CoolIT Systems, Inc.

A fluid heat exchanger for cooling an electronic device can have a plurality of walls. The walls can define a corresponding plurality of microchannels. Each microchannel can extend from a first end to a second end. The plurality of microchannels can define at least two opposed outer microchannels and a centrally located microchannel positioned between the opposed outer microchannels. A fluid inlet passage can be configured to deliver a heat-exchange fluid to each microchannel between the corresponding first end and the corresponding second end of the respective microchannel. A fluid outlet passage can have an enlarged outlet region from the centrally located microchannel compared to a corresponding outlet region from one or both of the opposed outer microchannels. Related methods are disclosed.

Aspects of liquid operational systems are described. According to one aspect, a system to automatically fill a liquid operational component is described. According to another aspect, a self-diagnostic system is described. According to yet another aspect, a flow conditioning arrangement is described. A control system for a heat-transfer system includes a plurality of sensors. Each sensor is configured to observe an operational parameter indicative of a thermodynamic quantity and to emit a signal containing information corresponding to the observed operational parameter. Control logic includes a processing unit and instructions stored on a memory that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the control logic to determine a first thermodynamic quantity associated with each sensor from information contained in a signal from the respective sensor; determine a second thermodynamic quantity associated with each sensor from information contained in a signal received from at least one other sensor in the plurality of sensors; compare the first thermodynamic quantity with the second thermodynamic quantity; and responsive to the comparison of the first thermodynamic quantity with the second thermodynamic quantity, output a control signal.

A modular coolant-distribution unit includes one or more coolant-distribution modules configured to urge a secondary coolant to circulate through a secondary fluid network. Each coolant-distribution module can include a heat exchanger that thermally couples the secondary coolant with a primary coolant circulating through a primary fluid network without allowing the coolants to mix. Each coolant-distribution module can be removably coupled with respective manifolds for supplying and collecting secondary coolant and primary coolant. A reservoir can also be coupled with the secondary fluid network side of each coolant-distribution module. The coolant-distribution modules can be operated in conjunction with each other to operation as a single unit, allowing the modular-coolant-distribution unit to operate as a single unit while also being scalable according to a desired cooling capacity.

Some modular heat-transfer systems can have an array of at least one heat-transfer element being configured to transfer heat to a working fluid from an operable element. A manifold module can have a distribution manifold and a collection manifold. A decouplable inlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the distribution manifold to a respective heat-transfer element. A decouplable outlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the respective heat-transfer element to the collection manifold. An environmental coupler can be configured to receive the working fluid from the collection manifold, to transfer heat to an environmental fluid from the working fluid or to transfer heat from an environmental fluid to the working fluid, and to discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold.

An electro-mechanical actuator for a valve can have a collar configured to envelope a portion of a commercially available liquid coupler. The collar can engage a region of the liquid coupler and a bias member can urge the collar to displace a movable member of the liquid coupler and thereby to break a coupling. A dowel can retain the collar against the force applied by the bias member and a tension member can, under threshold tension, retract the dowel, releasing the collar to move under influence of the bias member. Other valves have a gate element coupled with an armature to rotate the gate element under an electromagnetic field. The gate element can define a recess and a retainer can reside in the recess. As the gate element rotates, the retainer can align with a longitudinal segment of the recess and allow the gate element to displace longitudinally.

An observed operational state can include an operational state of one or more system devices. A sensor can emit, in response to a detected observable condition reflective of a given operational state, a simulated signal reflective of a different operational state as a proxy for the detected condition. A controller receiving such a proxy signal can, at least partially responsively to the proxy signal, issue a command corresponding to the given operational state. An electro-mechanical actuator can be selectively activatable responsive to the command.

A fluid coupler for coupling a conduit to a component, e.g., a cold plate, has a sealed swivel joint between a component coupler configured to be fixedly attached to the component and a conduit coupler configured to be fixedly attached with the conduit. The swivel joint can comprise a press or snap fit coupling between the component coupler and the conduit coupler. A sealing member can be so positioned as to inhibit leakage of a fluid from the swivel joint. A heat-transfer component (e.g., a cold plate) or other component of a liquid cooling system can incorporate a fluid coupler having a swivel joint.

A hybrid cold plate can have one or more fluid-cooled cold plates assembled in conjunction with a thermal transfer plate. The fluid-cooled cold plates can cool high heat-flux processing units and the thermal transfer plate can cool adjacent components, which may have lower heat flux, higher temperature thresholds, or both, compared to the processing units. A fluid connection for a fluid-cooled cold plate can include a raised boss with an undercut flange, a fluid connector positioned within the raised boss, and a retainer clip.

Coolant distribution units have an enclosure defining an inlet face and an outlet face. A V-shaped coil is positioned in the enclosure between the inlet face and the outlet face. The V-shaped coil defines an apex and a pair of trailing edges positioned downstream of the apex. The apex is positioned between the trailing edges and the inlet face of the enclosure. The trailing edges are positioned between the apex and the outlet face of the enclosure. An array of fans is configured to draw air through the V-shaped coil and to exhaust the air from the enclosure. Such Coolant distribution units also include a hot-coolant inlet and the V-shaped coil is configured to transfer heat from the coolant received at the hot-coolant inlet to the air drawn through the V-shaped coil.

A fluid heat exchanger includes a cold plate with a base that has a first side and an opposing second side. The cold plate includes a plurality of fins extending from the second side that define a plurality of microchannels extending along a first axis. A subset of the plurality of fins defines one or more elongated recesses extending along an angularly offset second axis. A housing of the fluid heat exchanger includes a housing body defining a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and one or more mating protrusions configured to extend into the one or more elongated recesses such that the plurality of microchannels and the housing body form a plurality of fluid paths for circulating a heat transfer fluid along the first axis and from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.