IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0290757
(2005-11-30)
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등록번호 |
US-7272005
(2007-09-18)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Campbell,Levi A.
- Chu,Richard C.
- Ellsworth, Jr.,Michael J.
- Iyengar,Madhusudan K.
- Schmidt,Roger R.
- Simons,Robert E.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- International Business Machines Corporation
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, P.C.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
33 인용 특허 :
15 |
초록
▼
A heat exchange assembly for a cooling system, having first and second cooling loops, includes a housing with a first coolant inlet and outlet and a second coolant inlet and outlet, respectively coupling to the first and second cooling loops, and multiple heat exchange elements. Each heat exchange
A heat exchange assembly for a cooling system, having first and second cooling loops, includes a housing with a first coolant inlet and outlet and a second coolant inlet and outlet, respectively coupling to the first and second cooling loops, and multiple heat exchange elements. Each heat exchange element includes a first set and a second set of coolant flow passages intersecting different pairs of parallel face surfaces of the elements, with the second set of flow passages extending in a transverse direction to the first set of flow passages. The heat exchange elements are disposed within the housing with the first set of flow passages oriented in a first common direction in fluid communication with the first coolant inlet and outlet and the second set of flow passages oriented in a second common direction in fluid communication with the second coolant inlet and outlet of the housing.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A heat exchange assembly for a cooling system comprising a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop, the heat exchange assembly comprising: a housing including a first coolant inlet, a first coolant outlet, a second coolant inlet and a second coolant outlet, the first coo
What is claimed is: 1. A heat exchange assembly for a cooling system comprising a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop, the heat exchange assembly comprising: a housing including a first coolant inlet, a first coolant outlet, a second coolant inlet and a second coolant outlet, the first coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet being designed to couple in fluid communication with the first cooling loop, and the second coolant inlet and the second coolant outlet being designed to couple in fluid communication with the second cooling loop; and multiple heat exchange elements disposed within the housing, each heat exchange element comprising a structure with a first set of coolant flow passages defined therein intersecting a first pair of parallel face surfaces of the structure and a second set of coolant flow passages defined therein intersecting a second pair of parallel face surfaces of the structure, wherein the second set of coolant flow passages extend in a transverse direction to the first set of coolant flow passages, and wherein the heat exchange elements are disposed within the housing with the first set of coolant flow passages thereof oriented in a first common direction in fluid communication with the first coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet of the housing, and the second set of coolant flow passages thereof oriented in a second common direction in fluid communication with the second coolant inlet and the second coolant outlet of the housing. 2. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the multiple heat exchange elements each comprise a monolithic structure, and wherein for each heat exchange element, flow passages of the first set of coolant flow passages have a first minimum diameter and flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages have a second minimum diameter, wherein the first minimum diameter is greater than the second minimum diameter. 3. The heat exchange assembly of claim 2, wherein each heat exchange element is one of a cubic monolithic structure or a rectangular monolithic structure, and wherein the multiple heat exchange elements are disposed in fixed relation within the housing, with opposing face surfaces of adjacent heat exchange elements in spaced relation to define at least one intermediate coolant plenum, and wherein each intermediate coolant plenum is in fluid communication with either the first set of coolant flow passages or the second set of coolant flow passages. 4. The heat exchange assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing further comprises positioning pins projecting from an inner base surface thereof, and wherein the positioning pins are spaced and sized to accommodate the multiple heat exchange elements therebetween, with at least one positioning pin being disposed adjacent to at least one corner of at least two heat exchange elements, and wherein fluid-tight seals exist between each positioning pin and its adjacent heat exchange elements. 5. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein each heat exchange element is configured with at least one of a key and a keyway on at least one surface thereof, the at least one key and keyway of one heat exchange element being sized, disposed, and shaped to mate with at least one corresponding keyway and key on at least one surface of an adjacent heat exchange element, wherein each key and corresponding keyway pair facilitates maintaining the heat exchange elements in a fixed array within the housing. 6. The heat exchange assembly of claim 5, wherein an inner base surface of the housing further includes a relief structure configured to receive and position the multiple heat exchange elements, and wherein each heat exchange element comprises a base seat sized to set the heat exchange element in fixed position relative to a portion of the relief structure within the housing. 7. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein for each heat exchange element, the first set of coolant flow passages are disposed within the structure in multiple first rows of multiple coolant flow passages, and wherein the second set of coolant flow passages are disposed within the structure in multiple second rows of multiple coolant flow passages. 8. The heat exchange assembly of claim 7, wherein for each heat exchange element, the multiple first rows of the first set of coolant flow passages and the multiple second rows of the second set of coolant flow passages are interdigitated within the structure, and wherein at least some rows of the multiple second rows of flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages contain a larger number of flow passages than a number of flow passages in each first row of flow of passages of the first set of coolant flow passages, and wherein flow passages of the first set of coolant flow passages have a first minimum diameter and flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages have a second minimum diameter, wherein the first minimum diameter is greater than the second minimum diameter. 9. A cooled electronics system comprising: at least one electronics rack comprising a plurality of electronics subsystems; and a cooling system for at least one electronics subsystem of the plurality of electronics subsystems of the at least one electronics rack, the cooling system comprising a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop coupled via a heat exchange assembly, the heat exchange assembly comprising: a housing including a first coolant inlet, a first coolant outlet, a second coolant inlet and a second coolant outlet, the first coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet being coupled in fluid communication with the first cooling loop, and the second coolant inlet and the second coolant outlet being coupled in fluid communication with the second cooling loop; and multiple heat exchange elements disposed within the housing, each heat exchange element comprising a structure with a first set of coolant flow passages defined therein intersecting a first pair of parallel face surfaces of the structure and a second set of coolant flow passages defined therein intersecting a second pair of parallel face surfaces of the structure, wherein the second set of coolant flow passages extend in a transverse direction to the first set of coolant flow passages, and wherein the heat exchange elements are disposed within the housing with the first set of coolant flow passages thereof oriented in a first common direction in fluid communication with the first coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet of the housing, and the second set of coolant flow passages thereof oriented in a second common direction in fluid communication with the second coolant inlet and the second coolant outlet of the housing. 10. The cooled electronics system of claim 9, wherein the multiple heat exchange elements each comprise a monolithic structure, and wherein for each heat exchange element, flow passages of the first set of coolant flow passages have a first minimum diameter and flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages have a second minimum diameter, wherein the first minimum diameter is greater than the second minimum diameter. 11. The cooled electronics system of claim 10, wherein each heat exchange element is one of a cubic monolithic structure or a rectangular monolithic structure, and wherein the multiple heat exchange elements are disposed in fixed relation within the housing, with opposing face surfaces of adjacent heat exchange elements in spaced relation to define at least one intermediate coolant plenum, and wherein each intermediate coolant plenum is in fluid communication with either the first set of coolant flow passages or the second set of coolant flow passages. 12. The cooled electronics system of claim 11, wherein the housing further comprises positioning pins projecting from an inner base surface thereof, and wherein the positioning pins are spaced and sized to accommodate the multiple heat exchange elements therebetween, with at least one positioning pin being disposed adjacent to at least one corner of at least two heat exchange elements, and wherein fluid-tight seals exist between each positioning pin and its adjacent heat exchange elements. 13. The cooled electronics system of claim 9, wherein each heat exchange element is configured with at least one of a key and a keyway on at least one surface thereof, the at least one key and keyway of one heat exchange element being sized, disposed, and shaped to mate with at least one corresponding keyway and key on at least one surface of an adjacent heat exchange element, wherein each key and corresponding keyway pair facilitates maintaining the heat exchange elements in a fixed array within the housing. 14. The cooled electronics system of claim 13, wherein an inner base surface of the housing further includes a relief structure configured to receive and position the multiple heat exchange elements, and wherein each heat exchange element comprises a base seat sized to set the heat exchange element in fixed position relative to a portion of the relief structure within the housing. 15. The cooled electronics system of claim 9, wherein for each heat exchange element, the first set of coolant flow passages are disposed within the structure in multiple first rows of multiple coolant flow passages, and wherein the second set of coolant flow passages are disposed within the structure in multiple second rows of multiple coolant flow passages. 16. The cooled electronics system of claim 15, wherein for each heat exchange element, the multiple first rows of the first set of coolant flow passages and the multiple second rows of the second set of coolant flow passages are interdigitated within the structure, and wherein at least some rows of the multiple second rows of flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages contain a larger number of flow passages than a number of flow passages in each first row of flow of passages of the first set of coolant flow passages, and wherein flow passages of the first set of coolant flow passages have a first minimum diameter and flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages have a second minimum diameter, wherein the first minimum diameter is greater than the second minimum diameter. 17. A method of fabricating a heat exchange assembly for a cooling system comprising a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop, the method comprising: providing a housing having a first coolant inlet, a first coolant outlet, a second coolant inlet and a second coolant outlet, the first coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet being provided for fluid communication with the first cooling loop, and the second coolant inlet and second coolant outlet being provided for fluid communication with the second cooling loop; and disposing multiple heat exchange elements within the housing, each heat exchange element comprising a structure with a first set of coolant flow passages defined therein intersecting a first pair of parallel face surfaces of the structure and a second set of coolant flow passages defined therein intersecting a second pair of parallel face surfaces of the structure, wherein the second set of coolant flow passages extend in a transverse direction to the first set of coolant flow passages, and wherein the heat exchange elements are disposed within the housing with the first set of coolant flow passages thereof oriented in a first common direction between the first coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet of the housing, and the second set of coolant flow passages thereof oriented in a second common direction between the second coolant inlet and the second coolant outlet of the housing. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein each heat exchange element comprises a monolithic structure wherein flow passages of the first set of coolant flow passages have a first minimum diameter and flow passages of the second set of coolant flow passages have a second minimum diameter, wherein the first minimum diameter is greater than the second minimum diameter. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the structure of each heat exchange element is one of a cubic monolithic structure or a rectangular monolithic structure, and wherein the disposing further comprises disposing the multiple heat exchange elements in fixed relation within the housing, with opposing face surfaces of adjacent heat exchange elements in spaced relation to define at least one intermediate coolant plenum, wherein each intermediate coolant plenum is in fluid communication with either the first set of coolant flow passages or the second set of coolant flow passages, and wherein the method further comprises forming a fluid-tight seal around each intermediate coolant plenum. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the forming of the fluid-tight seal comprises pre-tinning at least one of a portion of the housing or the multiple heat exchange elements, and heating the heat exchange assembly to reflow the pre-tinning and form the fluid-tight seal around each intermediate coolant plenum defined between opposing face surfaces of adjacent heat exchange elements in spaced relation within the housing.
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