Patents by Inventor C. Chu

C. Chu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8389154
    Abstract: A compact, robust, multifunctional and highly manufacturable rechargeable battery cell is provided. The cell design dedicates minimal internal volume to inert components of the cell. This is accomplished, in part, by providing multiple functionalities to individual cell components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: A123 Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonah S. Myerberg, Donald G. Dafoe, Grace S. Chang, Andrew C. Chu, Hung-Chieh Shiao
  • Patent number: 8387249
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for facilitating servicing of a liquid-cooled electronics rack are provided. The apparatus includes a coolant tank, a coolant pump in fluid communication with the coolant tank, multiple parallel-connected coolant supply lines coupling the coolant pump to a coolant supply port of the apparatus, and a coolant return port and a coolant return line coupled between the coolant return port and the coolant tank. Each coolant supply line includes a coolant control valve for selectively controlling flow of coolant therethrough pumped by the coolant pump from the coolant tank. At least one coolant supply line includes at least one filter, and one coolant supply line is a bypass line with no filter. When operational, the apparatus facilitates filling of coolant into a cooling system of a liquid-cooled electronics rack by allowing for selective filtering of coolant inserted into the cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons, Prabjit Singh
  • Patent number: 8378920
    Abstract: An electrically small antenna includes a first plurality of helical arms extending in one direction from a central portion of the antenna and a second plurality of helical arms extending from the central portion in a direction opposite from the direction of the first plurality of helical arms. A plurality of switches are coupled to control signal transmission and reception on the helical arms, each of the plurality of switches is coupled between a corresponding one of the first plurality of helical arms and the second plurality of helical arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt L. Shlager, Liang C. Chu
  • Patent number: 8369091
    Abstract: Cooling apparatus and method are provided for immersion-cooling of an electronic subsystem of an electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a housing at least partially surrounding and forming a sealed compartment about the electronic subsystem and a dielectric fluid disposed within the sealed compartment so that the electronic subsystem is immersed within the dielectric fluid. A liquid-cooled vapor condenser is provided which includes a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending within the sealed compartment. The condenser fins facilitate cooling and condensing of dielectric fluid vapor generated within the sealed compartment. Within the sealed compartment, multiple thermally conductive condenser fins are interleaved with multiple electronic components immersed within the dielectric fluid to facilitate localized cooling and condensing of dielectric fluid vapor between the multiple electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Publication number: 20130027878
    Abstract: A heat sink, and cooled electronic structure and cooled electronics apparatus utilizing the heat sink are provided. The heat sink is fabricated of a thermally conductive structure which includes one or more coolant-carrying channels coupled to facilitate the flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying channel(s). The heat sink further includes a membrane associated with the coolant-carrying channel(s). The membrane includes at least one vapor-permeable region, which overlies a portion of the coolant-carrying channel(s) and facilitates removal of vapor from the coolant-carrying channel(s), and at least one orifice coupled to inject coolant onto at least one surface of the coolant-carrying channel(s) intermediate opposite ends of the channel(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20130027883
    Abstract: A heat sink, and cooled electronic structure and cooled electronic apparatus utilizing the heat sink, are provided. The heat sink is fabricated of a thermally conductive structure which includes one or more coolant-carrying channels and one or more vapor-condensing channels. A membrane is disposed between the coolant-carrying channel(s) and the vapor-condensing channel(s). The membrane includes at least one vapor-permeable region, at least a portion of which overlies a portion of the coolant-carrying channel(s) and facilitates removal of vapor from the coolant-carrying channel(s) to the vapor-condensing channel(s). The heat sink further includes one or more coolant inlets coupled to provide a first liquid coolant flow to the coolant-carrying channel(s), and a second liquid coolant flow to condense vapor within the vapor-condensing channel(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20130027884
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method are provided for cooling one or more electronic components of an electronic subsystem of an electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a heat sink, which is configured to couple to an electronic component, and which includes a coolant-carrying channel for coolant to flow therethrough. The coolant provides two-phase cooling to the electronic component, and is discharged from the heat sink as coolant exhaust which comprises coolant vapor to be condensed. The cooling apparatus further includes a node-level condensation module, associated with the electronic subsystem, and coupled in fluid communication with the heat sink to receive the coolant exhaust from the heat sink. The condensation module is liquid-cooled, and facilitates condensing of the coolant vapor in the coolant exhaust. A controller automatically controls the liquid-cooling of the heat sink and/or the liquid-cooling of the node-level condensation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20130019614
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic subsystem of an electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a local cooling station, which has a liquid-to-air heat exchanger and ducting for directing a cooling airflow across the heat exchanger. A cooling subsystem is associated with the electronic subsystem of the rack, and includes either a housing facilitating immersion cooling of electronic components of the electronic subsystem, or one or more liquid-cooled structures providing conductive cooling to the electronic components of the electronic subsystem. A coolant loop couples the cooling subsystem to the liquid-to-air heat exchanger of the local cooling station. In operation, heat is transferred via circulating coolant from the electronic subsystem and rejected in the liquid-to-air heat exchanger of the local cooling station to the cooling airflow passing across the liquid-to-air heat exchanger. In one embodiment, the cooling airflow is outdoor air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20130021746
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes an air-cooled cooling station, which has a liquid-to-air heat exchanger and ducting for directing a cooling airflow across the heat exchanger. A cooling subsystem is associated with the electronics rack, and includes a liquid-cooled condenser facilitating immersion-cooling of electronic components of the electronics rack, a liquid-cooled structure providing conductive cooling to electronic components of the electronics rack, or an air-to-liquid heat exchanger associated with the rack and cooling airflow passing through the electronics rack. A coolant loop couples the cooling subsystem to the liquid-to-air heat exchanger. In operation, heat is transferred via circulating coolant from the electronics rack, and rejected in the liquid-to-air heat exchanger of the cooling station to the cooling airflow passing across the liquid-to-air heat exchanger. In one embodiment, the cooling airflow is outdoor air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20130021752
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses, cooled electronic modules and methods of fabrication are provided for fluid immersion-cooling of an electronic component(s). The cooled electronic module includes a substrate supporting the electronic component(s), and the cooling apparatus couples to the substrate, and includes a housing at least partially surrounding and forming a compartment about the electronic component(s). Additionally, the cooling apparatus includes a fluid and a deionization structure disposed within the compartment. The electronic component is at least partially immersed within the fluid, and the fluid is a water-based fluid. The deionization structure includes deionizing material, which ensures deionization of the fluid within the compartment. The deionization structure facilitates boiling heat transfer from the electronic component(s) to a condenser structure disposed in the compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Robert E. SIMONS, Prabjit SINGH
  • Patent number: 8351206
    Abstract: Liquid-cooled electronics racks are provided which include: immersion-cooled electronic subsystems; a vertically-oriented, vapor-condensing unit facilitating condensing dielectric fluid vapor egressing from the immersion-cooled subsystems, the vertically-oriented, vapor-condensing unit being sized and configured to reside adjacent to at least one side of the electronics rack; a reservoir for holding dielectric fluid, the reservoir receiving dielectric fluid condensate from the vertically-oriented, vapor-condensing unit; a dielectric fluid supply manifold coupling in fluid communication the reservoir and the dielectric fluid inlets of the immersion-cooled electronic subsystems; and a pump associated with a reservoir for pumping under pressure dielectric fluid from the reservoir to the dielectric fluid supply manifold for maintaining dielectric fluid in a liquid state within the immersion-cooled electronic subsystems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8345423
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for immersion-cooling of an electronic subsystem of an electronics rack. The cooling apparatuses include a housing at least partially surrounding and forming a sealed compartment about the electronic subsystem and a dielectric fluid disposed within the sealed compartment, with the electronic subsystem being immersed within the dielectric fluid. A liquid-cooled vapor condenser is provided which includes a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending within the sealed compartment. The condenser fins facilitate cooling and condensing of dielectric fluid vapor generated within the sealed compartment. Within the sealed compartment, multiple thermally conductive condenser fins are interleaved with multiple fluid-boiling fins of a heat spreader coupled to one or more of the electronic components immersed within the dielectric fluid. The interleaved fins facilitate localized cooling and condensing of dielectric fluid vapor within the sealed compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8322154
    Abstract: A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating two-phase heat transfer from an electronics system including a plurality of electronic devices to be cooled. The cooling system includes a plurality of evaporators coupled to the electronic devices, and a coolant loop for passing system coolant through the evaporators. The coolant loop includes a plurality of coolant branches coupled in parallel, with each coolant branch being coupled in fluid communication with a respective evaporator. The cooling system further includes a control unit for maintaining pressure of system coolant at a system coolant supply side of the coolant branches within a specific pressure range at or above saturation pressure of the system coolant for a given desired saturation temperature of system coolant into the evaporators to facilitate two-phase heat transfer in the plurality of evaporators from the electronic devices to the system coolant at the given desired saturation temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8327349
    Abstract: A method of matching one or more software plug-ins to a user, the method including: defining one or more trigger events based on one or more actions of an application; monitoring a use of the application for the one or more trigger events; generating a suggestion of one or more plug-ins based on the use of the application; and generating a notification including the suggestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Internationanl Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Danae C. Chu, Shruti Gandhi, Zachary A. Garbow, Clara Chia-Yen Liang, Timothy M. Trifilo
  • Patent number: 8322029
    Abstract: A composite interface and methods of fabrication are provided for coupling a cooling assembly to an electronic device. The interface includes a plurality of thermally conductive wires formed of a first material having a first thermal conductivity, and a thermal interface material at least partially surrounding the wires. The interface material, which thermally interfaces the cooling assembly to a surface to be cooled of the electronic device, is a second material having a second thermal conductivity, wherein the first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity. At least some wires reside partially over a first region of higher heat flux and extend partially over a second region of lower heat flux, wherein the first and second regions are different regions of the surface to he cooled. These wires function as thermal spreaders facilitating heat transfer from the surface to be cooled to the cooling assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Keith F. Fogel, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8274790
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for cooling an electronics rack, which includes an electronic subsystem across which air passing through the rack flows. A cooling unit provides, via system coolant supply and return manifolds, system coolant in parallel to the electronic subsystem and an air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed to cool, in normal-mode, air passing through the rack. A controller monitors coolant associated with the cooling unit and automatically transitions the cooling apparatus from normal-mode to failure-mode responsive to detecting a failure of the coolant. In transitioning to failure-mode, multiple isolation valves are employed in switching to a serial flow of system coolant from the electronic subsystem to the heat exchanger for rejecting, via the system coolant, heat from the electronic subsystem to air passing across the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Randall G. Kemink, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8266802
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating removal of heat from a heat-generating electronic device. The method of fabrication includes: bonding a plurality of thermally conductive pin fins to a surface to be cooled, each pin fin including a stem with a bulb structure on its distal end; depositing material onto the plurality of thermally conductive pin fins to integrally form a jet impingement structure with the pin fins, wherein the distal ends of the plurality of thermally conductive pin fins form part of the jet impingement structure; and controlling the depositing of material onto the distal ends of the pin fins to form a plurality of jet orifices in the jet impingement structure, with the depositing resulting in the plurality of jet orifices automatically self-aligning between the plurality of thermally conductive pin fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: D673585
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Henry C. Chu
  • Patent number: D678345
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: Henry C. Chu
  • Patent number: D678346
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: Henry C. Chu