Cooling system for a computer system

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling system for a computer system, said computer system comprising at least one unit such as a central processing unit (CPU) generating thermal energy and said cooling system intended for cooling the at least one processing unit and comprising a reservoir having an amount of cooling liquid, said cooling liquid intended for accumulating and transferring of thermal energy dissipated from the processing unit to the cooling liquid. The cooling system has a heat exchanging interface for providing thermal contact between the processing unit and the cooling liquid for dissipating heat from the processing unit to the cooling liquid. Different embodiments of the heat exchanging system as well as means for establishing and controlling a flow of cooling liquid and a cooling strategy constitutes the invention of the cooling system.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising:
 a double-sided chassis adapted to mount a pump configured to circulate a cooling liquid, the pump comprising a motor with stationary windings and a rotor comprising an impeller, the impeller positioned on one side of the chassis and the stationary windings being positioned on an opposite side of the chassis electrically isolated from the cooling liquid;   a reservoir adapted to pass cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including:
 a pump chamber including the impeller, and: 
 a thermal exchange chamber positioned below the pump chamber and vertically spaced apart from the pump chamber; 
 wherein the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber being separate enclosed chambers that are fluidly coupled together by at least one passage; 
   a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of a heat-generating component;   a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid; and   a fan configured to direct air through the heat radiator, the fan being driven by a motor separate from the motor of the pump;
 wherein the thermal exchange chamber includes:
 an inlet that fluidly couples the thermal exchange chamber to the pump chamber via at least one passage positioned between a first end and a second end of the thermal exchange chamber; 
 wherein the thermal exchange chamber includes at least one outlet configured to direct cooling liquid out of the thermal exchange chamber, the at least one outlet positioned at one or more of the first end or the second end of the thermal exchange chamber. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The cooling system of  claim 18 , wherein the double-sided chassis comprises a recess configured to house a stator of the pump motor. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling system of  claim 19 , wherein the stationary windings are operatively connected to the stator housed in the recess. 
     
     
         21 . The liquid cooling system of  claim 18 , wherein the chassis forms a boundary wall of the pump chamber. 
     
     
         22 . The liquid cooling system of  claim 18 , wherein the thermal exchange chamber further includes a plurality of channels is defined by a plurality of fins. 
     
     
         23 . The cooling system of  claim 18 , wherein the pump is a centrifugal pump. 
     
     
         24 . A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising:
 a reservoir configured to circulate a cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including:   a pump chamber housing a rotor having an impeller and defined at least in part by an impeller cover and a double-sided chassis, the impeller being positioned on one side of the chassis and at least one sensor for sensing the angular position of the rotor is positioned on an opposite side of the chassis,
 wherein the pump chamber includes: an inlet defined by the impeller cover positioned below a center of the impeller configured to enable a cooling liquid to flow into the center of the pump chamber; an outlet defined by the impeller cover positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller; 
   a thermal exchange chamber configured to be disposed between the pump chamber and a heat-generating component when the system is installed on a heat-generating component; a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of a heat-generating component and an inner surface that defines a plurality of channels that direct the flow of the cooling liquid within the thermal exchange chamber;   a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid;   a first passage fluidly coupling the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber, wherein the first passage is configured to direct the cooling liquid from the outlet of the pump chamber into the thermal exchange chamber between a first end and a second end of the thermal exchanger chamber.   
     
     
         25 . The cooling system of  claim 24 , wherein the thermal exchange chamber includes at least one second passage configured to direct the cooling liquid out of the thermal exchange chamber, the at least one second passage is positioned at either a first end or a second end of the thermal exchange chamber. 
     
     
         26 . A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising: a reservoir configured to circulate a cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including:
 a pump chamber housing an impeller and defined at least in part by an impeller cover and a double-sided chassis, the impeller being positioned on one side of the chassis and a stator of the pump is positioned on an opposite side of the chassis;
 wherein the stator further comprises stator windings and the double-sided chassis shields the stator windings from the cooling liquid in the pump chamber; 
   a thermal exchange chamber disposed between the pump chamber and the heat-generating component when the system is installed on the heat-generating component; a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of the heat-generating component and an inner surface that defines a plurality of channels that direct the flow of a cooling liquid within the thermal exchange chamber;   a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid;
 wherein the pump chamber further includes: an inlet defined by the impeller cover positioned below a center of the impeller configured to enable the cooling liquid to flow into the center of the pump chamber; an outlet defined by the impeller cover positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller. 
   
     
     
         27 . A liquid cooling system for cooling a heat-generating component of a computer, comprising:
 a reservoir configured to circulate a cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including: a pump chamber housing an impeller and defined at least in part by an impeller cover and a double-sided chassis, the impeller being positioned on one side of the chassis and a stator of the pump is positioned on an opposite side of the chassis,
 wherein the stator further comprises stator windings and the double-sided chassis shields the stator windings from the cooling liquid in the pump chamber; 
 wherein the pump chamber includes: an inlet defined by the impeller cover positioned below a center of the impeller configured to enable a cooling liquid to flow into the center of the pump chamber; an outlet defined by the impeller cover positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller; 
   a thermal exchange chamber configured to be disposed between the pump chamber and a heat-generating component when the system is installed on a heat-generating component; a heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, the heat-exchanging interface has an outer surface configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of a heat-generating component and an inner surface that defines a plurality of channels that direct the flow of the cooling liquid within the thermal exchange chamber;   a heat radiator adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the heat radiator being fluidly coupled to the reservoir via fluid conduits, the heat radiator being configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid;   a first passage fluidly coupling the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber, wherein the first passage is configured to direct the cooling liquid from the outlet of the pump chamber into the thermal exchange chamber between a first end and a second end of the thermal exchanger chamber.   
     
     
         28 . A cooling system for a heat-generating component, comprising:
 a double-sided chassis adapted to mount a pump configured to circulate a cooling liquid, the pump comprising a stator and an impeller, the impeller being positioned on the underside of the chassis and the stator being positioned on the upper side of the chassis, the stator further comprising stator windings isolated from the cooling liquid;   a reservoir adapted to pass the cooling liquid therethrough, the reservoir including:
 a pump chamber including the impeller and formed below the chassis, the pump chamber being defined by at least an impeller cover having one or more passages for the cooling liquid to pass through; 
 a thermal exchange chamber formed below the pump chamber and vertically spaced apart from the pump chamber; 
 wherein the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber being separate chambers that are fluidly coupled together by the one or more passages; and 
 a heat-exchanging interface, the heat-exchanging interface forming a boundary wall of the thermal exchange chamber, and configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of the heat-generating component; and a heat radiator fluidly coupled to the reservoir and configured to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid. 
   
     
     
         29 . The cooling system of  claim 28 , wherein the heat-exchanging interface includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and wherein the heat-exchanging interface contacts the cooling liquid in the thermal exchange chamber on the first side and the heat-exchanging interface is configured to be in thermal contact with the surface of the heat-generating component on the second side. 
     
     
         30 . The cooling system of  claim 29 , wherein the first side of the heat-exchanging interface includes features that are adapted to increase heat transfer from the heat-exchanging interface to the cooling liquid in the thermal exchange chamber. 
     
     
         31 . The cooling system of  claim 30 , wherein the features include at least one of pins or fins. 
     
     
         32 . A cooling system for a computer system, comprising:
 a centrifugal pump adapted to circulate a cooling liquid, the pump including:
 an impeller exposed to the cooling liquid; and 
 a stator having stator windings isolated from the cooling liquid; 
   a reservoir configured to be thermally coupled to a heat-generating component of the computer system, the reservoir including:
 a thermal exchange chamber adapted to be positioned in thermal contact with the heat-generating component; and 
 a separate pump chamber vertically spaced part from the thermal exchange chamber and coupled with the thermal exchange chamber through one or more passages configured for fluid communication between the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber;
 wherein at least one of the one or more passages is offset from a center of the impeller. 
 
   
     
     
         33 . The cooling system of  claim 32 , wherein a top wall of the reservoir physically separates the impeller from the stator windings. 
     
     
         34 . The cooling system of  claim 32 , wherein the thermal exchange chamber includes a heat-exchange interface configured to be placed in thermal contact with the heat-generating component. 
     
     
         35 . The cooling system of  claim 32 , wherein the fluid passage that is offset from the center of the impeller is positioned tangentially to the circumference of the impeller. 
     
     
         36 . A cooling system for a heat-generating component, comprising:
 a pump adapted to circulate a cooling liquid, the pump including:
 an impeller exposed to the cooling liquid; and 
 a stator having stator windings isolated from the cooling liquid; 
   a reservoir including an impeller cover;   an intermediate member and a heat exchange interface; and   a liquid-to-air heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the reservoir using flexible conduits, the heat exchanger being configured to be positioned remote from the reservoir;   wherein a top wall of the reservoir and the impeller cover define a pump chamber for housing the impeller;   wherein the intermediate member and the heat exchange interface define a thermal exchange chamber, the pump chamber and the thermal exchange chamber being spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction and fluidly coupled together;   wherein a first side of the heat-exchanging interface is in contact with a cooling liquid in the thermal exchange chamber and a second side of the heat-exchanging interface opposite the first side is configured to be placed in thermal contact with a surface of the heat-generating component.   
     
     
         37 . The cooling system of  claim 36 , wherein the impeller cover includes a first opening radially offset from a center of the impeller and the intermediate member includes a second passage that is aligned with the first opening, the first and the second opening being configured to direct the cooling liquid from the pump chamber into the thermal exchange chamber. 
     
     
         38 . The cooling system of  claim 36 , wherein the first side of the heat-exchanging interface includes at least one of pins or fins. 
     
     
         39 . The cooling system of  claim 36 , wherein the top wall of the reservoir extends between the stator and the impeller and shields the stator windings from the cooling liquid in the reservoir.