Patent ID: 8840034

Claim:
In association with a liquid flow through a heat exchanger situated to remove heat from one or more devices, a coolant flow control apparatus comprising: a first input channel for carrying liquid coolant to a first input of the heat exchanger; a flow control device positioned along a flow path that includes the first input channel, wherein the flow control device is provided with a gating element supported for selected movements across the flow path, in order to selectively vary an amount of coolant moving through the flow path; an actuator located in the flow control device that comprises a metal component which is directly tied to the gating element, wherein the metal component changes its shape in response to specified changes in coolant temperature, and a given change in the shape of the metal component acts to selectively displace the gating element with respect to the flow path, and wherein the metal component, in response to a temperature of coolant proximate to the flow control device, is operable to move the gating element to enable or prevent, selectively, coolant flow along the first input channel into the heat exchanger; a second input channel is provided for carrying liquid coolant to a second input of the heat exchanger, during times when the gating element of the flow control device is both enabling and preventing said coolant flow along the first input channel into the heat exchanger; and at least one output channel is provided for carrying coolant away from the heat exchanger.