Liquid Cooling Design for Peripheral PCB Electronic Components

Abstract

A liquid cooling arrangement for a peripheral board, the cooling arrangement comprising a cooling plate on one side and an elastic cushion on the opposite side, and mounting the peripheral board between the cooling plate and the cushion. The cushion exerts pressure on the back surface of the peripheral board to ensure physical contact between the microchip and the cooling plate, thereby achieving good heat conduction. A cooling hose is connected to the cooling plate to circulate the cooling liquid. An electrical insulation layer may be included between the back surface of the peripheral board and the cushion. An extension frame may optionally be added to the cooling frame to accommodate the cooling housing and increase the variability of deployment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to architectures for cooling electronic components mounted on a peripheral printed circuit board, such as an architecture based on a PCIe connection interface. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a computing motherboard includes various interfaces for exchanging data with various components. These interfaces include Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), which accepts a peripheral printed circuit board (PCB). The peripheral PCB is generally smaller than the motherboard and may include electronic devices such as, for example, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Hard Disk Drive (HHD) host adapter, a Solid State Drive (SSD), WiFi, and Ethernet hardware, etc. Various standards are available for peripheral component interconnect, such as, for example, PCI, PCI-X, AGP, PCIe (PCI Express), etc. The commonality among these standards is that they all enable mutual communication between components mounted on the motherboard and components mounted on the peripheral PCB at different speeds.

[0003] With the increasing demands of modern computing, more and more tasks are offloaded from the main CPU to other components, including components mounted on the peripheral PCB. As a result, the processing power of the peripheral PCB increases, which increases the demand for energy and thus increases heat dissipation.

[0004] As the workload becomes more diverse, the computing architecture becomes increasingly heterogeneous, and it requires modern hardware to be more flexibly installed or removed and reconfigured in the system.

[0005] There is a need for new designs for proper cooling arrangements for microchips mounted on peripheral PCBs that are easy to assemble, provide proper cooling for the components, and are reliable. In addition, there is an urgent need to develop advanced high-performance cooling technologies to manage the thermal conditions of these increasingly power-hungry electronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention provide a cooling device configured to cool a peripheral circuit board, and comprising: a cooling frame; at least one cooling device mounted to the cooling frame; a plurality of cooling hoses connected to the cooling device; a hinge attached to one side of the cooling frame; a buffer frame rotatably attached to one side of the hinge; a buffer arrangement attached to the buffer frame; and a locking arrangement configured to lock the cooling frame and the buffer frame in a closed position, thereby accommodating the peripheral circuit board between the cooling frame and the buffer frame.

[0007] In some embodiments, the at least one cooling device includes a liquid cooling plate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cooling device further includes an insulating layer provided on the buffer arrangement.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cooling device further includes a resilient mounting arrangement for mounting the cooling means to the cooling frame.

[0010] In some embodiments, the resilient mounting arrangement includes a spring arrangement.

[0011] In some embodiments, the buffer arrangement includes one of foam, interconnected springs, or a stamped resilient plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cooling device further includes a contact layer provided on the buffer arrangement.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cooling device further includes an extension frame attached to the cooling frame and accommodating the plurality of cooling hoses.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cooling device further includes at least one anchor positioned within the extension frame and configured to hold the plurality of cooling hoses.

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a peripheral system, comprising: a peripheral circuit board with liquid cooling, having a peripheral interface connector and at least one microchip to be actively cooled; a housing encapsulating the peripheral circuit board, the housing having an opening adapted to extend the peripheral interface connector outside the housing, the housing including: a cooling frame and a buffer frame attached to the cooling frame by means of a hinge; a locking mechanism for locking the cooling frame and the buffer frame in a vibration-damping orientation; at least one cooling means mounted on the cooling frame; a plurality of cooling hoses connected to the cooling means; a buffer arrangement attached to the buffer frame and applying pressure to the peripheral circuit board.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cooling frame includes air channels.

[0017] In some embodiments, the peripheral system further includes providing electrical insulation between the peripheral circuit board and the buffer arrangement.

[0018] In some embodiments, the peripheral system further includes an extension frame for accommodating the cooling hoses.

[0019] In some embodiments, the extension frame includes at least one anchor for attaching the cooling hoses.

[0020] In some embodiments, the anchor is movable within the extension frame.

[0021] In some embodiments, the extension frame is removable from the cooling frame, and wherein the cooling hose includes a first set of hoses attached to the cooling device and a second set of hoses located within the extension frame, and wherein the first set of hoses and the second set of hoses further include interacting connectors configured to attach the first set of hoses to the second set of hoses, and wherein the second set of hoses further includes a supply connector configured to connect the second set of hoses to a liquid supply system.

[0022] In some embodiments, the peripheral system further includes at least one clamp positioned within the extension frame and securing the second set within the extension frame.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cushioning arrangement includes one of foam, interconnected springs, or stamped resilient plates.

[0024] In some embodiments, the peripheral system further includes an elastic mechanism that elastically attaches the cooling device to the cooling frame.

[0025] In some embodiments, the extension frame includes a first hose outlet port on one side and a second outlet port on a second side opposite the first side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements.

[0027] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cooling device according to one embodiment, showing the "unrolled" position.

[0028] Figure 2A shows the "rolled-up" arrangement of the cooling device according to one embodiment, while Figure 2B shows a rolled-up arrangement according to another embodiment.

[0029] Figure 2C is a bottom view of the cooling device in its installed and closed position, while Figure 2D is a side view thereof.

[0030] Figure 3 shows an example of a cooling device according to the disclosed embodiments, the cooling device including an extension frame.

[0031] Figure 4 shows the operation of the extension frame according to the disclosed embodiments.

[0032] Figure 5 shows an example of the modular design of a cooling device according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 6 Shows an example of a cooling device mounted on a peripheral PCB, which is mounted to a main board.

[0034] Figure 7 Shows an example of the integration of a separate cooling device according to another embodiment. Detailed Description

[0035] The various embodiments and aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the various embodiments. The following description and illustrations are illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Many specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention. However, in some instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] Reference to "an embodiment" or "embodiments" in the specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0037] The following detailed description provides examples highlighting certain features and aspects of the innovative cooling design described herein. Different embodiments or combinations thereof may be used for different applications or to achieve different results or benefits. Depending on the results to be achieved, the different features disclosed herein may be used in part or in full, alone or in combination with other features, balancing the advantages against the requirements and limitations. Accordingly, certain benefits are emphasized with reference to different embodiments, but are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. That is, the features disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments in which they are described, but may be "mixed and matched" with other features and incorporated into other embodiments.

[0038] The presently disclosed content presents a liquid cooling solution for electronic components on a peripheral PCB, such as graphics processors for intensive computing applications (e.g., artificial intelligence applications and high-performance computing applications). Modern peripheral PCBs use PCIe connectors to integrate the system onto the motherboard. These devices use completely different form factors and system integrations, and the cooling system needs to be independent of the cooling applied at the motherboard level. To achieve better computing performance, the power of peripheral devices is continuously increasing. Therefore, especially with the increasing packaging density due to the continuously increasing power density of ICs and dies, the corresponding thermal challenges are also increasing. Thus, appropriate liquid cooling is very important for addressing the thermal management of these peripheral devices. However, providing liquid cooling for these peripheral devices is a difficult design challenge as it needs to be accommodated within the surrounding system. Additionally, since these are peripheral devices, they naturally require a high degree of compatibility with the thermal designs of different systems. Moreover, the hardware design and implementation of peripheral board cooling are different from those of mezzanine-based devices.

[0039] The disclosed embodiments provide a hardware architecture for cooling peripheral devices mounted on a peripheral PCB. The disclosed embodiments provide a robust and reliable cooling solution, including for systems with multiple peripheral devices. The design includes a cooling solution for individual peripheral PCBs and a full-system liquid distribution design. The solution can be easily adapted to different designs and usage scenarios and introduces features that enhance the interoperability of different peripheral boards as well as different system hardware environments.

[0040] Current technologies mainly rely on air cooling of peripheral devices. In contrast, the disclosed embodiments anticipate the enhanced heat removal requirements of peripheral devices and provide a liquid cooling architecture for peripheral devices. This hardware solution combines liquid cooling for a single peripheral board or a system with multiple peripheral boards. Notably, this liquid cooling design for peripheral devices needs to be easy to install, replace, or reconfigure and should be able to adapt to different existing liquid cooling hardware designs within the system. Obviously, the cooling device should not have an adverse impact on the performance characteristics of the peripheral device.

[0041] The disclosed embodiments include the design of a cooling device that includes two frames that are rotatably attached to a hinge on one side, similar to the covers of a book, thereby forming a housing that houses the peripheral board. Before assembly, the device is in an "open book" position, and during assembly, the two frames are rotated to a "closed book" position, thereby forming a housing that encloses the peripheral board (just as the pages of a book are enclosed within the covers). As will be explained in detail below, the housing formed by the two frames includes an opening that enables the interface connectors of the peripheral board to extend from the opening and mate with the interface sockets on the motherboard. In this sense, except for the interface connectors that extend outside the cooling device, the peripheral printed circuit board is encapsulated by the cooling device.

[0042] One feature of the present design is that, in addition to providing cooling, it also provides physical protection for the peripheral board. In the disclosed embodiments, in addition to the cooling function, the device also enhances the rigidity of the peripheral board, thereby enhancing reliability and preventing damage during transportation or in a harsh vibration environment.

[0043] Figure 1 An embodiment of the peripheral board cooling device 100 is shown with two frames 105 and 110 in the open position and without the peripheral board. In this embodiment, the cooling device or unit 115 (such as a cold plate, cooling guide rail, etc.) is mounted on the cooling frame 105 and is connected to the cooling hose 125. The cooling hose 125 has a connector 130 at its end to connect to a cooling liquid delivery system, which can be any standard liquid cooling delivery system or can include the liquid cooling system of the main board.

[0044] The buffer frame 110 has buffer pads 120 attached to the inside so as to slightly press against the peripheral board when the cooling device is mounted on the peripheral board. The buffer pads 120 can be formed in various forms, but it should have elastic properties so as to apply the required pressure on the peripheral board, thereby ensuring good thermal contact between the peripheral device and the cooling device 115 and increasing the rigidity of the assembly. In one example, the buffer pads can be made of foam or other flexible structures, which provide average pressure and protection to the electronic devices and the cooling frame 105. This is illustrated in the solid-line inset box. According to another embodiment shown in the dashed-line inset box, the buffer pads are formed by assembling a plurality of springs 122 into an interconnected spring plate or network (for example, in a spring mattress). According to yet another embodiment shown in the dotted-line inset box, the buffer pads are formed by stamping a metal plate to form a plurality of elastic protrusions 124 therein. In some embodiments, the buffer pads 120 are coated with an electrically insulating coating.

[0045] Figure 1Another feature shown in and applicable to any other embodiment is the provision of resilient mountings 135 for the cooling unit 115. In this way, rather than being fixedly attached to the frame 105, the cooling unit 115 is resiliently attached to the frame 105, allowing it to move slightly to adjust its position to accommodate position changes of different peripheral components in different peripheral boards. This feature is used to facilitate assembly because design deviations may affect the electronic components on the peripheral board, preventing a perfect match with the position of the cooling unit. The disclosed resilient mounting structure allows for easier and better alignment between the cooling unit and the electronic device during the assembly process. The resilient mounting assembly may be formed similar to any of the cushions 120 or may incorporate spring elements directly attached to the cooling unit 115, as shown in the dashed-line inset box. However, note that the resilient mountings 135 may also impart resilient movement in the in-and-out-of-page direction (i.e., towards and away from the peripheral device it contacts) to accommodate thickness changes of different peripheral devices.

[0046] Once the cooling device 100 is folded onto the peripheral board, it is secured in the folded position using fasteners 112 attached to complementary fasteners 113, thereby forming an enclosure or housing. Fasteners 112 and 113 are provided only as an example, but any means of securing the cooling device 100 in its folded position is acceptable. In one embodiment, for ease of assembly, the selected fastener parts represented by elements 112 and 113 are attached to the frame, eliminating the need for additional screws or fastening parts or the separate addition of such.

[0047] Figure 2A is Figure 1 is a side view of the cooling device 200 in the folded position, which houses the peripheral board 202. In the example shown, the peripheral board 202 includes interface connectors 204 (such as PCIe connectors), and two peripheral devices 206 and 208 (e.g., GPUs, ASCI, CPU microchips, chips, etc.) are mounted thereon. Generally, more microchips and circuit elements may be mounted to the peripheral board 202; however, since they do not require active cooling, they are not shown in the figure. The two frames 205 and 210 are folded by rotating about the hinge 235 to encapsulate the peripheral board 202 and are then locked to each other using mating connectors 212 and 213 or any other suitable locking mechanism. As shown, the cooling frame is positioned above the front of the peripheral device or peripheral board 202, while the cushion frame is positioned above the back of the peripheral board 202. In the installed and closed position, the cooling device 215 contacts the peripheral devices 206, 208 to remove heat therefrom.

[0048] The cushion 220 helps to ensure proper contact between the cooling device 215 and the peripheral devices 206, 208, and provides enhanced rigidity to the entire assembly, thereby protecting the electronic device. Incidentally, some heat generated by the peripheral devices propagates to the back of the peripheral board, and the cushion can act as a heat sink to remove this heat. Figure 2A An optional contact layer 224 between the cushion 220 and the back of the peripheral board 202 is also shown. The contact layer 224 can be an insulating coating directly provided on the cushion 220, or a separate sheet made of an electrically insulating material to prevent any short circuits that the cushion might cause in the case where the cushion is made of a conductive material. In some embodiments, it may not be appropriate to have the cushion directly contact the back of the peripheral board, in which case the optional contact layer 224 is provided as an intermediate element. When the contact layer 224 is made of an insulating material, it can also be referred to as an insulating layer.

[0049] Figure 2B An embodiment is shown that is similar to Figure 2A except that perforations or openings 240 are provided along the sides of the frame 205. These perforations or openings 240 are provided to allow air to flow through the assembled cooling device and peripheral board, thereby providing, as an example, further heat removal capabilities for other low-power density auxiliary components. The openings 240 also provide improved access to the hose 225 for ease of assembly, inspection, and repair.

[0050] Figure 2C is a bottom side view of the cooling device. As shown, the interface connector 204 projects through the top opening of the cooling device. Figure 2D is a general schematic view showing two frames in the closed position without the cooling elements or the peripheral board to better show the airflow openings 240 and the top opening 201 for the peripheral connectors. The dashed arrows show the airflow to assist cooling. The hinge 235 is shown at the bottom of the assembly. In this regard, the references to top and bottom are relative since the assembly can be mounted to the motherboard in any desired orientation.

[0051] Figure 3 Another embodiment incorporating a hose management assembly is shown. In Figure 3 a hose extension frame 350 can be added to the cooling system on the cooling frame 205. The hose extension frame 350 is for additional coolant hoses that may be required in actual use. According to this embodiment, the hoses are stored within the hose extension frame 350 before being connected to convey the coolant. One or more hose anchors 352 can be provided within the hose extension frame 350, Figure 3Three are shown. Alternatively, instead of providing multiple anchors, a single sliding anchor can be provided so that the anchor point can be movable or slidable within the hose extension frame. For example, the anchor can be a clamp or a strut that assists in arranging the hose within the frame.

[0052] As mentioned, these anchors can be used to manage the hose. For example, as Figure 3 shown, when the hose is attached at the anchor position shown in #1, the hose is fully stored within the frame, for example, during transportation. In contrast, as Figure 4 shown, when the hose is attached to the anchor position shown in #2, the fluid hose extends and can be connected to the liquid delivery port. Similarly, if the cooling hose needs to be lengthened to meet other system integration or connection requirements, then the #3 anchor point can be used.

[0053] Figure 3 Three anchors are shown, however, a different number of anchors can be used, and, instead of using several anchors, a single anchor 352 can be provided such that it is slidable to assume positions indicated, for example, by Figure 3 the three anchors shown. Thus, for transportation, the single anchor can be fixed at position #1, while during deployment, it can be fixed at the positions designated as #2 or #3. Additionally, the exit direction of the cooling hose can be reversible such that the hose exits the extension frame on the opposite side (as shown by the dashed hose 225' in Figure 4 ) This is also shown in Figure 2D where the hose can exit from either side of the cooling frame, so on one side the hose is designated 225 and on the opposite side it is designated 225'. The ability to flip the exit port of the cooling hose enables adaptation to different server chassis or serial / parallel connections of different cooling devices.

[0054] Figure 5 An example is shown where the hose extension frame 350 is detachable from the cooling frame 205. This provides great flexibility for deploying the cooling device in different integration arrangements such that, depending on the needs of a particular integration scenario, the hose extension frame can be used or not used. When using the hose extension frame 350, the hose 225 is connected to the cooling device using a first set of connectors 527 and 529 and is connected to the liquid supply through a second set of connectors 525. In this embodiment, the cooling hose includes: a first set of hoses attached to the cooling device within the cooling frame; and a second set of hoses housed within the extension frame. The cooling device connectors 527 and 529 can be standardized for all applications and connect the first set of hoses to the second set of hoses, while the liquid supply connectors 525 of the second set of hoses can be interchangeable to accommodate the specific connectors used in each particular integration scenario.

[0055] Figure 6Shows an example of a peripheral board 202 mounted on a main board 660 and enclosed within a cooling device 200. As shown, a peripheral interface socket 665 is provided on the main board 660. Generally, a number of such peripheral interface sockets 665 are provided, as Figure 7 shown. In this regard, the main board mentioned herein is intended to cover various system boards that carry one or more peripheral boards through interface sockets. The peripheral board 202 is mounted on the main board 660 by inserting an interface connector 204 into the peripheral interface socket 665. Optionally, an additional mechanical interface 670 can be added to attach the cooling device 200 to the main board 660, as shown by the dashed line in the figure.

[0056] Figure 7 Shows an example in which a number of peripheral boards are attached to the main board 660. As shown, some cooling devices are serially connected to a cooling hose 225, while other connections are parallel or connected to a manifold 725. The ability to connect the cooling hoses in different orientations is facilitated by the ability to flip the hose outlet ports from a cooling frame or an extension frame. Since either side of either frame can be used for the hose ports, the ports on one side can be used to serially connect the cooling device to an adjacent cooling device, while the ports on the opposite side can be used to connect the cooling device to, for example, a distribution manifold.

[0057] Through the above disclosure, a cooling device for a peripheral circuit board is provided, which includes a cooling frame and a buffer frame attached to each other by hinges on one side thereof. The cooling frame has cooling devices mounted thereon and cooling hoses connected to the cooling devices; the buffer frame has a buffer arrangement configured to exert pressure on the peripheral circuit during assembly; a locking arrangement operable to hold the cooling frame and the buffer frame in a closed position, wherein the cooling frame and the buffer frame define an opening designed to allow a peripheral interface connector to extend therethrough. In the closed position, the cooling frame contacts the buffer frame and defines a housing space for accommodating the peripheral board therein.

[0058] In the disclosed embodiment, the cooling frame may include a configuration for mounting a hose extension frame that includes a plurality of cooling hoses and at least one anchor for holding the hoses. In the disclosed embodiment, an insulating layer can be applied to the buffer arrangement. The buffer arrangement can be a foam arrangement, a spring arrangement, or other elastic arrangement. At least one cooling device can be elastically mounted on the cooling frame.

[0059] In the above specification, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. Obviously, various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and the drawings should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A cooling device configured to cool a peripheral circuit board and comprising: A cooling frame; At least one cooling device mounted to the cooling frame; A plurality of cooling hoses connected to the cooling device; A hinge attached to one side of the cooling frame; A buffer frame rotatably attached to one side of the hinge; A buffer arrangement attached to the buffer frame; And A locking arrangement configured to lock the cooling frame and the buffer frame in a closed position so as to accommodate the peripheral circuit board between the cooling frame and the buffer frame; Wherein the buffer arrangement comprises one of foam, interconnected springs or a stamped elastic plate; Further comprising a contact layer provided on the buffer arrangement.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling device comprises a liquid cooling plate.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer provided on the buffer arrangement.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic mounting arrangement for mounting the cooling device to the cooling frame.

5. The cooling device according to claim 4, wherein the elastic mounting arrangement comprises a spring arrangement.

6. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising an extension frame attached to the cooling frame and accommodating the plurality of cooling hoses.

7. The cooling device according to claim 6, further comprising at least one anchor positioned within the extension frame and configured to hold the plurality of cooling hoses.

8. A peripheral system comprising: A peripheral circuit board with liquid cooling, having a peripheral interface connector and at least one microchip to be actively cooled; A housing encapsulating the peripheral circuit board, the housing having an opening adapted to extend the peripheral interface connector outside the housing, the housing comprising: A cooling frame and a buffer frame attached to the cooling frame by a hinge; A locking mechanism that locks the cooling frame and the buffer frame in a deflated orientation; At least one cooling device mounted to the cooling frame; A plurality of cooling hoses connected to the cooling device; A buffer arrangement attached to the buffer frame and applying pressure to the peripheral circuit board; Wherein the buffer arrangement comprises one of foam, interconnected springs or a stamped elastic plate; Further comprising providing electrical insulation between the peripheral circuit board and the buffer arrangement.

9. The peripheral system according to claim 8, wherein the cooling frame contains air channels.

10. The peripheral system according to claim 8, further comprising an extension frame for accommodating the cooling hoses.

11. The peripheral system according to claim 10, wherein the extension frame comprises at least one anchor for attaching the cooling hoses.

12. The peripheral system according to claim 11, wherein the anchor is movable within the extension frame.

13. The peripheral system according to claim 10, wherein the extension frame is removable from the cooling frame, and wherein the cooling hose includes a first set of hoses attached to the cooling device and a second set of hoses located within the extension frame, and wherein the first set of hoses and the second set of hoses further include interactive connectors configured to attach the first set of hoses to the second set of hoses, and wherein the second set of hoses further includes a supply connector configured to connect the second set of hoses to a liquid supply system.

14. The peripheral system according to claim 13, further comprising at least one clamp positioned within the extension frame and securing the second set within the extension frame.

15. The peripheral system according to claim 8, further comprising an elastic mechanism that elastically attaches the cooling device to the cooling frame.

16. The peripheral system according to claim 10, wherein the extension frame includes a first hose outlet port on a first side and a second outlet port on a second side opposite the first side.

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