Thermoelectric-enhanced, vapor-compression refrigeration apparatus facilitating cooling of an electronic component

摘要

Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The apparatus includes a refrigerant loop, a compressor coupled to the refrigerant loop, and a controllable thermoelectric array disposed in thermal communication with the refrigerant loop. Refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant loop facilitates dissipation of heat from the electronic component, and the thermoelectric array is disposed with a first portion of the refrigerant loop, residing upstream of the compressor, in thermal contact with a first side of the array, and a second portion of the refrigerant loop, residing downstream of the compressor, in thermal contact with a second side of the array. The thermoelectric array ensures that refrigerant in the refrigerant loop entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state by transferring heat from refrigerant passing through the second portion to refrigerant passing through the first portion of the refrigerant loop.

主权项

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