Electronics cooling subassembly
View Patent ↗A thermo-electro sub-assembly comprises a gas supply, a first duct, a first heatsink adjacent a first device, a second duct, and a second heat sink adjacent a second device. The gas supply may be realized as a fan, a blower, or a compressed gas source. The first duct provides a passageway for delivering pressurized gas from the gas supply to the first heat sink. The duct may include a plurality of vanes for reducing the turbulence and air boundary separation within the duct. The first heatsink is in thermal communication with a first heat-producing device such as a microprocessor. In a preferred embodiment the heatsink comprises an axial shaped folded fin heatsink. The second duct is used to provide a pathway for the air leaving the first heatsink and delivers the air to the second heatsink. The second duct may also include a plurality of vanes for reducing turbulence and boundary flow separation within the second duct.
1. An electronics cooling subsystem comprising:
a first heatsink capable of being thermally coupled to a first heat producing device;
a first duct having a first end and a second end, the first end of said first duct capable of being coupled to a gas supply remotely located from said first heatsink, the second end disposed adjacent said first heatsink, and a first plurality of vanes disposed within said first duct, said first plurality of vanes arranged to reduce turbulence and to reduce airflow separation within said first duct;
a second heatsink capable of being thermally coupled to a second heat producing device; and
a second duct having a first end and a second end, the first end of said second duct capable of being coupled to said second end of the first duct about at least a portion of said first heatsink, the second end of said second duct disposed adjacent said second heatsink.
2. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 further comprising a gas supply coupled to the first end of said first duct and wherein said supply is selected from the group consisting of a fan, a blower, and a compressed gas supply.
3. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said second duct includes a second plurality of vanes disposed within said second duct, said second plurality of vanes arranged to reduce turbulence and to reduce airflow separation within said second duct.
4. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first heatsink comprises an axial heatsink.
5. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first heatsink comprises a folded fin heatsink.
6. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first duct further comprises at least one transition vane at the second end of said first duct.
7. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first duct is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of electrically conductive material, and non-electrically conductive material having a conductive coating over at least a part thereof.
8. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said second duct is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of electrically conductive material, and non-electrically conductive material having a conductive coating over at least a part thereof.
9. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said second heatsink comprises a linear heatsink.
10. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of vanes are solid.
11. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of vanes have a smooth finish.
12. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 3 wherein said second plurality of vanes are solid.
13. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 3 wherein said second plurality of vanes have a smooth finish.
14. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first duct comprises an EMI shield.
15. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said second duct comprises an EMI shield.
16. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first duct is in electrical communication with a ground reference.
17. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said second duct is in electrical communication with a ground reference.
18. The electronics cooling subsystem of claim 1 wherein said first heat producing device comprises an integrated circuit.
19. The electronics cooling device of claim 1 wherein said second heat producing device comprises a power delivery device.
20. An electronics cooling sub-system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the first end of said second duct is arranged to receive gas from the gas supply which has exited the second end of the first duct and which has contacted the first heatsink to absorb heat therefrom.
21. An electronics cooling subsystem comprising:
a heatsink capable of being thermally coupled to a first heat producing device;
a duct having a first end and a second end, the first end of said duct capable of being coupled to a gas supply remotely located from said heatsink, the second end of said duct disposed adjacent said heatsink, and a plurality of vanes disposed within said duct, said plurality of vanes arranged to reduce turbulence and to reduce airflow separation within said duct,
said plurality of vanes extending along a majority of a longitudinal length of said duct, and
said duct being in electrical communication with a ground reference.