Patent ID: 8813515
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: F25B,H05K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for facilitating dissipation of heat from at least one electronic component, the apparatus comprising: a refrigerant loop configured for refrigerant to flow therethrough, the refrigerant facilitating dissipation of heat from the at least one electronic component; a compressor coupled in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop, wherein a first portion of the refrigerant loop resides upstream of a refrigerant inlet of the compressor, and a second portion of the refrigerant loop resides downstream of a refrigerant outlet of the compressor; and a controllable thermoelectric array comprising at least one thermoelectric module, the controllable thermoelectric array being disposed with the first portion of the refrigerant loop at least partially in thermal contact with a first side of the controllable thermoelectric array, and the second portion of the refrigerant loop at least partially in thermal contact with a second side of the controllable thermoelectric array, the controllable thermoelectric array being controlled to ensure that refrigerant in the refrigerant loop entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state by transferring heat from refrigerant passing through the second portion of the refrigerant loop to refrigerant passing through the first portion of the refrigerant loop; and a controller coupled to the controllable thermoelectric array via a controllable DC Power supply, the controller automatically controlling electric current by the controllable DC power supply to the controllable thermoelectric array to control an auxiliary heat load pumped by the controllable thermoelectric array from refrigerant passing, through the second portion to refrigerant passing through the first portion to automatically, incrementally increase the auxiliary heat load pumped by the controllable thermoelectric array responsive to refrigerant entering the compressor being superheated by less than a specified δT temperature threshold, and to automatically incrementally decrease the auxiliary heat load pumped by the controllable thermoelectric array responsive to refrigerant entering the compressor being superheated by greater than the specified δT temperature threshold.