Cooling devices for electronic machinery

Abstract

In an electronic equipment cooling system used to cool electronic equipment that undergoes functional testing before being incorporated into a finished product, the aim is to realize an electronic equipment cooling system that can ensure cooling performance during functional testing while preventing deterioration of the electronic equipment after functional testing. [Solution] The electronic device cooling device 1 comprises an electronic device 10 having an inlet 10a1 which serves as an inlet for refrigerant M, an outlet 10a2 which serves as an outlet for refrigerant M, and a cooling passage 10a connecting the inlet 10a1 and the outlet 10a2; a mist generator 12 provided on the inlet 10a1 side of the cooling passage 10a; and a vacuum gun 11 provided on the outlet 10a2 side of the cooling passage 10a. The mist generator 12 discharges the refrigerant M in mist form to the inlet 10a1 side of the cooling passage 10a, and the vacuum gun 11 sucks the refrigerant M discharged to the inlet 10a1 side of the cooling passage 10a toward the outlet 10a2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles equipped with various parts and electronic devices, functional tests of the electronic devices are performed during the design process, manufacturing process, etc. For example, in Patent Document 1, an inverter for driving a motor, which is a power source of a vehicle, and a device for testing the functions of the motor are disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the device described in Patent Document 1, the inverter is driven during the functional test. Since the inverter generates heat when driven, it is necessary to perform some cooling during the functional test. That is, when testing an electronic device that generates heat during driving, not limited to the inverter, during the manufacturing process, etc., it may be necessary to cool the electronic device during the test. By the way, in a vehicle like Patent Document 1, the inverter may be cooled by water cooling in the completed state. In this case, a cooling passage (cooling passage) for cooling is provided in the vehicle for the inverter. Therefore, when water cooling the electronic device in the completed state, it may be considered to use the cooling passage for cooling during the test. However, if this is done, after performing the functional test of the electronic device, water remains in the cooling passage, so there is a risk that the remaining water may deteriorate the electronic device and that water may leak from the electronic device and cause environmental pollution.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an electronic device cooling device that can cool electronic devices that undergo functional testing before being incorporated into a finished product, while ensuring cooling performance during functional testing and preventing deterioration of the electronic devices after functional testing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present invention, provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises an electronic device having a refrigerant inlet that serves as an inlet for a refrigerant, a refrigerant outlet that serves as an outlet for the refrigerant, and a cooling passage connecting the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, a refrigerant generator provided on the refrigerant inlet side, and a suction device provided on the refrigerant outlet side, wherein the refrigerant generator discharges the refrigerant in the form of a mist to the refrigerant inlet side, and the suction device sucks the refrigerant discharged to the refrigerant inlet side toward the refrigerant outlet.

[0007] The inventors of this invention have gained the following insights into cooling electronic devices using a method other than water cooling, utilizing the cooling passages used for water cooling of electronic devices. First, the inventors investigated methods other than water cooling for cooling electronic devices during performance testing. For example, one possible cooling method other than water cooling is so-called air cooling, in which air is supplied from the inlet of the cooling passage for the electronic device. However, there are concerns that air cooling is insufficient, so they tried a cooling method in which a mixture of air and a mist-like refrigerant is supplied from the inlet of the cooling passage. As a result, it was found that in a cooling method in which pressurized air is supplied from the inlet of the cooling passage, the mist-like refrigerant does not reach the outlet of the cooling passage. Therefore, after trial and error, the inventors found that if a mist-like refrigerant is supplied from the inlet side of the cooling passage of the electronic device while air is drawn in from the outlet side, the mist-like refrigerant can reach the outlet of the cooling passage, ensuring the desired cooling performance, and furthermore, the problem of residual water in the cooling passage after functional testing is also resolved.

[0008] Based on the above findings, the electronic device cooling device of the present invention ensures cooling performance during functional testing of electronic devices while preventing deterioration of the electronic devices after functional testing. This is achieved by having the refrigerant generator discharge the refrigerant in mist form toward the refrigerant inlet, and by having the suction device draw in the refrigerant discharged toward the refrigerant outlet. Furthermore, the suction by the suction device causes the airflow in the cooling passage to flow in only one direction, resulting in a flow along the cooling passage. As a result, the electronic device cooling device of the present invention can reduce the proportion of the refrigerant in mist form that comes into contact with the inner wall of the cooling passage, and can efficiently deliver the refrigerant in mist form to the refrigerant outlet.

[0009] (2) The electronic equipment cooling device of the present invention is preferably such that the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet are provided separately from each other.

[0010] It is believed that mist-like refrigerant spreads and diffuses as it moves away from its source. In this case, for example, if the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet are connected, the mist-like refrigerant may hit the walls of the piping connecting the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet, potentially damaging the mist's shape. In other words, if the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet are connected, the mist-like refrigerant that hits the walls of the piping may collect and turn into a liquid. If this happens, the liquid refrigerant will flow into the cooling passage, causing residual liquid in the cooling passage after performance testing of the electronic equipment. However, in this configuration, the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet are located separately and are not connected. Therefore, only the mist-like refrigerant generated from the refrigerant generator that can be drawn in from the refrigerant inlet can be drawn in from that refrigerant inlet. This reduces the amount of mist-like refrigerant that hits the walls of the cooling passage and turns into liquid before being drawn in from the refrigerant inlet through the cooling passage to the refrigerant outlet.

[0011] Furthermore, if the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet are connected, the suction from the suction device will also affect the refrigerant generator, potentially causing damage to the inside of the refrigerant generator housing due to negative pressure. In contrast, the electronic equipment cooling device of the present invention has the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet located separately (not connected), thus avoiding problems caused by the refrigerant generator being suctioned.

[0012] (3) The air pressure in the cooling passage is preferably lower than the atmospheric pressure around the electronic device.

[0013] With this configuration, the electronic device cooling device of the present invention can effectively draw in the mist-like refrigerant discharged into the atmosphere from the refrigerant generator through the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet.

[0014] (4) The electronic device cooling device of the present invention has an outlet passage connected to the refrigerant outlet, and it is preferable that the suction device is provided in the outlet passage.

[0015] In this way, the electronic device cooling device of the present invention can improve the suction force of the refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet.

[0016] (5) The electronic device cooling device of the present invention has an inlet passage connected to the refrigerant inlet, and the direction in which the refrigerant generator discharges the refrigerant intersects with the refrigerant suction direction formed along the inlet passage.

[0017] In this way, the electronic equipment cooling device of the present invention can efficiently draw in mist-like refrigerant that has deviated from the discharge direction through the refrigerant inlet. As a result, the electronic equipment cooling device of the present invention can easily move the mist-like refrigerant along the suction direction, and it is expected that the risk of the mist-like refrigerant coming into contact with the walls of the cooling passage and liquefying will be reduced.

[0018] (6) The electronic device may be a unit in which a transaxle and a control device for controlling the transaxle are integrated.

[0019] Since the control device for controlling transascorbic acid includes an inverter and the like, it generates heat when performing a functional test in the state of the unit. Therefore, when performing a functional test of the unit, cooling is required. However, if a water cooling method in which water is passed through the cooling passage is used, there is a risk that the unit and the surrounding electronic devices may deteriorate due to the water remaining in the cooling passage after the functional test. However, the electronic device cooling device of the present invention is suitable because it can cool the control device without using water cooling.

[0020] (7) The refrigerant is preferably water.

[0021] By doing so, the electronic device cooling device of the present invention can cool the electronic device at a low cost.

[0022] (8) The electronic device cooling method of the present invention is an electronic device cooling method for cooling an electronic device having a refrigerant inlet serving as an inlet of the refrigerant, a refrigerant outlet serving as an outlet of the refrigerant, and a cooling passage connecting the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, wherein a refrigerant generator provided on the refrigerant inlet side discharges the mist-like refrigerant to the refrigerant inlet side, and the refrigerant discharged to the refrigerant inlet side is sucked toward the refrigerant outlet by a suction device provided on the refrigerant outlet side.

[0023] By doing so, in the electronic device cooling method of the present invention, while the refrigerant generator discharges the mist-like refrigerant toward the refrigerant inlet, the suction device sucks the refrigerant discharged toward the refrigerant inlet toward the refrigerant outlet, thereby ensuring the cooling performance during the functional test of the electronic device and preventing the deterioration of the electronic device and the like after the functional test.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, in an electronic device cooling device that cools an electronic device in which a functional test is performed before being incorporated into a completed product, an electronic device cooling device that can ensure the cooling performance during the functional test and prevent the deterioration of the electronic device after the functional test can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] This is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic device cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram for explaining the flow of a performance test of an electronic device. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing a comparative example of the electronic device cooling apparatus of the present invention. (a) is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic device cooling apparatus in which the air and mist generation sources are provided separately, and (b) is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic device cooling apparatus in which the air and mist generation sources are provided at the same location. [Figure 4] This is a diagram for explaining the cooling performance according to the air flow rate.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, an electronic device cooling apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] The electronic device cooling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a device for cooling an electronic device 10 when performing a function test of the electronic device 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device cooling apparatus 1 includes, for example, an electronic device 10, a vacuum gun 11, and a mist generator 12.

[0028] The electronic device 10 is, for example, a device incorporated in a vehicle. In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 has a transaxle TA in which a drive motor, a generator (so-called power generator), a reduction gear, and a differential gear are integrated, and a power control unit PCU. The power control unit PCU controls the drive of the drive motor of the transaxle TA by controlling the voltage supplied from the power supply PS, and controls so that the electricity generated by the generator can be charged. The electronic device 10 is unitized with the transaxle TA and the power control unit PCU integrated.

[0029] The electronic device 10 has a passage for water cooling the power control unit PCU. As shown in Figure 1, this passage consists of a main cooling passage 10a, an inlet passage 10b connected to the inlet 10a1 of the cooling passage 10a, and an outlet passage 10c connected to the outlet 10a2 of the cooling passage 10a. In this embodiment, it is also used as a passage through which air and mist pass to cool the power control unit PCU when the performance test of the electronic device 10 is performed. The cooling method during the performance test will be described later. The cooling passage 10a, the inlet passage 10b, and the outlet passage 10c are formed, for example, by piping.

[0030] The mist generator 12 discharges the refrigerant M in mist form towards the inlet 10a1 of the cooling passage 10a. The mist generator 12 includes a mist source (not shown) that converts liquid refrigerant M into mist, and a fan 12a for discharging the generated mist toward the inlet of the inlet passage 10b. The mist generator 12 is also provided with a discharge pipe 12b, and the refrigerant M in mist form is discharged from the outlet 12b1 of the discharge pipe 12b.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the discharge pipe 12b and the inlet passage 10b of the electronic equipment 10 are located separately, and the space between the mist generator 12 and the electronic equipment 10 is open to the atmosphere. In addition, the discharge direction A of the mist-like refrigerant M discharged by the mist generator 12 is configured to intersect with the suction direction B of the refrigerant M formed along the inlet passage 10b. In this embodiment, room temperature water is used as the refrigerant M.

[0032] The vacuum gun 11 sucks the mist-like refrigerant M discharged to the inlet 10a1 side of the cooling passage 10a toward the outlet 10a2. The vacuum gun 11 is installed on the outlet 10a2 side of the cooling passage 10a, specifically on the outlet passage 10c connected to the outlet 10a2 of the cooling passage 10a. By sucking the outlet 10a2 side of the cooling passage 10a, the vacuum gun 11 lowers the pressure of the inlet passage 10b, the cooling passage 10a, and the outlet passage 10c, which are connected to the outlet 10a2, to a level lower than the atmospheric pressure surrounding the electronic device 10. In other words, the vacuum gun 11 supplies negative pressure to the inlet passage 10b, the cooling passage 10a, and the outlet passage 10c. As a result, the mist-like refrigerant M discharged into the atmosphere on the inlet passage 10b side is sucked into the inlet of the inlet passage 10b and discharged from the outlet passage 10c. Furthermore, the vacuum gun 11 is equipped with a flow control valve (not shown) and a flow meter (not shown), allowing the suction force to be adjusted. The vacuum gun 11 can, for example, be one installed in a manufacturing plant for electronic equipment 10.

[0033] The above describes the configuration of the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention. Next, the significance of the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

[0034] The process for manufacturing an integrated unit of a power control unit (PCU) and a transaxle (TA), which is an example of the electronic device 10 of the present invention, is shown in Figure 2. That is, the process for manufacturing the unit is: (i) Process P1 involves assembling the transaxle TA, which incorporates a motor generator and differential gear, into the power control unit PCU to form a unit, (ii) Step P2 involves supplying power to the assembled unit (transaxle TA + power control unit PCU, sometimes referred to as TA+PCU) and performing a functional test of the unit (TA+PCU), (iii) Process P3, which involves shipping the vehicle to the production line, provided that the results of the functional test meet the specified standards. The electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention is used when performing the functional test of process P2.

[0035] Incidentally, the drive of the transaxle TA is controlled by the power control unit PCU, but the power control unit PCU generates heat during this control. Therefore, after the unit (TA + PCU) is installed in the vehicle, cooling water is circulated through the cooling passage 10a of the electronic equipment 10 to cool (water cool) the power control unit PCU. During functional testing, the drive control of the transaxle TA is also performed, so the power control unit PCU generates heat. Therefore, cooling of the power control unit PCU is also necessary during the functional testing.

[0036] One possible method for cooling the electronic equipment 10 during functional testing is water cooling, similar to the cooling method used after the unit (TA+PCU) is installed in the vehicle. In the case of water cooling, water remains in the cooling passage 10a after the functional testing is completed. This residual water could cause a deterioration in the quality of the unit (TA+PCU) due to rust. Furthermore, residual water in the cooling passage 10a could lead to environmental pollution due to liquid leakage after the unit (TA+PCU) is shipped.

[0037] Therefore, the inventors investigated alternative methods to water cooling for the power control unit PCU during functional testing of the unit (TA+PCU), specifically, methods that would allow the power control unit PCU to be cooled to the desired performance without any residual water remaining in the cooling passage 10a after functional testing. First, air cooling, which involves supplying air to the cooling passage 10a, was considered as an alternative cooling method. However, there were concerns that air cooling alone would not provide sufficient cooling capacity, so the inventors tried a method of cooling by mixing mist with the air.

[0038] Figure 3(a) shows one method of cooling the unit (TA+PCU) using air + mist. Specifically, the cooling method in Figure 3(a) involves supplying air generated from the air nozzle 40 to the inlet 10a1 of the cooling passage 10a of the power control unit PCU from the first path R1, while simultaneously supplying a mist-like refrigerant M from the mist generator 12 through the second path R2, which is connected to the first path R1. However, with this cooling method, the mist-like refrigerant M did not reach the outlet 10a2 of the cooling passage 10a, and the desired cooling performance could not be obtained. This is thought to be because, as shown in Figure 3(a), the mist-like refrigerant M discharged from the mist generator 12 was pushed back by the airflow branching off from the first path R1.

[0039] Figure 3(b) shows another method of cooling the unit (TA+PCU) using air + mist. Specifically, the cooling method in Figure 3(b) uses an air nozzle 50 capable of simultaneously generating air and mist to supply air and mist-like refrigerant M from the same path R3 to the inlet 10a1 of the cooling passage 10a. With this method, a problem occurred in which the mist did not flow within the cooling passage 10a, and water accumulated inside. This is because, as shown in Figure 3(b), the mist discharged from the air nozzle 50 spreads out as it travels along path R3 (see the fan-shaped dashed line in Figure 3(b)), causing some of the mist to collide with the inner wall of path R3. This is thought to be because the mist adhering to the inner wall accumulates, its mist shape is damaged, and it turns into water droplets.

[0040] Therefore, after trial and error, the inventors found that the desired results could be obtained by adopting a cooling method in which a mist-like refrigerant M is supplied from the inlet 10a1 side of the cooling passage 10a while simultaneously being sucked in by a vacuum gun 11 from the outlet 10a2 side of the cooling passage 10a, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, it was found that with this cooling method, no residual water accumulates inside the cooling passage 10a after the functional test, and the mist-like refrigerant M reaches the outlet 10a2, thus achieving the desired cooling performance.

[0041] To verify the cooling performance of the cooling method, the temperature rise gradient of the cooling method using only air was compared with that of the cooling method using the electronic equipment cooling device 1. The results showed that the temperature rise gradient was lower with the cooling method using the electronic equipment cooling device 1 (air + mist) compared with the cooling method using only air. Here, the temperature rise gradient is the temperature rise per unit time (temperature rise gradient = (temperature rise during TA operation time / operation time × 100)). A lower temperature rise gradient means that the temperature of the electronic equipment 10 does not rise as easily during operation, which indicates higher cooling performance.

[0042] Furthermore, we investigated how the air flow rate affects the temperature rise gradient. As shown in Figure 4, the results showed that a higher air flow rate (L / min) is not necessarily better, and that the temperature gradient suppression rate worsens when the flow rate exceeds a certain level. Here, the temperature gradient suppression rate represents the improvement rate of the temperature rise gradient of the cooling method (air + mist) of this embodiment, and can be derived using the formula: Temperature gradient suppression rate [%] = ((temperature rise gradient of the cooling method using only air) - (temperature rise gradient of the cooling method of this embodiment)) ÷ (temperature rise gradient of the cooling method using only air) × 100.

[0043] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) The above describes one embodiment of the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention. Next, the effects and advantages realized by the electronic device cooling device 1 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0044] The electronic equipment cooling device 1 described above has the following characteristic configuration. Therefore, the electronic equipment cooling device 1 can achieve unique effects that cannot be achieved with conventional technology, as described below.

[0045] (a) The electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an electronic device 10 having a refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) which serves as an inlet for refrigerant M, a refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2) which serves as an outlet for the refrigerant M, and a cooling passage 10a connecting the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) and the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2), a refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) provided on the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) side, and a suction device (vacuum gun 11) provided on the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2) side, wherein the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) discharges the refrigerant M in mist form to the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) side, and the suction device (vacuum gun 11) sucks the refrigerant M discharged to the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) side toward the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2).

[0046] The electronic equipment cooling device 1 of the present invention, configured as described above, ensures cooling performance during functional testing of the electronic equipment 10 while preventing deterioration of the electronic equipment 10 after functional testing. This is achieved by having a refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) discharge a mist-like refrigerant M toward the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1), and a suction device (vacuum gun 11) sucking the refrigerant M discharged toward the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) toward the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2). Furthermore, the suction by the suction device (vacuum gun 11) causes the airflow in the cooling passage 10a to flow in only one direction (from inlet 10a1 to outlet 10a2), resulting in a flow along the cooling passage 10a. As a result, the electronic equipment cooling device 1 of the present invention can reduce the proportion of mist-like refrigerant M that hits the inner wall of the cooling passage 10a, and efficiently deliver the mist-like refrigerant M to the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2). In addition, since vacuum guns 11 are often installed in manufacturing plants, in such cases, the electronic equipment 10 can be cooled inexpensively using existing equipment.

[0047] (b) The electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention is preferably configured such that the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) are located far apart from each other.

[0048] It is thought that the mist-like refrigerant M spreads and diffuses as it moves away from the source. In this case, for example, if the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) are connected, the mist-like refrigerant M may hit the walls of the piping connecting the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1), potentially damaging the mist's shape. In other words, if the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) are connected, the mist-like refrigerant M that hits the walls of the piping (discharge pipe 12b, inlet passage 10b) may accumulate and turn into a liquid. If this happens, the liquid refrigerant M will flow into the cooling passage 10a, causing residual liquid to form in the cooling passage 10a after the performance test of the electronic equipment 10. However, in a configuration where the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) are located separately, because the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) are located separately (not connected), only the mist-like refrigerant M generated from the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) that can be drawn in from the refrigerant inlet (mist generator 12) can be drawn in from the refrigerant inlet (mist generator 12). This further reduces the liquefaction of the mist-like refrigerant M by hitting the wall of the cooling passage 10a before it is drawn in from the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) through the cooling passage 10a to the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2).

[0049] Furthermore, if the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) are connected (directly connected), the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) will also be sucked in, which could cause damage to the inside of the housing of the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) due to negative pressure from the suction. In contrast, the electronic equipment cooling device 1 of the present invention has the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) and the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) located separately and not connected, thus avoiding problems caused by the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) being sucked in.

[0050] (c) The air pressure in the cooling passage is preferably lower than the atmospheric pressure around the electronic device.

[0051] With this configuration, the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention can effectively draw in the mist-like refrigerant M discharged into the atmosphere from the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) from the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) to the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2).

[0052] (d) The device has an outlet passage 10c connected to the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2), and the vacuum gun 11 is preferably provided in the outlet passage 10c.

[0053] In this way, the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention can improve the suction force of the refrigerant M from the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1).

[0054] (e) The electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention has an inlet passage 10b connected to the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1), and it is preferable that the direction in which the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) discharges the refrigerant M (discharge direction A) intersects with the suction direction B of the refrigerant M formed along the inlet passage 10b.

[0055] In this way, the electronic equipment cooling device 1 of the present invention can efficiently draw in the mist-like refrigerant M that has deviated from the discharge direction A through the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1). As a result, the electronic equipment cooling device 1 of the present invention can easily move the mist-like refrigerant M along the suction direction B, and it is expected that the risk of the mist-like refrigerant M coming into contact with the inner wall of the cooling passage 10a and liquefying will be reduced.

[0056] (f) The electronic device 10 may be a unit that integrates a transaxle TA and a control device (power control unit PCU) that controls the transaxle TA.

[0057] The control device (power control unit PCU) that controls the transaxle TA includes an inverter and other components, and therefore generates heat when performing functional tests on the unit. Consequently, cooling is necessary when performing functional tests on the unit (TA+PCU). However, if a water cooling method is used, which involves flowing water through the cooling passage 10a, residual water remaining in the cooling passage 10a after the functional test may cause deterioration of the unit (TA+PCU) and surrounding electronic equipment. However, the electronic equipment cooling device 1 of the present invention is suitable because it can cool the control device (power control unit PCU) without using water cooling.

[0058] (g) The refrigerant M may be water.

[0059] In this way, the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention can cool the electronic device 10 at low cost.

[0060] (h) The present invention relates to a method for cooling electronic equipment 10, which has a refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) that serves as an inlet for a refrigerant M, a refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2) that serves as an outlet for the refrigerant M, and a cooling passage 10a connecting the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) and the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2), characterized in that a refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) provided on the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) side discharges the refrigerant M in mist form to the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1) side, and a suction device (vacuum gun 11) provided on the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2) side sucks the refrigerant M discharged to the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2) towards the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2).

[0061] In this manner, the electronic device cooling method of the present invention ensures cooling performance during the functional test of the electronic device 10 while preventing deterioration of the electronic device 10 after the functional test. This is achieved by having the refrigerant generator (mist generator 12) discharge the mist-like refrigerant M towards the refrigerant inlet (inlet 10a1), and by having the suction device (vacuum gun 11) suck the refrigerant M discharged towards the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2). Furthermore, the suction by the suction device (vacuum gun 11) causes the airflow in the cooling passage 10a to flow in only one direction (from inlet 10a1 to outlet 10a2), resulting in a flow along the cooling passage 10a. As a result, the electronic device cooling method of the present invention can reduce the proportion of mist-like refrigerant M that hits the inner wall of the cooling passage 10a, and efficiently deliver the mist-like refrigerant M to the refrigerant outlet (outlet 10a2).

[0062] The above describes the effects and advantages of the electronic device cooling device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. However, the electronic device cooling device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified in various ways. That is, the electronic device cooling device 1 described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration can be changed, omitted, or added as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In other words, the electronic device cooling device 1 can be one that does not have some or all of the configurations related to (a) to (h) above, one that has other configurations, or one that is realized by configurations related to (a) to (h) above that are different from those exemplified in the above embodiment, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0063] For example, the above embodiment described a case where the exhaust pipe 12b of the mist generator 12 and the inlet passage 10b of the electronic equipment 10 are completely separated, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the exhaust pipe 12b and the inlet passage 10b are connected. In this case, it is preferable to provide an opening that can be vented to the atmosphere at the portion connecting the exhaust pipe 12b and the inlet passage 10b.

[0064] Furthermore, although room temperature water was used as the refrigerant M in the above-described embodiment, any substance that can be cooled and formed into a mist can be used as appropriate.

[0065] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case where cooling is performed with an air flow rate of 30 L / min, the air flow rate should be adjusted as appropriate, taking into consideration the cooling efficiency, such as the temperature gradient suppression ratio shown in Figure 4.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to omit the inlet passage 10b of the electronic device 10 and instead directly draw in air and mist-like refrigerant M from the inlet 10a1 of the cooling passage 10a.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a vacuum gun 11 was used to suction the outlet 10a2 of the cooling passage 10a, but any device capable of suctioning the outlet 10a2 side can be used as appropriate.

[0068] The above describes an embodiment of the electronic device cooling device 1 according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments may exist in the spirit and teaching thereof, without departing from the scope of the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0069] The present invention is suitably applicable to electronic equipment cooling devices in general that cool electronic equipment having cooling passages inside. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1:Electronic equipment cooling equipment 10:Electronic equipment 10a: Cooling passage 10a1: Inlet (Refrigerant inlet) 10a2: Outlet (refrigerant outlet) 10b:Entrance passage 10c:Exit passage 11: Vacuum gun (suction device) 12: Mist generator (refrigerant generator) A: Discharge direction (direction of discharge) B: Suction direction M: Refrigerant PCU: Power Control Unit (Control Device) TA: TransAskul

Claims

1. An electronic device having a refrigerant inlet that serves as an inlet for the refrigerant, a refrigerant outlet that serves as an outlet for the refrigerant, and a cooling passage connecting the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, A refrigerant generator provided on the refrigerant inlet side, The system includes a suction device provided on the refrigerant outlet side, The refrigerant generator discharges the refrigerant in mist form towards the refrigerant inlet side. The electronic device cooling device is characterized in that the suction device sucks the refrigerant discharged to the refrigerant inlet side toward the refrigerant outlet.

2. The electronic device cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the refrigerant generator and the refrigerant inlet are provided separately from each other.

3. The electronic device cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the air pressure in the cooling passage is lower than the atmospheric pressure surrounding the electronic device.

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