Coolant-buffered, vapor-compression refrigeration with thermal storage and compressor cycling

摘要

Apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic component(s). The apparatus includes a coolant-cooled structure in thermal communication with the component(s) to be cooled, and a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger in fluid communication with the coolant-cooled structure via a coolant loop. A thermal buffer unit is coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop, and a refrigerant loop is coupled in fluid communication with the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger dissipates heat from coolant in the coolant loop to refrigerant in the refrigerant loop. A compressor is coupled in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop and is maintained ON responsive to heat load of the component(s) exceeding a heat load threshold, and is cycled ON and OFF responsive to heat load of the component(s) being below the threshold. The thermal storage unit dampens swings in coolant temperature within the coolant loop during cycling ON and OFF of the compressor.

主权项

1. An apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronic component, the apparatus comprising:
a liquid-cooled cold plate, the liquid-cooled cold plate being in thermal communication with the electronic component via a thermal conduction path from the electronic component to the liquid-cooled cold plate; a coolant loop coupled in fluid communication with the liquid-cooled cold plate to facilitate the flow of coolant therethrough; a thermal buffer unit coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop upstream of the liquid-cooled cold plate, and disposed separate from the liquid-cooled cold plate, wherein coolant within the coolant loop is capable of flowing through the thermal buffer unit; a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the liquid-cooled cold plate via the coolant loop to receive coolant therefrom and provide coolant thereto, the thermal buffer unit being disposed between the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and the liquid-cooled cold plate; a vapor-compression refrigeration loop coupled in fluid communication with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger cooling coolant passing therethrough from the coolant loop by dissipating heat from the coolant passing therethrough to refrigerant passing therethrough from the vapor-compression refrigeration loop; a compressor coupled in fluid communication with the vapor-compression refrigeration loop, wherein in a first state the compressor is maintained ON responsive to heat load of the electronic component exceeding a heat load threshold, and in a second state is cycled ON and OFF responsive to heat load of the electronic component being below the heat load threshold, the thermal buffer unit coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop dampening in the second state swings in temperature of coolant within the coolant loop during cycling ON and OFF of the compressor in fluid communication with the vapor-compression refrigeration loop; a bypass line coupled to a coolant loop line in parallel, with the thermal buffer unit; a controllable bypass valve in fluid communication with the bypass line; and a controller configured to automatically control the controllable bypass valve to provide selective coolant bypass of the thermal buffer unit and thereby control an amount of coolant in the coolant loop passing through the thermal buffer unit, to facilitate maintaining temperature of coolant within the coolant loop downstream of the thermal buffer unit within a defined temperature range, the controller controlling the controllable bypass valve to, in part, control coolant flow through the bypass line, and thus through the thermal buffer unit, and in so doing, control a rate of thermal energy release from the thermal buffer unit.