Electric radiator using calculating processors as a heat source

Abstract

An electric radiator is provided using calculating processors as a heat source and includes a heating body where the heat transfer between the heat source and the ambient air takes place; a number of processors distributed over a number of printed circuit boards forming the heat source of the radiator and a power resource carrying out calculations by external computer systems; a man-machine interface enabling the control of the calculating and calorific power supplied by the radiator; a power source stabilized for the different electrical components; and a network interface for connecting the radiator to the external networks.

Claims

1. A single electric radiator comprising an internal heat source and a heating body for performing heat transfer between the heat source of the single electric radiator and ambient air of the single electric radiator; the heat source is formed by at least one processing circuit whereon at least one computer processor is provided, the at least one computer processor being connected to a dissipating block for evacuating heat in the heating body; a user control interface in communication with the heat source and configured for controlling the amount of energy dissipated by the heat source by controlling the at least one computer processor and the calculations executed by the at least one computer processor to obtain the amount of dissipated energy based on a user's setpoint, the user control interface is configured to transmit to an external computer system, a signal representing a computing resource available in the radiator depending on the user's setpoint, said at least one computer processor executing calculations ordered by the external computer system which are sufficient in number and/or in complexity to provide the amount of calorific energy required by the user, a power supply and a communication interface enabling the external computer system to access said at least one computer processor.

2. The radiator according to claim 1, further comprising a naturally flowing heat transfer fluid that travels in the heating body.

3. The radiator according to claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer fluid that travels in the heating body, in a forced way by an electric pump integrated to the radiator.

4. The radiator according to claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer fluid that travels from a circuit external to the radiator in the heating body.

5. The radiator according to claim 1, wherein the user control interface is configured to transmit to the external computer system, a signal representing the computing resource available in the radiator, wherein the availability depends on the user's setpoint.

6. The radiator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing circuit is connected to external peripherals and forms at least one of a micro-computer, a multimedia box, and a video game console.

7. The radiator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing circuit is provided outside the heating body, a part of the dissipating block directly contacting the heat transfer fluid by getting through a wall of the heating body.

8. A heating system comprising: a plurality of single remote electric radiators, each radiator comprising an internal heat source and a heating body for performing heat transfer between the heat source of the single electric radiator and ambient air of the single electric radiator, the heat source is formed by at least one processing circuit whereon at least one computer processor is provided, the latter being connected to a dissipating block for evacuating heat in the heating body; and a user control interface configured for controlling the amount of energy dissipated by the heat source by controlling the at least one computer processor and the calculations executed by the at least one computer processor to obtain the amount of dissipated energy according to a user's setpoint, the user control interface is configured to transmit to an external computer system, a signal representing a computing resource available in the radiator depending on the user's setpoint, said at least one computer processor of the radiator executing calculations ordered by the external computer system which are sufficient in number and/or in complexity to provide the amount of calorific energy required by the user, a power supply and a communication interface enabling the external computer system to access said at least one computer processor, and at least one remote server connected to all the single electric radiators via an Internet type communication network to use the computing resource available in every single electric radiator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The manner in which the invention can be embodied and the advantages resulting therefrom will be better understood from the exemplary embodiment which follows, given as an illustrating and non-limiting way, in support of the appended figures.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the transverse cross-section view of an electric radiator according to prior art using a heat transfer fluid flow and an electric resistor as a hot source;

(3) FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-section view of a radiator in accordance with the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a detailed schematic representation of the transverse cross-section view of the lower area of the radiator according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the arrangement of electronic components of the modules on the heat transfer interface;

(6) FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are detailed schematic representations of the dissipating block in a profile, top and face view respectively;

(7) FIG. 8 is an illustration of an alternative radiator according to the invention not using a heat transfer fluid;

(8) FIG. 9 is an illustration of an alternative radiator according to the invention using a heat transfer fluid and a forced flow device.

(9) FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic representations of a radiator in accordance with the invention in an external, profile and top view, respectively;

(10) FIG. 12 describes a system according to the invention comprising a set of radiators according to the invention and its users connected to each other via a computer network;

(11) FIG. 13 illustrates the potential use of single radiators as microcomputer, multimedia box, video game console or as an extension of such a system by connecting external peripherals (screen, keyboard, remote controller, joysticks, speakers, audio).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) In the figures, different elements common to various alternatives or embodiments have the same references.

(13) In connection with FIG. 1 according to prior art, is represented the schematic operation of an electric radiator, known per se, using the heat transfer fluid flow and an electric resistor as a heat source. This radiator is mainly formed by a possibly modular heating body 1 and a heating electric resistor 2 inserted in the heating body and passing through it substantially along the entire length thereof Within the heating body, flows a heat transfer fluid 3 the nature of which is adapted to the heat function contemplated. The positioning of the resistor depends on the resistor power, the heat transfer fluid nature and the heating body geometry.

(14) The heating body 1 can, for example, be made of cast aluminium and, in order to optimize heat transfer with ambient air, is likely to have fins 4 promoting heat transfer within the room wherein such a radiator is implanted.

(15) Heat generated by the heat source is transmitted to the heat transfer fluid which smoothly and naturally flows in the circuit of the heating body thanks to the temperature gradient between the heat source area of the upward channel 5 and the heat transmission area to the outside of the downward channel 6.

(16) In FIG. 2 according to the invention, use of processors 7 as a heat source as a replacement of the electric resistor 2 is illustrated. The processors are located outside the heating body and transmit heat to the heat transfer fluid through a dissipating block 8 having a high heat conductivity to the heat transfer fluid located inside the heating body. The dissipating block 8 is a solid block made of copper or aluminium or any other material having calorific properties suitable for removing heat. The geometry of the block 8 is characterised by a planar and smooth surface 9 at the interface with the processors and a surface optimized for heat transfer with the fluid 3 inside the heating body 1. The contact between the heating body 1 and the block 8 is hermetic to the heat transfer fluid 3.

(17) In FIG. 3, is detailed the lower part of the radiator of FIG. 2, in particular the interface between a processing circuit 10 and a dissipating block 8. The components requiring a heat removal are plated unto the external surface of the block 8.

(18) In FIG. 4, is illustrated an arrangement of electronic components (processor 7, chipset 18, random access memory 17, mass memory 19) on a processing circuit and the contacting with a dissipating block 8. Depending on the density of the components, the heat exchange interface is either one-block, or comprised of several blocks. Just as a dissipating block can be contacting components of several processing circuits, a processing circuit can be “astride” on several dissipating blocks. By way of illustration, the device 20 for fastening a processing circuit 10 to a block 8 through fastening screws 21 is presented.

(19) In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are illustrated different views of the dissipating block 8.

(20) In FIG. 8, an alternative of the invention is illustrated, which does not use a heat transfer fluid.

(21) In FIG. 9 is given the operating scheme of an alternative of the invention using a heat transfer fluid and a forced flow device via a pump 15. The device is unchanged at the dissipating blocks. Only the heating body 1 is modified to allow a forced cooling circuit via a pump 15. This flow type can be compared to that of conventional forced fluid flow radiators. The pump 15 is not necessarily integrated to the radiator and several radiators in accordance with the invention can be connected in series to the same heat transfer fluid 3. This circuit can also integrate conventional radiators. Such a device is useful in that it enables heat to be removed towards the outside of the building when it is mostly desired to use the computing power of the radiators in accordance with the invention while restricting the heat generated within rooms wherein they are implanted.

(22) In FIGS. 10 and 11 are illustrated outside views of a radiator in accordance with the invention as a whole. It enables the human-machine interface 13, power supply cable socket 22 and network interface 14 to be illustrated. It also enables the position of the power supply block 12 to be illustrated inside the back protective cover 16.

(23) In FIG. 12 is described a system according to the invention comprising a set of radiators according to the invention and remote users connected to each other via a computer network. The grid computing type software architecture allows the computing resource provided by the radiator stock according to the invention to be followed, organized and used.

(24) In FIG. 13 is illustrated the potential use of single radiators such as a microcomputer, multimedia box, video game console or as an extension of such a system by connecting external peripherals (screen, keyboard, remote controllers, joysticks, speakers, audio). The radiators according to the invention then have connecting interfaces adapted to the peripheral contemplated (VGA, Series, Parallel, PS2, Bluetooth, WIFI, HDMI, RCA, . . . )

(25) Of course, the invention is not restricted to the examples just described and numerous alterations can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.