Patent Publication Number: US-2023164947-A1

Title: Water cooler assembly and system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/218,282, filed Mar. 31, 2021, which is a continuation of and claims priority to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/729,769, filed Dec. 30, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,986,755, which was a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/006,098, filed Jun. 12, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,524,386, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates generally to systems and apparatuses for transferring computer processor generated heat from a heat exchange interface to a heat dissipating component. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to cooling a one or more computer chips by placing a cold plate adjacent to the chip(s) and removing the heat from the heated cold plate by circulating a liquid coolant over an opposite surface out to a radiator. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Typical computer systems include heat-generating components that require cooling. Central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) are the most common heat generating electrical components in a computing device. Computer cooling systems are used to remove the waste heat produced by CPUs and GPUs and other heat generating computer components. 
     Heat transfer systems may be used in computing devices to transfer heat away from these heat generating computer components to heat dissipating components. For example, some systems may utilize a combination of fans and fins for removing heat by convection. As another example, passive heat exchangers exist that transfer heat generated by an electronic or mechanical device to a fluid medium to be dissipated away from the device. 
     The heat transfer processes preferably regulates the computing device&#39;s temperature to maintain optimal levels. Regulating a computer&#39;s temperature keeps computer components within permissible operating temperature limits. 
     Some computer cooling systems employ heat exchangers that transfer heat to a fluid coolant from a coolant reservoir, through fluid conduits interconnecting heat exchangers and the heat dissipating device, but the heat dissipating device may be in the form of a tubing coil and uses convective heat transfer. Water cooling often adds a considerable degree of complexity and cost to a design, with the cooling system requiring a pump, tubing or piping to transport the water, and a radiator, often with fans, to reject the heat to the atmosphere. 
     The desire for smaller, less-expensive and improved computing devices drives the need for new and improved configurations. Thus, there is a need for new and improved cooling system for computing devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a novel heat transfer apparatus is provided which includes an upper housing and a lower housing. A cold plate may define a bottom surface of the lower housing. The heat transfer apparatus may also include a first chamber reservoir comprising a pump having an impeller and a stator. The pump may receive liquid coolant through an inlet in the upper housing and circulate the liquid coolant through a second chamber reservoir that may be in fluid communication with the first chamber reservoir. The first chamber reservoir may be horizontally offset from the second chamber reservoir so that a liquid or gas medium may flow in through the inlet, through the first chamber reservoir, then through a channel to the second chamber reservoir, and out through the outlet, wherein the channel may be configured to connecting the first chamber reservoir to the second chamber reservoir. As the liquid coolant traverses the cold plate in the lower housing, the liquid coolant may absorb heat absorbed by the cold plate and emanating from the proximate computer processing chip. The heated liquid coolant may be transferred from the second chamber reservoir to the radiator via an outlet offset from the inlet of the upper housing. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat transfer apparatus for a computer component may comprise an upper housing stacked on top of and fastened to a lower housing to form an enclosure. The enclosure may include a first chamber horizontally offset from a second chamber. The enclosure may also include a pump comprising an impeller disposed within a stator, the impeller and stator may be disposed within the lower housing of the first chamber. The enclosure may also include an inlet disposed in a first aperture proximate to a center of the upper housing and an outlet disposed in a second aperture horizontally offset from the center of the upper housing, wherein the inlet may be in fluid communication with the pump in the first chamber and the outlet may be in fluid communication with the second chamber. The enclosure may further include a cold plate fixed to a bottom surface of the lower housing and the second chamber, wherein the cold plate may be configured to transfer heat from an adjacent heat source into the second chamber. 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, a heat transfer apparatus may further include a fan fixture removably secured to the upper housing. The fan fixture may comprise a first opening to receive the inlet and a second opening to receive the outlet. The fan fixture may also include a fan horizontally offset from the first opening and the second opening, wherein the fan, when energized circulates air throughout the immediate environment. The impeller of the heat transfer apparatus may include impeller blades arranged uniformly around a top surface of the impeller and extending out from a shaft fixed at a center of the impeller. The impeller may further include a magnet ring disposed within the inner structure of the impeller such that the impeller is partially secured around a shaft within the stator by a magnetic field generated by the magnetic ring. The second chamber may be defined between the lower housing and the cold plate, wherein the second chamber may be in fluid communication with the first chamber via a least one passageway offset from a center of the impeller. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system for cooling a central processor within a computing device may include a heat transfer apparatus that may include a housing defined by an upper portion stacked upon and fastened to a lower portion to form a first chamber horizontally offset from a second chamber. The heat transfer apparatus may further include a reservoir disposed within the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the reservoir may include a plurality of channels configured to allow fluid communication from the first chamber to the second chamber. The heat transfer apparatus may further include a pump having an impeller disposed within the first chamber defined between the upper portion and the lower portion, wherein the pump may further include a stator disposed directly beneath the first chamber. The heat transfer apparatus may further include a heat exchange interface that may be fixed to a bottom portion of the housing to define a bottom surface of the housing, wherein a top surface of the computer processor may be coupled to or adjacent to a bottom surface of the heat exchange interface of the heat transfer apparatus. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heat transfer apparatus of the system may further include an inlet disposed in a first aperture proximate to a center of the upper portion of the housing, wherein the inlet may be in fluid communication with the first chamber. The heat transfer apparatus of the system may further include an outlet disposed in a second aperture offset from the center of the upper portion of the housing, wherein the outlet may be in fluid communication with the second chamber. The heat transfer apparatus of the system may further provide for the plurality of channels to be offset from a center of the impeller. The heat exchange interface of the system may be configured to absorb heat therein and transfer the heat to a liquid coolant that may pass over the heat exchange interface. The liquid coolant may be configured to absorb the heat and flow through the outlet and out to a heat dissipating device. The lower portion may be configured to separate the impeller from the stator to isolate the stator from the impeller. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for cooling a heat generating computer component may include receiving a liquid coolant into a housing; transferring the liquid coolant to a pump comprising an impeller and a stator, wherein the pump may be disposed in a first chamber of the housing. The first chamber may be defined between an upper portion and a lower portion of the housing. The method may further include transferring the liquid coolant from the pump to a second chamber horizontally offset from the first chamber of the housing, wherein the second chamber may include a heat exchange interface affixed to a first bottom surface of the second chamber, and wherein the first bottom surface may substantially define a second bottom surface of the housing; and traversing the liquid coolant over the heat exchanging interface and out from the second chamber. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method may include receiving the liquid coolant may further include receiving the liquid coolant into an inlet of the upper portion of the housing; traversing the liquid coolant out from the second chamber through an outlet of the upper portion of the housing, wherein the outlet may be in fluid communication with the second chamber. The method may further include absorbing, at least by the liquid coolant, heat from the heat exchange interface to reduce a temperature of the heat exchange interface; transferring the liquid coolant from the pump to the second chamber via a plurality of passageways that are offset from a center of the impeller; transferring the liquid coolant to a heat dissipating device in fluid communication with the outlet; and circulating air throughout the immediate environment of the housing. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump chamber can be near completely horizontally offset from the cooler plate chamber while being connected via channels. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outlet and the inlet to the heat transfer apparatus may both fluidly connected to the pump chamber side. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump can be oriented on a plane that is orthogonal to the cooler plate, and the impeller axis being parallel or close to parallel to the cooler plate. More preferably, the impeller axis is within 15% of alignment with the plane of the cooler plate. 
     According to some aspects of the invention, the cooler plate includes an integrated heat spreader, such as a copper plate, to be positioned over top of the computer chips to remove heat therefrom. Preferably, the apparatus is configured to cool only computing chips and not I/O chips. 
     Preferably, the pump is designed to push the coolant to the cooler plate. In some embodiments, coolant is injected into the center area of the cooler plate and passes through fins to flow out on the sides of the cooler plate. It could be injected on both sides and flow out in the center, but testing shows that this performs about 0.5-1.0 C/100 W worse. 
     In some embodiments, the pump chamber is positioned horizontally offset from the cooler plate chamber and there is no overlap between the two chambers. 
     In some embodiments, a cooler plate may have one or more than one fin array. 
     According to some embodiments, the number of inputs and outputs from the cooling reservoir could be increased. For example, to two inputs could be used to feed three outputs. The number of inputs and outputs could be based on the number of dies on a substrate. The flow paths preferable cooling components that need cooling but allowing for warmer, used coolant to pass over components that do not require cooling, such as I/O components. 
     According to some embodiments, the cooler includes a pump and pump chamber which may be integrated with or attached or coupled to the cooler chamber. According to other embodiments, the cooler chamber maybe implemented separate from a pump, for open loop cooling, according to the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which should not be construed to limit the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a side view of a heat transfer apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a cross-sectional view of a heat transfer apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a top view of a heat transfer apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional top view of a heat transfer apparatus, according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    is a flow diagram showing a method for transferring heat from a processor, according to an example embodiment. 
         FIGS.  6   a - 6   j    are views of a heat dissipating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS.  7   a - 7   c    are cross sectional views of heat transfer apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  8    is an expanded view of the heat transfer apparatus according to according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9    is a top view of a PCB having computer chips thereon to be cooled according to aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of a cooler chamber for open loop cooling without an attached pump or pump chamber, according to embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following descriptions are presented to enable any person skilled in the art to create and use apparatuses, systems and methods described herein provide for cooling a processor using a dual-chamber cooling liquid circulation device. The relative motion of the blades to the fluid adds velocity or pressure or both to the fluid as it passes through the impeller. The fluid velocity is increased through the impeller, and the stator converts kinetic energy to pressure energy. The increase in velocity of the fluid is primarily in the tangential direction (swirl) and the stator removes this angular momentum. 
     Described in detail herein are apparatuses, systems, and methods for cooling a processor. Exemplary embodiments provide for providing an enclosure including an upper housing and a lower housing to receive a liquid coolant in an inlet of the upper housing and to transfer heated liquid coolant from an outlet of the upper housing to a heat dissipating device. Exemplary embodiments further provide an impeller and stator disposed within a first chamber reservoir to define a pump that receives and transfers the liquid coolant from the first chamber reservoir to a horizontally offset second chamber reservoir. The second chamber reservoir may include a bottom surface that substantially defines a heat exchange interface (or cold plate). The heat exchange interface may be positioned adjacent to or proximate to a computer processor, wherein the heat exchange interface absorbs heat generated by the computer processor. The absorbed heat may then be transferred to the liquid coolant as it passes over the heat exchange interface proximate to a bottom surface of the second chamber reservoir. Further example embodiments provide for transferring the heated liquid coolant out the second chamber reservoir though an outlet affixed to the upper housing. 
     The apparatuses described herein can provide a heat transfer device using a liquid coolant medium. The heat transfer apparatus may include a housing that may be defined by an upper housing (or upper portion) secured to a lower housing (or lower portion). Further, the heat transfer apparatus may include a first chamber reservoir horizontally offset from a second chamber reservoir. The heat transfer apparatus may further include a pump having an impeller and a stator. The impeller may be disposed within the first chamber that may be defined between the upper housing and the lower housing. The stator may be disposed directly beneath the first chamber, wherein the lower housing may separate the impeller from the stator so that the stator can be isolated from the impeller. The second chamber may be defined between the lower housing and the heat exchange interface (or cold plate), wherein the second chamber may be in fluid communication with the first chamber via passageways. The passageways may be configured to be offset from a center of the impeller. 
     The heat transfer apparatus may be fastened to a computing device processor (e.g. computer processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU)) or any other heat generating device such that the heat exchange interface is physically contacting the computing device processor. The first chamber may receive a liquid coolant, which may be chilled or at a temperature below a predetermined threshold, and circulate the liquid coolant via the impeller through the passageways and into the second chamber. An inlet may be affixed to a first opening proximate to the center of the upper housing. An inlet may be affixed to the upper housing and configured to receive a heat-transfer medium and supply the heat-transfer medium to a reservoir or the first chamber. 
     The liquid coolant that enters the second chamber may be dispersed along channels that may be formed in the upper surface of the heat exchange interface. 
     As the liquid coolant traverses the heat exchange interface, the liquid coolant absorbs heat conducted from the computing device processor. The heated liquid coolant may then be directed through an outlet that may be formed in the upper housing. The outlet may be in fluid communication with a heat dissipating device, which may receive the heated liquid coolant to return to a lower temperature. In other words, the heated liquid coolant may be transferred out from the second chamber through an outlet in the upper housing for cooling at a heat dissipation device. 
     Referring to FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat transfer apparatus  100  may include an upper housing  102  which may be stacked on top of and fastened to a lower housing  104  to form a first chamber  110  horizontally offset from a second chamber  120 . The first chamber  110  may be horizontally offset from the second chamber  120  such that the first chamber  110  and the second chamber  120  form a dual chambered lateral enclosure secured by the upper housing  102  and the lower housing  104 . The first chamber  110  may also be slightly elevated above the second chamber  120 . Such slight elevation may allow for gravity to assist in the flow of a fluid from the first chamber into the second chamber. The chambers may be offset in other arrangements to satisfy the design parameters. For example, the second chamber  120  may be slightly elevated above the first chamber  110  while still being horizontally offset from each other. 
     The heat transfer apparatus  100  may also include a heat exchange interface  130  (or cold plate) that may be fixed to a bottom surface of the lower housing. The heat exchange interface  130  may also be positioned at the lowest center of the heat transfer apparatus  100  and/or may be fixed between the first chamber  110  and the second chamber  120 . The heat exchange interface  130  may be configured to absorb heat from a proximate heat generating device or heat source and transfer the absorbed heat to an inner surface of the lower housing. The heat exchange interface  130  may include fins (not shown) to improve heat transfer by either creating turbulent flow and reducing thermal resistance or increasing fin density to increase the heat transfer area, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The second chamber  120  may be positioned between the heat exchange interface  130  and the upper housing  102 , such that the lower housing  104  may form a wall or exterior boundary of the second chamber  120 . In other words, a bottom portion of the lower housing  104  may form a partial barrier between the cold plate and the second chamber  120 . However, the bottom portion of the lower housing  104  may include an opening comprising fins to allow fluid or air communication from an inner surface of the heat exchange interface  130  (cold plate) into the second chamber  120 . The fins may be arranged in any manner to allow any medium to flow there through. For example, the fins may louvered, lanced offset, wavy, or straight. Fins improve heat transfer in two ways. One way is by creating turbulent flow through fin geometry, which reduces the thermal resistance (the inverse of the heat transfer coefficient) through the nearly stagnant film that forms when a fluid flows parallel to a solid surface. A second way is by increasing the fin density, which increases the heat transfer area that comes in contact with the fluid. Fin geometries and densities that create turbulent flow and improve performance also increase pressure drop, which is a critical requirement in most high performance applications. The optimum fin geometry and fin density combination is then a compromise of performance, pressure drop, weight, and size. Aside from fin geometry, parameters such as thickness, height, pitch, and spacing can also be altered to improve performance. Typically, fin thicknesses vary from 0.004 in (0.1 mm) to 0.012 in (0.3 mm), heights vary from 0.035 in (0.89 mm) to 0.6 in (15.24 mm), and densities vary from 8 to 30 FPI (Fins Per Inch). 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  100  may be configured such that the second chamber  120  may be defined between the lower housing and the heat exchange interface  130  or cold plate  130 . The second chamber  120  may be in fluid communication with the first chamber  110  via a plurality of passageways. The plurality of passageways may be offset from a center of the impeller  140 . 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  100  may include an inlet  112  affixed to a first opening or first aperture of the upper housing  102 . The first opening may be proximate to a center of the upper housing, wherein the inlet  112  may be configured to receive a heat-transfer medium from an external source. The heat-transfer medium may be a liquid coolant, gas coolant, or any other type of heat absorbing medium known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The heat transfer apparatus  100  may be configured to allow the heat-transfer medium to flow into a reservoir that is in fluid communication with the inlet  112 . The reservoir may be defined by a first chamber  110  and a second chamber  120 , wherein the first chamber  110  may be aligned horizontally offset from the second chamber  120 . In other words, the first chamber  110  may be horizontally aligned with the second chamber  120  such that the first chamber  110  is not positioned vertically above the second chamber  120 , although the first chamber  110  may be slightly elevated above the second chamber  120 . 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  100  may be configured such that the impeller (not shown, but internal to the lower housing) may be disposed in the first chamber  110  and positioned between the upper housing  102  and the lower housing  104 . The upper housing  102  may substantially include the first chamber  110  and the lower housing  104  may substantially include the second chamber  120 . The stator (not shown) may be disposed entirely within the lower housing  104  and configured to receive the impeller within a groove shaped and sized in accordance with the shape and size of the impeller. By the nature of the impeller and the stator being disposed within the lower housing  104 , the stator may also be disposed directly beneath or underneath the first chamber  110 . The upper housing  102  may include an aperture or slot to receive a shaft of the impeller to secure the impeller shaft in place to reduce vertical movement of the shaft when in motion, as will be described further herein. 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  100  may include a fan fixture  150  which may be removably secured to the upper housing  102 . The fan fixture may include a first opening to receive the inlet  112  and a second opening to receive the outlet  114 . The fan fixture  150  may also include a fan  152 , having blades  154 , horizontally offset from the first opening and the second opening, but fixed within the same uniform body of the fan fixture  150 . The fan  152  may be configured to circulate air throughout the immediate environment internal and external to the heat transfer apparatus  100 . The fan  152  may be powered by any external power source to the heat transfer apparatus  100  or powered by a power source made available to the heat transfer apparatus  100 . 
     In an example embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , a system for cooling a processor may include a heat transfer apparatus  200  embodied by a housing defined by an upper portion stacked upon and fastened to a lower portion to form a first chamber  210  horizontally offset from a second chamber  220 . A reservoir may be defined within the first chamber  210  and the second chamber  220 , wherein the reservoir may include a plurality of channels throughout which may be configured to allow fluid communication from the first chamber  210  to the second chamber  220 . The plurality of channels may be configured to be offset from a center of the impeller  242 . 
     The heat transfer apparatus  200  may further include a pump  240  that may include an impeller  242  and a stator  244  disposed within the pump  240 . The lower housing  204  may be configured to separate the impeller  242  from the stator  244  so that the stator  244  is isolated from the impeller  242 . For example, the impeller  242  may be configured to fit within in a cavity of an upper section of the first chamber  210  but also secured to the lower housing  204  by a shaft  246 . The impeller  242 , when secured to the lower housing  204 , may be configured to occupy the area around the upper and surrounding interior walls of the first chamber  210 . The lower housing  204  may be positioned to separate the first chamber  310  from the stator  244 , thereby allowing access to the stator from the bottom of the enclosure. The stator  244  may be secured to a bottom surface of the lower housing  204  and configured to receive the impeller  242  around a top portion of the stator  244 . The stator  244  may be isolated from the first chamber  210  by a surrounding casing, but secured at its center to the lower housing  202  by an axial portion. The axial portion may be configured to receive one end of the shaft  246  such that, when received, the shaft  246  secures the impeller  242  to surrounding casing of the stator  244 . In this configuration, the impeller  242  is free to rotate about the shaft  246  when an energy force is applied thereto. When the impeller  242  rotates about the shaft  246 , it also rotates about the stator  244 , although the stator is isolated from the impeller  242  by the surrounding casing of the stator  244 . The heat transfer apparatus  200  may further include a fan fixture  250  which may be removably secured to the upper housing. 
     The pump  240  of the system for cooling a processor may also provide for an impeller  242  to be disposed within the first chamber  210  that may be defined between the upper portion and the lower portion of the housing. The pump  240  may also include the stator  244  that may be disposed directly beneath the first chamber. The lower portion may be configured or arranged to separate the impeller  242  from the stator  244  to isolate the stator  244  from the impeller  242 . The stator  244  may be isolated from the first chamber  210  by a surrounding casing as described above herein. 
     The system of this example embodiment may further provide for the impeller  242  to be disposed in the first chamber  210  and positioned between the upper housing  202  and the lower housing  204 . The upper housing  202  may substantially include the first chamber  210  and the lower housing  204  may substantially include the second chamber  220 . The stator  244  may be disposed entirely within the lower housing  204  and configured to receive the impeller  242  within a groove shaped and sized in accordance with the shape and size of the impeller  242 . By the nature of the impeller  242  and the stator  244  being disposed within the lower housing  204 , the stator  244  may also be disposed directly beneath or underneath the first chamber  210 . The upper housing  202  may include an aperture or slot to receive a shaft  246  of the pump  240  to secure the impeller shaft in place to reduce vertical movement of the shaft  246  when in motion. 
     The system for cooling a processor may also include a heat exchange interface  230  that may be affixed to a bottom portion of the housing to form a part of a bottom surface of the housing. The heat exchange interface  230  may also be affixed to a bottom surface of the second chamber  220  such that a top surface of the heat exchange interface  230  is exposed to the second chamber  220  reservoir and a bottom surface of the heat exchange interface  230  may be proximate to or adjacent to an external surface of the housing or an external surface of the second chamber  220 . Alternatively, the heat exchanging surface  230  may be disposed beneath a bottom surface of the second chamber  220  or second chamber of the reservoir. The heat exchanging interface  230  may form part of the bottom surface of the second chamber  220  and may include an opening, comprising fins, to allow fluid or air communication from an inner surface of the heat exchange interface  230  into the second chamber  220 . 
     The impeller  242  may include impeller blades and a magnet ring fixed to a core of the impeller. The magnet ring may be disposed within the inner structure of the impeller  242  such that the impeller blades fan out from the magnet ring. However, the magnet ring may be a separate structure from the impeller blades but still form the impeller  242  as a single unit. The impeller  242  may be fixed in an upward or downward orientation. Also, the impeller  242  may be positioned above, below or in vertical alignment with the stator  244 . However, the impeller  242  may be aligned with the same planar axis as the stator  244  to allow impeller  242  movement substantially within the stator  244 . 
     The system for cooling a processor may further include a computing device processor, wherein a top surface of the computer processor may be coupled to or adjacent to a bottom surface of the heat exchange interface  230  of the heat transfer apparatus  200 . The computing device processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), graphical processing unit (GPU) or any other computing device that is known to those of ordinary skill in the art to generate heat. 
     The system for cooling a processor may also include an inlet  212  disposed in a first aperture proximate to a center of the upper portion of the housing of the heat transfer apparatus  200 . The inlet  212  may be configured to be in fluid communication with the first chamber  210 . The inlet  212  may also be in fluid communication with the pump  240  to allow a liquid or gas medium to flow from an opening in a first end of the inlet  212  to the aperture of the upper portion of the housing. The inlet  212  into the first chamber  210  may be always be configured to allow fluid communication into the center of the impeller  242 . However, the inlet  212  may be in fluid communication with a channel that eventually leads up to the center of the impeller  242 . 
     The system for cooling a processor may also include an outlet  214  disposed in a second aperture offset from the center of the upper portion of the housing of the heat transfer apparatus  200 . The outlet  214  may be configured to be in fluid communication with the second chamber  220 . The outlet  214  may be configured to transfer liquid coolant from the second chamber  220  to a radiator or heat dissipating device. The second chamber  220  may be configured to receive the liquid coolant from the first chamber  210  and direct a flow of the liquid coolant over the internal surface of the heat exchange interface  230 . Further, the second chamber  220  may be configured to further direct the flow of the liquid coolant from the heat exchange interface  230  internal surface and through a distal opening in the outlet  214 . The outlet  214  may be configured to always be on the side of or horizontally offset from the impeller  242 . There may be at least one or more outlets which may guide the water into separate channels or into one channel. 
     The heat exchange interface  230  may be configured to absorb heat generated from the proximal heat generating computing processing device. The heat exchange interface  230  may also be configured to transfer the absorbed heat to a liquid coolant that traverses an internal surface of the heat exchange interface  230 , wherein the internal surface is within the second chamber  220  of the reservoir. The internal surface may include a plurality of grooves or channels that permit directional flow of the liquid coolant towards the outlet  214 . The second chamber  220  may be in fluid communication with the first chamber  210  via passageways or channels that may be offset from a center of the impeller. 
     The heat exchange interface  230  may be configured to absorb heat therein and may be configured to transfer the heat to a liquid coolant that traverses or passes over the internal surface of the heat exchange surface. The liquid coolant may be configured to absorb the heat and direct the liquid coolant to flow through the outlet  214 . Once the liquid coolant has passed through the outlet  214 , the liquid coolant may be directed to a heat dissipating device. The heat dissipating device may be a radiator, heat sink or any other device known to those of ordinary skill in the art to receive a heat containing medium and transfer heat from that medium to another medium, thereby removing the heat from the liquid coolant. 
     According to another example embodiment, a heat transfer apparatus  300  is shown in  FIG.  3   . The heat transfer apparatus  300  may include a first chamber  310  horizontally offset from a second chamber  320 . The heat transfer apparatus  300  may also include an upper housing stacked on top of and fastened to a lower housing to define an enclosure for the heat transfer apparatus  300 . The heat transfer apparatus  300  may also include a heat exchange interface (or cold plate)—not shown—that may be fixed to a bottom surface of the lower housing. The heat exchange interface may be configured to absorb heat from a proximate heat generating device or heat source and transfer the absorbed heat to an inner surface of the lower housing. The heat transfer apparatus  300  may further include a pump  340  that may include an impeller—not shown—and a stator—not shown—disposed within the pump  340 . The lower housing may be configured to separate the impeller from the stator so that the stator is isolated from the impeller. For example, the impeller may be positioned in an upper section of the upper housing and the stator may be secured to within a lower section of the lower housing, as described above herein. The lower housing may be positioned to separate the first chamber  310  from the stator via a surrounding casing of the stator, thereby allowing access to the stator from the bottom of the enclosure. 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  300  may be configured such that the second chamber  320  may be defined between the lower housing and the heat exchange interface  330  or cold plate  330 . The second chamber  320  may be in fluid communication with the first chamber  310  via a plurality of passageways. The plurality of passageways may be offset from a center of the impeller  340 , but eventually ultimately maintain fluid communication with the impeller  340 . 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  300  may include an inlet  312  affixed to a first opening or first aperture of the upper housing. The first opening may be proximate to a center of the upper housing, wherein the inlet  312  may be configured to receive a heat-transfer medium from an external source. The heat-transfer medium may be a liquid coolant, gas coolant, or any other type of heat absorbing medium known to those of ordinary skill in the art, as described above. The heat transfer apparatus  300  may be configured to allow the heat-transfer medium to flow into a reservoir that is in fluid communication with the inlet  312 . The reservoir may be defined by a first chamber  310  and a second chamber  320 , wherein the first chamber  310  may be horizontally offset from the second chamber  320 . 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  300  may include an outlet  314  affixed to a second opening or second aperture of the upper housing. The second opening may be horizontally offset from the center of the upper housing and the first opening, wherein the outlet  314  may be configured to transfer the heat-transfer medium from the pump  340  somewhere external to the heat transfer apparatus  300 . The heat transfer apparatus  300  may be configured to allow the heat-transfer medium to flow out of the reservoir that is in fluid communication with the outlet  314 . The heat transfer apparatus  300  may further include a fan fixture  350  including a fan  352 , which may be removably secured to the upper housing. 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  300  may be configured such that the impeller  340  may be disposed in the first chamber  310  defined between the upper housing and the lower housing. The upper housing may substantially include the first chamber  310  and the lower housing may substantially include the second chamber  320 . The stator may be disposed directly beneath or underneath the first chamber  310 . 
     According to another example embodiment, a heat transfer apparatus  400  is shown in  FIG.  4   . The heat transfer apparatus  400  may include a second chamber, wherein the first chamber—not shown—may be stacked on top of and fastened to the second chamber  420  to define an upper housing and a lower housing. The heat transfer apparatus  400  may also include a heat exchange interface  430  (or cold plate) that may be fixed to a bottom surface of the lower housing. The heat exchange interface  430  may be configured to absorb heat from a proximate heat generating device or heat source and transfer the absorbed heat to an inner surface of the lower housing. The heat transfer apparatus  400  may further include a pump  440  that may include an impeller  442  and a stator disposed within the pump  440 . The lower housing  420  may be configured to separate the impeller  442  from the stator so that the stator is isolated from the impeller  442 , as described above herein. The pump  440  may also include electric circuitry configured to energize the pump and its components according to the needs of the computing device of which the heat transfer apparatus  400  may serve. 
     The impeller  442  may include impeller blades  448  and a magnet ring (not shown). The magnet ring may be disposed within the inner structure of the impeller  442  such that the impeller blades  448  fan out from the magnet ring. However, the magnet ring may be a separate structure from the impeller blades  448  but still form the impeller  442  as a single unit. The impeller  442  may be fixed in an upward or downward orientation. Also, the impeller  442  may be positioned above, below or in vertical alignment with the stator  444 . However, the impeller  442  may be aligned with the same planar axis as the stator—not shown—to allow impeller  442  movement substantially within the stator. 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  400  may be configured such that the second chamber may be defined between the lower housing and the heat exchange interface  430  or cold plate  430 . The second chamber may be in fluid communication with the first chamber via a plurality of passageways (channels)  450 . The plurality of passageways  450  may be offset from a center of the impeller  442 . 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  400  may include an inlet affixed to a first opening or first aperture of the upper housing. The first opening may be proximate to a center of the upper housing, wherein the inlet may be configured to receive a heat-transfer medium from an external source. The inlet may be position to be directly above the shaft  446  such that the heat-transfer medium may flow through the inlet and into the pump where the shaft  446  is positioned. The heat-transfer medium may be a liquid coolant, gas coolant, or any other type of heat absorbing medium known to those of ordinary skill in the art, as described above. The heat transfer apparatus  400  may be configured to allow the heat-transfer medium to flow into a reservoir that is in fluid communication with the inlet. The reservoir may be defined by a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber may be offset from the second chamber. 
     In another example embodiment, the heat transfer apparatus  400  may configured such that the impeller  442  may be disposed in the first chamber defined between the upper housing and the lower housing. The upper housing may substantially include the first chamber and the lower housing may substantially include the second chamber. The stator may be disposed directly beneath or underneath the first chamber. 
     In this example embodiment, the pump  440 , when energized, may be configured to pull water in above the impeller  442  toward the center of the impeller  442 , then accelerate the water with the impeller blades  448 . The impeller blades  448  may be configured to rotate in a clock-wise or counter-clock-wise direction, thereby changing the direction of accelerating the water correspondingly. Further, the impeller blade  448  angles and accompanying centrifugal force applies a proportional force to the water to force the water outward and through one or several of the channels  450 . If the water flows from the first chamber to the second chamber, the channels  450  may lead separately or combined into the second chamber. If the water flows from the first chamber to the second chamber, then the channels outside the impeller  442  may guide the water to a nozzle which may be connected to a hose. 
     In another example embodiment, the pump  440  may be configured to pull water in above the impeller  442  to the center of the impeller  442 , then accelerate the water with the impeller blades  448  and outwards into the channels  450 . The channels  450  may then guide the water to the entrance of the second chamber  460  from where it enters the channels formed by the fins or grooves  470  of the cold plate  430 . From there, the water may then flow along the guides in the lower housing of the first chamber. Once the water is in the lower housing of the second chamber, the water may be forced to flow up through the outlet of the upper housing and out of the enclosure. 
     The shaft  446  may be configured to be fixed to the impeller  442  and be disposed within a groove in the upper housing to hold the shaft  446  in position. The shaft  446  may need to be held in position due to a low pressure zone created by the pump  440 , which creates an uplift to the impeller  442 . By fixing the shaft  446  to the impeller  442 , the shaft  446  is supported to withstand the low pressure zone and force applied to the impeller  442 . This may reduce the noise and friction that may be created by the effects of the low pressure zone within the pump  440  of the heat transfer apparatus  400 . The impeller  442  may also include a bearing and the shaft  446  may be fixed to the lower housing. By fixing the shaft  446  to the lower housing, the impeller  442  may be held in position by a magnet or a washer. 
     In yet an example embodiment, a method for cooling a processor is described. The method  500  may include receiving  510  a liquid coolant into a housing. The liquid coolant may be received into the housing via an inlet in fluid communication with a first chamber in the housing. The method  500  may further include transferring  520  the liquid coolant to a pump having an impeller and a stator disposed in the first chamber of the housing. 
     The method  500  may further include transferring  530  the liquid coolant from the pump or the first chamber to a second chamber offset from the first chamber of the housing. The method  500  may further include traversing the liquid coolant through the second chamber and over a heat exchange interface proximate to a computer processor. The method  500  may further include transferring the liquid coolant to a heat dissipating device through an outlet in fluid communication with the second chamber of the housing. 
     In another example embodiment, the method  500  may further include receiving the liquid coolant into an inlet of the upper portion of the housing. The method  500  may also include traversing the liquid coolant out from the second chamber through an outlet of the upper portion of the housing, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the second chamber. When traversing the liquid coolant over the heat exchange interface, the liquid coolant may absorb heat from the heat exchange interface, thereby reducing a temperature of the heat exchange device. 
     The method  500  may further include transferring the liquid coolant from the pump to a second chamber via the second chamber via a plurality of passageways that may be offset from a center of the impeller. 
     The method  500  may further include transferring the liquid coolant to a heat dissipating device that may be in fluid communication with the outlet. 
     Reference is next made to  FIGS.  6 A- 6 J .  FIG.  6 A  is a perspective view of a heat transfer apparatus  600 . According to embodiments of the present invention, a heat transfer apparatus  600  may include an upper housing  604  which connected to a lower housing  606  to form a first chamber disposed within upper housing  604  that is horizontally offset from a second chamber disposed within lower housing  606 . The heat transfer apparatus  600  may also include a heat exchange interface  608  (or cold plate) that may be, or be fixed to, a bottom surface of the lower housing  606 . The heat exchange interface  608  may be configured to absorb heat from a proximate heat generating device or heat source and transfer the absorbed heat to an inner surface of the lower housing. The heat exchange interface  608  may include fins (not shown) to improve heat transfer by either creating turbulent flow and reducing thermal resistance or increasing fin density to increase the heat transfer area, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Inlet  602   a  and outlet  602   b  provide cooling fluid to apparatus into the upper housing  604 . As will be explained below, this fluid is delivered to a second chamber within lower housing  608  to remove heat from the heat exchange interface  608 . 
       FIG.  6 B  is a top view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 C  is a perspective view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 D  is a rear view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 E  is a right side view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 F  is a front view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 G  is a left side view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 H  is a bottom perspective view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 I  is a bottom view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  6 J  is a bottom perspective view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
     Additional embodiments are described with reference to  FIGS.  7 - 9   . Differences between the embodiments are identified, however, the skilled person will understand that many features of these embodiments can be configured as described above. Therefore, not all the features of these embodiments require additional description. 
       FIG.  7 A  is a cross section of a side view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. Cross section A-A passes through intake  602   b  and the axis G of pump impeller  702 . Stator  704  is built into the impeller  702  and isolated from a fluid side of the impeller. 
       FIG.  7 B  is a top cross section view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. This cross section is formed through the plane G-G that includes the axis G and is parallel, or substantially parallel, to bottom plate  608 . Ideally, the axis is within 15% of the plane formed by the bottom/cooler plate. This view shows how fluid is received from a remote cooler (not shown) at intake  602   b  and passed to the impeller of pump within upper housing  604  and pumped to channels  706  to a groove  708  in top in a plate  710  within upper housing  604  to deliver cooled liquid to the heat exchange interface  608 . Liquid passes through fins  714  over the bottom plate  608  and is pumped to a discharge opening  712  and returned to the remote cooler via outlet  602   a.    
       FIG.  7 C  is a transparent perspective view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. As can be seen, the heat exchange interface  608  has fins  714  formed thereon, creating channels for fluid flow therethrough. As show, and according to some embodiments. The fins run perpendicular to the direction of axis G in a plane parallel to plane G-G. Cooling fluid is force through the channels formed in the fins  714  from groove  708  into the reservoir formed by the heat exchange interface  608  on the bottom and by the plate  710  on the top. Liquid is forced to the opening  712  and therefore, cools the heat exchange interface  608 . The warmed fluid is discharged through opening  712  to outlet  602   a  to a cooler (not shown). 
     By this arrangement, the pump is provided within the upper housing, completely offset from the lower housing in the horizontal direction. According to this embodiment, the plane of the motor lamination of the pump is parallel to the cooler plate. By rotating the motor by 90°, the pump chamber is not overlapping with the cooler plate chamber horizontally. The motor axis is no longer perpendicular, but rather parallel to the plane of the cooler plate. The axis does not need to be exactly parallel, +−15° gives similar results. Instead of a 90° angle, the angle between the axis of the motor and plan of the cooler plate could be anywhere from 75° to 105°. 
     It should be noted that the coolant flow is flexible. The cooler can be arranged so that the pump pushes water into the heat exchange housing but it can as well be arranged so that the pump pulls water out of the heat exchange housing. If water is pushed into the heat exchange housing, the water can first flow back to the pump housing and from there into a hose to a radiator (not shown) or go directly from the heat exchange housing into a hose to the radiator. Thus, the output from the heat exchange housing need not pass back thought the pump housing as shown in examples herein. The skilled person will understand that whether the cooler is arranged so that the pump is before or after the cooler plate should be irrelevant. The system is arranged to move coolant from the radiator to the cooler plate and from there back to the radiator. 
     Top plate  710  can be formed with silicon or soft plastics to form a good seal with the heat exchange interface. 
     The heat exchange interface  608  can be formed by cutting groove in a plate to form fins and groove. 
       FIG.  8    is a break out view of the heat transfer apparatus  600 , according to embodiments of the present invention. As shown, the heat transfer apparatus  600  may be formed of a number of components or piece parts  1 - 20 . A cooler plate  1  can be formed by high density skiving. A manifold  2  may be formed from rubber, silicon or the like, to be fitted and sealed on top of cooler plate  1 . Grooves are formed in the manifold  2  to distribute cooling fluid to the cooler plate  1  and for removing warmed cooling fluid therefrom. A housing  4   a  may be secured over the manifold  2  to cooler plate  1  by screws  3 . 
     A second housing  4   b  may be formed separate from or integral with housing  4   a . Housing  4   b  is formed in a plane orthogonal from the plane of housing  4   a  and completely offset horizontally therefrom. A pump may be installed in housing  4   b . A seal  6  is placed between adapter  5  and housing  4   b . A magnetic impeller  8  is positioned within the pump chamber formed therefrom. A stator  11  for turning the pump impeller is positioned under the impeller  8  and is fluidly isolated from the pump chamber. The pump chamber is formed within housing  4   b  and a matching surface is provided by adapter  5 , so that an inlet openings (corresponding to  4   b ) provides fluid to the impeller and an outlet opening (corresponding to  4   a ) removes fluid from the apparatus  600 . Inlet and outlet connectors  16  allow for connecting the inlet and outlet to an external cooler (not shown). 
       FIG.  9    is a top view of a circuit board illustrating preferred coolant flow paths over the components according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in  FIG.  9   , multiple compute DIES are organized on a board with a larger, I/O DIE in the middle. This is merely an exemplary configuration. In this case, it is preferred to configure manifold and fins so that the flow paths for incoming coolant is over the compute DIEs while warmed coolant is discharged over areas where there are no compute DIEs. 
     In some embodiments, a cooler plate may have one or more than one fin array. In consumer chips, the computing DIE(s) in an area of 20×20 mm. In server chips, the computing DIE(s) are currently in areas of 35×50 mm but are rising every year. Therefore, it is anticipated that the invention can be extended to include additional flow paths by modifying the fin configuration and the manifold configuration. 
     As described above, the cooler includes a pump and pump chamber which may be integrated with or attached or coupled to the cooler chamber, according to embodiments of the present invention. The skilled person will understand, in light of this disclosure that the cooler chamber maybe implemented separate from a pump, for open loop cooling, according to the present invention. 
       FIG.  10    shows a perspective view of an exemplary cooler chamber without an attached pump or pump chamber, according to embodiments of the present invention. The cooler chamber  1000  includes a cooler plate  1002  (shown fin side up) and manifold (not shown) with a water inlet  1004   a, b  and outlet  1004   a,b , which may be interchangeable. The intake  1004   a, b  and outlet  1004   a, b  may be configured to couple with a coolant pump and/or radiator and can be arranged to include appropriate fittings or couplings. For example, two hose couplings or fittings, typically G ¼″, could be provided. Thus, an extern pump and/or radiator may be coupled with the cooler chamber, as a block, via the inlet and outlet by, for example, hoses. As described above, various configurations of a manifold may be implemented to achieve a desired amount, and location, of cooling. 
     Various modifications to the example embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, in the following description, numerous details are set forth for the purpose of explanation. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the invention may be practiced without the use of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
     In describing exemplary embodiments, specific terminology is used for the sake of clarity. For purposes of description, each specific term is intended to at least include all technical and functional equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Additionally, in some instances where a particular exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of system elements, device components or method steps, those elements, components or steps may be replaced with a single element, component or step. Likewise, a single element, component or step may be replaced with a plurality of elements, components or steps that serve the same purpose. Moreover, while exemplary embodiments have been shown and described with references to particular embodiments thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various substitutions and alterations in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Further still, other embodiments, functions and advantages are also within the scope of the invention. 
     Exemplary flowcharts are provided herein for illustrative purposes and are non-limiting examples of methods. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that exemplary methods may include more or fewer steps than those illustrated in the exemplary flowcharts, and that the steps in the exemplary flowcharts may be performed in a different order than the order shown in the illustrative flowcharts.