Heat dissipation structure and electronic devices

Abstract

This invention provides a heat dissipation structure comprising a heat-conducting element, a heat pipe, a fan, and a heat storage element. The heat-conducting element is disposed on and thermally coupled to a heat source. The heat pipe includes an evaporation section and a condensation section, wherein the evaporation section is disposed on and thermally coupled to the heat-conducting element. The fan is disposed corresponding to the condensation section. The heat storage element is disposed on a circuit board. The heat source is located between the heat-conducting element and the circuit board. The heat-conducting element is located between the heat pipe and the heat source. The circuit board is located between the heat source and the heat storage element. The circuit board is thermally coupled to the heat source, and the heat storage element is thermally coupled to the circuit board. The heat storage element is internally filled with a working medium. The working medium absorbs heat conducted from the heat source to the circuit board through the latent heat absorbed during phase change. An electronic device is also proposed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heat dissipation structure and an electronic device, and more particularly to a heat dissipation structure and an electronic device using the same heat dissipation structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of computing performance of electronic devices, how to quickly dissipate the heat generated by the central processing unit or graphics processing unit inside the electronic device has always been a major research and development project for relevant manufacturers.

[0003] Generally, a central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU) is connected to a circuit board and heat is dissipated through a remote heat exchanger (RHE). The heat is then transferred sequentially through a heat-conducting component thermally coupled to the surface of the CPU or GPU, heat pipes connecting the heat-conducting component, and heat sink fins connected to the heat pipes. Finally, a fan provides forced convection to exchange heat with the outside environment, thereby dissipating the heat outside the system.

[0004] However, when electronic devices generate high wattage transient power, they also generate a lot of heat in an instant, but the heat dissipation rate of existing split heat sinks cannot effectively dissipate the high heat generated in an instant. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention relates to a heat dissipation structure that helps improve instantaneous heat dissipation efficiency.

[0006] This invention relates to an electronic device that has excellent instantaneous heat dissipation performance.

[0007] According to the heat dissipation structure of the present invention, it includes a heat-conducting element, at least one heat pipe, at least one fan, and at least one heat storage element. The heat-conducting element is disposed on and thermally coupled to at least one heat source. The at least one heat pipe includes an evaporation section and a condensation section. The evaporation section of the at least one heat pipe is disposed on and thermally coupled to the heat-conducting element. The fan is disposed corresponding to the condensation section of the at least one heat pipe. The at least one heat storage element is disposed on a circuit board. The at least one heat source is located between the heat-conducting element and the circuit board. The heat-conducting element is located between the at least one heat pipe and the at least one heat source. The circuit board is located between the at least one heat source and the at least one heat storage element. The circuit board is thermally coupled to the at least one heat source, and the at least one heat storage element is thermally coupled to the circuit board. The interior of the at least one heat storage element is filled with a working medium, and the working medium absorbs heat conducted from the at least one heat source to the circuit board by absorbing latent heat during phase change.

[0008] The electronic device according to the present invention includes a housing, a circuit board, at least one heat source, and a heat dissipation structure. The circuit board is disposed within the housing. The at least one heat source is disposed on the circuit board. The heat dissipation structure includes a heat-conducting element, at least one heat pipe, at least one fan, and at least one heat storage element. The heat-conducting element is disposed on the at least one heat source. The heat-conducting element is thermally coupled to the at least one heat source, and the at least one heat source is located between the heat-conducting element and the circuit board. The at least one heat pipe includes an evaporation section and a condensation section. The evaporation section of the at least one heat pipe is disposed on the heat-conducting element and thermally coupled to the heat-conducting element. The heat-conducting element is located between the at least one heat pipe and the at least one heat source. The at least one fan is disposed corresponding to the condensation section of the at least one heat pipe. The at least one heat storage element is disposed on the circuit board and thermally coupled to the circuit board. The circuit board is located between the at least one heat source and the at least one heat storage element. The circuit board is thermally coupled to the at least one heat source, and the at least one heat storage element is thermally coupled to the circuit board. At least one heat storage element is filled with a working medium, and the working medium absorbs the heat conducted to the circuit board by the latent heat absorbed during phase change.

[0009] Based on the above, in the heat dissipation structure and electronic device of the present invention, the circuit board is thermally coupled to the heat source, the heat storage element is further thermally coupled to the circuit board, and the circuit board is located between the heat source and the heat storage element. When the heat source generates a high amount of heat instantaneously, the working medium inside the heat storage element absorbs the heat conducted from the heat source to the circuit board through the latent heat absorbed during the phase change, thus having excellent instantaneous heat dissipation performance. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the electronic device from another perspective;

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a partial component of an electronic device along section line II;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0015] 100, 100A: Electronic devices;

[0016] 110: Chassis;

[0017] 120: Circuit board;

[0018] 122: First side;

[0019] 124: Second side;

[0020] 130: Primary heat source;

[0021] 140: Second heat source;

[0022] 200, 200A: Heat dissipation structure;

[0023] 210: First thermal paste;

[0024] 220: Thermal conductive component;

[0025] 230: First heat pipe;

[0026] 232: Evaporation section;

[0027] 234: Condensation section;

[0028] 240: First fan;

[0029] 250: First thermal storage element;

[0030] 252: First working medium;

[0031] 260: Second heat pipe;

[0032] 262: Evaporation section;

[0033] 264: Condensation section;

[0034] 270: Second fan;

[0035] 280: Second thermal storage element;

[0036] 282: Second working medium;

[0037] 292: Locking hole;

[0038] 294: Second thermal paste;

[0039] 296: Third thermal paste;

[0040] 298: Locking hardware;

[0041] 240A: Thermal storage element. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same element references are used in the drawings and description to denote the same or similar parts.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the electronic device from another perspective. Figure 3 yes Figure 2A cross-sectional view of a partial component of the electronic device along section line II. Please refer to... Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be part of a laptop computer (e.g., a host computer responsible for logic operations and data access) or other portable electronic devices, and includes a housing 110, a circuit board 120, and a heat dissipation structure 200. The circuit board 120 and the heat dissipation structure 200 are disposed within the housing 110, and the heat dissipation structure 200 is disposed on the circuit board 120. Various electronic components are provided on the circuit board 120, with its central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) serving as the main heat sources. The heat dissipation structure 200 is thermally coupled to the main heat sources to quickly dissipate the heat generated by the main heat sources to the outside of the housing 110, or to prevent the temperature inside the housing 110 from rising rapidly.

[0044] In detail, the electronic device 100 of this embodiment further includes a first heat source 130 and a second heat source 140, wherein the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 are disposed on the first side 122 of the circuit board 120 and thermally coupled to the circuit board 120, and the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 may be one of a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit, respectively. On the other hand, the heat dissipation structure 200 includes a heat conductor 220, a first heat pipe 230, a first fan 240, a first heat storage element 250, a second heat pipe 260, a second fan 270, and a second heat storage element 280, wherein the heat conductor 220 may be made of copper, aluminum, or other highly thermally conductive materials, and is thermally coupled to the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 to conduct the heat generated by the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 outward, thereby providing a first heat dissipation path for the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140.

[0045] It should be noted that the use of naming conventions such as "first" and "second" in this invention is merely to distinguish different components and structures for easier understanding and reading, and is not intended to limit the invention.

[0046] In detail, the heat-conducting component 220 is disposed on the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140, and is located on the first side 122 of the circuit board 120, wherein the first heat source 130 is located between the heat-conducting component 220 and the circuit board 120, and the second heat source 140 is located between the heat-conducting component 220 and the circuit board 120.

[0047] The first heat pipe 230 includes an evaporation section 232 and a condensation section 234, and the second heat pipe 260 includes an evaporation section 262 and a condensation section 264. The evaporation sections 232 of the first heat pipe 230 and 262 of the second heat pipe 260 are disposed on and thermally coupled to the heat conductor 220. The heat conductor 220 is located between the evaporation section 232 of the first heat pipe 230 and the first heat source 130, and the heat conductor 220 is located between the evaporation section 262 of the second heat pipe 260 and the second heat source 140. The first fan 240 is disposed at the air outlet of the condensation section 234 of the first heat pipe 230, and the second fan 270 is disposed at the air outlet of the condensation section 264 of the second heat pipe 260.

[0048] Accordingly, the heat generated by the first heat source 130 can be transferred to the first heat pipe 230 via the heat conductor 220, and the heat in the first heat pipe 230 can exchange heat with the airflow generated by the first fan 240 to exhaust the heat outside the casing 110. The heat generated by the second heat source 140 can be transferred to the second heat pipe 260 via the heat conductor 220, and the heat in the second heat pipe 260 can exchange heat with the airflow generated by the second fan 270 to exhaust the heat outside the casing 110.

[0049] Furthermore, the heat dissipation structure 200 includes a plurality of first thermal pastes 210, which may be liquid copper thermal paste, but are not limited thereto. These first thermal pastes 210 are disposed between the heat-conducting component 220 and the first heat source 130, and between the heat-conducting component 220 and the second heat source 140, wherein the heat-conducting component 220 is thermally coupled to the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 through these first thermal pastes 210, and is fixed to the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 through these first thermal pastes 210.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280 are disposed on the second side 124 of the circuit board 120 and are thermally coupled to the circuit board 120. In other words, the circuit board 120 is located between the first heat source 130 and the first heat storage element 250, and the circuit board 120 is located between the second heat source 140 and the second heat storage element 280.

[0051] The heat generated by the first heat source 130 is conducted not only from the first side 122 of the circuit board 120 to the heat conductor 220, but also to the circuit board 120 itself, and finally to the first heat storage element 250 via the second side 124 of the circuit board 120. Similarly, the heat generated by the second heat source 140 is conducted not only from the second side 124 of the circuit board 120 to the heat conductor 220, but also to the circuit board 120 itself, and finally to the second heat storage element 280 via the second side 124 of the circuit board 120, thereby providing a second heat dissipation path for the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140.

[0052] In detail, the first heat storage element 250 may be a hollow shell made of copper, aluminum or other high thermal conductivity materials, and the interior of the first heat storage element 250 may be filled with a first working medium 252. The second heat storage element 280 may be a hollow shell made of copper, aluminum or other high thermal conductivity materials, and the interior of the second heat storage element 280 may be filled with a second working medium 282. The first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 may be phase change materials (PCM).

[0053] When the first heat source 130 generates a high wattage transient power, the first heat dissipation path of the heat dissipation structure 200 cannot quickly dissipate heat from the first heat source 130. The heat is conducted to the first heat storage element 250 through the second heat dissipation path. When the first working medium 252 absorbs enough heat and reaches the phase change temperature, the first working medium 252 undergoes a phase change and instantly absorbs the heat conducted from the first heat source 130 to the circuit board 120 through the latent heat absorbed during the phase change. Therefore, the heat dissipation structure 200 of the present invention has excellent instantaneous heat dissipation performance.

[0054] Similarly, when the second heat source 140 generates a high wattage transient power instantaneously, the first heat dissipation path of the heat dissipation structure 200 cannot quickly dissipate heat from the second heat source 140. Heat is conducted through the second heat dissipation path to the second heat storage element 280. When the second working medium 282 absorbs sufficient heat and reaches its phase change temperature, it undergoes a phase change and instantly absorbs the heat conducted from the second heat source 140 to the circuit board 120 through the latent heat absorbed during the phase change. In other words, the first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 can store latent heat through phase change and absorb heat conducted from the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 to the circuit board 120 during the storage of latent heat. Therefore, the heat dissipation structure 200 of the present invention has excellent instantaneous heat dissipation performance.

[0055] On the other hand, after the electronic device 100 is turned off, the first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 undergo a phase change and release latent heat. Since the electronic device 100 has been turned off, it will not affect the working efficiency of the electronic device 100.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 can be 3M™ Fluorinert FC-72 electronic engineering fluid, which has a boiling point of 56°C and absorbs 88 kJ / kg of heat during phase change. In other words, 3M™ Fluorinert FC-72 electronic engineering fluid can instantly absorb the heat conducted to the circuit board 120 by the latent heat of vaporization during boiling (liquid-gas phase change). Because the boiling points of the first working medium 252 inside the first heat storage element 250 and the second working medium 282 inside the second heat storage element 280 are extremely low, the first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 can instantly absorb a large amount of heat and evaporate from liquid to gaseous when they reach their boiling points. This can be used to solve the problem of high heat generated by the instantaneous surge in power of existing central processing units or graphics processors, and prevent the temperature inside the electronic device 100 from rising rapidly.

[0057] When the heat generated by the first heat source 130 and / or the second heat source 140 decreases, or when the temperature inside the electronic device 100 drops, the internal temperature of the first heat storage element 250 and / or the second heat storage element 280 can drop below the boiling point of the first working medium 252 and / or the second working medium 282. At this time, the gaseous medium condenses back into the liquid medium, and the released heat can be discharged to the outside of the electronic device 100 via the first heat dissipation path.

[0058] Furthermore, the electronic engineering fluid possesses insulating properties. If the first heat storage element 250 or the second heat storage element 280 accidentally ruptures, causing leakage of the electronic engineering fluid, there is no risk of short circuit and damage to electronic components because the fluid is non-conductive. Moreover, the low boiling point of the electronic engineering fluid allows it to evaporate rapidly in the event of an accidental leak, leaving no residue.

[0059] In other embodiments, the working medium may be a phase change material such as 3M™ Fluorinert FC-87 electronic engineering fluid (boiling point 30 degrees Celsius, phase change requires absorbing 88 kJ / kg of heat), 3M™ Fluorinert FC-84 electronic engineering fluid (boiling point 80 degrees Celsius, phase change requires absorbing 80 kJ / kg of heat), 3M™ Fluorinert FC-77 electronic engineering fluid (boiling point 97 degrees Celsius, phase change requires absorbing 84 kJ / kg of heat), or a refrigerant.

[0060] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 can be set to different operating temperatures, and the first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 can use different phase change materials to individually maintain the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 at their operating temperatures. In other words, the phase change temperatures of the first working medium 252 and the second working medium 282 are different from each other. Alternatively, this embodiment uses various electronic engineering fluids with different boiling points to optimize heat dissipation efficiency for different temperatures generated by various heat sources.

[0061] In other embodiments, the first heat source and the second heat source are set at the same operating temperature, and the first working medium and the second working medium may use the same phase change material to maintain the first heat source and the second heat source at the same operating temperature.

[0062] In other embodiments, the working medium can be a phase change material with different requirements, which can absorb the heat generated by the heat source through phase changes other than the heat of vaporization during liquid-gas phase change, such as storing latent heat through the heat of melting during solid-liquid phase change, the heat of sublimation during solid-gas phase change, and phase change between two different solid phases. The present invention is not limited to these methods.

[0063] In this embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 200 further includes a second thermal paste 294 and a third thermal paste 296. The second thermal paste 294 and the third thermal paste 296 may be liquid copper thermal paste, but are not limited thereto. The second thermal paste 294 is disposed between the circuit board 120 and the first heat storage element 250, and the third thermal paste 296 is disposed between the circuit board 120 and the second heat storage element 280. The circuit board 120 is thermally coupled to the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280 through the second thermal paste 294 and the third thermal paste 296, respectively.

[0064] Furthermore, the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280 include multiple locking holes 292. The heat dissipation structure 200 further includes multiple locking fasteners 298, wherein the locking fasteners 298 are screws, which sequentially pass through the heat conductor 220 and the circuit board 120 and are locked into the locking holes 292 of the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280. In other words, in addition to providing a second heat dissipation path for the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140, the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280 also provide a locking function.

[0065] In other words, this invention replaces the traditional metal backplate with the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280, and thermally couples them to the second side 124 of the circuit board 120, allowing the heat generated by the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 to be dissipated through this second heat dissipation path on the second side 124 of the circuit board 120. In addition, the first heat storage element 250 and the second heat storage element 280 also function as a traditional metal backplate, preventing excessive bending of the circuit board 120 due to the first heat source 130 and the second heat source 140 securing the heat-conducting element 220 or other heat dissipation modules, which could lead to solder cracking or die cracking. Simultaneously, it enhances the strength and balance of securing the heat-conducting element 220 or other heat dissipation modules, thereby reducing contact thermal resistance.

[0066] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to... Figure 4 The difference between the electronic device 100A in this embodiment and the electronic device 100 in the previous embodiment is that, in the heat dissipation structure 200A of this embodiment, a single heat storage element 240A can correspond to multiple heat sources, for example, simultaneously corresponding to the first heat source and the second heat source in the previous embodiment. The heat storage element 240A has a relatively large volume, thereby allowing it to be filled with more working medium to meet higher power consumption and heat dissipation requirements.

[0067] In summary, in the heat dissipation structure and electronic device of the present invention, the circuit board is thermally coupled to the heat source, the heat storage element is further thermally coupled to the circuit board, and the circuit board is located between the heat source and the heat storage element. When the heat source generates a high amount of heat instantaneously, the working medium inside the heat storage element absorbs the heat conducted from the heat source to the circuit board through the latent heat absorbed during the phase change, thus having excellent instantaneous heat dissipation performance.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heat dissipation structure, characterized in that, include: A heat-conducting component is disposed on at least one heat source and thermally coupled to the at least one heat source; At least one heat pipe, including an evaporation section and a condensation section, wherein the evaporation section of the at least one heat pipe is disposed on the heat-conducting element and thermally coupled to the heat-conducting element; At least one fan is provided corresponding to the condenser section of the at least one heat pipe; At least one heat storage element is disposed on a circuit board. The at least one heat source is located between a heat-conducting component and the circuit board. The heat-conducting component is located between the at least one heat pipe and the at least one heat source. The circuit board is located between the at least one heat source and the at least one heat storage element. The circuit board is thermally coupled to the at least one heat source, and the at least one heat storage element is thermally coupled to the circuit board. The at least one heat storage element is filled with a working medium, and the working medium absorbs heat conducted from the at least one heat source to the circuit board through the latent heat absorbed during phase change. Heat generated by the heat source is transferred to the at least one heat pipe via the heat-conducting component, and the heat in the at least one heat pipe exchanges heat with the airflow generated by the at least one fan to provide a first heat dissipation path for the heat dissipation structure. Heat generated by the at least one heat source is conducted to the circuit board, and then to the at least one heat storage element. When the working medium absorbs sufficient heat to reach its phase change temperature, the working medium undergoes a phase change and instantly absorbs the heat conducted to the circuit board by the latent heat absorbed during the phase change, thus providing a second heat dissipation path for the heat dissipation structure. When the at least one heat source is operating at a first power, the heat generated by the at least one heat source is dissipated via the first heat dissipation path. When the at least one heat source operates at a second power higher than the first power, the heat generated by the at least one heat source is dissipated via the first heat dissipation path and the second heat dissipation path.

2. The heat dissipation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the at least one heat source is multiple, and the number of the at least one heat storage element corresponds to the number of the multiple heat sources, and each of the multiple heat storage elements is thermally coupled to the corresponding heat source.

3. The heat dissipation structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The phase transition temperatures of the multiple working media inside the multiple thermal storage elements are different from each other.

4. The heat dissipation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the at least one heat source is multiple, the number of the at least one heat storage element is a single element, and the single heat storage element is thermally coupled to the multiple heat sources.

5. The heat dissipation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one heat storage element includes a plurality of locking holes, and the heat dissipation structure further includes a plurality of locking fasteners, which pass through the heat-conducting element and the circuit board and are locked to the plurality of locking holes.

6. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: chassis; The circuit board is disposed inside the housing; At least one heat source is disposed on the circuit board; as well as The heat dissipation structure includes: A heat-conducting component is disposed on the at least one heat source and thermally coupled to the at least one heat source, wherein the at least one heat source is located between the heat-conducting component and the circuit board; At least one heat pipe, including an evaporation section and a condensation section, wherein the evaporation section of the at least one heat pipe is disposed on the heat-conducting element and thermally coupled to the heat-conducting element, and the heat-conducting element is located between the at least one heat pipe and the at least one heat source; At least one fan is provided corresponding to the condenser section of the at least one heat pipe; and At least one heat storage element is disposed on the circuit board and thermally coupled to the circuit board, and the circuit board is located between the at least one heat source and the at least one heat storage element. The circuit board is thermally coupled to the at least one heat source, and the at least one heat storage element is thermally coupled to the circuit board. The at least one heat storage element is filled with a working medium, and the working medium absorbs the heat conducted from the at least one heat source to the circuit board through the latent heat absorbed during phase change. The heat generated by the at least one heat source is transferred to the at least one heat pipe via the heat-conducting element, and the heat in the at least one heat pipe exchanges heat with the airflow generated by the at least one fan to provide a first heat dissipation path for the heat dissipation structure and exhaust the heat to the outside of the casing. The heat generated by the at least one heat source is conducted to the circuit board and then to the at least one heat storage element. When the working medium absorbs enough heat to reach the phase change temperature, the working medium undergoes a phase change and instantly absorbs the heat conducted from the at least one heat source to the circuit board through the latent heat absorbed during the phase change to provide a second heat dissipation path for the heat dissipation structure.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The number of the at least one heat source is multiple, and the number of the at least one heat storage element corresponds to the number of the multiple heat sources, and each of the multiple heat storage elements is thermally coupled to the corresponding heat source.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The phase transition temperatures of the multiple working media inside the multiple thermal storage elements are different from each other.

9. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The number of the at least one heat source is multiple, the number of the at least one heat storage element is a single element, and the single heat storage element is thermally coupled to the multiple heat sources.

10. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The at least one heat storage element includes a plurality of locking holes, and the heat dissipation structure further includes a plurality of locking fasteners, which pass through the heat-conducting element and the circuit board and are locked to the plurality of locking holes.

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