Heat exchange assembly with integrated heater
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25D-023/12
H05K-007/20
F25B-049/02
F25B-025/00
출원번호
US-0939541
(2010-11-04)
등록번호
US-8833096
(2014-09-16)
발명자
/ 주소
Campbell, Levi A.
Chu, Richard C.
Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J.
Iyengar, Madhusudan K.
Simons, Robert E.
출원인 / 주소
International Business Machines Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Chiu, Esq., Steve
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
50
초록▼
A heat exchange assembly and apparatus and method employing the heat exchange assembly are provided. The heat exchange assembly includes a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and a heater. The heat exchanger includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for passing a coolant through the heat excha
A heat exchange assembly and apparatus and method employing the heat exchange assembly are provided. The heat exchange assembly includes a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and a heater. The heat exchanger includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for passing a coolant through the heat exchanger, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet for separately passing a refrigerant through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger cools coolant passing through the heat exchanger by dissipating heat from coolant passing through the heat exchanger to refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger. The heater is integrated with the heat exchanger and applies an auxiliary heat load to refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger to facilitate ensuring that refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger absorbs at least a specified minimum heat load, for example, to ensure that refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchanger is superheated vapor refrigerant.
대표청구항▼
1. A heat exchange assembly comprising; a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprising a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet coupled to a coolant loop for passing a liquid coolant therethrough, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet coupled to a vapor-compression refrigeration loop for
1. A heat exchange assembly comprising; a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprising a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet coupled to a coolant loop for passing a liquid coolant therethrough, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet coupled to a vapor-compression refrigeration loop for separately passing a refrigerant therethrough, the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger cooling the liquid coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the liquid coolant passing therethrough to the refrigerant passing therethrough, wherein the refrigerant ingressing through the refrigerant inlet comprises, at least in part, liquid refrigerant;a heater integrated with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger for applying an auxiliary heat load to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the auxiliary heat load applied by the heater ensuring that a total heat load transferred by the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to the refrigerant is at least a specified minimum heat load, the specified minimum heat load being a pre-specified value which ensures that the refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger is in vapor state; andwherein the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprises a plurality of coolant flow channels defining a plurality of coolant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around a central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and disposed between the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, and a plurality of refrigerant flow channels defining a plurality of refrigerant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and disposed between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, and wherein the plurality of coolant flow channels are interleaved in a stack with the plurality of refrigerant flow channels within the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heater is disposed in the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the central region being a central region of the stack of interleaved coolant flow channels and refrigerant flow channels. 2. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the specified minimum heat load is a prespecified value ensuring that the refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger is in superheated vapor state, and wherein the vapor-compression refrigeration loop comprises an expansion valve comprising a fixed orifice opening. 3. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heater is disposed adjacent to and in thermal communication with liquid coolant passing through the plurality of coolant flow channels of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 4. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heater is disposed adjacent to and in thermal communication with the refrigerant passing through the plurality of refrigerant flow channels of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 5. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heater is at least partially surrounded by and disposed between, and is in thermal communication with both the plurality of coolant flow channels and the plurality of refrigerant flow channels interleaved in the stack of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 6. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heater comprises a resistance heater embedded within a plate surrounded, at least partially, by the plurality of coolant flow channels and the plurality of refrigerant flow channels of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 7. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heater embedded in the central region of the stack of interleaved coolant flow channels and refrigerant flow channels extends transverse to the plurality of coolant flow channels and the plurality of refrigerant flow channels of the stack. 8. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, further comprising heater fins extending into the plurality of refrigerant flow channels of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the fins being in thermal contact with the heater for facilitating transfer of the auxiliary heat load to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to ensure that the refrigerant absorbs at least the specified minimum heat load. 9. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange assembly further comprises heater fins extending into the plurality of coolant flow channels of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and into the plurality of refrigerant flow channels of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger for facilitating dissipation of the auxiliary heat load to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 10. The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the heater is a controllable heater, the controllable heater being dynamically adjustable to control the auxiliary heat load applied thereby to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to facilitate ensuring that the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger absorbs at least the specified minimum heat load. 11. An apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronic component, the apparatus comprising: a coolant-cooled structure, the coolant-cooled structure being in thermal communication with the electronic component;a coolant loop coupled in fluid communication with the coolant-cooled structure, the coolant loop comprising a liquid coolant;a vapor-compression refrigeration loop, the vapor-compression refrigeration loop comprising a refrigerant;a heat exchange assembly, the heat exchange assembly comprising:a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprising a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop for passing the liquid coolant therethrough, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet coupled in fluid communication with the vapor-compression refrigeration loop for passing the refrigerant therethrough, the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger cooling the liquid coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the liquid coolant passing therethrough to the refrigerant passing therethrough, wherein the refrigerant ingressing through the refrigerant inlet comprises, at least in part, liquid refrigerant;a heater integrated with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater applying an auxiliary heat load to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger which ensures that a total heat load transferred by the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to the refrigerant is at least a specified minimum heat load, the specified minimum heat load being a pre-specified value which ensures that the refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger is in vapor state; andwherein the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprises a plurality of coolant flow channels defining a plurality of coolant flow paths extending at least in part, in a U-shape around a central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and disposed between the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, and a plurality of refrigerant flow channels defining a plurality of refrigerant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and disposed between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, and wherein the plurality of coolant flow channels are interleaved in a stack with the plurality of refrigerant flow channels within the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heater is disposed in the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the central region being a central region of the stack of interleaved coolant flow channels and refrigerant flow channels. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a compressor coupled in fluid communication with the vapor-compression refrigeration loop, and wherein the specified minimum heat load is prespecified to ensure that superheated refrigerant vapor enters the compressor, and the vapor-compression refrigeration loop comprises an expansion valve comprising a fixed orifice opening. 13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a controller coupled to the heater for automatically controlling the auxiliary heat load applied by the heater to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to maintain the total heat load transferred by the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to the refrigerant substantially constant over time irrespective of variation in temperature of the liquid coolant. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller automatically adjusts the auxiliary heat load applied by the heater to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger responsive to a change in heat load of the electronic component. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an adjustable pump in fluid communication with the coolant loop for pumping the liquid coolant through the coolant loop, and wherein the controller operates to maintain a temperature of the electronic component within a specified temperature range by dynamically increasing pump speed of the adjustable pump responsive to temperature of the electronic component being above a first specified temperature, and by dynamically reducing pump speed of the adjustable pump responsive to temperature of the electronic component being below a second specified temperature. 16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature associated with the electronic component, and wherein the controller automatically increases auxiliary heat load applied by the heater to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger responsive to the monitored temperature being below a specified temperature, and automatically decreases heat load applied by the heater to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger responsive to the monitored temperature of the electronic component being above another specified temperature, wherein the another specified temperature is greater than the specified temperature. 17. The apparatus of claim 13, farther comprising a temperature sensor for monitoring, a temperature of coolant within the coolant loop, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts the auxiliary heat load applied by the heater to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger with reference to the monitored temperature of the liquid coolant within the coolant loop, wherein the auxiliary heat load applied by the heater is automatically increased responsive to the monitored temperature being below a specified temperature, and is automatically decreased responsive to the monitored temperature being above another specified temperature, wherein the another specified temperature is greater than the specified temperature. 18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the heater is disposed adjacent to and in thermal communication with the liquid coolant passing through the plurality of coolant flow channels interleaved in the stack of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the heater is disposed adjacent to and in thermal communication with the refrigerant passing through the plurality of refrigerant flow channels interleaved in the stack of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. 20. A method of facilitating cooling of an electronic component, the method comprising: coupling in thermal communication a coolant-cooled structure to the electronic component;providing a coolant loop in fluid communication with the coolant-cooled structure for passing a liquid coolant through the coolant-cooled structure;providing a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger in fluid communication with the coolant-cooled structure via the coolant loop to receive the liquid coolant therefrom and provide the liquid coolant thereto;providing a vapor-compression refrigeration loop in fluid communication with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger being configured to cool the liquid coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the liquid coolant passing therethrough to refrigerant of the vapor-compression refrigeration loop passing therethrough, and wherein the refrigerant ingressing into the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger from the vapor-compression refrigeration loop comprises, at least in part, liquid refrigerant;integrating a heater in thermal communication with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater applying an auxiliary heat load to the refrigerant passing through the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger which ensures that a total heat load transferred by the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to the refrigerant is at least a specified minimum heat load, the specified minimum heat load being a pre-specified value ensuring that the refrigerant egressing from the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger is in vapor state; andwherein the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger comprises a plurality of coolant flow channels defining a plurality of coolant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around a central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and disposed between the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, and a plurality of refrigerant flow channels defining a plurality of refrigerant flow paths extending, at least in part, in a U-shape around the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and disposed between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet, and wherein the plurality of coolant flow channels are interleaved in a stack with the plurality of refrigerant flow channels within the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heater is disposed in the central region of the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the central region being a central region of the stack of interleaved coolant flow channels and refrigerant flow channels.
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