Miniaturized liquid cooling device having droplet generator and pizeoelectric micropump

Abstract

A miniaturized liquid cooling device ( 200 ) includes a heat absorber ( 20 ), a heat dissipater ( 30 ), a liquid driving device and a plurality of tubes ( 60 ) connecting the heat absorber, the heat dissipater and the liquid driving device together to form a loop. The liquid driving device includes a droplet generator ( 40 ) and a piezoelectric micro-pump ( 50 ). The droplet generator includes a plurality of control electrodes ( 422 ) and a reference electrode layer ( 442 ) corresponding to the control electrodes. A fluid channel ( 425 ) is formed between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer. The piezoelectric micro-pump includes a piezoelectric block ( 518 ) and an oscillating diaphragm ( 517 ) capable of co-oscillating with the piezoelectric block for driving the working fluid to unidirectionally flow through a channel ( 513 ) defined in the piezoelectric micro-pump.

1 . A liquid driving device comprising:
 a droplet generator comprising a plurality of control electrodes and a reference electrode layer corresponding to the control electrodes, a fluid channel being formed between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer, when voltages being regularly applied between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer, the working fluid flowing through the droplet generator is divided into fluid droplets; and   a piezoelectric micro-pump connected with the droplet generator and fluidically communicated with the droplet generator, the piezoelectric micro-pump comprising a piezoelectric block and an oscillating diaphragm for co-oscillating with the piezoelectric block so as to drive the working fluid to flow through a channel defined in the piezoelectric micro-pump.   
   
   
       2 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric micro-pump includes a first plate and a second plate covering the first plate, the channel being defined in a first surface of the first plate and comprising a first section, a second section and a third section, the second section communicating the first section with the third section, an indent being defined in an opposite second surface of the first plate, the oscillating diaphragm being formed between the second section of the channel of the first surface and the indent of the second surface, the piezoelectric block being attached to the diaphragm and received in the indent of the second surface. 
   
   
       3 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 2 , wherein the working fluid flows from the first section towards the third section, and a width of a cross section of each of the first section, the second section and the third section gradually decreases along a flow direction of the working fluid. 
   
   
       4 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 3 , wherein a maximum width of the cross section of the third section is greater than that of the first section but smaller than that of the second section. 
   
   
       5 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 3 , wherein a minimum width of the cross section of the first section is smaller than a maximum width of the cross section of the second section, and a minimum width of the cross section of the second section is smaller than a maximum width of the cross section of the third section. 
   
   
       6 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the droplet generator comprises a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate covering the first electrode plate, the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer being respectively formed on the first and the second electrode plates, the fluid channel being defined between the first and the second electrode plates, the droplet generator further comprising two sealing blocks hermetically disposed at two opposite ends of the fluid channel, two openings of the droplet generator being respectively defined in the sealing blocks functioning as entrance and exit for the working fluid. 
   
   
       7 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 6 , wherein the droplet generator comprises two supporting members disposed at two opposite sides of the fluid channel and hermetically supporting the second electrode plate on the first electrode plate. 
   
   
       8 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the droplet generator and the piezoelectric micro-pump are integrally formed from a first plate and a second plate covering the first plate, the fluid channel of the droplet generator and the channel of the piezoelectric micro-pump are defined in a first surface of the first plate and communicate with each other. 
   
   
       9 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 8 , wherein the control electrodes are disposed in the fluid channel and the reference electrode layer is formed on the second plate, the channel of the piezoelectric micro-pump comprising a first section, a second section and a third section, the first section communicating the fluid channel with the second section, the second section communicating the first section with the third section. 
   
   
       10 . The liquid driving device as described in  claim 9 , wherein the first plate defines an indent in an opposite second surface thereof, the oscillating diaphragm being formed between the second section of the channel of the first surface and the indent of the second surface, the piezoelectric block being attached to the diaphragm and received in the indent of the second surface. 
   
   
       11 . A miniaturized liquid cooling device comprising:
 a heat absorber;   a heat dissipater;   a liquid driving device comprising:   a droplet generator comprising a plurality of control electrodes and a reference electrode layer corresponding to the control electrodes, a fluid channel being formed between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer, voltages being regularly applied between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer adapted for dividing the working fluid into fluid droplets when the working fluid flows through the droplet generator; and   a piezoelectric micro-pump comprising a piezoelectric block and an oscillating diaphragm capable of co-oscillating with the piezoelectric block adapted for driving the working fluid to unidirectionally flow through a channel defined in the piezoelectric micro-pump; and   a plurality of tubes connecting the heat absorber, the heat dissipater, the droplet generator and the piezoelectric micro-pump together to form a loop.   
   
   
       12 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 11 , wherein the piezoelectric micro-pump includes a first plate and a second plate covering the first plate, the channel being defined in a first surface of the first plate and comprising a first section, a second section and a third section, the second section communicating the first section with the third section, an indent being defined in an opposite second surface of the first plate, the oscillating diaphragm being formed between the second section of the channel of the first surface and the indent of the second surface, the piezoelectric block being attached to the diaphragm and received in the indent of the second surface. 
   
   
       13 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 12 , wherein the working fluid flows from the first section towards the third section, and a width of a cross section of each of the first section, the second section and the third section gradually decreases along a flow direction of the working fluid. 
   
   
       14 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 13 , wherein a maximum width of the cross section of the third section is greater than that of the first section but smaller than that of the second section. 
   
   
       15 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 13 , wherein a minimum width of the cross section of the first section is smaller than a maximum width of the cross section of the second section, and a minimum width of the cross section of the second section is smaller than a maximum width of the cross section of the third section. 
   
   
       16 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 11 , wherein the droplet generator and the piezoelectric micro-pump are integrally formed from a first plate and a second plate covering the first plate, the fluid channel of the droplet generator and the channel of the piezoelectric micro-pump are defined in a first surface of the first plate and communicate with each other. 
   
   
       17 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 16 , wherein the control electrodes of the droplet generator are disposed in the fluid channel and the reference electrode layer of the droplet generator is formed on the second plate, the channel of the piezoelectric micro-pump comprising a first section, a second section and a third section, the first section communicating the fluid channel with the second section, the second section communicating the first section with the third section. 
   
   
       18 . The miniaturized liquid cooling device as described in  claim 17 , wherein the first plate defines an indent in an opposite second surface thereof, the oscillating diaphragm being formed between the second section of the channel of the first surface and the indent of the second surface, the piezoelectric block being attached to the diaphragm and received in the indent of the second surface.