Temperature control system and control method for partitioned control of cooling of CPU substrate through cylindrical thermoelectric refrigerating unit

Abstract

The invention relates to a temperature control system and a control method for controlling cooling of a CPU (central processing unit) substrate in a partitioned manner by a cylindrical thermoelectric refrigerating unit, in particular to a temperature control system and a control method for adjusting the partition of the cylindrical thermoelectric refrigerating unit and a cooling fan according to the working condition of a CPU, and aims to realize efficient and accurate CPU temperature control, prevent overheating and improve energy efficiency. The system mainly comprises a central control unit MCU, a cylindrical thermoelectric refrigerating unit partition, a temperature sensor, a driving unit and a cooling fan. The MCU monitors the core temperature of each CPU through the cold end temperature sensor and adjusts the power of the thermoelectric refrigerating unit partition and the rotating speed of the cooling fan according to the working conditions such as starting, half load and full load, and therefore partition independent temperature control and overall cooling are achieved. According to the system and the control method, the problem of local overheating of the CPU can be eliminated, the problems of slow response, inaccurate temperature control and high liquid leakage risk of a water cooling system of a traditional heat dissipation scheme are solved, the system and the method have the advantages of fast temperature control response, safe and reliable operation and high energy efficiency, the working stability of the CPU can be effectively improved, and the service life of the CPU can be effectively prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] A temperature control system and method for cooling a CPU substrate by partitioning a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler, specifically involving a temperature control system and method for dynamically adjusting the partitioning of the cylindrical thermoelectric cooler and the cooling fan according to the CPU operating conditions, belongs to the field of thermal management of electronic equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of integrated circuit technology and the widespread application of multi-core architectures, CPU power density continues to rise, making the formation of localized hot spots and heat accumulation increasingly serious problems. High temperatures not only cause a decrease in carrier mobility and an increase in leakage current in semiconductor devices, but also lead to thermal stress concentration, affecting the long-term reliability and performance stability of chips. Therefore, efficient and precise thermal management has become a key aspect of the design and optimization of high-performance computing systems.

[0003] Current mainstream heat dissipation solutions mainly include air cooling, water cooling, and the emerging phase change cooling technology. Air cooling systems rely on a combination of heatsinks and fans, which is simple in structure and cost-effective. However, its heat dissipation capacity is significantly limited by ambient temperature and airflow organization. Especially in miniaturized, highly integrated devices, air cooling often struggles to handle instantaneous high heat loads, and there is an inherent trade-off between noise control and energy efficiency. Water cooling systems remove heat through liquid circulation and have high heat capacity and thermal conductivity, making them suitable for high-power applications. However, water cooling systems are complex in structure, including multiple components such as pumps, water tanks, piping, and cold blocks. During long-term operation, leaks can easily occur due to material aging, vibration loosening, or improper assembly. Once coolant leaks onto the motherboard or CPU surface, it can easily cause serious malfunctions such as short circuits and corrosion, resulting in high maintenance costs and significant risks.

[0004] Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are based on the Peltier effect and achieve directional heat transfer through direct current. They offer significant advantages such as rapid response, precise temperature control, no moving parts, high reliability, and ease of integration, making them particularly suitable for electronic devices sensitive to temperature fluctuations and in space-constrained environments. However, traditional thermoelectric cooling systems often employ a holistic temperature control approach, which struggles to adapt to the non-uniform heat load distribution among multiple CPU cores. Furthermore, during the cooling process, the hot end of the TEC continuously releases heat; if the cooling system lags behind, the hot end temperature can rise, reducing cooling efficiency and even causing performance degradation of the thermoelectric module. In addition, existing thermoelectric cooling systems still employ relatively simple energy efficiency optimization and collaborative control strategies under dynamic load conditions, lacking an intelligent temperature control mechanism deeply integrated with the actual operating state of the CPU.

[0005] To this end, this invention proposes a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler temperature control system and method based on independent zone control and dynamic heat dissipation coordination, aiming to achieve refined management of CPU multi-core temperature, improve the overall energy efficiency and operational safety of the system, and especially demonstrate superior adaptability and reliability under high load and high variable load conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing heat dissipation methods such as air cooling and water cooling in terms of response speed, temperature control accuracy, and system safety, and considering the characteristics and application bottlenecks of thermoelectric cooling technology, this invention proposes a temperature control system and method for cooling the CPU substrate by partitioning a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler. Through independent partitioned temperature control, dynamic fan adjustment, and multi-source information fusion, efficient and accurate temperature management of the CPU under all operating conditions is achieved.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the aforementioned technical problem is as follows: A temperature control system for cooling a CPU substrate by partitioning a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler includes a central control unit (10), a host communication interface (20), a power management module (30), a drive unit (41, 42, 43, 44), a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler partition (51, 52, 53, 54), a cold end temperature sensor (61, 62, 63, 64), a cooling fan (70), a fan drive switch (71), and a hot end safety sensor (80).

[0008] The central control unit (10) serves as the core of the system control. It connects to the host communication interface (20) via a data bus to receive CPU load warnings and operating status information. It connects to each drive unit and temperature sensor via an analog / digital interface to achieve signal acquisition and power output control. The host communication interface (20) supports standard communication protocols (such as SMBus, I2C, etc.) to achieve data interaction with the motherboard or operating system. The power management module (30) provides multiple regulated outputs to power the control unit, drive circuit, and sensors. The drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) adopt an adjustable power output architecture to drive four independent thermoelectric cooler zones (51, 52, 53, 54) respectively. Each thermoelectric cooler zone is arranged in a 2×2 array and closely attached to the back of the CPU substrate (100), corresponding to the four core areas of the CPU respectively. The cold end temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64) adopt high-precision digital temperature sensors (such as NTC or DS18B20) to monitor the temperature of each core area in real time. The cooling fan (70) receives the pulse width modulation signal (hereinafter referred to as PWM signal) from the central control unit through the fan drive switch (71) to achieve stepless speed regulation. The hot end safety sensor (80) is arranged on the heat sink base to monitor the hot end temperature and realize overheat protection.

[0009] The central control unit (10) dynamically adjusts the output power of each drive unit and the PWM duty cycle of the fan drive switch through the PID algorithm based on the real-time data of the cold end temperature sensor, the signal of the hot end safety sensor and the load conditions obtained by the host communication interface, thereby realizing the precise control of CPU temperature zones and the overall heat dissipation of the system.

[0010] A control method for a temperature control system that uses a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler for zoned cooling of a CPU substrate mainly includes a temperature control strategy and a fan control strategy, and its features are as follows: (1) Temperature control strategy The central control unit (10) collects signals from the cold end temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64) in real time, and divides the CPU operating status into three conditions: startup, half-load, and full-load, and executes corresponding control strategies accordingly: Startup condition (CPU starts from shutdown, load <10%): To avoid sudden temperature rise and excessive thermal stress on the thermoelectric module, a gentle cooling strategy is adopted. The central control unit controls all drive units to operate at low power, so that each thermoelectric cooler zone operates at 20%-30% of its rated power, while controlling the cooling fans to keep them at low speed or turn them off (PWM duty cycle 0%-30%). Half-load operation (CPU load approximately 30%-70%): To balance cooling effect and system energy efficiency, an independent temperature control strategy is implemented for each core. The central control unit independently adjusts the power output of the corresponding drive unit based on the real-time temperature differences of each core: the core with the higher temperature operates at 50%-70% of its rated power, and the core with the lower temperature operates at 20%-40% of its rated power. During this period, if a cold-end temperature sensor detects an abnormal increase in the temperature of a single core in its CPU partition (e.g., momentarily exceeding a set threshold, such as 75°C), the central control unit will immediately activate the overheat emergency response for that partition, increasing the corresponding thermoelectric cooler to 75%-90% of its rated power within 100ms to achieve rapid, localized, strong cooling, preventing the core from throttling or being damaged due to overheating. Full load condition (CPU load > 80%): To minimize temperature rise, a full-power cooling strategy is implemented. The central control unit controls all drive units to operate at high power, making each thermoelectric cooler zone work at 80%-100% of its rated power, while controlling the cooling fans to enter high-speed cooling mode (PWM duty cycle 70%-100%).

[0011] The central control unit calculates the deviation between the setpoint and the actual temperature of each zone in real time, and dynamically adjusts the output power of the drive unit through a digital PID algorithm to ensure the stability and accuracy of temperature control.

[0012] (2) Fan control strategy The central control unit dynamically adjusts the PWM duty cycle of the fan drive switch (71) based on the signal from the hot end safety sensor (80) and the real-time operating conditions of the CPU, and combines this with the cold end temperature data to achieve graded speed control: During startup, if the temperature of each cold end is below 50°C, the fan remains off or runs at low speed (400-700 RPM, corresponding to a PWM duty cycle of 10%-30%). Under half-load conditions, when any cold end temperature is within the range of 50°C-70°C, the fan switches to medium speed operation (800-1500 RPM, corresponding to PWM duty cycle of 40%-60%). Under full load conditions, if the temperature of any cold end exceeds 70°C, the fan enters high-speed operation (speed 1600-2100 RPM, corresponding to PWM duty cycle 70%-100%); Regardless of the operating conditions, once the hot-end safety sensor detects that the heatsink temperature exceeds the safety threshold (e.g., 85°C), the central control unit immediately controls the fan to run continuously at the highest speed (approximately 2500 RPM, PWM duty cycle 100%) until the hot-end temperature returns to the safe range.

[0013] In addition, the central control unit can receive CPU load warning signals from the operating system through the host communication interface (20), and pre-adjust the thermoelectric cooler partition and cooling fan in advance to achieve feedforward control of temperature, significantly reducing the temperature fluctuation amplitude and response delay.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: To address the issues of uneven temperature distribution and instantaneous overheating in CPU multi-core systems, this system implements partition-based, independent, and rapidly responsive temperature control, thereby improving system stability and performance consistency. Compared to water-cooling solutions, this system has no risk of leakage, is compact, and highly reliable, making it particularly suitable for embedded and high-density computing scenarios with stringent safety requirements. By integrating multi-source temperature information with load prediction, dynamic heat dissipation management with optimized energy efficiency can be achieved, extending device life and reducing system energy consumption. It supports a single-core overheating emergency response mechanism, which can quickly intervene when there is a local temperature anomaly, preventing heat spread from affecting the overall system operation. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments shown in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working operation of a temperature control system for partitioned control of CPU substrate cooling using a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler, according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the partitioned structure of a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the working process of a temperature control system for partitioned control of CPU substrate cooling using a cylindrical thermoelectric cooler, as described in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, but this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] A temperature control system for zoned control of CPU substrate cooling using a thermoelectric cooler includes: a central control unit (10), connected to a host communication interface (20) via a data bus, and connected to drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) and temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64, 80) via analog / digital lines; the host communication interface (20) is connected to an external computer to receive CPU load warning signals; a power management module (30) is connected to an external power supply at input and to the central control unit (10) and all drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) at output; drive units (41,42,43,44) provide power amplification for the thermoelectric cooler zones (51,52,53,54) respectively; the thermoelectric cooler zones (51,52,53,54) are distributed in a 2×2 array on the CPU substrate (100); the cold end temperature sensors (61,62,63,64) monitor the temperature of the four CPU core areas respectively; the cooling fan (70) is connected to the power management module (30) and the fan drive switch (71); the gate of the fan drive switch (71) is connected to the central control unit (10); the hot end safety sensor (80) monitors the heat sink temperature.

[0021] The central control unit (10) is connected to the drive unit (41,42,43,44), the cold end temperature sensor (61,62,63,64), the fan drive switch (71) and the hot end safety sensor (80) via wires. The central control unit (10) adjusts the output power of the drive unit and the PWM signal of the fan drive switch according to the temperature sensor data and the operating condition signal.

[0022] A control method for a temperature control system that uses a thermoelectric cooler to control the cooling of a CPU substrate mainly includes a temperature control strategy and a fan control strategy.

[0023] (1) Temperature control strategy The central control unit (10) receives signals from the cold junction temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64). When the CPU changes from the shutdown state to the startup state, it is in startup condition. In order to avoid temperature overshoot, a mild cooling strategy is adopted. The central control unit (10) controls all drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) to operate at low power, so that the cooling power of the thermoelectric cooler partition (51, 52, 53, 54) is 20%-30% of the rated power. At the same time, the central control unit (10) controls the fan drive switch (71) to make the cooling fan (70) run at low speed (PWM duty cycle 0%-30%). The central control unit (10) receives signals from the cold end temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64). When the CPU load is half load, it is in half load condition. In order to balance energy efficiency and cooling, a zone independent temperature control strategy is adopted. The central control unit (10) independently adjusts the power of the corresponding drive unit (41, 42, 43, 44) according to the temperature data of each core. For example, if the temperature of core 1 is high, the output power of drive unit (41) is 70% of the rated power. If the temperature of core 2 is low, the output power of drive unit (42) is 30% of the rated power. At the same time, the central control unit (10) controls the fan drive switch (71) to make the cooling fan (70) run at medium speed (PWM duty cycle 40%-60%). The central control unit (10) receives signals from the cold junction temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64). When the CPU load is full, it is in full-load condition. In order to cool down to the maximum extent, a full-power cooling strategy is adopted. The central control unit (10) controls all drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) to run at high power, so that the cooling power of the thermoelectric cooler partition (51, 52, 53, 54) is 80%-100% of the rated power. At the same time, the central control unit (10) controls the fan drive switch (71) to make the cooling fan (70) run at high speed (PWM duty cycle 70%-100%). The central control unit (10) calculates the temperature deviation of each zone in real time and adjusts the output power of the drive unit through the PID algorithm to ensure temperature stability.

[0024] (2) Fan control strategy The central control unit (10) adjusts the PWM signal of the fan drive switch (71) according to the signal of the hot end safety sensor (80) and the operating conditions; When the hot end safety sensor (80) detects that the heat sink temperature exceeds the safety threshold (e.g., 85°C), the central control unit (10) controls the fan drive switch (71) to make the cooling fan (70) run at the highest speed (PWM duty cycle 100%) until the temperature returns to normal. In addition, the central control unit (10) receives the CPU load warning signal through the host communication interface (20) and adjusts the operation status of the thermoelectric cooler partition and the cooling fan in advance to achieve pre-cooling.

[0025] Any aspects not covered in this invention are applicable to existing technologies.

Claims

1. A temperature control system for zoned cooling of a CPU substrate using a thermoelectric cooler, characterized in that, include: Central control unit (10); The host communication interface (20) is connected to the central control unit (10) and is used to communicate with an external computer and receive CPU load information; The power management module (30) is used to supply power to the various components of the system; Multiple drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) have their inputs connected to the central control unit (10); Multiple cylindrical thermoelectric cooler sections (51, 52, 53, 54) are arranged in an array on the CPU substrate (100) and are respectively connected to the output terminal of one of the drive units (41, 42, 43, 44); Multiple cold-end temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64) are disposed on the CPU substrate (100) and correspond to the positions of the cylindrical thermoelectric cooler partitions (51, 52, 53, 54), and their output terminals are connected to the central control unit (10). Cooling fan (70); The fan drive switch (71) is connected to the central control unit (10) and controlled by the PWM signal. Its output is connected to the cooling fan (70). A hot-end safety sensor (80) is installed on the heat sink of the cylindrical thermoelectric cooler partition (51, 52, 53, 54), and its output end is connected to the central control unit (10). The central control unit (10) is configured to independently adjust the output power of each drive unit (41, 42, 43, 44) and the PWM signal of the fan drive switch (71) based on the signals from the cold end temperature sensor (61, 62, 63, 64) and the hot end safety sensor (80) and the operating condition information from the host communication interface (20), so as to control the cooling intensity and the speed of the cooling fan of the corresponding thermoelectric cooler zone. The central control unit (10) is also configured to: when any of the cold end temperature sensors (61, 62, 63, 64) detects that the temperature exceeds the single core overheat threshold, increase the output power of the corresponding drive unit to the emergency power level within a predetermined response time.

2. A control method applied to the temperature control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Temperature control steps: The central control unit (10) executes the corresponding control strategy according to the CPU load condition: During startup, all drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) are controlled to operate at a first power level, which is 20%-30% of the rated power of the corresponding thermoelectric cooler zone. Under half-load conditions, the power of the corresponding drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) is independently adjusted according to the readings of each cold-end temperature sensor (61, 62, 63, 64), so that the core corresponding area with higher temperature operates at a second power level, and the core corresponding area with lower temperature operates at a third power level. The second power level is 50%-70% of the rated power, and the third power level is 20%-40% of the rated power. Under full load conditions, all drive units (41, 42, 43, 44) are controlled to operate at a fourth power level, which is 80%-100% of the rated power of the corresponding thermoelectric cooler zone; Fan control steps: The central control unit (10) adjusts the PWM duty cycle of the fan drive switch (71) to control the speed of the cooling fan (70) based on the signal from the hot-end safety sensor (80) and the CPU operating conditions. When the system is in startup mode and the temperature of each cold end is below the first temperature threshold (50°C), the control fan is set to run at the first speed range (400-700 RPM) or turn off. When operating under half-load conditions and any cold end temperature is between the first temperature threshold (50°C) and the second temperature threshold (70°C), the fan is controlled to run at the second speed range (800-1500 RPM). When under full load conditions and any cold end temperature is higher than the second temperature threshold (70°C), control the fan to run at the third speed range (1600-2100 RPM); When the hot end safety sensor (80) detects that the temperature exceeds the safety threshold (85°C), it controls the fan to run at the highest speed (approximately 2500 RPM); In the temperature control step, the central control unit (10) calculates the temperature deviation of each zone in real time through a PID algorithm and dynamically adjusts the output power of the corresponding drive unit. In the fan control steps, the first speed range is 400-700 RPM, the second speed range is 800-1500 RPM, the third speed range is 1600-2100 RPM, and the maximum speed is approximately 2500 RPM; the first temperature threshold is 50°C, the second temperature threshold is 70°C, and the safety threshold is 85°C.

3. The control method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The central control unit (10) also receives a CPU load warning signal through the host communication interface (20) and adjusts the operating status of the cylindrical thermoelectric cooler partitions (51, 52, 53, 54) and the cooling fan (70) in advance based on the signal to achieve pre-cooling.

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