Liquid supply device and liquid pumping system including the same

Abstract

The utility model relates to a liquid supply device and a liquid pumping system comprising the same. The liquid supply device comprises a liquid storage tank and at least one liquid pipe. The liquid storage tank comprises a shell and a partition plate. The shell is provided with a containing space, an inlet and an outlet. The partition plate is arranged in the containing space and divides the containing space into a first space and a second space. The inlet communicates with the first space and the outlet communicates with the second space. The volume of the second space is larger than that of the first space. The first space and the second space are communicated with each other through the two openings of the partition plate. A liquid tube connects at least one of the inlet and the outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid supply device and a liquid pumping system including the liquid supply device. Background Art

[0002] A water cooling system generally includes a water tank. When water flows into the water tank, it will cause fluctuations in the water level in the water tank, affecting the accuracy of water level judgment. In addition, the water flowing into the water tank may also generate bubbles due to hitting the wall of the water tank. If the bubbles are sucked into the water pump, it may cause a decrease in the reliability of the water pump. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] In view of this, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid supply device and a liquid pumping system that can suppress the liquid level fluctuation of the liquid in the liquid storage tank.

[0004] To achieve the above object, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a liquid supply device includes a liquid storage tank and at least one liquid pipe. The liquid storage tank includes a housing and a partition. The housing has an accommodation space, an inlet, and at least one outlet. The partition is disposed in the accommodation space and divides the accommodation space into a first space and a second space. The inlet communicates with the first space, and the outlet communicates with the second space. The volume of the second space is larger than the volume of the first space. The partition has at least two openings, and the first space and the second space communicate with each other through the two openings of the partition. The liquid pipe is connected to at least one of the inlet and the outlet.

[0005] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the two openings of the partition include a first opening and a second opening with different horizontal positions.

[0006] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing includes opposite first and second wall portions, and the horizontal position of the first wall portion is higher than that of the second wall portion. The first opening of the partition is disposed adjacent to the first wall portion, and the second opening of the partition is disposed adjacent to the second wall portion.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the partition further has a first edge that abuts against the first wall portion of the housing. The first opening of the partition is a notch provided on the first edge.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the partition further has a second edge that abuts against the second wall portion of the housing. The second opening of the partition is a notch provided on the second edge.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid supply device further includes a filter disposed at the inlet of the liquid storage tank.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid supply device further includes a sensor, which is disposed in the housing and located in the second space. The sensor is configured to sense the pressure or liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage tank.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a liquid supply device includes a liquid storage tank, a sensor, and at least one liquid pipe. The liquid storage tank includes a shell and a partition. The shell has a storage space, an inlet, and at least one outlet. The partition is arranged in the storage space, and divides a first space and a second space in the storage space, and the inlet and the outlet are connected to the second space. The partition has at least two openings, and the first space and the second space are connected to each other through the two openings of the partition. The sensor is arranged in the first space of the shell, and is configured to sense the pressure or liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage tank. The liquid pipe connects at least one of the inlet and the outlet.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a liquid pumping system includes the above-mentioned liquid supply device and at least one liquid pump, and the liquid pump is connected to the outlet of the liquid storage tank through a liquid pipe of the liquid supply device.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid pumping system further includes a flow divider, and the liquid pumping system includes a plurality of liquid pumps connected to the flow divider.

[0014] In summary, a partition is provided in the liquid storage tank of the liquid pumping system disclosed herein, and the partition divides the storage space of the liquid storage tank into a first space and a second space respectively connected to the inlet and the outlet of the liquid storage tank. The volume of the second space is greater than the volume of the first space. The partition has an opening, and the first space and the second space are connected to each other through the opening of the partition. Through the above-mentioned structural configuration, the liquid storage tank can suppress the fluctuation of the liquid level of the cooling liquid inside it, which is helpful to accurately measure the liquid level and / or liquid pressure of the liquid storage tank, and can also suppress the generation of bubbles, preventing the liquid pump connected to the liquid storage tank from sucking in bubbles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to make the above and other objects, features, advantages and implementation methods of the present disclosure more obvious and understandable, the attached drawings are described as follows:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic top view of a liquid pumping system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 To illustrate Figure 1 A schematic exploded view of a liquid storage tank of a liquid pumping system is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 To illustrate Figure 1Schematic top view of the liquid storage tank of the liquid pumping system shown with the cover removed;

[0019] Figure 4A For illustration Figure 1 Schematic sectional view of the liquid storage tank shown at a position near the top of the partition;

[0020] Figure 4B For illustration Figure 1 Schematic sectional view of the liquid storage tank shown at a position near the bottom of the partition;

[0021] Figure 5 Schematic top view of the liquid storage tank according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6 Schematic top view of the liquid storage tank according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023]

Symbol Explanation

[0024] 12: Liquid pumping system

[0025] 13: Liquid pump

[0026] 15: Chassis

[0027] 17: Diverter

[0028] 18: Inlet

[0029] 19: Outlet

[0030] 20: Liquid supply device

[0031] 21, 21A: Liquid storage tank

[0032] 22, 23, 25: Liquid pipe

[0033] 26: Filter

[0034] 29: Sensor

[0035] 30: Housing

[0036] 31: First housing component

[0037] 32: Second housing component

[0038] 34: Accommodation space

[0039] 35: Inlet

[0040] 36: Outlet

[0041] 41: First wall surface

[0042] 42: Second wall surface

[0043] 46: First wall portion

[0044] 47: Second wall portion

[0045] 50: Partition

[0046] 51,61: First space

[0047] 52,62: Second space

[0048] 53: Opening

[0049] 56: First opening

[0050] 57: Second opening

[0051] 58,59: Side

[0052] 66: First edge

[0053] 67: Second edge Detailed implementation manners

[0054] For a more detailed and complete description of the present disclosure, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings and the following various implementation manners. The components in the drawings are not drawn to scale and are provided only for illustrating the present disclosure. Many practical details are described below to provide a comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure. However, those of ordinary skill in the relevant art should understand that the present disclosure may be implemented without one or more of the practical details. Therefore, these details should not be used to limit the present disclosure.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 1 . Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic top view showing a liquid pumping system 12 according to an implementation manner of the present disclosure. The liquid pumping system 12 can be applied to a cooling system of an electronic device or system (such as a personal computer, a server, or a data center) to drive a cooling liquid (not shown in the figure, such as water) to flow and exchange heat with a heat source in the electronic device or system, so as to control its temperature.

[0056] As Figure 1 shown, the liquid pumping system 12 includes a liquid supply device 20 and at least one liquid pump 13. The liquid supply device 20 is connected to an inlet 18 of the liquid pumping system 12. After the cooling liquid enters the liquid pumping system 12 through the inlet 18, the liquid supply device 20 temporarily stores the cooling liquid and supplies the cooling liquid to the liquid pump 13. The liquid pump 13 is connected to the liquid supply device 20 and is configured to receive the cooling liquid from the liquid supply device 20. The liquid pump 13 can pressurize the cooling liquid and output it through an outlet 19 of the liquid pumping system 12.

[0057] As Figure 1As shown, the liquid supply device 20 includes a liquid storage tank 21 and at least one liquid pipe 23. The liquid storage tank 21 is configured to store a cooling liquid. The liquid pump 13 is connected to the liquid storage tank 21 through the liquid pipe 23 to obtain the cooling liquid from the liquid storage tank 21. Additionally, the liquid storage tank 21 can be connected to the inlet 18 of the liquid pumping system 12 through another liquid pipe 22.

[0058] As Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments, the liquid pumping system 12 includes a plurality of liquid pumps 13. The plurality of liquid pumps 13 can each draw the cooling liquid from the liquid storage tank 21 through a plurality of different liquid pipes 23 and pressurize and output the cooling liquid. In some embodiments, the liquid pumping system 12 further includes a diverter 17. The diverter 17 is connected to the plurality of liquid pumps 13 and is connected to at least one outlet 19 of the liquid pumping system 12. The diverter 17 is configured to receive the cooling liquid from the plurality of liquid pumps 13 and then distribute the cooling liquid to at least one outlet 19 of the liquid pumping system 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid pumping system 12 includes a single outlet 19, and the diverter 17 is configured to merge the cooling liquid output by the plurality of liquid pumps 13 into the single outlet 19 of the liquid pumping system 12. The diverter 17 can be connected to the liquid pumps 13 and the outlet 19 through a plurality of liquid pipes 25.

[0059] As Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments, the liquid pumping system 12 further includes a chassis 15. The liquid pumps 13, the diverter 17, and the liquid supply device 20 of the liquid pumping system 12 can be accommodated together in the chassis 15. The inlet 18 and the outlet 19 of the liquid pumping system 12 can be provided on the side wall of the chassis 15.

[0060] In some embodiments, the inlet 18 and the outlet 19 of the liquid pumping system 12 can be connected to an external pipeline (not shown in the figure) and together form a loop with the external pipeline. The external pipeline is thermally coupled to a heat source (not shown in the figure) such that when the cooling liquid flows through the external pipeline, it can absorb heat from the heat source and carry away the heat. The external pipeline being thermally coupled to the heat source means that the external pipeline can directly contact the heat source or be connected to the heat source through a radiator, a heat pipe, a metal block, a thermal conductive gasket, or other suitable thermal conductive elements.

[0061] In some embodiments, the liquid pumping system 12 can further include a cooling device (not shown in the figure, such as a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger or a liquid-to-gas heat exchanger). The cooling device is used to cool the cooling liquid heated by the heat source to facilitate the repeated circulation use of the cooling liquid. In other embodiments, the liquid pumping system 12 does not need to have a cooling device, and a heat exchanger can be provided on the external pipeline connected to the liquid pumping system 12.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 .Figure 2 For showing Figure 1 a schematic exploded view of the liquid storage tank 21 of the liquid pumping system 12 shown, and Figure 3 For showing Figure 1 a schematic top view of the liquid storage tank 21 of the liquid pumping system 12 shown with the cover removed. As shown, the liquid storage tank 21 includes a housing 30. The housing 30 has a receiving space 34 for storing a cooling liquid. The housing 30 also has an inlet 35 and at least one outlet 36 that are in fluid communication with the receiving space 34. The aforementioned liquid pipe 22 can be connected between the inlet 35 of the housing 30 and the inlet 18 of the liquid pumping system 12, and the aforementioned liquid pipe 23 can be connected between the outlet 36 of the housing 30 and the inlet of the liquid pump 13.

[0063] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in some embodiments, the inlet 35 and the outlet 36 can be provided on the side wall of the housing 30 and penetrate the side wall of the housing 30. In some embodiments, the inlet 35 and the outlet 36 can be provided on different sides of the side wall of the housing 30. For example, the inlet 35 can be provided on the first wall surface 41, and the outlet 36 can be provided on the second wall surface 42 adjacent to the first wall surface 41.

[0064] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in some embodiments, the housing 30 can be composed of a plurality of housing components. For example, in the shown embodiment, the housing 30 includes a first housing component 31 and a second housing component 32. The first housing component 31 can be a box body with an opening at the top, and the second housing component 32 can be a cover that covers the opening of the box body.

[0065] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the liquid storage tank 21 further includes a partition 50. The partition 50 is disposed in the receiving space 34 of the housing 30 and divides the receiving space 34 into a first space 51 and a second space 52. The inlet 35 of the housing 30 communicates with the first space 51. Therefore, when the cooling liquid flows into the housing 30 through the inlet 35, it first enters the first space 51. The outlet 36 of the housing 30 communicates with the second space 52, that is, the cooling liquid is located in the second space 52 before leaving the housing 30. In other words, the partition 50 blocks between the inlet 35 and the outlet 36 of the housing 30. Additionally, the volume of the second space 52 is larger than the volume of the first space 51.

[0066] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the partition 50 has at least one opening 53, and the first space 51 and the second space 52 communicate with each other through the opening 53 of the partition 50, that is, the cooling liquid can flow between the first space 51 and the second space 52 through the opening 53 of the partition 50. The opening 53 can be a notch, a through hole, a slit or other structures on the partition 50. The characteristic dimension of the opening 53 (such as the width, height, area, etc. of the opening 53) is smaller than the characteristic dimension of the housing 30. For example, the area of the opening 53 is smaller than the area of the inlet 35 of the housing 30.

[0067] Through the above structural configuration, the liquid storage tank 21 disclosed in the present invention can suppress the liquid level fluctuation and the generation of bubbles of the cooling liquid inside it. Specifically, when the cooling liquid enters the housing 30 through the inlet 35, the cooling liquid is first restricted in the relatively small-volume first space 51 and can only be injected into the second space 52 under the control of the small-sized opening 53 of the partition 50. Therefore, the liquid level fluctuation in the second space 52 is small and there are few bubbles in the cooling liquid, which helps to accurately measure the liquid level and / or liquid pressure of the liquid storage tank 21 and prevent the liquid pump 13 connected to the liquid storage tank 21 from inhaling bubbles and causing a decrease in the reliability of the liquid pump 13.

[0068] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in some embodiments, the liquid supply device 20 further includes a sensor 29, and the sensor 29 is disposed in the housing 30 and located in the second space 52. The sensor 29 can be a pressure sensor configured to sense the pressure of the liquid in the liquid storage tank 21. The sensor 29 can also be a liquid level sensor configured to sense the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage tank 21. As described above, the arrangement of the partition 50 makes the liquid level fluctuation in the second space 52 small, so disposing the sensor 29 in the second space 52 of the housing 30 helps to accurately measure the liquid level and / or liquid pressure of the liquid storage tank.

[0069] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in some embodiments, the partition 50 has opposite side edges 58, 59, and the side edges 58, 59 abut against the side walls of the housing 30. In some embodiments, the opposite side edges 58, 59 of the partition 50 respectively abut against the first wall surface 41 and the second wall surface 42 of the side walls of the housing 30, thereby forming the first space 51 at the corner of the accommodation space 34.

[0070] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, the partition 50 has a first opening 56 and a second opening 57 at different horizontal positions. In some embodiments, the housing 30 includes opposite first and second wall portions 46 and 47, where the first wall portion 46 is at a higher horizontal position than the second wall portion 47. The first wall portion 46 is, for example, the upper cover of the housing 30 (i.e., the second housing component 32), and the second wall portion 47 is, for example, the bottom of the housing 30. The first opening 56 of the partition 50 is disposed adjacent to the first wall portion 46, and the second opening 57 of the partition 50 is disposed adjacent to the second wall portion 47. The aforementioned horizontal position refers to the position of the horizontal height after the liquid supply device is installed. In other words, the horizontal position can be the position in the direction perpendicular to the second wall portion 47 of the housing 30. In some embodiments, the first opening 56 is at a first distance from the second wall portion 47, and the second opening 57 is at a second distance from the second wall portion 47, and the first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0071] Please refer to Figure 4A as well. Figure 4A FIG. Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid storage tank 21 shown at a position near the top of the partition 50. As Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4A shown, in some embodiments, the partition 50 further has a first edge 66 that abuts against the first wall portion 46 of the housing 30. The first opening 56 of the partition 50 is a notch provided on the first edge 66.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 4B as well. Figure 4B FIG. Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid storage tank 21 shown at a position near the bottom of the partition 50. As Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4B shown, in some embodiments, the partition 50 further has a second edge 67 that abuts against the second wall portion 47 of the housing 30. The second opening 57 of the partition 50 is a notch provided on the second edge 67.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 5 as well. Figure 5FIG. 0 is a schematic top view showing a liquid storage tank 21 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the liquid supply device further includes a filter 26 disposed at an inlet 35 of a housing 30 of the liquid storage tank 21. The filter 26 has minute pores that can stabilize the cooling liquid passing through the filter 26, which helps to further suppress the liquid level fluctuation and the generation of bubbles of the cooling liquid inside the liquid storage tank 21. The filter 26 can be disposed outside the inlet 35 of the housing 30 as shown in the figure, or can be disposed at other positions, such as inside the inlet 35 of the housing 30, or passing through the inlet 35 of the housing 30.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 6 . Figure 6 FIG. 7 is a schematic top view showing a liquid storage tank 21A according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The difference between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiment is that the inlet 35 and the outlet 36 of the housing 30 of the liquid storage tank 21A in this embodiment are both connected to a second space 62 of the housing 30, and the sensor 29 is disposed in a first space 61 of the housing 30. In other words, the partition 50 blocks between the sensor 29 and the inlet 35 and the outlet 36 of the housing 30. In this way, the cooling liquid in the first space 61 has small fluctuations, which helps to accurately measure the liquid level and / or the liquid pressure of the liquid storage tank 21.

[0075] The structure of the partition 50 of the liquid storage tank 21A in this embodiment can be substantially the same as that of the foregoing embodiment. The partition 50 may have a first opening 56 at a relatively high position and a second opening 57 at a relatively low position. When the liquid level is lower than the first opening 56, the cooling liquid can flow between the first space 61 and the second space 62 through the second opening 57, so that the liquid level in the first space 61 can rise and fall smoothly. When the liquid level reaches the height of the first opening 56, the first opening 56 can serve as an overflow port to allow part of the cooling liquid in the first space 61 to overflow into the second space 62. In some embodiments, the second opening 57 is located on a side of the partition 50 away from the inlet 35 of the housing 30. In other words, the second opening 57 of the partition 50 faces away from the inlet 35 of the housing 30.

[0076] In summary, a partition is provided in the liquid storage tank of the liquid pumping system of the present disclosure. The partition divides the accommodation space of the liquid storage tank into a first space and a second space that are respectively connected to the inlet and the outlet of the liquid storage tank. The volume of the second space is larger than the volume of the first space. The partition has an opening, and the first space and the second space communicate with each other through the opening of the partition. Through the above structural configuration, the liquid storage tank can suppress the liquid level fluctuation of the cooling liquid inside it, which helps to accurately measure the liquid level and / or the liquid pressure of the liquid storage tank, and can also suppress the generation of bubbles and prevent the liquid pump connected to the liquid storage tank from sucking in bubbles.

[0077] Although the present disclosure has been disclosed as above in embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A liquid supply device, characterized in that: Include: A liquid storage tank, comprising a shell and a partition, the shell having a containing space, an inlet and at least one outlet, the partition being disposed in the containing space and dividing a first space and a second space in the containing space, wherein the inlet is connected to the first space, the at least one outlet is connected to the second space, the volume of the second space is greater than the volume of the first space, wherein the partition has at least two openings, the first space and the second space are connected to each other via the two openings; and At least one liquid pipe is connected to at least one of the inlet and the at least one outlet.

2. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two openings include a first opening and a second opening with different horizontal positions.

3. The liquid supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shell includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposite to each other. The horizontal position of the first wall portion is higher than that of the second wall portion. The first opening of the partition is disposed adjacent to the first wall portion, and the second opening of the partition is disposed adjacent to the second wall portion.

4. The liquid supply device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The partition plate also has a first edge, the first edge abuts against the first wall portion of the shell, and the first opening of the partition plate is a notch arranged on the first edge.

5. The liquid supply device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The partition plate also has a second edge, the second edge abuts against the second wall portion of the shell, and the second opening of the partition plate is a notch arranged on the second edge.

6. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention further comprises a filter, wherein the filter is arranged at the inlet of the liquid storage tank.

7. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention further comprises a sensor, which is arranged in the housing and located in the second space, and the sensor is configured to sense the pressure or liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage tank.

8. A liquid supply device, characterized in that: Include: A liquid storage tank, comprising a shell and a partition, the shell having a containing space, an inlet and at least one outlet, the partition being disposed in the containing space and dividing the containing space into a first space and a second space, wherein the inlet and the at least one outlet are connected to the second space, wherein the partition has at least two openings, and the first space and the second space are connected to each other via the two openings; a sensor disposed in the first space of the housing and configured to sense a pressure or a liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage tank; and At least one liquid pipe is connected to at least one of the inlet and the at least one outlet.

9. A liquid pumping system, characterized in that: Include: A liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and At least one liquid pump is connected to the at least one outlet of the liquid storage tank through the at least one liquid pipe of the liquid supply device.

10. The liquid pumping system according to claim 9, characterized in that: It further comprises a flow divider, wherein the at least one liquid pump is in plurality and connected to the flow divider.

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