Computer system with cooled electric power supply unit
An electronic and/or computer device of the computer server type includes: circuit boards and a power supply unit which provides electrical power to various elements of the electronic device. The power supply unit has a fluidtight enclosure, filled with dielectric fluid capable of collecting heat from various components of the power supply unit in order to release it to a heat exchange wall, and is removable. The device includes a two-phase heat transfer circuit with capillary pumped loop having an evaporator thermally coupled to the heat exchange wall of the power supply unit, and a condenser located at a distance from the power supply unit and thermally coupled to a general thermal collector, such that, when in the working position, the heat exchange zone is pressed against the evaporator.
1. A device comprising:
one or more circuit boards,
a power supply unit, equipped with a heat exchange zone, which provides electrical power to various elements of the device, including the one or more circuit boards, the power supply unit having a fluidtight enclosure defining an interior space therein, the interior space being filled with dielectric fluid capable of collecting heat from various components of the power supply unit in order to release the heat to the heat exchange zone, the power supply unit being removable and replaceable, and
a two-phase heat transfer circuit with a capillary pumped loop having an absorber-heat exchanger thermally coupled to the heat exchange zone of the power supply unit, and a releaser-heat exchanger located at a distance from the power supply unit and thermally coupled to a general thermal collector, wherein portions of the device other than the power supply unit are not immersed in the dielectric fluid, and wherein when in a working position, the heat exchange zone is pressed against the absorber-heat exchanger.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the two-phase heat transfer circuit comprises a pair of flexible hoses connecting the absorber-heat exchanger and the releaser-heat exchanger.
3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the pair of hoses comprises a hose for vapor and a hose for liquid.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange zone is formed by one or more heat exchange walls forming part of the fluidtight enclosure.
5. The device according to claim 4 , comprising a thermal interface material facilitating heat conduction between the one or more heat exchange walls and the absorber-heat exchanger.
6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the absorber-heat exchanger is an evaporator in which a two-phase working fluid is vaporized by heat supplied by the heat exchange zone.
7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the evaporator comprises a porous mass providing a capillary pumping function.
8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the evaporator is located above the releaser-heat exchanger, the capillary pumping function provided by the porous mass supplying a driving force which overcomes gravity.
9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange zone comprises, on a side facing towards the interior space, fin-type heat exchange projections.
10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is a server board module for a data/computing center, the power supply unit having a generally parallelepiped shape, received in a slide guide inside an enclosure of the module, the heat exchange zone being formed by at least one heat exchange wall.
11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the heat exchange wall extends in an XY plane and is configured to move in a Z direction, at an end of travel along X, near the working position, the slide guide being generally perpendicular to Z.
12. The device according to claim 1 , comprising a detachable interface between the releaser-heat exchanger and the general thermal collector.
13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric fluid in the power supply unit has a volume of less than 3 liters.