Cooling device
A cooling device includes a cooling tank, a liquid storage tank, and a connector. The cooling tank stores refrigerant liquid for immersing and cooling a heating element. The liquid storage tank stores the refrigerant liquid outside the cooling tank and has an atmosphere opening portion. The connector connects the two tanks and allows the refrigerant liquid to pass through the connector. One end of the connector has a cooling-tank opening portion located in a gravity direction at a position lower than or same as a liquid level of the refrigerant liquid. An upper portion of the cooling tank stores a gas generated in the cooling tank. The refrigerant liquid flows between the two tanks via the connector in accordance with a change in volume of the gas. The liquid storage tank is provided upward of the cooling tank. The two tanks are connected only by the connector.
1 . A cooling device comprising: a cooling tank configured to store refrigerant liquid for immersing and cooling a heating element; a liquid storage tank configured to store the refrigerant liquid outside the cooling tank and having an atmosphere opening portion opening to an atmosphere; and a connector connecting the liquid storage tank and the cooling tank and allowing the refrigerant liquid to pass through the connector, wherein one end of the connector facing the cooling tank has a cooling-tank opening portion located in a gravity direction at a position lower than or same as a liquid level of the refrigerant liquid in the cooling tank, an upper portion of the cooling tank stores a gas generated in the cooling tank, the refrigerant liquid flows between the cooling tank and the liquid storage tank via the connector in accordance with a change in volume of the gas in the upper portion of the cooling tank, the liquid storage tank is provided upward of the cooling tank in the gravity direction, the cooling tank and the liquid storage tank are connected only by the connector, and the connector connects the liquid storage tank and the cooling tank without a valve such that a volume of the refrigerant liquid in the liquid storage tank increases and decreases in response to decrease and increase of a volume of the refrigerant liquid in the cooling tank; wherein the connector is partially submerged in the cooling tank and fluidly connects the liquid storage tank and the cooling tank together.
2 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigerant liquid in the cooling tank is capable of boiling due to heat generation of the heating element, and
the heating element is cooled by subcool boiling of the refrigerant liquid.
3 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a heat exchanger configured to cool the refrigerant liquid in the cooling tank; and
a circulation circuit configured to circulate the refrigerant liquid in the cooling tank to the heat exchanger.
4 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating element is an electronic device, and
a wire of the electronic device is extracted to an outside from the atmospheric opening portion.
5 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooling-tank opening portion is located upward of the heating element in the cooling tank in the gravity direction.
6 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a heat transfer portion in contact with the refrigerant liquid and the gas in the cooling tank and configured to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant liquid and the gas in the upper portion of the cooling tank.
7 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid storage tank includes oil as an oil film covering an upper surface of the refrigerant liquid.
8 . The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the connector is a cylindrical member defining a through hole that directly communicates the liquid storage tank and the cooling tank.