Apparatus and method for cooling electrical components of a computer
A plenum for guiding a flow of cooling air through the interior of a computer is designed to maximize the airflow over those electrical components within the computer which are most sensitive to temperature, and/or which require the greatest amount of cooling. The plenum is designed to be mounted over top of a computer motherboard which includes a plurality of electrical components mounted thereon. One or more apertures are formed in the lower wall of the plenum so that electrical components mounted on the computer motherboard can protrude through the apertures and into the interior of the plenum. The lower surface of the plenum is designed to prevent the flow of cooling air passing through the plenum from escaping through the apertures on the lower wall. Also, upper and lower protrusions on the plenum can extend into the interior of the plenum to concentrate the flow of cooling air onto the electrical components which are protruding through the apertures and into plenum.
1. A plenum for guiding cooling air across electrical components that are mounted on a printed circuit board, comprising:
a plenum body including an upper wall, a lower wall and sidewalls joining the lower and upper walls, the plenum body including:
an inlet for the cooling air entering the plenum body;
an outlet for the cooling air exiting the plenum body; and
first and second apertures in the lower wall,
wherein the first aperture is configured to receive a central processing module, wherein the second aperture is configured to receive at least one memory module, and wherein the plenum body is configured such that when it is mounted over the printed circuit board bearing the central processor module and the at least one memory module, the central processor module extends upward through the first aperture into an interior of the plenum body, and the at least one memory module extends upward through the second aperture and into the interior of the plenum body, and
wherein the upper wall, the lower wall and the sidewalls surround the interior of the plenum body.
2. The plenum of claim 1 , further comprising at least one lower protrusion that extends upward from the lower wall, the at least one lower protrusion being configured to guide a flow of the cooling air through the plenum body.
3. The plenum of claim 2 , further comprising at least one upper protrusion that extends downward from the upper wall, the at least one upper protrusion being configured to guide a flow of the cooling air through the plenum body.
4. The plenum of claim 1 , further comprising at least one upper protrusion that extends downward from the upper wall, the at least one upper protrusion being configured to guide a flow of the cooling air through the plenum body.
5. The plenum of claim 1 , wherein the plenum body comprises an upper portion and a lower portion that are joined together to form the plenum body, the upper wall being part of the upper portion and the lower wall being part of the lower portion.
6. The plenum of claim 1 , further comprising a throat portion that is detachably mounted to at least one of the inlet or the outlet of the plenum body.
7. The plenum of claim 6 , wherein the throat portion is configured to receive at least one cooling fan.
8. The plenum of claim 6 , wherein the throat portion is configured to receive a plurality of cooling fans.
9. A cooling apparatus for cooling electrical components that are mounted on a printed circuit board, comprising:
the plenum of claim 1 ; and
at least one cooling fan that is mounted adjacent one of the inlet or the outlet of the plenum.
10. The cooling apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a cooling fan controller, wherein the at least one cooling fan comprises first and second cooling fans that are operatively coupled to the cooling fan controller, and wherein the cooling fan controller causes the first cooling fan to generate a different volume of airflow than the second cooling fan.
11. The cooling apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plenum body comprises a protrusion on one of the upper wall and the lower wall, the protrusion extending inward toward an interior of the plenum body, wherein the at least one cooling fan comprises first and second cooling fans, and wherein the protrusion is configured to guide a first airflow generated by the first cooling fan separately from a second airflow generated by the second cooling fan.
12. The cooling apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a supplementary cooling fan that is located in the plenum body at a location between the inlet and the outlet.
13. The cooling apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the supplementary cooling fan is located adjacent at least one of the first or second apertures in the lower wall of the plenum body such that when the plenum is mounted over the printed circuit board, the supplementary cooling fan will increase a flow rate of the cooling air across an electrical component of the electrical components on the printed circuit board that protrudes into the interior of the plenum body.
14. A computer, comprising:
a housing;
a computer motherboard mounted in the housing, wherein a central processor and at least one memory module are mounted on the computer motherboard; and a plenum comprising:
a plenum body including an upper wall, a lower wall and sidewalls joining the lower and upper walls, the plenum body including:
an inlet for cooling air entering the plenum body;
an outlet for the cooling air exiting the plenum body; and
first and second apertures in the lower wall,
wherein the plenum body is mounted over the computer motherboard such that the central processor extends upward though the first aperture and into an interior of the plenum body, and such that the at least one memory module extends upward through the second aperture and into the interior of the plenum body, and
wherein the upper wall, the lower wall and the sidewalls surround the interior of the plenum body.
15. The computer of claim 14 , wherein an upper protrusion on the upper wall of the plenum body extends downward from the upper wall between the central processor and the at least one memory module.
16. The computer of claim 15 , further comprising a lower protrusion on the lower wall of the plenum body that extends upward from the lower wall between the central processor and the at least one memory module, the upper protrusion and lower protrusion forming a barrier between the central processor and the at least one memory module.
17. The computer of claim 14 , wherein the central processor comprises a first central processor, and further comprising a second central processor that is also mounted on the computer motherboard, wherein a third aperture is formed on the lower wall of the plenum body, and wherein the second central processor extends upward through the third aperture into the interior of the plenum body.
18. The computer of claim 17 , wherein at least one protrusion is formed on the plenum body, the protrusion extending inward towards the interior of the plenum body, the at least one protrusion being configured to separate a flow of the cooling air through the plenum into a first flow of the cooling air that passes over the first central processor and a second flow of the cooling air that passes over the second central processor.