Air mover for improved cooling of electronics

Abstract

The invention provides a low pressure, high air flow compressor or air blower for use in electronics and similar applications. In a preferred embodiment, the compressor is a toroidal intersecting vane machine, or compressor.

1 . A low-pressure high flow compressor capable of cooling electronic components, wherein said compressor is a toroidal intersecting vane compressor (TIVC) and wherein said compressor provides pressurized air at pressure of less than 500,000 Pascals to a heat exchanger or as a vacuum pump pumping air from a heat exchanger.  
   
   
       2 . The compressor of  claim 1  which provides pressurized air at pressure of less than 110,000 Pascals to a heat exchanger or as a vacuum pump pumping air from a heat exchanger.  
   
   
       3 . The compressor of  claim 2  wherein air flow is between about 3-6 L/min at about 0.01-0.015 atm.  
   
   
       4 . The compressor of  claim 2  wherein air flow is between about 5-10 L/min at about 0.015-0.03 atm.  
   
   
       5 . The compressor of  claim 2  wherein air flow is between about 10-20 L/min at about 0.025-0.05 atm.  
   
   
       6 . The compressor of  claim 2  wherein air flow exceeds 20 liters per minute.  
   
   
       7 . The compressor of  claim 2  wherein air flow is between 20-300 liters per minute.  
   
   
       8 . The compressor of  claim 2  wherein air flow is greater than 300 liters per minute.  
   
   
       9 . The compressor of  claim 2  further comprising a screen over an inlet for the compressor to filter air.  
   
   
       10 . The compressor of  claim 1  further comprising a heat sink.  
   
   
       11 . An electronic system comprising a heat-generating electronic component in combination with a compressor according to  claim 2 .  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising a heat sink.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising an expander and heat exchanger, wherein, the heat of compression produced by the compressor is rejected, and wherein said expander lowers the temperature of air thereby producing air below ambient temperature said cooled air to be directed at the electronic components to be cooled.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the system is configured so that the temperature of the air coming from the device to be cooled is less than that of the air entering the compressor, and where a heat exchanger is configured to exchange the heat from the air after the compressor with the air after the components(s) to be cooled.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the heat exchanger is the expander, operating either where the compressor and a means of heat rejection providing pressurized air to the heat exchanger, or where the compressor is operating as a pump, and the pressure drop is occurring upstream of the pump in the heat exchanger expansion device.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising a water spray or other coolant that reduces the work of compression and for incoming air temperature.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising a thermally driven absorber utilizing heat from one or more sources within the system to be cooled.