Vapor-compression refrigeration apparatus with backup air-cooled heat sink and auxiliary refrigerant heater

Abstract

Apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic component. The apparatus includes a refrigerant evaporator in thermal communication with a component(s) to be cooled, and a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the evaporator for facilitating flow of refrigerant through the evaporator. The apparatus further includes a compressor in fluid communication with a refrigerant loop, an air-cooled heat sink coupled to the refrigerant evaporator, for providing backup cooling to the electronic component in a backup, air cooling mode, and a controllable refrigerant heater coupled to the heat sink. The refrigerant heater is in thermal communication across the heat sink with refrigerant passing through the refrigerant evaporator, and is controlled in a primary, refrigeration cooling mode to apply an auxiliary heat load to refrigerant passing through the refrigerant evaporator to ensure that refrigerant in the refrigerant loop entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]The present invention relates to heat transfer mechanisms, and more particularly, to cooling apparatuses, liquid-cooled electronics racks and methods of fabrication thereof for removing heat generated by one or more electronic components of the electronics rack.[0002]The power dissipation of integrated circuit chips, and the modules containing the chips, continues to increase in order to achieve increases in processor performance. This trend poses a cooling challenge at both the module and system levels. Increased airflow rates are needed to effectively cool higher power modules and to limit the temperature of the air that is exhausted into the computer center.[0003]In many large server applications, processors along with their associated electronics (e.g., memory, disk drives, power supplies, etc.) are packaged in removable drawer configurations stacked within a rack or frame. In other cases, the electronics may be in fixed locations within the rack or frame. Typica...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]In one aspect, the shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of an apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The apparatus includes: a refrigerant evaporator, a refrigerant loop, a compressor, an air-cooled heat sink, and a controllable refrigerant heater. The refrigerant evaporator is in thermal communication with the electronic component, and includes at least one channel therein for accommodating flow of refrigerant therethrough. The refrigerant loop is coupled in fluid communication with the at least one channel of the refrigerant evaporator to facilitate flow of refrigerant through the evaporator, and the compressor is coupled in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop. The air-cooled heat sink is coupled to the refrigerant evaporator, and provides backup cooling to the electronic component in a backup, air cooling mode. The controllable refrigerant heater is coupled to the air-cooled heat sink, and is in thermal communication across the air-cooled heat sink with refrigerant passing through the refrigerant evaporator. The controllable refrigerant heater is controlled in a primary, refrigeration cooling mode to apply an auxiliary heat load to refrigerant passing through the refrigerant evaporator to ensure that the refrigerant in the refrigerant loop entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state.

[0005]In another aspect, a cooled electronic system is provided which includes an electronic component, and an apparatus for cooling the electronic component. The apparatus includes: a refrigerant evaporator, a refrigerant loop, a compressor, an air-cooled heat sink, and a controllable refrigerant heater. The refrigerant evaporator is in thermal communication with the electronic component, and includes at least one channel therein for accommodating flow of refrigerant therethrough. The refrigerant loop is coupled in fluid communication with the at least one channel of the refrigera

Problems solved by technology

This trend poses a cooling challenge at both the module and system levels.

However, th

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