Immersion Cooling Housing With Submerged Pump For Dielectric Coolant

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic device cooling methods, such as liquid cooling, face challenges in efficiently managing heat removal from high-power density components in compact electronic devices, particularly in vehicular electrical systems, where sealing and plumbing complexities hinder effective heat transfer and cooling efficiency.

Innovation Solution

An immersion cooling arrangement using a sealed housing with a dielectric coolant, where a pump is submerged within the coolant to manage the flow through a passageway connected to the electronic device, enhancing heat transfer by boiling off coolant to condense outside the housing, and a control module regulates coolant flow based on heat generation, eliminating the need for complex sealing and plumbing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If liquid cooling with input and return conduits is used, then heat removal capability is improved, but sealing complexity and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat removal capabilityVSAvoidsealing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the sealing function from the electronic device itself and relocates it to the housing. The housing is sealed to contain the dielectric coolant, while the electronic device with its passageway is immersed within this sealed environment. This eliminates the need for sealing at the electronic device while maintaining effective heat removal through the passageway.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The electronic device with its cooling passageway is nested within the sealed housing that contains the dielectric coolant. The inlet and outlet of the passageway are both submerged within the coolant, creating a nested configuration where the cooling system is integrated within the housing environment rather than requiring external conduit connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Power

If power density of electronic devices increases, then device miniaturization and speed improvement are achieved, but heat generation increases requiring more effective cooling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower densityVSAvoidheat generation
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a dielectric coolant (liquid phase) that flows through the passageway of the electronic device to remove heat. The pump circulates the coolant through the passageway, providing hydraulic cooling that is effective for high power density devices. The dielectric coolant allows for direct liquid-to-device heat transfer without the limitations of air or conventional cooling methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Temperature

If conventional liquid cooling with external conduits is used, then cooling effectiveness is maintained, but system complexity and sealing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidsealing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The dielectric coolant serves multiple functions: it provides thermal cooling through the passageway, acts as an insulating medium, and eliminates the need for complex sealing arrangements. The sealed housing contains the coolant and provides the sealing function universally, while the electronic device simply requires its passageway to be submerged in the coolant for effective heat removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution provides efficient heat removal with simplified assembly and reduced power consumption by utilizing a dielectric coolant that boils off heat from electronic components, condenses outside the housing, and regulates coolant flow according to heat demands, improving cooling efficiency and reducing the complexity of sealing and plumbing requirements.

Implementation Method 1

transferring heat from the electronic device to the fluid flowing through the passageway

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

A pump can be in fluid communication with the passageway of the electronic device through the inlet or the outlet. The pump can be contained within the housing. The pump can be submerged within the coolant. The pump can be configured to urge coolant through the passageway

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPumping: Pump

Implementation Method 3

heat removal through liquid cooling has received attention. Liquid cooling generally entails coupling a coolant source to an electronic device through input and return conduits, coolant typically flowing to and from the coolant source in a closed loop arrangement to cool the electronic device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3232753B1Immersion cooling arrangements for electronic devices
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP
  • EP3232753B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3232753B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3232753B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronics cooling arrangement (100) includes a housing (102) configured to contain a coolant (104; 204) and an electronic device (106; 206) disposed within the housing (102). The electronic device (106; 206) has a passageway (108; 208) with at least one inlet (110; 210) and at least one outlet (112; 212) and is configured to allow fluid flowing between the inlet and the outlet to cool the electronic device (106; 206).