Reducing cooling tube bursts in electronic devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention can reduce the chances of tube bursts in electronic devices by using tubes with cross-sectional shapes that can be deformed into larger cross-sectional areas to accommodate coolant expansion due to freezing with little or no corresponding increase in the perimeter length of the cross-section.

1 . A cooling tube for use in an electronic device, the cooling tube comprising: 
 a fluid channel to carry a coolant to cool the electronic device; and    a wall to form the fluid channel, said wall having a first cross-sectional shape when in a relaxed state and a second cross-sectional shape when in an expanded state, the second cross-sectional shape having a larger area than the first cross-sectional shape.    
   
   
       2 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein the coolant comprises one of water or liquid metal.  
   
   
       3 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein the electronic device comprises a processor.  
   
   
       4 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein the first cross-sectional shape is non-circular.  
   
   
       5 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein the second cross-sectional shape is more circular than the first cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       6 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein the first cross-sectional shape is one of elliptical, square, rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal.  
   
   
       7 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein a difference in an area of the first cross-sectional shape and an area of the second cross-sectional shape is at least 8%.  
   
   
       8 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein a perimeter of the first cross-sectional shape is substantially equal to a perimeter of the second cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       9 . The cooling tube of  claim 1  wherein the wall operates in the elastic regime to transition repeatedly between the first cross-sectional shape and the second cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       10 . A system comprising: 
 a processor;    a heat exchanger; and    a cooling tube to couple the processor and the heat exchanger, the cooling tube comprising: 
 a fluid channel to carry a coolant; and  
 a wall to form the fluid channel, said wall having a first cross-sectional shape when in a relaxed state and a second cross-sectional shape when in an expanded state, the second cross-sectional shape having a larger area than the first cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the coolant comprises one of water or liquid metal.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the first cross-sectional shape is non-circular.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the second cross-sectional shape is more circular than the first cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the first cross-sectional shape is one of elliptical, square, rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 10  wherein a difference in an area of the first cross-sectional shape and an area of the second cross-sectional shape is at least 8%.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 10  wherein a circumference of the first cross-sectional shape is substantially equal to a circumference of the second cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the wall operates in the elastic regime to transition repeatedly between the first cross-sectional shape and the second cross-sectional shape.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a pump to circulate the coolant through the cooling tube.