Spindle-motor driven pump system
View Patent ↗The present invention is a compact pump that is powered by a brushless DC spindle-motor, as used in disk drives and CD-ROM drives. A hard drive type spindle-motor is a brushless DC motor that is highly balanced, very reliable, available at low cost, and is capable of significant rotational speeds. According to the present invention, a spindle-motor is mounted to a pump housing and to an impeller within the housing. The spindle-motor rotates the impeller causing movement of a fluid. Preferably for spray cooling, the pump is a turbine pump.
1. A liquid pump for use with an electronic component cooling system comprising:
a housing;
a DC brushless spindle-motor mounted to said housing, said motor comprising an at least one rare-earth magnet for rotating an outer hub around a stationary shaft;
an impeller rotationally constrained to said hub, said impeller contained within said housing;
said housing having a fluid inlet for receiving a supply of lower pressure fluid and for delivering said supply of lower pressure fluid to said impeller, wherein rotation of said impeller transforms said supply of lower pressure fluid to a supply of higher pressure fluid; and
said housing having a fluid exit for dispensing said supply of higher pressure fluid.
2. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said impeller may axially float in relation to said hub.
3. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said impeller is a centrifugal impeller.
4. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said impeller is a turbine impeller.
5. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said at least one rare-earth magnet is made from neodymium-iron-boron.
6. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said at least one rare-earth magnet is made from samarium-cobalt.
7. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said spindle-motor is capable of speeds over 3600 rotations per minute.
8. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said spindle-motor has an output less than ⅕ horsepower.
9. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said spindle-motor creates less than 2000 milliliters per minute of flow.
10. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said spindle-motor contains at least one magnetic seal between said stationary shaft and said hub.
11. The liquid pump of claim 1 , wherein said spindle-motor contains a magnetic bearing.
12. A fluid pump for use within a liquid cooling system comprising:
an enclosure;
a DC brushless motor comprised of a stationary spindle, an at least one rare-earth magnet, and a hub for rotating about said stationary spindle, said stationary spindle fixed to said enclosure;
an impeller disk rotatably constrained to said hub of said motor;
said enclosure for housing said impeller disk including an inlet for providing a low pressure supply of fluid to said impeller disk;
wherein rotation of said impeller disk transforms said low pressure supply of fluid to a higher pressure supply of fluid; and
an exit in said housing for discharging said supply of higher pressure fluid.
13. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said inlet is fluidly connected to a liquid thermal management unit.
14. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said liquid cooling system is a spray cooling liquid cooling system.
15. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said exit is fluidly connected to a heat exchanger of said liquid cooling system.
16. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said impeller disk is a centrifugal impeller.
17. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said impeller disk is a turbine impeller.
18. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said at least one rare-earth magnet is constructed from neodymium-iron-boron.
19. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said at least one rare-earth magnet is constructed from samarium-cobalt.
20. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said spindle-motor is capable of speeds over 3600 rotations per minute.
21. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said spindle-motor contains at least one magnetic seal.
22. The fluid pump of claim 21 , wherein said at least one magnetic seal contains a dielectric cooling fluid used with said liquid cooling system.
23. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said spindle-motor contains a magnetic bearing.
24. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said spindle-motor has an output less than ⅕ horsepower.
25. The fluid pump of claim 12 , wherein said spindle-motor creates less than 2000 milliliters per minute of flow.