COMPUTER COOLING SYSTEM

Abstract

A water-cooling system for computer electronic components, particularly the central processing unit. The system has a cooling unit adjacent to, and below, the central processing unit. The intake and outlet ports into and from the cooling unit are insulated with a water-absorbent material and below the cooling unit is a drip pan adapted to collect water being discharged from the cooling unit caused by any leak occurring therein. The drip pan has a plurality of parallel spaced-apart angled blades adapted to deflect dripping water to an adjacent blade covering the former blade.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None.

BACKGROUND

This computer cooling system of the present disclosure relates to an improvement in cooling a computer's electronic components, including and not limited to, its central processing unit, and more particularly to a computer cooling system using water as its coolant which is designed to protect the computer's electronic components from damage caused by leaks in and to the computer cooling system.

Today's computers are getting faster and more powerful. As a result, the computers produce considerably more heat during operation. Cooling the computer's electronic components, including, but not limited to, it's central processing unit, is vital to its continued performance, durability, and staying power. Current approaches to cooling the computer's electronic components involve air cooling and water cooling.

The most common, less costly, yet least efficient approach to cooling computers is by air cooling. Air cooling is widely used because it affords fewer hazards to the computer. As computers become more and more efficient and faster, they will generate even more heat. Air cooling will not keep up with demands of the current and future generation central processing units.

The foremost alternative, and more effective, cooling techniques is water-cooling. Regardless of its effectiveness it has not been embraced in the field because of leak issues which will result in shorting out the electronics and possibly ruining one or more of the computer's electronic components.

Refrigeration units and liquid metal cooling are also tried techniques but have proven to be wanting in problems caused and in costs. Refrigeration requires coolant which is expensive and must be maintained at high pressures to function properly. Leaks in these systems can be catastrophic to a computer system and its electronic components. Liquid metal cooling, generally requires the use of sodium or potassium which also are expensive. Being in liquid form they too can leak and damage the computer's electronic components. More problematic and dangerous, however, is the fire and explosion problem that they pose.

Cooling computers with a water system, regardless of the leak and damage risk, is the most efficient and effective means of cooling computers. Many mainframe computer manufacturers are not using water cooling primarily because of the leak risk and hazard water cooling poses.

Water cooling requires a low pressure, low flow approach. If water through the system flows too quickly, the water's thermal conductivity will be too low for the cooling system to be effective. Typically there is a reservoir [fill tube] which functions as a water storage unit, a heat exchange unit [radiator] to transfer heat from the ‘used’ cooling fluid to the air, a pump to draw water from the radiator to the computer cooling unit [water block] and also in a loop process to draw heated water from the water block back to the radiator. The water block is placed at or near the computer central processing unit [or other electronic components generating heat and being in need of cooling during operation].

It is generally understood that heat rises in a fluid because the fluid expands, causing it to be of lower density. Since the fluid is of lower density, it rises. In solid objects, such as central processing units, heat will not rise, it will dissipate by conduction. When the heat from a central processing unit dissipates into the air, the heated air will rise.

The water blocks of all water-cooling units, with the seemingly misleading exception of the Kondo patent [U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,056], are generally placed above the computer's heat-generating electronic components. Given that the water in the water-cooling system is under a low-flow low-pressure operation, this does create the benefit that should a leak occur, the water will not spray and damage most of the computer's electronic components, but instead the water will merely drip.

With the water block being above the heat-generative electronic components, the dripping water will fall down onto the respective electronic components and short one or more out or damage one or more which, in either event, will affect the operations of the computer system. The computer cooling system of the present disclosure places the cooling components below.

Though the Kondo patent ['056] FIG. 2 illustrates a cooling jacket [water block] 15 to be below the central processing unit 7, the conduits as shown by directional arrows in that figure, rise above the central processing unit 7 as the cooling water courses throughout this complex cooling system. The central processing unit in this system is placed in jeopardy should a leak occur above it.

Moreover, in the Kondo patent ['056], at Column 7, lines 42-53, it clearly states the opposite and teaches away from the cooling system of this present disclosure. Therein it states “[a] cooling jacket 112 is mounted on the other side of each of the wiring boards 102, namely, on the top of the CPU 105 [emphasis added], and other heat generating elements 106 and 107. A thermally conductive sheet is interposed between the cooling jacket 112 and the CPU 105 and other heat generating elements 106 for thermal coupling. A fluid connector 113 is arranged on the right hand side of the cooling jacket 112 as shown in FIG. 9, right below the connector 109 on the wiring board 102 for electrical connection. By mating the fluid connector 113 with another fluid connector 114, the cooling jacket 112 is connected with the fluid circulation loop to be discussed later.”

The computer cooling system of this present disclosure eliminates all the above risks by having the cooling unit below, not only the central processing unit, but below the circuit board [motherboard], includes a drip pan below the cooling unit to prevent leaks and drips from above from contaminating and ruining, in vertically-stacked rack-type computer systems, individual computer units below the computer unit experiencing the leak.

The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed computer cooling system of the present disclosure in a different manner or by modifying the computer cooling system of the present disclosure within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure may be had by referring to the summary of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY

The above-noted problems, among others, are overcome by the computer cooling system of the present disclosure. Briefly stated, the computer cooling system of the present disclosure contemplates a computer cooling system for use with a computer having a central processing unit and other electronic components on its motherboard. The computer cooling system has a water-cooling unit in adjacency to and below the central processing unit. The water-cooling unit has a base, a chamber for receiving water, an intake port connected to the water-cooling unit to receive water from an external radiator, an outlet port connected to the water-cooling unit to return water to the external radiator, and a water-absorbent component covering each port at its connection point to the water-cooling unit.

A drip pan is adjacent to and below the water-cooling unit. The drip pan has a bottom, upstanding walls around the bottom, and a plurality of angled blades substantially parallel to each other wherein each blade has a bottom end connected to the bottom of the drip pan and a top end extending and angling upward from the bottom such that the top end of one blade extends past the bottom end of an adjacent blade.

The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood so the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific embodiment may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure. It also should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and methods do not depart from the spirit and scope of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a detailed view of a prior-art computer cooling system.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, is a detailed view of a drip pan component of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings FIG. 1 depicts a prior-art system of using water as a cooling unit to cool a computer's electronic components, including, but not limited, the computer's central processing unit. The circuit board 30 [motherboard] has on it, among other electronics, a central processing unit 20. In operation the central processing unit generates heat as described above. A water cooling unit 111, above the central processing unit 20 cools the central processing unit.

The prior-art water cooling unit has an intake port 13 to receive water from an external source [radiator, not shown in this figure] and from its outlet port 14 to return the water to the radiator. As described above, leaks to the water cooling unit will drip to the motherboard 30 and adversely affect the computer's central processing unit and other electronic components resulting in damage, shorts, and loss of productivity.

FIGS. 2 through 4, reference character 10 generally designates a computer cooling system constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure. The computer cooling system 10 has a cooling unit 11 which includes an inner chamber and a base 15 with an intake port 13 connected to the cooling unit 11 to permit entry of water from an external source [radiator]. Water is discharged from the cooling unit 11 via the outlet port 14 returning expended water to the radiator.

This base 15 acts largely like a heat sink, dissipating heat collected from the central processing unit 20 into the cooling fluid. This base 15 may have cooling fins [not shown] in the fluid chamber to increase the surface area of the base 15; i.e., fluid junction. The materials best suited for the intended purpose would either be copper or aluminum, primarily because of their superior thermal conductivity, though any suited material having good thermal conductivity characteristics would generally suffice.

A pump on the outlet side of the cooling unit 11 forces water from the cooling unit 11 back to the radiator and in the process, cycles water from the radiator back to the cooling unit 11 via the inlet port 13. A reservoir in the computer cooling system, between the radiator and the intake port 13 acts to regulate the flow of water and to receive, retain, or release any excess or overflow water in the system.

The unique aspect of this computer cooling system 10 is the inversion of the motherboard 30 such that it is above the central processing unit 20 rather then below it as in virtually computer motherboard 30 [exception being where the motherboard 30 is configured vertically. With the motherboard 30 being above the central processing unit 20, placement of the cooling unit 11 below the computer's electronic components, and in particular, below and adjacent to its central processing unit 20, will serve to enhance its cooling effect and to protect the computer's electronic components from damage should a leak occur in the water cooling unit 11 or the entire computer cooling system 10.

In addition to inverting the motherboard 30, another novel feature of this computer cooling system 10 is the drip collection pay 40 below the cooling unit 11. The collection drip pan 40 serves to receive and retain any water dripping from the cooling unit 11 due to any leaks to and in the cooling unit 11 or the entire computer cooling system 10 for that matter. The drip pan 40 has a non-perforated bottom and upstanding walls around the bottom to contain therein any accumulating and accumulated water.

A series of blades 41 extend and angle upward from the bottom. The series of blades 41 are substantially parallel to one another. Each blade has a bottom end 45 and a top end 43. The blades 41 are angled from the bottom of the drip pan 40 at approximately between 20° to approximately 60° and in such fashion that the top end 43 of one blade 41 extends beyond the bottom end 45 of the adjacent blade 41. Reference being made to FIG. 3, vertical line A-B.

With this configuration of the drip pan 40, the angling of the blades 41 will cause any water dripping from the cooling unit 11 to deflect away from the angle of the blade 41, generally in the direction of Arrow C, not rebound directly upward, and will also serve to diminish any splatter effect. The overlapping of the top ends 43 past the bottom ends 45 will also serve as a barrier from the deflections and splattering caused by the dripping water on the adjacent angled blade.

In a vertical rack-type computer system with individual computer units above and below one another [FIG. 2], the drip pan 40 serves as protection for the entire computer system. Computer unit Z has a floor 60, with drip pan 40 resting on its floor 60. Computer unit X is above computer unit Z. Computer X has a floor 60′ which in essence serves as the ceiling for computer unit Z. Below the floor 60′ of computer unit X is the inverted motherboard 30, with central processing unit 20 below the motherboard 30, of computer unit Z. The computer cooling system 10 for computer unit Z is below and adjacent to the central processing unit 20 of computer unit Z.

Computer unit Y is below computer unit Z. Each computer unit above and below that of computer unit Z in configured in like fashion as that of computer unit Z. Each having a floor wherein the floor of a computer unit above [example of computer X] is the ceiling of the computer unit below [example of computer unit Z]. Each computer in this rack system therefore has its motherboard 30 inverted with a computer cooling system 10 below the respective central processing units 20 as described hereinabove.

In addition, and for greater protection from leaks, the computer cooling system 10 has a water-absorbent member 17 around each intake port 13 and around each outlet port 14 at the points where the intake port 13 and the outlet port 14 connect to the respective cooling unit 11. Therefore, if a leak occurs, such generally would occur at weakest points, i.e., connection points, and the water-absorbent member 17 would serve to retain the water and sound an alarm as an alert that a leak has occurred.

If the leak is not corrected in a timely manner, leaking water will be retained by the water-absorbent member 17 until it becomes over-saturated at which point the water would drip down into the drip pan 40. This water-absorbent member 17 may be of any conventionally available material suited to the intended purpose including, but not limited to, nylon or cotton or any combination thereof although any cloth substance capable of stemming the spray or flow of leaking water. The material may be but need not be water resistant.

In this regard, the water-absorbent member 17 is designed to limit spraying that may occur in the case of a failure [leak] of the system 10. The water-absorbent member 17 is not intended to primarily capture water, but rather it is intended to be capable of absorbing the kinetic energy of the leaking water, thereby allowing the water to fall into the drip pan 40.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the present claims as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this computer cooling system of the present disclosure has been described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Applicant[s] have attempted to disclose all the embodiment[s] of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure that could be reasonably foreseen. It must be understood, however, that there may be unforeseeable insubstantial modifications to computer cooling system of the present disclosure that remain as equivalents and thereby falling within the scope of the computer cooling system of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A computer cooling system for use with a computer having a central processing unit and other electronic components on its motherboard, said cooling system comprising:

a water-cooling unit in adjacency to and below the central processing unit, said water-cooling unit having a base, a chamber for receiving water, an intake port connected to said water-cooling unit to receive said water from an external radiator and an outlet port connected to said water-cooling unit to return said water to the external radiator.

2. The computer cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a water-absorbent component covering said intake port at its connection point to said water-cooling unit and covering said outlet port at its point of connection to said water-cooling unit.

3. The computer cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a drip pan adjacent to and below said water-cooling unit, said drip pan having a bottom and upstanding walls around said bottom.

4. The computer cooling system of claim 3 wherein said drip pan comprises a plurality of angled blades substantially parallel to each other wherein each blade has a bottom end connected to the bottom of said drip pan and a top end extending and angling upward.

5. The computer cooling system of claim 4 wherein said plurality of blades are angled from the bottom upward at approximately between 20° to approximately 60°.

6. The computer cooling system of claim 4 wherein the top end of one of said plurality of blades extends over and beyond the bottom end of an adjacent one of said plurality of blades.