Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic component. The apparatus includes a refrigerant evaporator in thermal communication with the component(s) to be cooled, and a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the evaporator for facilitating flow of refrigerant through the evaporator. The apparatus further includes a compressor in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop, a refrigerant bypass pipe coupled to the refrigerant loop in parallel fluid communication with the evaporator, and a control valve for controlling refrigerant flow through the evaporator. The control valve is controlled to maintain temperature of the component(s) within a specified temperature range. The apparatus further includes a controllable refrigerant heater associated with the refrigerant bypass pipe for providing an adjustable heat load on refrigerant in the bypass pipe to ensure that refrigerant entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state.

Abstract: A heat exchange assembly and apparatus and method employing the heat exchange assembly are provided. The heat exchange assembly includes a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and a heater. The heat exchanger includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for passing a coolant through the heat exchanger, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet for separately passing a refrigerant through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger cools coolant passing through the heat exchanger by dissipating heat from coolant passing through the heat exchanger to refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger. The heater is integrated with the heat exchanger and applies an auxiliary heat load to refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger to facilitate ensuring that refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger absorbs at least a specified minimum heat load, for example, to ensure that refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchanger is superheated vapor refrigerant.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic component. The apparatus includes a coolant-cooled structure in thermal communication with the component(s) to be cooled, and a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the coolant-cooled structure via a coolant loop to receive coolant from and supply coolant to the coolant-cooled structure. The apparatus further includes a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger cools coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the coolant in the coolant loop to refrigerant in the refrigerant loop. A controllable coolant heater is associated with the coolant loop for providing an adjustable heat load on the coolant in the coolant loop to ensure at least a minimum heat load is dissipated from the coolant to the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component of varying heat load. The apparatus includes a refrigerant evaporator coupled in thermal communication with the electronic component, a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the refrigerant evaporator for facilitating flow of refrigerant through the evaporator, and a thermoelectric array disposed in thermal communication with the evaporator. The thermoelectric array includes one or more thermoelectric elements, and is powered by a voltage and by a current of switchable polarity, which are controlled to maintain heat load on refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant evaporator within a steady state range, notwithstanding varying of the heat load applied to the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant by the at least one electronic component.

Abstract: An apparatus for acclimating an aquatic organism, contained in a partially water filled plastic bag, to an environment in an aquarium includes an aquarium frame comprising a first portion exterior to the aquarium and a second portion interior to the aquarium. A bag holder is operable to hold a top of the plastic bag in an open position. The bag holder is positioned on the second portion where the top of the plastic bag is above a top level of water in the aquarium and a substantial portion of the plastic bag is below the top level. A dripping cup is operable to release water obtained from the aquarium into the plastic bag. The dripping cup is joinable to the first portion, whereby the aquatic organism is acclimated to a chemistry and temperature of the water in the aquarium.

Abstract: A scroll compressor includes a chamber formed in a casing and a compartment formed in a rearward end, a fixed scroll mounted within the casing and having a spiral scroll element extended from a base plate, and an orbiting scroll rotatably disposed in the casing, and having a spiral scroll element extended from a carrier plate and arranged to form a line contact between the spiral scroll elements, and the fixed scroll includes an inlet mouth and a fluid passage formed through the base plate, and the casing includes an inlet port and an outlet port formed in the rearward end for easily and quickly coupling to the tubings of the vehicle with pipings without bending or folding the pipings.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling electronic components housed in a computer rack while performing maintenance operations is provided. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes a heat exchange assembly disposed within an outlet door cover of the computer rack, having one or more perforations. One or more air moving device(s) are also disposed on the outlet door and activated by an activator when the door is opened such that the devices when activated force hot air into the heat exchanger. Cool air is then exhausted through a planar containment plate having a plurality of edges. The plate is secured to top of the outlet door along one of its edges.

Abstract: Dehumidifying and re-humidifying cooling apparatus and method are provided for an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a dehumidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed at an air inlet side of the rack and a re-humidifying structure disposed at an air outlet side of the rack. The dehumidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger is in fluid communication with a coolant loop for passing chilled coolant through the heat exchanger, and the dehumidifying heat exchanger dehumidifies ingressing air to the electronics rack to reduce a dew point of air flowing through the rack. A condensate collector disposed at the air inlet side collects liquid condensate from the dehumidifying of ingressing air, and a condensate delivery mechanism delivers the condensate to the re-humidifying structure to humidify air egressing from the electronics rack.

Abstract: Semiconductor integrated thermoelectric devices are provided, which are formed having high-density arrays of thermoelectric (TE) elements using semiconductor thin-film and VLSI (very large scale integration) fabrication processes. Thermoelectric devices can be either separately formed and bonded to semiconductor chips, or integrally formed within the non-active surface of semiconductor chips, for example.

Abstract: Systems and methods for shading analysis and creating a 3D model of a surface of interest are provided. Such systems and methods may include taking ray traces to determine light contact with the surface of interest. Shadow maps may be generated. Power flux calculations may also be performed.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of one or more components of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a liquid-cooled structure associated with the electronic component(s) to be cooled, and a liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the liquid-cooled structure via a coolant loop to receive coolant from and supply coolant to the liquid-cooled structure. The heat exchanger is disposed external to the electronics rack within a cool air plenum of the data center containing the rack, and the plenum is coupled to a cool air source providing cooled air to the data center. Cooled air of the cool air plenum passes across the heat exchanger and cools coolant passing through the heat exchanger, which dissipates heat from the coolant passing therethrough to the cool air passing across the heat exchanger to facilitate liquid cooling of the electronic component(s) associated with the liquid-cooled structure.