Direct Cooling Platform With Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle And Applications Thereof

Abstract

A direct refrigeration cooling platform can cool high heat density sources such as LEDs, IC chip, power amplifiers and laser diodes. The platform utilizes a combination of technologies from a water cooled cold plate design and a vapor compression refrigeration system. The cold plate of the direct refrigeration cooling platform replaces an evaporator in a conventional vapor compression refrigeration cycle. High heat density sources are directly mounted onto the cold plate. Temperature of the cold plate is regulated based on temperature feedback and is maintained above ambient temperatures. For LED applications, a number of LEDs are mounted onto the cold plate of the direct refrigeration cooling platform. Beams of light are distributed via fiber optic light guides to remote and inaccessible locations, where light sources are to be replaced. IC chips are cooled the same way with IC chips attached to the cold plate of the direct refrigeration cooling platform.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a compressor capable of compressing a refrigerant;   a condenser capable of cooling and condensing the refrigerant;   a thermal expansion valve capable of evaporating at least a portion of the refrigerant;   a cold plate capable of receiving one or more heat sources for the one or more heat sources to be disposed on the cold plate; and   a tubing connecting the compressor, the condenser, the thermal expansion valve, and the cold plate such that the refrigerant undergoes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle as the refrigerant flows through the compressor, the condenser, the thermal expansion valve and the cold plate via the tubing,   wherein at least a portion of heat from the one or more heat sources is absorbed by the refrigerant via the cold plate.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cold plate is made of a metallic material, and wherein the metallic material comprises aluminum or copper. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cold plate is made of a non-metal material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the non-metal material comprises silicon, beryllium oxide or aluminum nitride. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, when viewed from at least one angle, the cold plate is round, oval, elliptical or polygonal in shape. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the cold plate is plated, anodized or chem-filmed. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cold plate comprises one or more internal flow channels therein for the refrigerant to flow through the cold plate in either a serial fashion or a parallel fashion. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a surface of the one or more internal flow channels of the cold plate has a plating thereon. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a surface of the cold plate exposed to an ambient is thermally insulated with paint, polymer coating, hard anodizing, or a thermal-insulation material. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor disposed on or embedded in the cold plate, the temperature sensor capable of sensing a temperature of the cold plate and providing temperature data indicating the sensed temperature;   a first circuit associated with the compressor, the first circuit capable of detecting a rotational speed of the compressor and providing a first data indicating the detected rotational speed, the first circuit also capable of adjusting the rotational speed of the compressor in response to receiving a first control signal; and   a second circuit associated with the thermal expansion valve, the second circuit capable of detecting a position of the thermal expansion valve and providing a second data indicating the detected position, the second circuit also capable of adjusting the position of the thermal expansion valve in response to receiving a second control signal.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU) communicatively coupled to receive the temperature data, the first data, and the second data from the temperature sensor, the first circuit, and the second circuit, respectively, the CPU capable of controlling the temperature of cold plate by providing either or both of the first control signal and the second control signal to the first circuit and the second circuit, respectively.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an ambient temperature sensor capable of sensing a temperature of an ambient in which the cold plate is situated,   wherein the CPU maintains the temperature of the cold plate above the sensed temperature of the ambient.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the CPU is capable of receiving a user input that sets a user-preset temperature, and wherein the CPU maintains the temperature of the cold plate within a range of ±20° C. from the user-preset temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the CPU maintains the temperature of the cold plate within a range of −40° C. to 150° C. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising the one or more heat sources. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more heat sources comprise at least a light emitting diode (LED), an integrated-circuit (IC) chip, an amplifier, or a laser diode. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising a fiber optic light guides coupled to the LED to guide at least a portion of a light emitted by the LED to a remote location. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more heat sources are directly mounted onto the cold plate by one or more screws, one or more brackets, one or more springs, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a cover plate that secures the one or more heat sources onto the cold plate. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising the refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant comprises R-134a, R-410A or R-407C.