Method of assembling a liquid cooling assembly in a series of liquid cooling assemblies

Abstract

A method for assembling a liquid cooling assembly includes: providing liquid cooling blocks, each of which defines an internal fluid conduit; providing a first heat transfer base defining at least one first pocket; and providing a second heat transfer base defining second pockets, the number of the second pockets being greater than the number of the at least one first pocket. When assembling the first liquid cooling assembly: selecting at least one liquid cooling block to mate with the first heat transfer base; and the selected at least one liquid cooling block is at least partially inserted into a corresponding pocket in the at least one first pocket. When assembling the second liquid cooling assembly: selecting at least two liquid cooling blocks to mate with the second heat transfer base; and the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks are at least partially inserted into corresponding pockets in the second pocket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present technology relates to liquid cooling assemblies and methods and systems for assembling liquid cooling assemblies. Background Art

[0002] Heat dissipation is an important consideration for computer systems. In particular, many components of computer systems, such as processors (also known as central processing units (CPUs)), generate heat and therefore require cooling to avoid performance degradation and, in some cases, failure. Similar considerations exist for systems other than computer systems (e.g., power management systems). Therefore, in many cases, different types of cooling solutions are implemented to facilitate heat dissipation of heat-generating electronic components, with the goal of collecting thermal energy and conducting the thermal energy away from these heat-generating electronic components. For example, in a data center where multiple electronic systems (e.g., servers, network equipment, power equipment) are continuously running and generating heat, such cooling solutions may be particularly important.

[0003] One example of a cooling solution is a heat sink, which relies on a heat transfer medium (such as a gas or liquid) to carry away the heat generated by the heat-generating electronic components. For example, a liquid cooling block (sometimes referred to as a "water block") is a liquid cooling heat sink that can be thermally coupled to the heat-generating electronic components and causes water (or other liquid) to flow through conduits in the liquid cooling block to absorb heat from the heat-generating electronic components. When the water flows out of the liquid cooling block, the heat energy collected thereby also leaves the liquid cooling block.

[0004] However, in situations where different types of heat-generating electronic components must be cooled, such as in a data center, it may be necessary to apply multiple models of liquid cooling blocks, each of which is suitable for mounting on top of a specific type of heat-generating electronic component (e.g., a different CPU model), since the heat-generating electronic components may have different sizes. However, producing a wide variety of liquid cooling blocks may be expensive, especially in environments such as data centers where a large number of different heat-generating electronic components may need to be set up for each type, since each liquid cooling block model requires its own supply and manufacturing chain.

[0005] Additionally, some CPUs are designed to be smaller and therefore have a higher power density, thus generating more heat per unit surface area. This can make a liquid cooling block mounted on the CPU less efficient at absorbing heat.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a liquid cooling assembly that can alleviate at least some of these drawbacks. Summary of the invention

[0007] The purpose of the present technology is to improve at least some of the inconveniences existing in the prior art.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present technology, there is provided a method for assembling a liquid cooling assembly in a series of liquid cooling assemblies including at least a first liquid cooling assembly and a second liquid cooling assembly, the method comprising:

[0009] A plurality of liquid cooling blocks are provided, each of the liquid cooling blocks defining an internal fluid conduit for circulating a cooling fluid therethrough, each of the liquid cooling blocks having a block thermal contact surface, the block thermal contact surfaces of each of the liquid cooling blocks having the same surface area; a first heat spreading base is provided, the first heat spreading base having a first thermal contact surface on a lower side of the first heat spreading base, the first thermal contact surface being configured to be in thermal contact with a first heat generating electronic component, the first heat spreading base defining at least one first recessed portion on an upper side of the first heat spreading base; a second heat spreading base is provided, the second heat spreading base having a second thermal contact surface on a lower side of the second heat spreading base, the second thermal contact surface being configured to be in thermal contact with a second heat generating electronic component, the second heat spreading base defining a plurality of second recessed portions on an upper side of the second heat spreading base, the second thermal contact surface having a surface area greater than that of the first thermal contact surface, so that the first thermal contact surface and the second thermal contact surface are suitable for being mounted on the first heat generating electronic component and the second heat generating electronic component, respectively, the number of the second recessed portions being greater than the number of the at least one first recessed portion; when the first liquid When the cooling assembly is assembled: at least one of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks is selected to cooperate with the first heat transfer base to form a first liquid cooling assembly suitable for cooling a first heat generating electronic component; the selected at least one liquid cooling block is at least partially inserted into a corresponding one of the at least one first recessed portion of the first heat transfer base; a block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least one liquid cooling block is in contact with an upper base surface of the first heat transfer base defining a corresponding one of the at least one first recessed portion; when the second liquid cooling assembly is assembled: at least two of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks are selected to cooperate with the second heat transfer base to form a second liquid cooling assembly suitable for cooling a second heat generating electronic component; the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks are at least partially inserted into a corresponding second recessed portion of the second recessed portion of the second heat transfer base; a block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks is in contact with an upper base surface of the second heat transfer base defining a corresponding second recessed portion of the second recessed portion.

[0010] In some embodiments, each of the liquid cooling blocks has a lower portion that defines a block thermal contact surface of each liquid cooling block; when assembling a first liquid cooling assembly, inserting the selected at least one liquid cooling block includes: inserting the lower portion of the selected at least one liquid cooling block into at least one first recessed portion; and when assembling a second liquid cooling assembly, inserting the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks includes: inserting the lower portions of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks into the second recessed portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: applying a thermal interface material on at least one of: (i) each upper base surface of the first heat transfer base defining at least one first recessed portion, and (ii) a block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least one liquid cooling block, when assembling the first liquid cooling assembly; and applying a thermal interface material on at least one of: (i) each upper base surface of the second heat transfer base defining a corresponding second recessed portion, and (ii) a block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks, when assembling the second cooling assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second pockets is sized to mate closely with a portion of each of the liquid cooling blocks.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first heat spreading base is generally square; and the second heat spreading base is generally rectangular.

[0014] In some embodiments, the at least one first recessed portion is a single first recessed portion.

[0015] In some embodiments, the plurality of second recessed portions is two second recessed portions.

[0016] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling blocks are identical to each other.

[0017] In some embodiments, each liquid cooling block includes a base and a cover connected to the base, and an internal fluid conduit of each liquid cooling block is defined between the base and the cover of the corresponding liquid cooling block.

[0018] In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the second thermal contact surface is at least twice the surface area of ​​the first thermal contact surface.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present technology, a system for assembling a liquid cooling assembly in a series of liquid cooling assemblies including at least a first liquid cooling assembly and a second liquid cooling assembly is provided, the system comprising: a plurality of liquid cooling blocks, each of the liquid cooling blocks defining an internal fluid conduit for circulating a cooling liquid therethrough, each of the liquid cooling blocks having a block thermal contact surface, the block thermal contact surfaces of the liquid cooling blocks having the same surface area; a first heat spreading base having a first thermal contact surface on a lower side of the first heat spreading base, the first thermal contact surface being configured to thermally contact a first heat generating electronic component, the first heat spreading base defining at least one first recessed portion on an upper side of the first heat spreading base; a second heat spreading base having a second thermal contact surface on a lower side of the second heat spreading base, the second thermal contact surface being configured to thermally contact a second heat generating electronic component, the second heat spreading base defining a plurality of second recessed portions on an upper side of the second heat spreading base, the second thermal contact surface having a greater surface area than the first thermal contact surface The surface area of ​​the first heat contact surface and the second heat contact surface are large, so that the first heat contact surface and the second heat contact surface are suitable for being mounted on the first heat generating electronic component and the second heat generating electronic component respectively, and the number of the second recessed portions is greater than the number of the at least one first recessed portion; wherein, when the first liquid cooling assembly is assembled: at least one liquid cooling block of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks is at least partially received in a corresponding first recessed portion of the at least one first recessed portion defined by the first heat spreading base; and the block heat contact surface of each of the at least one liquid cooling block is in thermal contact with the upper base surface of the first heat spreading base defining a corresponding first recessed portion of the at least one first recessed portion; wherein, when the second liquid cooling assembly is assembled: at least two of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks are at least partially received in a corresponding second recessed portion of the second recessed portion defined by the second heat spreading base; and the block heat contact surface of each of the at least two liquid cooling blocks is in thermal contact with the upper base surface of the second heat spreading base defining a corresponding second recessed portion of the second recessed portion.

[0020] In some embodiments, each of the liquid cooling blocks includes a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion defines a block thermal contact surface of each liquid cooling block, and an outer periphery of the lower portion is smaller than an outer periphery of the upper portion; when the first liquid cooling assembly is assembled, the lower portion of each of the at least one liquid cooling block is received in a corresponding one of the at least one first recessed portion; and when the second liquid cooling assembly is assembled, the lower portion of each of the at least two liquid cooling blocks is received in a corresponding one of the second recessed portion.

[0021] In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second pockets is sized to mate closely with a portion of each of the liquid cooling blocks.

[0022] In some embodiments, the at least one first recessed portion is a single first recessed portion.

[0023] In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the second thermal contact surface is at least twice the surface area of ​​the first thermal contact surface.

[0024] The embodiments of the present technology each have at least one of the above-mentioned purposes and / or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of the above-mentioned purposes and / or aspects. It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology that have been produced in an attempt to achieve the above-mentioned purpose may not meet the purpose and / or may meet other purposes not specifically described herein.

[0025] Additional and / or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of various embodiments of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, drawings, and appended claims.

[0026] It should be understood that terms related to the position and / or orientation of components such as "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc. are used herein to simplify the description and are not intended to limit the specific position / orientation of the components in use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] For a better understanding of the present technology and further aspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid cooling assembly according to an embodiment of the present technology as viewed from the top, front, and right side;

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 a right side view of a liquid cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , the liquid cooling assembly being shown mounted on a heat generating electronic component;

[0030] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top plan view of a liquid cooling assembly;

[0031] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A bottom plan view of a liquid cooling assembly;

[0032] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The liquid cooling components are along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG.

[0033] Figure 6 So Figure 1 a perspective view of a liquid cooling assembly of FIG. 1 as viewed from the top, front, and right side, shown in a partially exploded configuration;

[0034] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A right side view of a liquid cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , shown in a partially exploded configuration;

[0035] Figure 8 From the same series Figure 1 A perspective view of another liquid cooling assembly in the liquid cooling assembly as viewed from the top side, the front side, and the right side;

[0036] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A front view of a liquid cooling assembly;

[0037] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 The liquid cooling components are along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG.

[0038] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 A perspective view of a liquid cooling assembly of FIG. 1 from a top side, a front side, and a right side, the liquid cooling assembly being in a partially exploded configuration; and

[0039] Fig.12 According to one embodiment of the present technology Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a base of a liquid cooling block of a liquid cooling assembly, wherein the base is formed by a stamping process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Figure 1 and Figure 8 Two different liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 according to embodiments of the present technology are shown. The liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 are configured to cool corresponding heat generating electronic components 50, 50' (respectively at Figure 2 and Fig. 9 ) for cooling. In this example, each of the heat generating electronic components 50, 50' is a central processing unit (CPU). For example, each heat generating electronic component 50, 50' can be part of a corresponding server running in a data center. In use, the heat generating electronic components 50, 50' generate a large amount of heat, and as is known, the heat generating electronic components 50, 50' can benefit from cooling. It is contemplated that each of the heat generating electronic components 50, 50' can be any other suitable heat generating electronic component (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU)). The heat generating electronic components 50, 50' can be different types of heat generating electronic components from each other (e.g., a CPU and a GPU, respectively).

[0041] As will be described in detail below, the liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 are part of the same series of liquid cooling assemblies. It is noteworthy that each liquid cooling assembly 100, 200 in the series of liquid cooling assemblies includes a liquid cooling block 10 of a common type having an internal fluid conduit for circulating a cooling fluid through the internal fluid conduit. In other words, the liquid cooling block 10 can be used in an assembly of any one of the liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200. This can allow the use of the same series of liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 for cooling different heat-generating electronic components 50, 50' without having to produce a total of different models of liquid cooling blocks to accommodate any of the heat-generating electronic components 50, 50'.

[0042] Now refer to Figures 1 to 3 , Figures 5 to 7 A liquid cooling block 10 is described, wherein the liquid cooling block 10 is shown forming a part of a liquid cooling assembly 100 .

[0043] like Figure 5 As best shown in FIG. 1 , the liquid cooling block 10 has a base 12 and a cover 14 that are connected to each other to form the liquid cooling block 10. In particular, the base 12 and the cover 14 together define an internal fluid conduit 15 (eg, Figure 5 ), a cooling fluid circulates within the internal fluid conduit 15 to absorb heat from the heat-generating electronic components (50 or 50'). The internal fluid conduit 15 extends from the inlet 17 of the liquid cooling block 10 to the outlet 19. In this embodiment, the cooling fluid circulated through the internal fluid conduit 15 is softened water. However, in other embodiments, the cooling fluid can be any other suitable cooling fluid (e.g., a refrigerant). In some embodiments, the cooling fluid is capable of achieving two-phase flow, so that the cooling fluid can be transformed from a liquid phase to a gas phase based on the temperature of the cooling fluid, and vice versa from a gas phase to a liquid phase. Therefore, the cooling fluid circulating in the liquid cooling block 10 will be in a liquid phase at certain locations, but the cooling fluid is not necessarily completely in a liquid phase (e.g., when the temperature of the cooling fluid reaches a certain value, the cooling fluid can evaporate from a liquid to a gas).

[0044] like Figure 7As shown in , the base 12 has a lower portion 16 and an upper portion 18 disposed above the lower portion 16. The outer periphery of the lower portion 16 is smaller than the outer periphery of the upper portion 18, and therefore, the upper portion 18 forms a peripheral shoulder 24 that extends outwardly from the upper end of the lower portion 16. The peripheral shoulder 24 defines a shoulder surface 26 on the lower side 20 of the base 12. The lower portion 16 is also approximately centrally located relative to the upper portion 18. In the present embodiment, the lower portion 16 is generally square, and therefore the lower portion 16 has four outer surfaces 29, one of the four outer surfaces being at Figure 7 Shown in.

[0045] The lower portion 16 defines a thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10, which is arranged on the lower side 20 of the base 12. The thermal contact surface 22 is the surface of the base 12 through which heat is primarily transferred to the liquid cooling block 10. Therefore, in use, the thermal contact surface 22 is placed in thermal contact with another surface from which heat will be absorbed. The thermal contact surface 22 is parallel to the shoulder surface 26 and is offset relative to the shoulder surface 26 in the height direction of the liquid cooling block 10, which is orthogonal to the thermal contact surface 22.

[0046] Reference Figure 5 , the upper portion 18 of the base 12 defines an upper base surface 28, which is arranged on the upper side 21 of the base 12 and can be accessible from the upper side 21 of the base 12. The upper portion 18 also includes a retaining lip portion 30, which extends upward from the upper base surface 28 and is arranged in a circumferential direction around the upper base surface 28. In this regard, a recessed portion 32 is defined by the upper base surface 28 and the retaining lip portion 30. The recessed portion 32 is shaped and dimensioned to at least partially accommodate the cover 14 in the recessed portion 32. Notably, in this embodiment, the recessed portion 32 is generally square, which is defined, for example, by the square shape of the retaining lip portion 30.

[0047] like Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, the upper base surface 28 defines a channel 34 that partially forms the internal fluid conduit 15 of the liquid cooling block 10. In particular, the channel 34 establishes a path for the internal fluid conduit 15, thereby guiding the cooling fluid circulating in the internal fluid conduit 15 from the inlet 17 of the liquid cooling block 10 through the liquid cooling block 10 to the outlet 19. In different embodiments, the channel 34 can have any suitable shape. For example, the channel 34 can be shaped to partially define a serpentine path from the inlet 17 to the outlet 19. Examples of different shapes that the channel 34 can have are described in more detail in European patent application 18315027.5 filed on September 4, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] In the present embodiment, the base 12 is a one-piece component that is integrally made, such that the base 12 is formed of a continuous material. Therefore, the base 12 may also be referred to as a "base body".

[0049] In particular, refer to Fig.12 In the present embodiment, the base 12 is at least partially formed by stamping. More specifically, the punch 300 is pressed onto the material of the base 12 from the upper side 21, which is a flat plate member in an initial state. In this regard, the punch 300 deforms the material of the flat plate member to form the above-mentioned shape of the base 12, i.e., the base 12 includes a lower portion 16, an upper portion 18, and a recessed portion 32. Forming the base 12 by stamping can be cost-effective, particularly when many such parts are repeatedly manufactured, especially because the height of the unprocessed flat plate member is lower than the height of the formed base 12. In other embodiments, the base 12 can be formed in different ways.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the cover 14 is a plate-like member that is generally planar and is shaped to be received within the recessed portion 32. The cover 14 has an upper (outer) surface 36 and a lower (inner) surface 38 located on opposite sides of the cover 14. Figure 3As shown in , in the present embodiment, the cover 14 defines an inlet opening 23 and an outlet opening 25, which extend from the upper surface 36 to the lower surface 38. The inlet opening 23 and the outlet opening 25 correspond to the inlet 17 and the outlet 19 of the liquid cooling block 10, respectively. In this regard, the cooling fluid is fed into the internal fluid conduit 15 through the inlet opening 23 of the cover 14, and is discharged from the internal fluid conduit 15 through the outlet opening 25 of the cover 14. The inlet conduit 40 and the outlet conduit 42 are connected to the cover 14 at the inlet opening 23 and the outlet opening 25, respectively, to fluidly connect the internal fluid conduit 15 to an external cooling fluid source. For example, in a data center, the external cooling fluid source may include a circuit of a cooling device including one or more dry coolers installed outside the data center. Therefore, in the present embodiment, during use, the cooling fluid is continuously recirculated between the external cooling fluid source and the liquid cooling block 10.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the cover 14 is received in the recessed portion 32 of the base 12, wherein the lower surface 36 of the cover 14 faces the upper base surface 28. In particular, the lower surface 36 is placed in contact with the upper base surface 28. Therefore, the internal fluid conduit 15 of the liquid cooling block 10 is defined by the lower surface 36 of the cover 14 and the channel 34 of the base 12. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the cover 14 may define a channel in the lower surface 36 that is complementary to the channel 34 of the base 12. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the channel 34 may be omitted from the base 12, and the cover 14 may define a channel.

[0052] In this embodiment, the thickness of the cover 14 is approximately equal to the height of the retaining lip portion 30, so that when the cover 14 is in place in the recessed portion 32, the upper (outer) surface 38 of the cover 14 is approximately flush with the upper surface of the retaining lip portion 30. In addition, in this embodiment, the cover 14 is welded to the base 12 along the periphery of the cover 14. For example, the cover 14 can be laser welded to the base 12. The relatively small periphery of the cover 14 helps to limit the temperature increase of the cover 14 and the base 12 during welding. It is noted that welding the cover 14 to the base 12 generally increases the temperature of the cover 14 and the base 12, and therefore, providing a cover with a larger periphery will increase the amount of time that the cover 14 and the base 12 are exposed to the elevated temperature, which may cause deformation of the cover 14 and / or the base 12.

[0053] Continue to refer to Figures 1 to 7, the liquid cooling assembly 100 will now be described in more detail. The liquid cooling assembly 100 includes a liquid cooling block 10 as previously described and a heat spreading base 60 that at least partially receives the liquid cooling block 10, the heat spreading base 60 being configured to be positioned between the liquid cooling block 10 and the heat generating electronic components 50 so that in use, heat is transferred from the heat generating electronic components 50 to the heat spreading base 60 and then to the liquid cooling block 10.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the heat spread base 60 has a base body 62 having substantially the same configuration as the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10. It should be noted that the base body 62 includes a lower portion 64 and an upper portion 66 disposed above the lower portion 64. The periphery of the lower portion 64 is smaller than the periphery of the upper portion 66, and in this regard, the upper portion 66 forms a peripheral shoulder 72 extending outwardly from the upper end of the lower portion 64. The peripheral shoulder 72 defines a shoulder surface 74 on the lower side 68 of the base body 62. The lower portion 64 is also positioned approximately centrally relative to the upper portion 66. In this embodiment, the lower portion 64 is approximately square. The lower portion 64 defines a thermal contact surface 70 of the heat spread base 60, which is disposed on the lower side 68 of the base body 62. As Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 5 , the thermal contact surface 70 is configured to be placed in thermal contact with the heat generating electronic component 50. In this regard, the thermal contact surface 70 is the surface of the heat spreading base 60 through which heat is primarily transferred to the heat spreading base 60.

[0055] The upper portion 66 of the base body 62 defines an upper base surface 76 accessible from an upper side 69 of the base body 62. The upper portion 66 also includes a retaining lip portion 78 that extends upward from the upper base surface 76 and is disposed around the upper base surface 76. In this regard, a recessed portion 80 is defined by the upper base surface 76 and the retaining lip portion 76. The recessed portion 80 is shaped and sized to at least partially receive the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10. In particular, in the present embodiment, the recessed portion 80 is generally square to correspond to the square shape of the lower portion 16 of the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10. In fact, in the present embodiment, the retaining lip portion 78 has four inner surfaces 79 that form the square shape of the recessed portion 80.

[0056] It should be understood that, unlike the upper base surface 28 of the liquid cooling block 10, the upper base surface 76 does not define a channel similar to the channel 34 of the base 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, the base body 62 is identical to the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10, except that the channel 34 is omitted from the base body 62. In this regard, in this embodiment, the base body 62 is formed in the same manner as the base 12. In particular, in this embodiment, the base body 62 is also formed by stamping. As will be described in more detail below, these similarities between the base 12 and the heat spreading base 60 can further simplify the manufacture of the liquid cooling assembly 100.

[0057] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the liquid cooling assembly 100 is formed by mating the liquid cooling block 10 with the heat spreading base 60. More specifically, the lower portion 16 of the liquid cooling block 10 is inserted into the recessed portion 80 defined by the heat spreading base 60. To this end, the recessed portion 80 is shaped and sized so that when the lower portion 16 is inserted into the recessed portion 80, the inner surface 79 of the retaining lip portion 78 defining the recessed portion 80 is closely matched with the outer surface 29 of the lower portion 16, so that the lower portion 16 can be inserted into and removed from the recessed portion 80 by hand. Therefore, the retaining lip portion 78 of the heat spreading base 60 surrounds the lower portion 16 of the liquid cooling block 10, and thereby restricts the movement of the liquid cooling block 10 relative to the heat spreading base 60 in the horizontal direction (e.g., forward, backward, and lateral).

[0058] Once the liquid cooling block 10 is received by the heat spreading base 60, the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 contacts the upper base surface 76 of the heat spreading base 60. In this regard, in use, when the liquid cooling assembly 100 is mounted on the heat generating electronic component 50, heat is transferred from the heat generating electronic component 50 to the heat spreading base 60 through the thermal contact surface 70 of the heat spreading base 60, with the thermal interface material disposed between the thermal contact surface 70 and the heat generating electronic component 50. Subsequently, heat is transferred primarily from the heat spreading base 60 to the liquid cooling block 10 via the upper base surface 76 of the heat spreading base 60 and the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 mating with each other. The heat transferred to the liquid cooling block 10 is then absorbed by the cooling fluid circulating in the internal fluid conduit 15. The heated cooling fluid is discharged through the outlet 42 of the liquid cooling block 10 and is replaced by the cooled cooling fluid entering the liquid cooling block 10 through the inlet 40. During use, this process is continuously repeated.

[0059] It will be appreciated that in the liquid cooling assembly 100, the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 and the thermal contact surface 70 of the heat spreading base 60 have the same surface area (within acceptable manufacturing tolerances). Nevertheless, the presence of the heat spreading base 60 facilitates achieving greater thermal uniformity along the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 than would be the case if the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 were to mate directly with the heat generating electronic component 50 without the intervening heat spreading base 60. In fact, by providing the heat spreading base 60, heat is spread horizontally in the heat spreading base 60 before being transferred to the liquid cooling block 10. A more uniform distribution of heat along the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 results in more efficient cooling by the liquid cooling block 10, despite some thermal resistance caused by the material of the heat spreading base 60. This is particularly advantageous, for example, in situations where the heat generating electronic component 50 generates a large amount of heat per unit surface area, such as newer higher power density CPUs.

[0060] As described above, the similarity between the heat spreading base 60 and the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10 can simplify the manufacture of the liquid cooling assembly 100. In particular, according to one embodiment, the method for manufacturing the liquid cooling assembly 100 includes producing multiple copies of the base body 62, and selecting one of the base bodies 62 to form the liquid cooling block 10, while another of the base bodies 62 is selected to be used as the heat spreading base 60. In fact, as explained above, the base body 62 is the same as the "base body" 12, except that the base body 62 does not include the channel 34. In other words, before the channel 34 is formed in the upper base surface 28 of the base body 12, the base bodies 12, 62 are identical to each other and are therefore interchangeable. Therefore, the base body 62 selected to form the liquid cooling block 10 is modified to form the channel 34, thereby obtaining the base 12 as described above. In this embodiment, the channel 34 is formed by milling the channel 34 in the upper base surface 28. Next, the cover 14 is attached to the base 12 (i.e., the base body selected to form the liquid cooling block 10) to form the liquid cooling block 10. In particular, in the present embodiment, the cover 14 is laser welded into the base 12 along the periphery of the cover 14. The lower portion 16 of the now formed liquid cooling block 10 is then inserted into the recessed portion 80 of the heat spreading base 60 so that the thermal contact surface 22 of the lower portion 16 is in thermal contact with the upper base surface 76 of the heat spreading base 60. Before the lower portion 16 is inserted into the recessed portion 80, a thermal interface material may be applied to one or both of the thermal contact surface 22 and the upper base surface 76. The thermal interface material improves the heat transfer between the heat spreading base 60 and the liquid cooling block 10 by ensuring the contact continuity between the thermal contact surface 24 and the upper base surface 76. The thermal interface material may be a thermal paste, a thermal pad, a graphite sheet, or any other compressible metal interface, and is not limited thereto.

[0061] As can be appreciated from the above, the similarity between the heat spreading base 60 and the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10 can ease the supply chain requirements needed to form the liquid cooling assembly 100. In particular, a single component can be manufactured continuously and used as both a portion of the liquid cooling block 10 and as the heat spreading base 60 for assembling various liquid cooling assemblies 100.

[0062] Now refer to Figures 8 to 11The liquid cooling assembly 200 is described. As described above, the liquid cooling assembly 200 also includes a liquid cooling block 10 for assembling the liquid cooling assembly 100. However, the number of liquid cooling blocks 10 used in the liquid cooling assembly 200 is greater than the number of liquid cooling blocks 10 used in the liquid cooling assembly 100. More specifically, the liquid cooling assembly 200 includes two of the liquid cooling blocks 10 and a heat spreading base 160 that at least partially receives the two liquid cooling blocks 10. The heat spreading base 160 is configured to be positioned between the two liquid cooling blocks 10 and the heat generating electronic component 50' so that in use, heat is transferred from the heat generating electronic component 50' to the heat spreading base 160 and then diffused to the liquid cooling block 10.

[0063] As in Fig.10 and Fig.11 As best shown in FIG. 1 , the heat spreading base 160 has a base body 162 having an upper side 164 and a lower side 166 opposite the upper side 164. The base body 162 defines a thermal contact surface 170 of the heat spreading base 160 located on the lower side 166 of the heat spreading base 160. In this embodiment, the thermal contact surface 170 is generally rectangular. The thermal contact surface 170 is configured to be placed in thermal contact with the heat generating electronic component 50' (with the thermal interface material disposed between the thermal contact surface 170 and the heat generating electronic component 50'). Thus, the thermal contact surface 170 is the surface of the heat spreading base 160 through which heat is primarily transferred to the heat spreading base 160. It should be understood that the thermal contact surface 170 has a larger surface area than the thermal contact surface 70 of the heat spreading base 60. The base body 162 also has two upper base surfaces 176 on its upper side 164. The base body 162 also includes two retaining lip portions 178 extending upward from the upper base surfaces 176 and surrounding respective ones of the upper base surfaces 176. Thus, the heat spreading base 160 defines two pockets 180, each pocket 180 being defined by one of the base surfaces 176 and a respective retaining lip portion 178. The pockets 180 are shaped and sized to at least partially receive the base 12 of the liquid cooling block 10.

[0064] like Fig.11As shown in , the liquid cooling assembly 200 is formed by mating two liquid cooling blocks 10 of the liquid cooling assembly 200 with a heat spreading base 160. More specifically, the lower portion 16 of the liquid cooling block 10 is inserted into the corresponding recessed portion 180 of the heat spreading base 160. To this end, each recessed portion 180 is shaped and sized such that when the lower portion 16 of the corresponding liquid cooling block 10 is inserted into the recessed portion 180, the inner surface 179 of the retaining lip portion 178 defining the recessed portion 180 and the outer surface 29 of the lower portion 16 are closely matched, so that the lower portion 16 can be inserted into and removed from the recessed portion 180 by hand. Therefore, the retaining lip portion 178 of the heat spreading base 160 surrounds the lower portion 16 of the corresponding liquid cooling block 10, thereby limiting the movement of the lower portion 16 relative to the heat spreading base 160 in the horizontal direction (e.g., forward, backward, and sideways). Prior to inserting the lower portion 16 into the corresponding pocket 180 , a thermal interface material may be applied to one or both of: each of the thermal contact surfaces 22 , and the upper base surface 176 .

[0065] It can be understood from the above that in order to assemble one of the liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 in the series of liquid cooling assemblies, an appropriate number of liquid cooling blocks 10 are selected to cooperate with one of the heat spreading bases 60, 160 to form a corresponding liquid cooling assembly in the liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200. It is worth noting that in the present embodiment, when the liquid cooling assembly 100 is assembled to cool the heat generating electronic component 50, a single liquid cooling block 10 in the liquid cooling blocks 10 is selected to cooperate with the heat spreading base 60. On the other hand, when the liquid cooling assembly 200 is assembled to cool the heat generating electronic component 50', two liquid cooling blocks in the liquid cooling blocks 10 are selected to cooperate with the heat spreading base 160. Once the number of liquid cooling blocks 10 is selected, the liquid cooling blocks 10 are partially inserted into the corresponding pockets 80 of the heat spreader base 60 and the pockets 180 of the heat spreader base 160 so that the thermal contact surface 22 of the liquid cooling block 10 contacts the upper base surface 76 of the heat spreader base 60 or contacts the upper base surface 176 of the heat spreader base 160.

[0066] Although in the above-described embodiment, the heat spreader base 60 has one recessed portion 80 and the heat spreader base 160 has two recessed portions 180, it should be understood that the number of recessed portions 80, 180 may vary in different embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the heat spreader base 60 may define two recessed portions, while the heat spreader base 160 defines three recessed portions. In other words, the number of recessed portions 180 of the heat spreader base 160 is simply greater than the number of recessed portions 80 of the heat spreader base 60 (and the number of recessed portions 80 is at least one) so that the two liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 are different in terms of the amount of liquid cooling blocks 10 used.

[0067] Therefore, it should be understood that the two liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 are suitable for cooling heat-generating electronic components 50, 50' having different sizes, and the two liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200 use the same model of liquid cooling block 10 to achieve this function. It should be understood that this can bring significant economic benefits to operators (e.g., data center operators) because it is necessary to ensure that only a single model of liquid cooling block 10 is produced to assemble both liquid cooling assemblies 100, 200.

[0068] It is contemplated that methods for manufacturing a liquid cooling assembly 100 according to some non-limiting embodiments of the present technology may be represented as presented in the following numbered items.

[0069] Item 1. A method for manufacturing a liquid cooling assembly (100), the method comprising: producing a first base body (12) and a second base body (62), each of the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) comprising: an upper base surface (28, 76) located on an upper side (21, 69) of the base body (12, 62); a retaining lip portion (30, 78), the retaining lip portion (30, 78) extending upward from the upper base surface (28, 76), the retaining lip portion (30, 78) together with the upper base surface (28, 76) defining a recessed portion (32, 80); a lower portion (16, 64), the lower portion (16, 64) defines a thermal contact surface (70) located on the lower side (68) of the base body (62), the lower portion (16, 64) defines a lower periphery; and an upper portion (18, 66), the upper portion (18, 66) is disposed above the lower portion (16, 64) and extends outward from the lower portion (16, 64), the upper portion (18, 66) defines an upper periphery, the upper periphery is larger than the lower periphery; select any one of the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) to form a liquid through the selected corresponding base body A cooling block (10); a channel (34) is formed in the upper base surface (28) of the selected base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62); a cover (14) is attached to the selected base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) to form a liquid cooling block (10), the internal fluid conduit (15) of the liquid cooling block (10) being defined between the channel (34) of the selected base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) and the lower surface (36) of the cover (14); and the first base body (12) and the second base body are attached to the upper base surface (28) of the cover (14) to form a liquid cooling block (10), the internal fluid conduit (15) of the liquid cooling block (10) being defined between the channel (34) of the selected base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) The lower portion (16) of the selected base body among the base bodies (62) is inserted into the recessed portion (80) of the other base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62), so that the thermal contact surface (22) of the selected base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) is in thermal contact with the upper base surface (76) of the other base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62), and the thermal contact surface (70) of the other base body among the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) is configured to be in thermal contact with the heat generating electronic component (50).

[0070] Item 2. A method according to Item 1, wherein, before a channel (34) is formed in an upper base surface (28) of a selected one of the first base body (12) and the second base body (62), the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) are identical to each other so as to be interchangeable.

[0071] Item 3. The method according to item 1 or item 2 also includes applying a thermal interface material on at least one of the following: a thermal contact surface (22) of a base body selected from the first base body (12) and the second base body (62); and an upper base surface (76) of the other base body in the first base body (12) and the second base body (62).

[0072] Item 4. A method according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein attaching the cover (14) to a selected one of the first base body (12) and the second base body (62) includes: welding the cover (14) to the selected one of the first base body (12) and the second base body (62).

[0073] Item 5. A method according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein forming the channel (34) includes milling the channel (34) in an upper base surface (28) of a selected one of the first base body (12) and the second base body (62).

[0074] Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of the present technology will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present technology is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a liquid cooling assembly in a series of liquid cooling assemblies comprising at least a first liquid cooling assembly and a second liquid cooling assembly, the method include: providing a plurality of liquid cooling blocks, each of the liquid cooling blocks defining an internal fluid conduit through which a cooling fluid circulates, each of the liquid cooling blocks having a block thermal contact surface, the block thermal contact surface of each of the liquid cooling blocks having the same surface area; providing a first heat spreader base having a first thermal contact surface on a lower side of the first heat spreader base, the first thermal contact surface being configured to be in thermal contact with a first heat generating electronic component, the first heat spreader base defining at least one first recessed portion on an upper side of the first heat spreader base; providing a second heat spreader base having a second thermal contact surface on a lower side of the second heat spreader base, the second thermal contact surface being configured to be in thermal contact with a second heat generating electronic component, the second heat spreader base defining a plurality of second recessed portions on an upper side of the second heat spreader base, the second thermal contact surface has a surface area greater than that of the first thermal contact surface, so that the first thermal contact surface and the second thermal contact surface are suitable for mounting on the first heat generating electronic component and the second heat generating electronic component, respectively, The number of the second recessed portions is greater than the number of at least one of the first recessed portions; When assembling the first liquid cooling assembly: selecting at least one of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks to cooperate with the first heat spreading base to form the first liquid cooling assembly suitable for cooling the first heat generating electronic component; as well as inserting at least one of the selected liquid cooling blocks at least partially into a corresponding one of the at least one first recessed portion of the first heat spreading base, The block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least one liquid cooling block is in contact with an upper base surface of the first heat spreading base defining a corresponding one of the at least one first recessed portion; as well as When assembling the second liquid cooling assembly: selecting at least two of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks to cooperate with the second heat spreading base to form the second liquid cooling assembly adapted to cool the second heat generating electronic component; as well as inserting each of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks at least partially into a corresponding one of the second recessed portions of the second heat spreading base; The block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks is in contact with an upper base surface of the second heat spreading base defining a corresponding one of the second pockets.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, Each of the liquid cooling blocks has a lower portion defining the block thermal contact surface of the liquid cooling block; When assembling the first liquid cooling assembly, inserting the selected at least one liquid cooling block comprises: inserting the lower portion of the selected at least one liquid cooling block into at least one of the first recessed portions; and When assembling the second liquid cooling assembly, inserting the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks includes inserting the lower portions of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks into the second recessed portion.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: applying a thermal interface material to at least one of: (i) each upper base surface of the first heat spreading base defining at least one of the first recessed portions, and (ii) the block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least one of the liquid cooling blocks when the first liquid cooling assembly is assembled; as well as When assembling the second liquid cooling assembly, a thermal interface material is applied to at least one of: (i) each upper base surface of the second heat spreading base defining a corresponding one of the second recessed portions, and (ii) the block thermal contact surface of each of the selected at least two liquid cooling blocks.

4. The method according to claim 1, in, At least one of the first pockets and the second pocket is sized to mate closely with a portion of each of the liquid cooling blocks.

5. The method according to claim 1, in: The first heat spreading base is generally square; and The second heat spreading base is generally rectangular.

6. The method according to claim 1, in, At least one of the first recessed portions is a single first recessed portion.

7. The method according to claim 1, in, The plurality of second recessed pockets are two second recessed pockets.

8. The method according to claim 1, in, The liquid cooling blocks are identical to each other.

9. The method according to claim 1, in, Each of the liquid cooling blocks includes a base and a cover connected to the base, and the internal fluid conduit of each of the liquid cooling blocks is defined between the base and the cover of the liquid cooling block.

10. The method according to claim 1, in, The surface area of ​​the second thermal contact surface is at least twice the surface area of ​​the first thermal contact surface.

11. A system for assembling a liquid cooling assembly in a series of liquid cooling assemblies comprising at least a first liquid cooling assembly and a second liquid cooling assembly, the system include: a plurality of liquid cooling blocks, each of the liquid cooling blocks defining an internal fluid conduit through which a cooling liquid is circulated, each of the liquid cooling blocks having a block thermal contact surface, the block thermal contact surfaces of the liquid cooling blocks having the same surface area; a first heat spreader base having a first thermal contact surface on a lower side of the first heat spreader base, the first thermal contact surface being configured to be in thermal contact with a first heat generating electronic component, the first heat spreader base defining at least one first recessed portion on an upper side of the first heat spreader base; as well as a second heat transfer base having a second thermal contact surface on a lower side of the second heat transfer base, the second thermal contact surface being configured to be in thermal contact with a second heat generating electronic component, the second heat transfer base defining a plurality of second recessed portions on an upper side of the second heat transfer base, the second thermal contact surface has a surface area greater than that of the first thermal contact surface, so that the first thermal contact surface and the second thermal contact surface are suitable for mounting on the first heat generating electronic component and the second heat generating electronic component, respectively, The number of the second recessed portions is greater than the number of at least one of the first recessed portions; Wherein, when the first liquid cooling assembly is assembled: at least one of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks is at least partially received within a corresponding one of at least one of the first pockets defined by the first heat spreading base; and the block thermal contact surface of each of the at least one liquid cooling block being in thermal contact with an upper base surface of the first heat spreading base defining a corresponding one of the at least one first recessed portion; and Wherein, when the second liquid cooling assembly is assembled: at least two of the plurality of liquid cooling blocks are at least partially received within respective ones of the second pockets defined by the second heat spreading base; and The block thermal contact surface of each of the at least two liquid cooling blocks is in thermal contact with an upper base surface of the second heat spreading base defining a corresponding one of the second pockets.

12. The system according to claim 11, in: Each of the liquid cooling blocks comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion defining the block thermal contact surface of the liquid cooling block, the outer periphery of the lower portion being smaller than the outer periphery of the upper portion; when the first liquid cooling assembly is assembled, the lower portion of each of the at least one liquid cooling block is received in a corresponding one of the at least one first pocket portions; as well as When the second liquid cooling assembly is assembled, the lower portion of each of the at least two liquid cooling blocks is received in a corresponding one of the second pocket portions.

13. The system according to claim 11, in, At least one of the first pockets and the second pocket is sized to mate closely with a portion of each of the liquid cooling blocks.

14. The system according to claim 11, in, At least one of the first recessed portions is a single first recessed portion.

15. The system according to claim 11, in, The surface area of ​​the second thermal contact surface is at least twice the surface area of ​​the first thermal contact surface.

Images