Liquid cooling system and method for cooling at least one heat generating component

Abstract

A liquid cooling system for cooling at least one heat generating component, comprises a liquid loop in which liquid is arranged to be circulated, and arranged to be cooled by a first stage cooling unit, where the cold side of at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged at a position situated downstream of the first stage cooling unit and upstream of the at least one heat generating component to be cooled by liquid, where the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged in its operative state to cool the liquid in order to provide for further cooling power when the cooling power of the first stage cooling unit is not sufficient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid cooling system for cooling at least one heat generating component, the liquid cooling system comprising:
 a liquid loop in which liquid is arranged to be circulated, where the liquid is arranged to be cooled by a first stage cooling unit of the liquid cooling system, where the cold side of at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged at a position situated downstream of the first stage cooling unit and upstream of the at least one heat generating component to be cooled by liquid, where the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged in its operative state to cool the liquid in order to provide for further cooling power when the cooling power of the first stage cooling unit is not sufficient, wherein the liquid is further arranged to cool down the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit and to transfer heat generated by the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit to the first stage cooling unit arranged to transfer away heat from the liquid.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pump arranged to circulate the liquid in the liquid loop. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cold plate arranged in thermal contact with both the at least one heat generating component to be cooled and the liquid. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first stage cooling unit is arranged to be cooled by air. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 4 , wherein the first stage cooling unit is arranged to be cooled by a forced flow of ambient air. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged in thermal contact with the liquid at the said position situated downstream of the first stage cooling unit and upstream of the at least one heat generating component to be cooled. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 6 , further comprising a cold plate in thermal contact with both the cold side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit and the liquid. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged in thermal contact with the liquid. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 8 , further comprising a cold plate in thermal contact with both the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit and the liquid. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 8 , wherein the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit is arranged in thermal contact with the liquid at a position downstream of the last of the at least one heat generating components to be cooled. 
     
     
         11 . the liquid cooling system according to  claim 10 , further comprising a cold plate in thermal contact with both the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit and the liquid. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat generating component to be cooled is a chip. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one liquid bypass arranged in the liquid loop, where the at least one liquid bypass is arranged in parallel with the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit (TEC) in the loop to allow at least a part of the liquid flowing from the first stage cooling unit to the at least one heat generating component to be cooled to bypass the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit without coming into thermal contact with the cold side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid cooling system according  claim 13 , further comprising at least one flow control device arranged in the at least one bypass, thereby enabling control of the amount of liquid bypassing the Thermo Electric Cooling unit. 
     
     
         15 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 14 , further comprising a control unit arranged to control at least one flow control device in at least one liquid bypass and/or to control the voltage (V) over at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit in order to control the temperature (T) of the liquid arranged to cool the at least one heat generating component to be cooled. 
     
     
         16 . The liquid cooling system according  claim 1 , further comprising at least one liquid bypass arranged in the liquid loop, where the at least one liquid bypass is arranged in parallel with the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit (TEC) in the loop to allow at least a part of the liquid flowing from the at least one heat generating component to be cooled to the at least one first stage cooling unit to bypass the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit without coming into thermal contact with the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit. 
     
     
         17 . The liquid cooling system according  claim 16 , further comprising at least one flow control device arranged in the at least one bypass, thereby enabling control of the amount of liquid bypassing the Thermo Electric Cooling unit. 
     
     
         18 . The liquid cooling system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a control unit arranged to control at least one flow control device in at least one liquid bypass and/or to control the voltage (V) over at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit in order to control the temperature (T) of the liquid arranged to cool the at least one heat generating component to be cooled. 
     
     
         19 . A method for cooling at least one heat generating component using an liquid cooling system comprising a liquid loop in which liquid is arranged to be circulated, the method comprising:
 arranging the liquid to be cooled by a first stage cooling unit of the liquid cooling system;   arranging the cold side of at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit at a position situated downstream of the first stage cooling unit and upstream of the at least one heat generating component to be cooled by liquid;   arranging the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit in its operative state to cool the liquid in order to provide for further cooling power when the cooling power of the first stage cooling unit is not sufficient; arranging the liquid to cool down the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit; and   transferring heat generated by the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit to the first stage cooling unit arranged to transfer away heat from the liquid.   
     
     
         20 . The method for cooling at least one heat generating component according to  claim 19 , the method further comprising arranging a cold plate in thermal contact with both the at least one heat generating component to be cooled and the liquid. 
     
     
         21 . The method for cooling at least one heat generating component according to  claim 19 , wherein the step of arranging the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit in its operative state to cool the liquid comprises arranging a cold plate in thermal contact with both the cold side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit and the liquid. 
     
     
         22 . A method for cooling at least one heat generating component according to  claim 19 , wherein the step of arranging the liquid to cool down the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit comprises arranging a cold plate in thermal contact with both the hot side of the at least one Thermo Electric Cooling unit and the liquid.