Abstract:
Heat differential power systems and apparatus for powering liquid cooling systems and/or generating electrical power in a data processing system or a telecommunication system are presented. A number of embodiments are presented. In each embodiment a heat differential power system is implemented which utilizes the heat created a heat-generating component such as a microprocessor within the data processing or telecommunications system and the resulting heat differential created with other parts of the system as power to operate the heat differential power system and convert thermal energy into mechanical and/or electrical energy for powering a liquid cooling system, fans, other electrical components, and/or extending the battery life in a portable data processing or telecommunications system.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 11/017,024 filed on Dec. 20, 2004 entitled “Heat Differential Power System”. Application Ser. No. 11/017,024 was of completed application replacing U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/533,363, filed Dec. 29, 2003, entitled “Stirling Powered Liquid Cooling System” and which is herein incorporated by reference. The priority date of application 60/533,363 was claimed for application Ser. No. 11/017,024 and is claimed for this application. Reference is made also to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/666,189 filed Sep. 10, 2003 for a detailed description of a liquid cooling system and its operation. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Description of the Related Art  
         [0003]     Portable computing and telecommunication devices are increasingly being used. At the heart of these devices are processors and other heat-generating components which are becoming increasingly more powerful and which, as a result, are requiring more power to operate and generating more heat in operation.  
         [0004]     More sophisticated and powerful methods for cooling these heat generating components is required such as liquid cooling. Liquid cooling however does require some additional power to operate.  
         [0005]     When these devices are used in portable mode, there is an ever increasing demand on the battery for power, which in turn shortens the battery life. Moreover, in portability mode, these devices are often at rest on a person&#39;s lap or in close contact with other parts of the body and it is not desirable to have increasing amounts of heat in such close contact with the human body.  
         [0006]     An additional environmental problem is that the increasing amounts of heat generated by these heat generating components results in additional amounts of wasted energy.  
         [0007]     The additional heat being generated by these heat-generating components has other detrimental effects. For example, it can cause component malfunctions or shut-downs and lower the useful life of the components themselves and the device as a whole.  
         [0008]     Heat differential power sources or engines such as the Sterling engine have been known and available for some time. They operate on the principal that thermal energy can be converted to other forms of energy such as mechanical or electrical energy and make use of a difference in temperature between two or more points, areas or locations to make this conversion.  
         [0009]     Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for cooling these data processing and telecommunication systems. There is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for powering these cooling systems, particularly in portability mode. There is a need in the art for a method or apparatus for extending the battery life and thus the operational time of these devices in portability mode. There is a need in the art for a method or apparatus to conserve or utilize wasted thermal energy. There is a need in the art for a method or apparatus used to cool the heat generating components, conserve and utilize the thermal energy and/or to extend the battery life which can be deployed within the small footprint available in the case or housing of a computing system, such as a laptop computer, standalone computer, cellular telephone, etc used to dissipate processor heat which can be deployed within the small footprint available in the case or housing of a computing system, such as a laptop computer, standalone computer, cellular telephone, etc There is a need in the art for an optimal, cost-effective method and apparatus for cooling heat generating components which allows the processor or other heat-generating component to operate at the marketed operating capacity, and which is effective in portability mode for the device or system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     A method and apparatus for generating power within an electronic system using a heat differential power system which converts heat differential created by a heat generating component into power to be used by the electronic system. A variety of heat differential power systems are implemented.  
         [0011]     A heat differential power system comprising a heat collector thermally connected to one or more heat generating components, a housing containing air or gas and having one side thermally connected to the heat collector and another side thermally connected to a cooler device or temperature source; a piston disposed within the housing alternately moving the air or gas toward the side thermally connected to the heat collector and the side thermally connected to the cooler device or temperature source and causing the air or gas to expand as it nears the side thermally connected to the heat collector and contract as it nears the side thermally connected to the cooler device or temperature source; a second piston disposed in a sealed cavity atmospherically connected to the air or gas within the housing and responding to the expansions and contractions of the air or gas; a rotating shaft mechanically connected to both pistons which receives the mechanical motions of the second piston and powers the movement of the first piston; and one or more flywheels connected to the rotating shaft for powering other devices and/or generating electrical power to be used by electrical devices.  
         [0012]     A method and apparatus for generating power within an electronic system using a heat differential power system to power an impeller in a pump to propel the flow of liquid in a liquid cooling system disposed with the electronic system.  
         [0013]     A method and apparatus for generating power within an electronic system using a heat differential power system and on which magnets and induction coils are disposed thereon such that the magnets rotate and pass within close proximity of the induction coils to generate electrical power to be used by the electronic system  
         [0014]     A method and apparatus for generating power within an electronic system using a heat differential power system and on which magnets and induction coils are disposed thereon such that the relative movement of magnets to pass within close proximity of the induction coils generates electrical power to be used by the electronic system and to power an impeller in a pump to propel the flow of liquid in a liquid cooling system disposed with the electronic system.  
         [0015]     A portable data processing system employing a method and apparatus for generating power within the system using a heat differential power system which converts a temperature difference created by a heat generating component into power to be used by the electronic system.  
         [0016]     A data processing system employing a method and apparatus for generating power within the system using a heat differential power system which converts a temperature difference created by a heat generating component into power to be used by the electronic system.  
         [0017]     A telecommunications system employing a method and apparatus for generating power within the system using a heat differential power system which converts a temperature difference created by a heat generating component into power to be used by the electronic system.  
         [0018]     A liquid cooling system having one or more heat transfer systems liquidly connected in series and/or in parallel for receiving cooled liquid, absorbing heat into the liquid from a heat generating component and expelling the heated liquid; a heat exchanger for receiving the heated liquid from the heat transfer systems and cooling the liquid to be transported back to the heat transfer systems; and a heat differential power system for powering the circulation of the liquid between the heat exchange system and the heat transfer systems and/or generating additional electrical power for use by an electrical system or device.  
         [0019]     In another embodiment, a liquid cooling system having a heat differential power system comprising a heat collector thermally connected to one or more heat generating components; a housing containing air or gas and having one side thermally connected to the heat collector and another side thermally connected to a cooler device or temperature source; a piston disposed within the housing alternately moving the air or gas toward the side thermally connected to the heat collector and the side thermally connected to the cooler device or temperature source and causing the air or gas to expand as it nears the side thermally connected to the heat collector and contract as it nears the side thermally connected to the cooler device or temperature source; a second piston disposed in a sealed cavity atmospherically connected to the air or gas within the housing and responding to the expansions and contractions of the air or gas; a rotating shaft mechanically connected to both pistons which receives the mechanical motions of the second piston and powers the movement of the first piston; and one or more flywheels connected to the rotating shaft for powering other devices and/or generating electrical power to be used by electrical devices.  
         [0020]     In another embodiment, a portable data processing system or telecommunications system having a liquid cooling system powered by a heat differential power system.  
         [0021]     In yet another embodiment, a data processing system or telecommunications system having one or more liquid cooling systems powered by a heat differential power system.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  displays a system view of a liquid cooling system disposed in a data processing system housing and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  displays a sectional view of a heat differential power system disposed within a data processing system and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  displays yet another sectional view of a heat differential power system disposed within a data processing system and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  displays yet another sectional view of a heat differential power system disposed within a data processing system and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  displays a sectional view of a heat differential power system disposed within a data processing system and connected to a pump of a liquid cooling system and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  displays a sectional view of a heat differential power system disposed within a data processing system having a flywheel with magnets disposed thereon and induction coils disposed in close proximity to the magnets as they rotate for generating electrical power and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  displays a sectional view of a heat differential power system disposed within a data processing system having a flywheel with induction coils disposed thereon and magnets disposed in close proximity to the induction coils as they rotate for generating electrical power and implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0029]     While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.  
         [0030]     It should be understood that the principles and applications disclosed herein can be applied in a wide range of data processing systems and telecommunication systems. In the present invention the heat produced by a data processing unit such as a microprocessor partially or entirely powers a liquid cooling system attached thereto. Liquid cooling solves performance and reliability problems associated with heating of various data processing components. The present invention may be utilized in a number of computing, communications, and personal convenience applications. For example, the present invention could be implemented in a variety of personal computers which are portable or stationary, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The present invention is equally applicable to a number of heat-generating components (e.g., central processing units or digital signal processors) within such systems. For purposes of explanation and illustration, the present invention is hereafter described primarily in reference to a central processing unit (CPU) within a portable personal computer such as a laptop.  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a data processing system  100  is depicted with a liquid cooling system  104  powered by a heat differential power system  200  according to the present invention. The data processing system  100 , shown in part only in  FIG. 1 , comprises a housing  101  such as a computer cabinet or case, a main circuit board  105  such as a motherboard, and one or more heat generating component(s) such as a microprocessor which are not depicted in  FIG. 1  but which are in direct contact with a heat collector  103 . The heat generating component(s) such as the microprocessor data processing is depicted in  FIGS. 2 , and  5 .  
         [0032]     The liquid cooling system  104  comprises a heat exchanger  102 , one or more heat transfer units  108 , a pump  106 , liquid conduits  107  and  109 , and  110 . The heat differential power system  200 , shown in greater detail in subsequent  FIGS. 2-6  is disposed in the data processing system  100  such that the casing  101  serves as its cold temperature point and the heat collector  108  serves as its hot temperature point. The heat differential power system is also disposed such that its rotating shaft is connected to the pump  106  to assist the flow of liquid through the liquid cooling system  104 . It should be appreciated that means other than a rotating shaft can be used to drive the pump  106  to better suite a particular application.  
         [0033]     In the liquid cooling system  104 , the pump  106  propels the flow of coolant into conduit  110 . The coolant is delivered through conduit  110  to heat transfer system  108 . The heat transfer system  108  is connected to the heat collector  103  in a manner so as to form a cavity through which the coolant can flow. The heat collector  103  is disposed within the data processing system in such a manner so that it is in direct thermal contact with the heat generating components (e.g. micro-processors in the data processing system  100 ). As the coolant passes through the heat transfer system  108 , heat generated by the heat generating components is transferred through heat collector  103  to the hot side of the temperature differential power system and also adsorbed by the coolant flowing through heat transfer system  108 . The heat collector  103  can be made of any suitable heat conducting material such as copper. The heat generating component(s) are thereby cooled by the rapid transfer and absorption of heat.  
         [0034]     The coolant which has now been warmed by the transfer of heat from the heat generating component(s) exits the heat transfer system  108  and is delivered to the heat exchanger system  102  via conduit  109 . The heat exchanger system  102  is an air to liquid heat exchanger that cools the heated coolant. The cooled liquid coolant is delivered to the pump  106  via conduit  107  which then delivers and propels the cooled coolant into conduit  110 . The cycle is then repeated continuously during data processing system operation. The coolant flow forms a complete loop which constantly circulates the coolant, which extracts and dissipates the heat from one or more data processing units.  
         [0035]     In a data processing system  100  having more than one heat generating components to be cooled, the heat transfer system  108  can be constructed in multiple ways. For example, one housing may be used to connect to the heat collector such that one chamber is formed that traverses the entire length of heat collector  103  that is direct contact with all of the heat generating components to be cooled. Alternatively, several chambers can be fabricated with the heat collector  103  and interconnected by conduits to transport the coolant and arranged to cool the heat generating components serially or in parallel depending on the cooling requirements of the data processing system. In any case, what is required is an arrangement whereby the coolant is allowed to come into immediate proximity of each heat generating component to be cooled.  
         [0036]     The heat exchanger  102  depending upon a particular application may further comprise one or more fans within the data processing system  100  to effect desired heat transfer. The heat exchanger  102 , depending upon a particular application, may also be constructed to utilize convection to dissipate heat.  
         [0037]     The heat differential power system  200 , such as a Stirling engine, uses thermal differentials to operate. This heat differential power system  200  is depicted in  FIGS. 2-6 . In  FIG. 1 , the heat differential power system  200  acquires the thermal energy to operate through the heat collector  103 . The pump  106  is powered by and coupled directly to the heat differential power system  200 . The attachment of the pump  106  to the heat differential power system  200  can be accomplished in a variety of ways to suite each specific application. This attachment would be obvious to one skilled in the art. The heat differential power system may comprise a Sterling engine or the like.  
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway frontal view of a heat differential power system according to the present invention. The heat differential power system  200  operates when there exists a thermal differential (temperature difference) from one side  201  of the power system  200  to the other side  204 . Very small differentials are needed to start and operate the engine. A very precisely made small power system  200  could operate from the heat emitted by one&#39;s hands at normal room temperature. As the thermal differentials become greater, the power system  200  produces more power, which in turn causes the power system  200  to operate at higher RPM&#39;s.  
         [0039]     The power system  200  includes a sealed housing  215  having a hot side  204 A and  204 B and a cold side  201 . The hot side  204 A and  204 B are thermally connected to the heat collector  103 . The cold side  201  is thermally connected to the data processing system casing  101 , shown in  FIG. 1 . It should be noted that the cold and hot sides may be thermally connected to other points in the data processing system or telecommunication system so long as there is a temperature differential. It is preferred, however, to have these thermal connections to points where there is sufficient temperature differential to generate the desired power from the power system  200 .  
         [0040]     A piston  202  moves back and forth toward the hot side  204 A and  204 B and cold side  201  of the housing. As the piston moves toward the cold side  201 , it displaces the air or gas inside the housing  215  toward the hot side  204 A and  204 B which causes the air or gas to expand. As the piston  202  moves toward the hot side  204 A and  204 B, it displaces the air or gas in the housing  215  toward the cold side  201  which cause the air or gas to contract. The expansion of the air or gas pushes piston  206  away (or outward) from the housing. The contraction of the air or gas, on the other hand, creates a vacuum like pulse which pulls piston  206  toward (or inward) the housing  215 .  
         [0041]     Piston  202  is not sealed in the chamber  215 , which allows air to be displaced from the cold side  201  to the hot side  204 A and  204 B and vice versa.  
         [0042]     Piston  206  is sealed in the bore of chamber  205  by a precision fit. The chamber  205  should be of and appropriate size and shape to fit the particular application and is shown in the figures as a cylinder. Sealing rings may also be used to seal piston  206  in the bore of the chamber  205 . The inward and outward motion of the piston  206  is converted to rotating motion by connecting a rod  207  to a crankshaft disc  210 . The crankshaft disc  210  is connected to a crankshaft  209 . The crankshaft  209  is connected to a flywheel  212 , which rotates and moves a connecting rod  213  in and out. The connecting rod  213  is connected to piston  202  causing it to move alternately toward and away from the hot side  204 A and  204 B and the cold side  201  in the housing  215 . The connections of rod  207  to disc  210  and rod  213  to flywheel  212 , respectively, are made so as to insure the correct timing of pistons  206  and  202 , respectively.  
         [0043]     The heat collector  103  transfers heat to side  204  A&amp;B of housing  215  which creates the hot side. The side  201  of housing  215  may be a plate or other suitable device which is in thermal contact with the casing  101  of the data processing system  100  shown in  FIG. 1  and thus form the cold side of the housing  215 .  
         [0044]     Bearing Support  208  is a post or other suitable shape that holds a bearing  211  that supports the rotating crankshaft  209 . Bearing block  214  supports and atmospherically seals the connecting rod  213  as it cycles in and out of the housing  215  and drives piston  202  back and forth within the housing  215 . It is important to note that connecting rods  207  and  213  during operation will have to bend or flex slightly during each cycle. This flexing can be accomplished by inserting a flexible joint, or by utilizing a sufficiently flexible material to construct connecting rods  207  and  213  as would be obvious to one skilled in the art.  
         [0045]     Heat generating component  216  is a microprocessor disposed with the data processing system  100 . One or more heat generating components  216  can be thermally connected to the heat collector  103 . Heat generated by component(s)  216  is transferred to heat collector  103  and thermally coupled to the hot side  204 A and  204 B of the housing  215 . A heat transfer system  108  is also shown in  FIG. 2  and disposed on the heat collector  103  to form a chamber through which coolant may flow and located in close proximity to the heat-generating component  216 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 3  represents a view of the heat differential power system  200  in  FIG. 2  from the flywheel  212  perspective. In  FIG. 3 , the heat differential power system  200  is shown. Also depicted is the cold side  201  of sealed housing  215 ; the hot side  204 A and  204 B of housing  215  and piston  202  for displacing the gas within the housing  215 .  
         [0047]     In  FIG. 3 , bearing support  208  is a post or other suitable shape that holds a bearing that supports the crankshaft  209 . Flywheel  212  is connected to the crankshaft  209 . Connecting rod  213  connects the flywheel  212  to the piston  202 , Bearing block  214  supports and atmospherically seals housing  215  as the connecting rod  213  cycles in and out of the chamber  215 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 4  is a crankshaft  209  side view of the heat differential power system  200 . In  FIG. 4 , the housing  215 , the cold side  201 , the hot side  204 A and  204 B, the piston  202 , the bearing support  208 , the crankshaft  209 , the flywheel  212  are depicted similarly as in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 4 , piston  206  is also depicted as well as chamber  205  for atmospherically sealing piston  206  and housing  215 , and connecting rod  207  for converting the inward and outward motion of piston  206  to rotating motion applied to crankshaft disc  210 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 5  depicts yet another view, similar to  FIG. 2  of the heat differential power system  200 . In  FIG. 5 , the main printed circuit board  105  of  FIG. 1  such as the motherboard, with a heat generating component  216  such as a microprocessor, disposed thereon. The heat collector  103  disposed on the component  216  and thermally couples heat to the hot side  204 A and  204 B of the power system housing  215 . Also depicted in  FIG. 5  is the pump  106  of  FIG. 1 . Within the pump  106 , an impeller  535  is disposed for circulating the liquid through the cooling system. A rotating connecting rod  536  is connected to the crankshaft  209  of the heat differential power system and also connected to the impeller  535  for rotating the impeller within the pump  106 . It shall be understood that connecting rod  536  may be a separate piece connected to the crankshaft  209  or may be just an extension of the crankshaft  209 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 6  is a flywheel side view of the heat differential power system  200  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Magnets  650 A and  650 B are attached to the flywheel  212 . Coils  651 A and  651 B are coils of wire that form a complete circuit, so that electrical flow can enter on one conductor  652 A, then pass through a continuous coil of wire  651 A and  651 B, and then exit on the other conductor  652 B in the pair,  652 A and  652 B depicting wires that form the ends of coils  651 A and  652 B. The magnets  650  rotate with the flywheel  212 . As each magnet travels past the coil of wire  651 , a small electrical power pulse is produced. It should be appreciated that multiple magnet and coil arrangements could be placed around any rotating component, and should not be limited to the two as depicted in  FIG. 6 . Similarly, it should be understood that flywheel  212  need not used be used for the magnet  650  and coil  651  assemblies, but that any device connected to the crankshaft  209  can be utilized.  
         [0051]      FIG. 7  is a flywheel side view of the heat differential power system  200  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Coils  651 A and  651 B are attached to the flywheel  212  for movement past stationary magnets  650 A and  650 B. The flywheel  212  is provided with a commutator surface  659  attached to the crankshaft disc  210  for passing generated electrical power from the rotating coils  651 A and  651 B, through electrical conductors  652 A and  652 B to the commutator  659 . The electrical energy would is then passed through spring loaded brushes  670 A and  670 B and then exit to an electrical circuit through conductors  658 A and  658 B. The commutator  659  is attached to the outside diameter of the crankshaft disc  210 . It should be appreciated that a wide variety of configurations could be used for the commutator arrangement to suite the particular design criteria. It is even contemplated that the flywheel could be replaced by a linear induction power generator with the magnets and coils arranged for relative linear movement with respect to one another. An advantage of such a power generating means is that it can be inserted into narrower spaces that a flywheel arrangement.  
         [0052]     The arrangements of  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  can be utilized to reclaim a small amount of electrical energy from the heat differential power system  200  when the power system  200  is running at high speed. This reclamation and conversion of power is highly desirable in portable battery-operated systems to extend the time of operation of the portable system. Similarly, the electrical power generated by this arrangement could be used to help power one or more fans for cooling or dissipating heat from a heat exchanger, for powering an electric pump for a liquid cooling system and/or to be used by the data processing system as power. It should also be appreciated that like most power generating units with the proper placement of magnets and coils, the arrangements in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  of the coils  651 A and  651 B in combination with the magnets  650 A and  650 B could act as motor to rotate the flywheel. It should be appreciated that this same configuration can be used as a brake to slow, hold, or stop the rotation of the flywheel if desired for a specific purpose.  
         [0053]     Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof.  
         [0054]     It is, therefore, intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.