Granted Patent B2

US 7,312,992 · App. 10/999,725 · Granted Dec 25, 2007

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A heat exchange apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a first region and a second region, and a wall separating the first region from the second region;

wherein the second region comprises a fluid flow entry port, a fluid flow exit port, thereby defining a fluid flow path, the second region further comprising a fluid flow driver at the entry port, a fluid flow driver at the exit port, and a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is exposed to the fluid flow path;

wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first portion disposed at the first region, and a second portion disposed at the second region, the first portion being in thermal communication with the second portion; and

wherein the fluid flow path is isolated from the first region and provides for the removal of heat from the first region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the wall separating the first region from the second region is defined by a surface of the heat exchanger.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the second portion of the heat exchanger comprises a baseplate and a set of heat transfer fins in thermal communication with the baseplate, the baseplate being the surface of the heat exchanger that defines the separating wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

the heat transfer fins are configured to define longitudinal fluid flow channels extending from the entry port to the exit port.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the second portion of the heat exchanger comprises a thermal mass having a fluid flow path disposed therein, an exterior surface of the thermal mass defining the separating wall.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the fluid comprises air.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first region comprises a set of electronic components including a processor; and

the first portion of the heat exchanger comprises a surface in thermal communication with the processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the set of electronic components has an associated air flow in fluid communication therewith that is isolated from the fluid flow path of the second region.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing comprises a 1U form factor.

10. A method of transferring heat from a processor, comprising:

transferring heat from a first surface in a first region to a second surface in a second region, the processor being in thermal communication with the first surface, the second region being fluidly separated from the first region by a partition;

transferring heat from the second surface in the second region to a fluid flow in the second region, the fluid flow in the second region having a flow path isolated from the first region; and

causing the fluid to flow from an entry port at the second region to an exit port at the second region by way of a fluid flow driver at the entry port and a fluid flow driver at the exit port, thereby resulting in the transfer of heat from the processor in the first region to the fluid flow in the second region independent of an air flow in the first region.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fluid comprises air, and the causing the air to flow comprises:

forcing the air to flow at a rate exceeding the flow rate of air under natural convection conditions.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

performing the transfer of heat from the processor in an enclosure having a 1U form factor.

Assignments (11)