Modular fluid cooling assembly

Abstract

It is described herein a modular fluid cooling assembly. The modular fluid cooling assembly may be assembled from a number of fluid cooling modules and a number of fitting connectors. Each fluid cooling module may comprise a hollow cylinder, an inlet fitting, and an outlet fitting. The hollow cylinder may have an inlet end to which the inlet fitting is connected, an outlet end to which the outlet fitting is connected, a central axis, and a cylinder wall having a cylinder wall thickness in a range of between 0.025 inches and 0.25 inches. Each fitting connector may fluidly connect the inlet fitting of one cooling module to the outlet fitting of another cooling module. The number of fluid cooling modules may be an integer greater than or equal to 1 while the number of fitting connects may equal the number of fluid cooling modules minus 1.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular fluid cooling assembly ( 5 ) assembled from a number (n) of cooling modules ( 10 ), each of said fluid cooling modules comprising:
 a hollow cylinder ( 100 ) having:
 an inlet end ( 110 ), 
 an outlet end ( 120 ) opposite the inlet end, 
 a central axis ( 130 ), and 
 a cylinder wall ( 140 ) comprising:
 an outer surface ( 150 ), 
 an inner surface ( 160 ), and 
 wherein the outer surface and the inner surface define a 
 cylinder wall thickness ( 170 ) having a value in a range of 
 between 0.025 inches and 0.25 inches; 
 
   an inlet fitting ( 200 ) connected to the inlet end; and   an outlet fitting ( 300 ) connected to the outlet end; and   
       wherein the inlet fitting of one fluid cooling module is fluidly connected to the outlet fitting of another fluid cooling module or to a hot fluid source; the outlet fitting of one fluid cooling module is fluidly connected to the inlet fitting of another fluid cooling module or to the hot fluid source; i is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and the total number of fluid cooling modules is less than or equal to 100. 
     
     
         2 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising n i −1 fitting connectors ( 20 ) wherein each fitting connector fluidly connects the inlet fitting of one fluid cooling module to the outlet fitting of another fluid cooling module. 
     
     
         3 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the cylinder wall comprises at least one outer surface modification ( 180 ). 
     
     
         4 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one outer surface modification is selected from the group consisting of at least one outer surface longitudinal protrusion ( 181 ), at least one outer surface helical protrusion ( 182 ), at least one outer surface radial protrusion ( 183 ), at least one outer surface longitudinal recess ( 184 ), at least one outer surface helical recess ( 185 ), at least one outer surface radial recess ( 186 ), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the outer surface modification comprises a plurality of outer surface longitudinal protrusions each having a first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile ( 187 ) having a first trapezoidal crossectional profile height dimension ( 188 ), a first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile major width dimension ( 189 A), and a first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile minor width dimension ( 189 B); wherein a first ratio between an outer diameter of the hollow cylinder without protrusions ( 155 A) and an outer diameter of the hollow cylinder with protrusions ( 155 B) is in a range of between 0.5:1 and 1:1, a second ratio between the first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile height dimension and the first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile major width dimension is in a range of between 0.25:1 and 5:1, and a third ratio between the first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile minor width dimension and the first trapezoidal cross-sectional profile major width dimension is in a range of between and 0.5:1 and 1:1. 
     
     
         6 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the cylinder wall comprises at least one inner surface modification ( 190 ). 
     
     
         7 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one inner surface modification is selected from the group consisting of at least one inner surface longitudinal protrusion ( 191 ), at least one inner surface helical protrusion ( 192 ), at least one inner surface radial protrusion ( 193 ), at least one inner surface longitudinal recess ( 194 ), at least one inner surface helical recess ( 195 ), at least one inner surface radial recess ( 196 ), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the inner surface modification comprises a plurality of inner surface longitudinal protrusions each having a second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile ( 197 ) having a second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile height dimension ( 198 ), a second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile major width dimension ( 199 A), and a second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile minor width dimension ( 199 B); wherein a fourth ratio between an inner diameter of the hollow cylinder without protrusions ( 165 A) and an inner diameter of the hollow cylinder with protrusions ( 165 B) is in a range of between 0.5:1 and 1:1, a fifth ratio between the second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile height dimension and the second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile major width dimension is in a range of between 0.25:1 and 5:1, and a sixth ratio between the second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile major width dimension and the second trapezoidal cross-sectional profile minor width dimension is in a range of between 0.5:1 and 1:1. 
     
     
         9 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a mounting bracket ( 400 ) connected to at least one of the fluid cooling modules in a first plane perpendicular to the central axis at a point on the outer surface and/or an optional outer surface modification, said mounting bracket comprising at least one mounting hole ( 405 ) passing through the mounting bracket in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane. 
     
     
         10 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the mounting bracket is integrally connected to at least one hollow cylinder of the fluid cooling modules. 
     
     
         11 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a heat sink ( 430 ) extending from a mounting bracket outer surface ( 440 ). 
     
     
         12 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the mounting bracket comprises:
 a mounting bracket base ( 410 ) comprising the at least one mounting hole and at least one base clamp hole ( 412 );   at least one clamp ( 420 ) comprising:
 a first clamp section ( 421 ) comprising at least one first clamp section hole ( 422 ) and a plurality (FCR) of first curvilinear recesses ( 423 ); and 
 a second clamp section ( 424 ) comprising at least one second clamp section hole ( 425 ) and a plurality (SCR x ) of second curvilinear recesses ( 426 ); and 
   at least one fastener; and   
       wherein the at least one fastener passes through the first clamp section hole, the second clamp section hole, and attaches to the base clamp hole; and each of the first curvilinear recesses is mated to one of the second curvilinear recesses to form an aperture having an inside diameter which is between 0.01% and 0.1% smaller than the greater of an outer diameter of the hollow cylinder with protrusions ( 155 B) or an outer diameter of the hollow cylinder without protrusions ( 155 A). 
     
     
         13 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 12 , wherein x is a positive integer less than or equal to i. 
     
     
         14 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 12 , wherein x is a positive integer greater than i. 
     
     
         15 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a heat sink ( 430 ) extending from a mounting bracket base outer surface ( 414 ). 
     
     
         16 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each hollow cylinder independently comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, brass, copper, and steel. 
     
     
         17 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , comprising at least two fluid cooling modules wherein the fluid cooling modules are arranged in a side-by-side linear arrangement. 
     
     
         18 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid cooling modules are arranged in a stacked column arrangement comprising at least two columns and at least two rows wherein each column comprises at least two fluid cooling modules and each row comprises at least two fluid cooling modules. 
     
     
         19 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of the fluid cooling modules is fluidly sealed within a chiller box ( 500 ). 
     
     
         20 . The modular fluid cooling assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the chiller box is fluidly connected to a secondary fluid source.