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Thermoelectric-enhanced air and liquid cooling of an electronic system is provided by a cooling apparatus which includes a liquid-cooled structure in thermal communication with an electronic component(s), and liquid-to-liquid and air-to-liquid heat exchangers coupled in series fluid communication vi

Thermoelectric-enhanced air and liquid cooling of an electronic system is provided by a cooling apparatus which includes a liquid-cooled structure in thermal communication with an electronic component(s), and liquid-to-liquid and air-to-liquid heat exchangers coupled in series fluid communication via a coolant loop, which includes first and second loop portions coupled in parallel. The liquid-cooled structure is supplied coolant via the first loop portion, and a thermoelectric array is disposed with the first and second loop portions in thermal contact with first and second sides of the array. The thermoelectric array operates to transfer heat from coolant passing through the first loop portion to coolant passing through the second loop portion, and cools coolant passing through the first loop portion before the coolant passes through the liquid-cooled structure. Coolant passing through the first and second loop portions passes through the series-coupled heat exchangers, one of which functions as heat sink.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cooling apparatus comprising; a liquid-cooled structure, the liquid-cooled structure being configured to couple to at least one electronic component to be cooled;a coolant loop, the coolant loop comprising a first loop portion and a second loop portion, the first loop portion and the second loo

1. A cooling apparatus comprising; a liquid-cooled structure, the liquid-cooled structure being configured to couple to at least one electronic component to be cooled;a coolant loop, the coolant loop comprising a first loop portion and a second loop portion, the first loop portion and the second loop portion being parallel portions of the coolant loop, and the liquid-cooled structure being coupled in fluid communication with the first loop portion of the coolant loop;a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger;an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and the air-to-liquid heat exchanger are coupled in series fluid communication via the coolant loop, and wherein coolant egressing from the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger passes, via the coolant loop, through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger; anda thermoelectric array comprising at least one thermoelectric module, the thermoelectric array being disposed with the first loop portion of the coolant loop at least partially in thermal contact with a first side of the thermoelectric array, and the second loop portion of the coolant loop at least partially in thermal contact with a second side of the thermoelectric array, wherein the thermoelectric array operates to transfer heat from coolant passing through the first loop portion to coolant passing through the second loop portion, the thermoelectric array cooling coolant passing through the first loop portion before the coolant passes through the liquid-cooled structure, and after passing through the liquid-cooled structure, the coolant passing through the first loop portion and the coolant passing through the second loop portion pass through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and air-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein one of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger or the air-to-liquid heat exchanger operates as heat sink for the coolant loop, dependent on a mode of operation of the cooling apparatus. 2. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the thermoelectric array and automatically adjusting operation of the thermoelectric array between a liquid-cooled mode and an air-cooled mode, depending, at least in part, on an operational state of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein in the air-cooled mode, the controller operates the thermoelectric array to transfer greater heat from the coolant passing through the first loop portion to the coolant passing through the second loop portion than in the liquid-cooled mode, and wherein in the liquid-cooled mode, the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger operates as heat sink for the coolant loop, and in the air-cooled mode, the air-to-liquid heat exchanger operates as the heat sink for the coolant loop. 3. The cooling apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a facility loop control valve coupled to a facility coolant loop supplying facility coolant to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts the facility loop control valve responsive to a temperature of coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled structure, via the first loop portion, being outside of a specified operational range, and responsive to the facility loop control valve being outside of a specified control range, the controller automatically adjusts voltage supplied to the thermoelectric array to move the temperature of the coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled structure back towards its specified operational range. 4. The cooling apparatus of claim 3, further comprising at least one air-moving device facilitating airflow across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts rotational speed of the at least one air-moving device responsive to the temperature of the coolant supplied to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger being greater than the temperature of the airflow passing across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger. 5. The cooling apparatus of claim 2, further comprising at least one air-moving device facilitating airflow across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts rotational speed of the at least one air-moving device responsive to temperature of the airflow across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger being outside of a specified air temperature range. 6. The cooling apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a second loop control valve coupled in fluid communication with the second loop portion of the coolant loop and controlled by the controller, wherein the controller automatically adjusts flow of coolant through the second loop portion of the coolant loop via the second loop control valve dependent on a sensed temperature at the thermoelectric array. 7. The cooling apparatus of claim 6, further comprising at least one coolant pump coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop for, at least in part, pumping coolant in parallel through the first loop portion and the second loop portion of the coolant loop, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts operation of the at least one pump responsive to a change in coolant pressure ascertained across at least a portion of the first loop portion due to an adjustment of coolant flow through the second loop portion of the control loop. 8. The cooling apparatus of claim 7, wherein responsive to the sensed temperature at the thermoelectric array being outside of a specified temperature range, the controller automatically adjusts operating speed of the at least one coolant pump to a maximum, and responsive to the at least one coolant pump already being at a maximum operating speed, the controller automatically adjusts the second loop control valve to maximum open. 9. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first loop portion of the coolant loop comprises a first heat exchange element and the second loop portion of the coolant loop comprises a second heat exchange element, and wherein the coolant in the first loop portion of the coolant loop passes through the first heat exchange element and the coolant in the second loop portion of the coolant loop passes through the second heat exchange element, and the first heat exchange element is in thermal communication with the first side of the thermoelectric array and the second heat exchange element is in thermal communication with the second side of the thermoelectric array, the first heat exchange element and the second heat exchange element facilitating the transfer of heat across the thermoelectric array from the coolant passing through the first loop portion to the coolant passing through the second loop portion of the coolant loop. 10. A cooled electronic system comprising: an electronics rack comprising an air inlet side and an air outlet side for respectively enabling ingress and egress of air flow through the electronics rack, the electronics rack comprising at least one electronic system to be cooled, the at least one electronic system comprising at least one electronic component; anda cooling apparatus for facilitating cooling of the at least one electronic system, the cooling apparatus comprising: at least one liquid-cooled structure, the at least one liquid-cooled structure being coupled to the at least one electronic component;a coolant loop, the coolant loop comprising a first loop portion and a second loop portion, the first loop portion and the second loop portion being parallel portions of the coolant loop, and the at least one liquid-cooled structure being coupled in fluid communication with the first loop portion of the coolant loop;a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger;an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and the air-to-liquid heat exchanger are coupled in series fluid communication via the coolant loop, and wherein coolant egressing from the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger passes, via the coolant loop, through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger; anda thermoelectric array comprising at least one thermoelectric module, the thermoelectric array being disposed with the first loop portion of the coolant loop at least partially in thermal contact with a first side of the thermoelectric array, and the second loop portion of the coolant loop at least partially in thermal contact with a second side of the thermoelectric array, wherein the thermoelectric array operates to transfer heat from coolant passing through the first loop portion to coolant passing through the second loop portion, the thermoelectric array cooling coolant passing through the first loop portion before the coolant passes through the liquid-cooled structure, and after passing through the liquid-cooled structure, the coolant passing through the first coolant loop portion and the coolant passing through the second coolant loop portion passes through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and air to liquid heat exchanger, wherein one of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger or air-to-liquid heat exchanger operates as heat sink for the coolant loop, dependent on a mode of operation of the cooling apparatus. 11. The cooled electronic system of claim 10, wherein the cooling apparatus further comprises a controller coupled to the thermoelectric array and automatically adjusting operation of the thermoelectric array between a liquid-cooled mode and an air-cooled mode, depending, at least in part, on an operational state of the liquid-to- liquid heat exchanger, wherein in the air-cooled mode, the controller operates the thermoelectric array to transfer greater heat from the coolant passing through the first loop portion to the coolant passing through the second loop portion than in the liquid-cooled mode, and wherein in the liquid-cooled mode, the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger operates as heat sink for the coolant loop, and in the air-cooled mode, the air-to-liquid heat exchanger operates as heat sink for the coolant loop. 12. The cooled electronic system of claim 11, wherein the cooling apparatus further comprises a facility loop control valve coupled to a facility coolant loop supplying facility coolant to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts the facility loop control valve responsive to a temperature of coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled structure, via the first loop portion, being outside of a specified operational range, and responsive to the facility loop control valve being outside of a specified control range, the controller automatically adjusts voltage supplied to the thermoelectric array to move the temperature of the coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled structure back towards its specified operational range. 13. The cooled electronic system of claim 12, further comprising at least one air-moving device facilitating airflow across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts rotational speed of the at least one air-moving device responsive to the temperature of the coolant supplied to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger being greater than the temperature of the airflow passing across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger. 14. The cooled electronic system of claim 11, further comprising at least one air-moving device facilitating airflow across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts rotational speed of the at least one air-moving device responsive to temperature of the airflow across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger being outside of a specified air temperature range. 15. The cooled electronic system of claim 11, further comprising a second loop control valve coupled in fluid communication with the second loop portion of the coolant loop and controlled by the controller, wherein the controller automatically adjusts flow of coolant through the second loop portion of the coolant loop via the second loop control valve depending on a sensed temperature at the thermoelectric array. 16. The cooled electronic system of claim 15, further comprising at least one coolant pump coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop for, at least in part, pumping coolant in parallel through the first loop portion and the second loop portion of the coolant loop, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts operation of the at least one pump responsive to a change in coolant pressure ascertained across at least a portion of the first loop portion due to an adjustment of coolant flow through the second loop portion of the control loop. 17. The cooled electronic system of claim 16, wherein responsive to the sensed temperature at the thermoelectric array being outside of a specified temperature range, the controller automatically adjusts speed of the at least one coolant pump to a maximum, and responsive to the at least one coolant pump already being at a maximum operating speed, the controller automatically adjusts the second loop control valve to maximum open. 18. The cooled electronic system of claim 10, wherein the first loop portion of the coolant loop comprises a first heat exchange element and the second loop portion of the coolant loop comprises a second heat exchange element, and wherein the coolant in the first loop portion of the coolant loop passes through the first heat exchange element and the coolant in the second loop portion of the coolant loop passes through the second heat exchange element, and the first heat exchange element is in thermal communication with the first side of the thermoelectric array and the second heat exchange element is in thermal communication with the second side of the thermoelectric array, the first heat exchange element and the second heat exchange element facilitating the transfer of heat across the thermoelectric array from the coolant passing through the first loop portion to the coolant passing through the second loop portion of the coolant loop.