Memory cold plate and server device including the same

Abstract

A memory cold plate is configured for cooling at least one memory module. The memory cold plate includes a serpentine plate body, an inlet fitting, and an outlet fitting. The serpentine plate body is configured to be in thermal contact with the memory module and includes an internal flow channel for coolant to flow through. The inlet fitting is disposed at one end of the serpentine plate body and is fluidly connected to the internal flow channel. The outlet fitting is disposed at another end of the serpentine plate body and is fluidly connected to the internal flow channel.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a memory cold plate and a server device including the same, particularly a memory cold plate with a meandering plate design and a server device including the same. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Traditional servers primarily use air cooling. However, as the transistor density in various chips increases, the heat generated by these chips can no longer be adequately cooled by air cooling systems primarily based on fans. Furthermore, with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the market demand for computing power continues to rise, further increasing the need for efficient heat dissipation. Therefore, liquid cooling is gradually becoming the best economical choice for data center cooling.

[0003] In traditional servers, the central processing unit (CPU) and dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) are among the heat sources. Currently, several DIMM water cooling plates commonly used to cool dual in-line memory modules have their fluid inlets and outlets welded to manifolds at both ends to achieve coolant distribution and convergence.

[0004] Therefore, how to simplify the structural design of DIMM water-cooled plates to reduce manufacturing costs and improve heat dissipation performance has become an important direction in current server heat dissipation technology research. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] The present invention provides a memory cold plate and a server device including the same, thereby simplifying the structural design of the DIMM water cooling plate, reducing manufacturing costs and improving heat dissipation performance.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention discloses a memory cooling plate for cooling at least one memory module. The memory cooling plate includes a meandering plate, a liquid inlet connector, and a liquid outlet connector. The meandering plate is used for thermal contact with the memory module and includes an internal flow channel for the flow of coolant. The liquid inlet connector is located at one end of the meandering plate and communicates with the internal flow channel. The liquid outlet connector is located at the other end of the meandering plate and communicates with the internal flow channel.

[0007] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a server device comprising a motherboard, at least one memory module, and a memory coolant plate. The memory module is disposed on the motherboard. The memory coolant plate includes a meandering plate body, a coolant inlet connector, and a coolant outlet connector. The meandering plate body is in thermal contact with the memory module and includes an internal flow channel for the flow of coolant. The coolant inlet connector is disposed at one end of the meandering plate body and communicates with the internal flow channel. The coolant outlet connector is disposed at the other end of the meandering plate body and communicates with the internal flow channel.

[0008] According to the memory cold plate and server device containing it disclosed in the above embodiments, by designing the memory cold plate into a meandering shape to form multiple heat dissipation accommodating spaces to accommodate and thermally contact multiple memory modules, effective heat dissipation of multiple memory modules can be achieved through a single meandering flow path. In addition, the meandering plate of the memory cold plate is provided with fluid inlets and outlets only at the head and tail ends, thereby reducing the number of connections (or welding) between the overall pipes and plates in the cooling system, and thus simplifying the overall structural design.

[0009] The above description of the content of the present invention and the following description of the embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Implementation Method

[0010] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention outlines its features and advantages. This description is sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the embodiments of the present invention and to implement them accordingly. Furthermore, based on the disclosure, patent claims, and drawings in this specification, anyone skilled in the art can easily understand the relevant objectives and advantages of the present invention. The following embodiments further illustrate the viewpoints of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0011] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3, wherein Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a server device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded view of the server device of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a top view of the server device of Figure 1.

[0012] The server device 1 of this embodiment includes a motherboard 9, a central processing unit 8, multiple memory modules 7, and a liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly 10. The central processing unit 8 and the memory modules 7 are all mounted on the motherboard 9. The liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly 10 is used to cool the central processing unit 8 and the memory modules 7. The memory modules 7 are, for example, dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs).

[0013] The liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly 10 includes a processor cold plate 19, a first memory cold plate 11, a second memory cold plate 12, and multiple connecting pipes P1, P2, P3 and P4.

[0014] The processor cold plate 19 is in thermal contact with the central processing unit 8 and serves to allow coolant to flow through it. The processor cold plate 19 is also in fluid communication with a coolant distribution unit (CDU, not shown) via a connecting pipe P1. Coolant is directed from the coolant distribution unit to the processor cold plate 19 to dissipate heat from the central processing unit 8. The coolant distribution unit may include, for example, a heat exchanger for cooling the coolant.

[0015] The first memory cold plate 11 and the second memory cold plate 12 are in thermal contact with the memory modules 7 and are used to allow coolant to flow. Specifically, each of the first memory cold plate 11 and the second memory cold plate 12 includes a meandering plate M1, a coolant inlet connector F1, and a coolant outlet connector F2. The meandering plate M1 includes an internal flow channel (not shown separately) for coolant flow. The coolant inlet connector F1 is located at one end of the meandering plate M1 and connects to the internal flow channel, while the coolant outlet connector F2 is located at the other end of the meandering plate M1 and connects to the internal flow channel. The meandering plate M1 includes multiple flat sections S1 and multiple bent sections C1. These flat sections S1 are arranged side-by-side, and these bent sections C1 connect any two adjacent flat sections S1, thus the flat sections S1 and the bent sections C1 are interleaved to form the meandering plate M1. The overall shape of the meandering plate M1 is similar to that of a sine curve, and the internal flow channel of the meandering plate M1 is a closed flow channel.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the flat sections S1 of each memory cold plate 11 and 12 are arranged parallel to and staggered with the corresponding memory modules 7, so that each memory module 7 is disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space (not otherwise labeled) between any two adjacent flat sections S1. Furthermore, the opposite side walls of each memory module 7 are in thermal contact with the two adjacent flat sections S1. In this way, the heat generated by the memory module 7 is transferred to the flat sections S1 of the meandering plate body M1 by thermal conduction, and then carried away by the coolant flowing through the memory cold plates 11 and 12, thereby achieving effective heat dissipation for these memory modules 7.

[0017] In this embodiment, the width of each plate portion S1 is less than or equal to the width of two adjacent memory modules 7. The height of the plate portion S1 is equal to the height of the memory module 7, that is, after the memory module 7 is installed in the slot, the upper edge of the memory module 7 and the upper edge of the plate portion S1 are on the same horizontal line.

[0018] By designing the memory cooling plates 11 and 12 into a meandering shape with multiple bends, several heat dissipation accommodating spaces are formed to accommodate several memory modules 7 and to make thermal contact with these memory modules 7, thereby achieving effective heat dissipation of multiple memory modules 7 through a single meandering flow channel (i.e., the internal flow channel of the meandering plate body M1). In addition, the meandering plate body M1 of the memory cooling plates 11 and 12 is only provided with fluid inlet and outlet at the head and tail ends (corresponding to the locations of the liquid inlet connector F1 and the liquid outlet connector F2), thereby reducing the number of connections (or welding) between the overall pipes and plates in the cooling system, thereby simplifying the overall structural design, reducing manufacturing costs and improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0019] The liquid inlet connector F1 of the first memory cold plate 11 is connected to the processor cold plate 19 through the connecting pipe P2. The liquid outlet connector F2 of the first memory cold plate 11 is connected to the liquid inlet connector F1 of the second memory cold plate 12 through the connecting pipe P3. The liquid outlet connector F2 of the second memory cold plate 12 is connected to the coolant distribution device through the connecting pipe P4, so as to guide the coolant from the second memory cold plate 12 to the coolant distribution device. The heat exchanger of the coolant distribution device is used to cool the coolant.

[0020] Through the above configuration, as shown in FIG3, a series cooling flow path is formed between the processor cold plate 19, the first memory cold plate 11, and the second memory cold plate 12. This allows the coolant to flow sequentially from the coolant distribution device through the processor cold plate 19, the first memory cold plate 11, and the second memory cold plate 12, and then back to the coolant distribution device, completing a primary side heat dissipation cycle. This effectively dissipates heat from the central processing unit 8 and the memory modules 7. For example, the coolant flows at high speed in the cooling flow path to quickly remove heat.

[0021] In this embodiment, the server device of the present invention can be used for artificial intelligence (AI) computing, edge computing, and can also be used as a 5G server, cloud server or vehicle network server.

[0022] The present invention is not limited to the flow direction of the coolant described above. In other embodiments, the coolant flows sequentially from the coolant distribution device through the second memory cold plate, the first memory cold plate, and the processor cold plate, and then returns to the coolant distribution device.

[0023] In some embodiments, the coolant distribution device also completes a secondary side heat dissipation circulation loop through the building's cooling tower and the atmospheric environment, thereby ultimately releasing heat into the environment. Through liquid cooling technology, the burden on the computer room air conditioning is effectively reduced, further optimizing power usage effectiveness (PUE).

[0024] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly further includes multiple thermal pads. These thermal pads are respectively disposed between adjacent plate portions and memory modules and are thermally coupled to the plate portions and memory modules, so that the plate portions are in thermal contact with the memory modules through the thermal pads. The thermal pads can be disposed, for example, only on the chip module of the memory module 7 or on the entire memory module 7. In this way, the heat generated by the memory module is transferred to the plate portion of the memory cold plate by thermal conduction through the thermal pads, and then the heat is carried away by the coolant flowing through the memory cold plate, thereby achieving effective heat dissipation of the memory module. In addition to conducting heat from the memory module 7 to the plate portion S1, the configuration of the thermal pads can also protect the chip module of the memory module 7 during the removal or installation of the plate portion S1 or the memory module 7, and prevent the plate portion S1, which is mostly made of metal, from scratching the chip module.

[0025] In this embodiment, the number of memory cold plates is two, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the number of memory cold plates is, for example, one or more, depending on the actual number and distribution of memory modules that need to be cooled.

[0026] In this embodiment, the cooling flow paths of the processor cold plate 19, the first memory cold plate 11, and the second memory cold plate 12 are connected in series, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the cooling flow path through the memory cold plate is independent of the cooling flow path through the processor cold plate. That is, the inlet and outlet connectors of the memory cold plate are directly connected to the coolant distribution device through connecting pipes, and are not connected in series with the processor cold plate. Thus, the cooling flow path through the memory cold plate and the cooling flow path through the processor cold plate are, for example, in parallel.

[0027] In this embodiment, the processor cold plate 19 and the memory cold plates 11 and 12 are fixed to the motherboard directly or indirectly through screws W1, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments, the memory cold plate is locked to a frame fixed to the motherboard, so that the memory cold plate is indirectly fixed to the motherboard through the frame.

[0028] According to the memory cold plate and the server device containing it in the above embodiment, by designing the memory cold plate into a meandering shape to form multiple heat dissipation accommodating spaces to accommodate and thermally contact multiple memory modules, effective heat dissipation of multiple memory modules can be achieved through a single meandering flow path. In addition, the meandering plate of the memory cold plate is equipped with fluid inlets and outlets only at the head and tail ends, thereby reducing the number of connections (or welding) between the overall pipes and plates in the cooling system, thereby simplifying the overall structural design, reducing manufacturing costs and improving heat dissipation performance.

[0029] In addition, to maximize power efficiency, while the central processing unit is cooled by a processor cold plate, the memory modules on both sides are also cooled by liquid cooling through independent water channels or memory cold plates connected in series with the processor cold plate water channels. This design can reduce the burden on the computer room air conditioning, thereby improving the overall power efficiency.

[0030] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the preferred embodiments described above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the patent application attached to this specification. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0031] FIG1 is a partial perspective view of a server device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 is an exploded view of the server device of FIG1. ​​FIG3 is a top view of the server device of FIG1.

Claims

1. A memory module cooling plate for cooling at least one memory module, the memory module cooling plate comprising: a meandering plate body including an internal flow channel, a plurality of flat sections and a plurality of bent sections, the internal flow channel for supplying a coolant, and the meandering plate body for thermal contact with the at least one memory module, the flat sections being arranged side-by-side, and the bent sections respectively connecting any two adjacent flat sections, such that the flat sections and the bent sections are interleaved to form the meandering plate body; a coolant inlet connector disposed at one end of the meandering plate body and communicating with the internal flow channel; and a coolant outlet connector disposed at the other end of the meandering plate body and communicating with the internal flow channel; wherein... The plate sections are arranged parallel to and interleaved with the at least one memory module, and the at least one memory module is respectively disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space between any two adjacent plate sections.

2. The memory cold plate as described in claim 1, wherein the plate portions are configured to make thermal contact with the at least one memory module via a thermal pad.

3. The memory cold plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inlet connector is used to connect to a coolant distribution device and / or a processor cold plate through a connecting pipe, and the outlet connector is used to connect to the coolant distribution device through another connecting pipe.

4. A server device, comprising: a motherboard; at least one memory module disposed on the motherboard; and a memory coolant plate, comprising: a meandering plate body, including an internal flow channel, a plurality of flat sections and a plurality of bent sections, the internal flow channel for supplying a coolant, and the meandering plate body being in thermal contact with the at least one memory module, the flat sections being arranged side by side, and the bent sections being respectively connected to any two adjacent flat sections, such that the flat sections and the bent sections are interleaved to jointly form the meandering plate body; a coolant inlet connector disposed at one end of the meandering plate body and communicating with the internal flow channel; and a coolant outlet connector disposed at the other end of the meandering plate body and communicating with the internal flow channel; wherein... The plate sections are arranged parallel to and interleaved with the at least one memory module, and the at least one memory module is respectively disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space between any two adjacent plate sections.

5. The server device as described in claim 4 further includes a liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly, wherein the liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly includes the memory cold plate and at least one thermal pad, the at least one thermal pad being disposed between the plate portions and the at least one memory module, and the plate portions being in thermal contact with the at least one memory module through the at least one thermal pad.

6. The server device as described in claim 5 further includes a central processing unit disposed on the motherboard, wherein the liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly further includes a processor cold plate and a plurality of connecting pipes, the liquid inlet connector is connected to the processor cold plate and / or a coolant distribution device through one of the connecting pipes, and the liquid outlet connector is connected to the coolant distribution device through another connecting pipe.

Images