[0050] The derivation steps for the formula of the moving distance x of the driving surface 102a when the expansion space M-1 is filled with pure gaseous working fluid are as follows: The product's operating mechanism is as follows: changes in ambient temperature T cause changes in pressure P inside the expansion space M-1. These pressure changes cause the driving surface 102a to move. Setting the movement of the driving surface 102a as axial, the axial force on the driving surface 102a changes, ultimately affecting its displacement. Change.

[0051] According to Hooke's Law: , And F=P·A , , The expansion space M-1 is filled with an ideal gas working fluid, and its internal pressure can be calculated using the ideal gas law; the initial internal state is as follows: The internal pressure change is calculated by the change in temperature.

[0052] , in .

[0053] After sorting, we get: , After sorting, we get: , The solution yields: , When the expansion space M-1 is filled with a gas-liquid phase change working fluid, the moving distance of the driving surface 102a is... The derivation steps are as follows: , Where P represents the internal pressure of the expansion space. Represents external pressure. The effective cross-sectional area of ​​the heated component 101 is represented by the thermal spring. V represents the axial stiffness coefficient of the heated component 101 as a thermal spring, and V represents the internal volume of the heated component 101 as a thermal spring. R represents the number of moles of gas; R represents the gas constant; T represents the gas temperature; Represents the internal saturated vapor pressure, where The relationship between internal saturated vapor pressure and temperature needs to be looked up in the physical property parameter table.

[0054] Table 1 shows a comparison of the saturation temperature and saturation pressure of water at 0~100℃.

[0055] Table 1:

[0056] When the heated component 102 is made of a thermal spring, the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the thermal spring is... The axial stiffness K depends on the following parameters: The elastic modulus E and Poisson's ratio β of the outer shell material; The inner diameter D of the thermal spring, wave height h, wave pitch q, wall thickness t, and wave number n.

[0057] , , Depending on the arrangement of the heated component 102, the external stress conditions will vary.

[0058] When the angle between the moving direction of the driving surface 102a and the lifting surface 201a is At this time, the rising distance of regulator 201 The calculation formula is: , When the moving direction of the driving surface 102a is the same as the moving direction of the regulator 201, the rising distance of the regulator 201 is... = .

[0059] in The stiffness of the elastic element 202.

[0060] When the heated component 101 is made of mounting cylinder 101a, without considering the influence of friction, the internal pressure is completely converted into the displacement of the driving surface 102a, which balances the force on the regulator 201. Therefore, the formula is: , When regulator 201 rises, the liquid inlet flow rate changes accordingly, and the product temperature change can be calculated using the following formula.

[0061] , Where q represents the power of the cold plate heat source, in watts (W); Represents the density of the working fluid, with units of kg / m³. 3 A represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel, in m². 2 v represents flow velocity, with units of m / s; The specific heat of the working fluid is represented by kJ / (kg·℃). This represents the fluid temperature rise, measured in °C.

[0062] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flow blocking mechanism, characterized in that: include, A temperature control assembly (100) includes a heat-receiving element (101) that deforms in response to temperature changes and a driving element (102) that directs the deformation of the heat-receiving element (101), the free end of the driving element (102) forming a driving surface (102a); and, An adjustment assembly (200) is fitted to the free end of the drive member (102), and includes an adjuster (201). The side wall of the adjuster (201) is provided with a lifting surface (201a) that cooperates with the drive surface (102a). The tail end (W) of the adjuster (201) extends into the medium pipe (G) to form a blockage.

2. The flow blocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heated component (101) adopts an integrated corrugated pipe structure with an expansion space (M-1) inside, and the driving component (102) is located at the telescopic end of its tubular structure.

3. The flow blocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heated component (101) may adopt a piston-type structure, which includes a mounting cylinder (101a), a sealing block (101b) slidably disposed in the mounting cylinder (101a), an expansion space (M-1) is formed between the mounting cylinder (101a) and the sealing block (101b), and the driving component (102) is located at the end of the sealing block (101b) in the direction of movement.

4. The flow blocking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The temperature control assembly (100) also includes a housing (103). The heating element (101), the driving element (102), and the regulator (201) are all located inside the housing (103). The tail end (W) of the regulator (201) penetrates the housing (103) and extends outside it. An elastic element (202) is provided between the top end of the regulator (201) and the inner wall of the housing (103). A sealing ring (103a) is provided between the side wall of the housing (103) and the side wall of the tail end (W).

5. A thermally adaptive flow regulation device, characterized in that: The device includes the flow blocking mechanism as described in claim 4, and further includes a condenser (300) and a heat source assembly (400), which is at least provided and connected to the condenser (300) via a condenser pipe (301); the temperature control assembly (100) is connected to the heat source assembly (400), and the regulating assembly (200) is connected to the condenser pipe (301).

6. The thermal adaptive flow regulation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a collector (500) connected to the heat source assembly (400); the collector (500) is connected to the condenser (300) via a suction pump (501).

7. The thermal adaptive flow regulation device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The housing (103) is fixed to the outer wall of the condenser (301) and fits against the side wall of the heat source assembly (400) to obtain heat; The tail end (W) of the regulator (201) is movably inserted into the condenser (301) and forms a blockage against the fluid in the condenser (301).

8. A thermally adaptive flow regulation method, characterized in that: Including the thermal adaptive flow regulation device as described in claim 6 or 7, the regulation steps are as follows: By connecting the temperature control component (100) to the heat source component (400), the temperature change of the heat source component (400) controls the synchronous change of the internal temperature of the expansion space (M-1), thereby causing its volume change and controlling the movement of the driving surface (102a); The movement of the driving surface (102a) causes the lifting surface (201a) to move synchronously, which in turn causes the tail end (W) of the regulator (201) to slide in the condenser tube (301) to change the flow area of ​​the condenser tube (301). The coolant entering the heat source assembly (400) through the condenser tube (301) can automatically adjust the flow rate as the temperature of the heat source assembly (400) changes.

9. The thermal adaptive flow rate regulation method according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the expansion space (M-1) is filled with pure gaseous working fluid, the moving distance of the driving surface (102a) is... The calculation formula is as follows: ， When the expansion space (M-1) is filled with a gas-liquid phase change working fluid, the moving distance of the driving surface (102a) is... The calculation formula is as follows: ， in, Represents external pressure. The heated element (101) represents the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the thermal spring; K represents the axial stiffness coefficient of the heated element (101) and V represents the internal volume of the heated element (101); n represents the number of gas moles; R represents the gas constant; and T represents the gas temperature. This represents the saturated vapor pressure.

10. The thermal adaptive flow rate regulation method according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the angle between the moving direction of the driving surface (102a) and the lifting surface (201a) is At this time, the rise distance of the regulator (201) The calculation formula is: ， When the moving direction of the driving surface (102a) is the same as the moving direction of the regulator (201), the rising distance of the regulator (201) is... ; in is the stiffness coefficient of the elastic element (202).

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