Patent ID: 12238893

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous components. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that, the terms “first” and “second” are used to distinguish between elements and are not used to denote a particular order or imply a number of technical features, therefore, unless being specifically defined, features described as “first” and “second” may expressly or implicitly include one or more than one of the stated features. In the description of the present application, “plurality” means two or more, unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.

In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described.

The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like.

FIG.1andFIG.2illustrate a liquid-cooled chassis100of prior art. The liquid-cooled chassis100comprises a case10and a condenser20, the case10includes a container11with a top opening and a lid12, the lid12covers the top opening of the container11to define a cavity13for accommodating coolant, the cavity13is divided into a liquid area131that holds the coolant in liquid phase and a gas area132above the liquid area131, the condenser20is mounted to the container11and is located in the gas area132, a mainboard200and chips thereon are immersed in the coolant. Referring toFIG.2, when the lid12is open and the mainboard200is immersed into the coolant, the coolant near the chips201of the mainboard200is heated to vaporization, which generates vapor bubbles300around the chips, the vapor bubbles300flow/move rapidly upwards through the liquid area131and into the gas area132, then some condense into liquid on the condenser20, and others at a high energy level are easily to escape from the container11, causing loss of the coolant and its vapor. The momentum of the vapor bubbles300flowing upward along a hot surface of the chips201is theoretically proportional to their velocity squared V2, therefore, by controlling the momentum of vapor bubbles300flowing upward/rising speed of vapor bubbles300, the rising heights of the vapor bubbles300can be controlled, and thus coolant leakage can be effectively controlled and reduced.

FIG.3shows a flow guiding device30according to an embodiment used in a liquid-cooled chassis, the flow guiding device30includes a deflector31mounted to the mainboard200. The deflector31has a hollow part311comprising multiple through holes311a, the through holes311aare configured for free passage of the coolant and the vapor bubbles300. Specifically, the deflector31has a first end312for connecting to the mainboard200above the chips201on the mainboard200and a second end313extends away from the mainboard200. The second end313is higher than the first end312. Further, the first end312and at least part of the hollow part311are immersed in the coolant and located above chips201on the mainboard200.

Referring toFIG.4, in operation, the mainboard200is immersed into the coolant, the coolant near the chips201of the mainboard200is heated and vaporized, generating vapor bubbles300around the chips, the vapor bubbles300are of different sizes and they flow/move rapidly upwards through the coolant. The deflector31is arranged in a path of rising of the vapor bubbles300, therefore the vapor bubbles300are obstructed and held and are diverted to the second end313of the deflector31. During the movement, vapor bubbles300of small sizes can pass through the deflector31via the through holes311a, the deflector31blocking these vapor bubbles300to an extent, then these vapor bubbles300continues to rise at a slower speed. The larger-size vapor bubbles300cannot pass through the deflector31, some of them break into vapor bubbles300of smaller size by collision with the deflector31, such reduced-size vapor bubbles300can flow through the deflector31via the through holes311aand continue rising up at a slower speed, and other unbroken vapor bubbles300flow along the defector31towards the second end313and flow around the second end313to rise up at a slower speed. Therefore, the vapor bubbles300gathered in a swift upward flow are broken up, lose some heat, and spread out in an incompact flow moving more slowly, which reduces probability of escape of the vapor bubbles300from the coolant and the case10.

According to a further embodiment, as shown inFIG.3, the multiple through holes311aare implemented as multiple slots parallel to the mainboard200, each slot has a width of 1 mm-2 mm, which width is close to and slightly smaller than most vapor bubbles300. On one hand, the slots are so narrow that most vapor bubbles300are blocked from moving through the deflector31, on the other hand, the slots are wide enough to allow the coolant in liquid phase to flow through.

According to a further embodiment, referring toFIG.5A, the multiple through holes311aare implemented as multiple circular holes arranged regularly, each circular hole having a diameter in range of 1 mm-2 mm.

According to a further embodiment, referring toFIG.5B, the multiple through holes311aare implemented as multiple honeycomb holes arranged regularly, each honeycomb hole having a diameter in range of 1 mm-2 mm.

According to a further embodiment, referring toFIG.5C, the multiple through holes311aare implemented as multiple holes of a mesh structure, the mesh structure has an individual mesh size in a range of 10-mesh to 20-mesh. Preferably, the mesh size is 12-mesh.

Therefore, in manufacturing, the structure of the hollow part311can be adjusted according to actual requirements, such as type of coolant used, the size of the vapor bubbles generated, etc., so as to break up rapidly rising large vapor bubbles300, interrupt the rapidly rising trend of the large vapor bubbles300, and reduce the loss of coolant.

According to a further embodiment, as shown inFIG.4, an angle α between the deflector31and the mainboard200is in a range of 45° to 80°. Therefore, the deflector31is inclined to the mainboard200to lead the vapor bubbles300away and outward from the mainboard200, which helps to spread out the flow of the vapor bubbles300, slow down their speed, and reduce the loss of coolant.

According to a further embodiment, as shown inFIG.6, the flow guiding device30includes multiple deflectors31, the multiple deflectors31are arranged on the mainboard200vertically above the chips201, the angle α between each of the multiple deflectors31and the mainboard200increases as the distance between the first end312of the deflector31and the chips201increases. As illustrated inFIG.6, in this embodiment, the flow guiding device includes three deflectors31arranged vertically on the mainboard200, the angle between the three deflectors31and the mainboard200is respectively α1, α2, and α3, wherein α1<α2<α3.

Therefore, the vapor bubbles300need to pass through these three deflectors31in the rising path, then, on passing one deflector31, the flow of the vapor bubbles300is spread a little wider and the speed of the flow of the vapor bubbles300is slowed down a little; further, with the angle α increasing, the flow of the vapor bubbles300is deflected further from the mainboard200than when moving past the previous deflector31, and the flow of the vapor bubbles300is spread out wider. Therefore, the flow of the vapor bubbles300is spread out wider step by step, which slows down the speed of the vapor bubbles300and reduces the loss of coolant.

According to a further embodiment, the deflector31defines a guiding groove314at the second end313, the guiding groove314has a size larger than each through hole311aof the hollow part311, the guiding groove314is configured for circulation of gas/air/coolant for improving efficiency of cooling.

According to a further embodiment, as shown inFIG.8, a liquid-cooled chassis100is provided, the liquid-cooled chassis100includes a case10, a condenser20, and a flow guiding device30as above-mentioned. The case10includes a container11with a top opening111and a lid12, the lid12covers the top opening111of the container11to define a cavity13for accommodating coolant, the cavity13is divided into a liquid area131that holds the coolant in liquid phase and a gas area132above the liquid area131, the condenser20is mounted to the container11and located in the gas area132, a mainboard200is placed vertically upright in the coolant for cooling down, the flow guiding device30includes multiple deflectors31arranged above chips201on the mainboard200. In this embodiment, the chips201on the mainboard200are heat-generating, and the coolant near the chips201is heated and vaporized, generating vapor bubbles300around the chips, the vapor bubbles300flowing rapidly upwards are blocked and spread out by the multiple deflectors31to form a dispersed and incompact vapor bubble flow which moves more slowly, which reduces probability of the vapor bubbles300escaping from the coolant and the case10.

According to a further embodiment, the second end313of the deflector31is mounted to the case11, which provides a stable structure for the flow guiding device30.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood for the skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.