Systems and methods for cooling electronics components employing vapor compression refrigeration with selected portions of expansion structures coated with polytetrafluorethylene

Abstract

Systems and Methods of cooling heat generating electronics components are provided employing vapor compression refrigeration. In one embodiment, the vapor compression refrigeration system includes a condenser, at least one expansion structure, at least one evaporator, and a compressor coupled in fluid communication to define a refrigerant flow path, and allow the flow of refrigerant therethrough. The at least one evaporator is coupled to the at least one heat generating electronics component to facilitate removal of heat produced by the electronics component. At least a portion of the at least one expansion structure is coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in the refrigerant flow path for inhibiting accumulation of material thereon. The polytetrafluorethylene coating has a thickness sufficient to inhibit accumulation of material in a pressure drop area of the expansion structure without significantly changing a pressure drop characteristic of the pressure drop area.

1 . A cooling system for cooling at least one heat generating electronics component, the cooling system comprising: 
 a vapor compression refrigeration system, the vapor compression refrigeration system comprising a condenser, at least one expansion structure, at least one evaporator, and a compressor coupled in fluid communication to define a refrigerant flow path and allow the flow of refrigerant therethrough; and    wherein the at least one evaporator facilitates removal of heat produced by the at least one heat generating electronics component, and wherein at least a portion of the at least one expansion structure is coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in the refrigerant flow path for inhibiting accumulation of material thereon.    
   
   
       2 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the at least one expansion structure comprises a pressure drop area of the at least one expansion structure.  
   
   
       3 . The cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the vapor compression refrigeration system comprises multiple expansion structures coupled in the refrigeration path, each expansion structure comprising a pressure drop area coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in the refrigerant flow path.  
   
   
       4 . The cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the polytetrafluorethylene coating has a thickness sufficient to inhibit accumulation of material in the pressure drop area without changing a pressure drop characteristic of the pressure drop area.  
   
   
       5 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one expansion structure comprises an expansion valve including an expansion pin and an expansion orifice defining a pressure drop area, and wherein the pressure drop area is coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in the refrigerant flow path.  
   
   
       6 . The cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the expansion valve is an electronic expansion valve.  
   
   
       7 . A vapor compression refrigeration cooling system for cooling at least one heat generating electronics component, the cooling system comprising: 
 a condenser;    a first electrically controlled expansion valve coupled to the condenser;    a first evaporator coupled to the first electrically controlled expansion valve;    a second electrically controlled expansion valve coupled to the condenser;    a second evaporator coupled to the second electrically controlled expansion valve;    a controller providing control signals to the first electrically controlled expansion valve and the second electrically controlled expansion valve to control operation of the first electrically controlled expansion valve and the second electrically controlled expansion valve;    a compressor coupled to the first evaporator, the second evaporator and the condenser; and    wherein the condenser, the first electrically controlled expansion valve, the first evaporator, the second electrically controlled expansion valve, the second evaporator, and the compressor are coupled in fluid communication to define multiple refrigerant flow paths, each refrigerant flow path allowing the flow of refrigerant therethrough, and wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator facilitate removal of heat produced by the at least one heat generating electronics component, and wherein at least a portion of the first electrically controlled expansion valve and at least a portion of the second electrically controlled expansion valve are coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in respective refrigerant flow paths for inhibiting accumulation of material thereon.    
   
   
       8 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the at least a portion of the first electrically controlled expansion valve comprises a pressure drop area of the first electrically controlled expansion valve, and wherein the at least a portion of the second electrically controlled expansion valve comprises a pressure drop area of the second electrically controlled expansion valve.  
   
   
       9 . The cooling system of  claim 8 , wherein the pressure drop areas comprise areas where refrigerant expansion occurs during a vapor compression cycle of the vapor compression refrigeration system.  
   
   
       10 . The cooling system of  claim 8 , wherein the polytetrafluorethylene coating has a thickness sufficient to inhibit accumulation of material in the pressure drop areas without changing pressure drop characteristics of the pressure drop areas.  
   
   
       11 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the first electrically controlled expansion valve comprises a first expansion pin and a first expansion orifice defining a first pressure drop area, and wherein the second electrically controlled expansion valve comprises a second expansion pin and a second expansion orifice defining a second pressure drop area, and wherein the first pressure drop area and the second pressure drop area are coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in the refrigerant flow path.  
   
   
       12 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the cooling system is for cooling multiple heat generating electronics components, and wherein the first evaporator facilitates removal of heat produced by a first electronics component of the multiple heat generating electronics components and the second evaporator facilitates removal of heat produced by a second electronics component of the multiple heat generating electronics components.  
   
   
       13 . A method of fabricating a vapor compression refrigeration system for cooling at least one heat generating electronics component, the method comprising: 
 (i) providing a condenser, at least one expansion structure, at least one evaporator, and a compressor;    (ii) providing a polytetrafluorethylene coating on at least a portion of the at least one expansion structure;    (iii) coupling the condenser, at least one expansion structure, at least one evaporator and compressor in fluid communication to define a refrigerant flow path; and    (iv) providing refrigerant within the refrigerant flow path of the vapor compression refrigeration system to allow for cooling of the at least one heat generating electronics component employing sequential vapor compression cycles, wherein the polytetrafluorethylene coating is provided on the at least a portion of the at least one expansion structure in the refrigerant flow path for inhibiting the accumulation of material thereon.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the providing (ii) comprises providing the polytetrafluorethylene coating on a pressure drop area of the at least one expansion structure.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the providing (i) comprising providing multiple expansion structures, and wherein the coupling (iii) comprises coupling the multiple expansion structures in the refrigerant flow path, each expansion structure comprising a pressure drop area coated with a polytetrafluorethylene in the refrigerant flow path.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the providing (ii) comprises providing the polytetrafluorethylene coating with a thickness sufficient to inhibit accumulation of material in the pressure drop area without changing a pressure drop characteristic of the pressure drop area.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the providing (i) comprises providing an expansion valve as the at least one expansion structure, the expansion valve including an expansion pin and an expansion orifice defining a pressure drop area, and wherein the providing (ii) comprises providing the polytetrafluorethylene coating in the pressure drop area in the refrigerant flow path.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the providing (i) comprises providing an electronic expansion valve as the expansion valve.