Memory cold plate and server device comprising same

Abstract

The present application relates to a memory cold plate and a server device comprising the same, the memory cold plate being used to cool at least one memory module. The memory cold plate comprises a meandering plate body, a liquid inlet connector and a liquid outlet connector. The meandering plate body is used to be in thermal contact with the memory module and comprises an internal flow channel, and the internal flow channel is used to flow a cooling liquid. The liquid inlet connector is arranged at one end of the meandering plate body and communicates with the internal flow channel. The liquid outlet connector is arranged at the other end of the meandering plate body and communicates with the internal flow channel. The memory cold plate of the present application reduces the manufacturing cost and improves the heat dissipation efficiency by simplifying the structural design of the DIMM water cooling plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of server technology, and in particular to a memory cold plate and a server device containing the same. Background Technology

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

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

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

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a memory cooling plate and a server device containing it to address the above problems, thereby simplifying the structural design of the DIMM water cooling plate, reducing manufacturing costs, and improving heat dissipation performance.

[0006] The technical solution is as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a memory cold plate for cooling at least one memory module, the memory cold plate comprising:

[0008] A meandering plate includes an internal flow channel for the flow of a coolant, and the meandering plate is configured to have thermal contact with at least one of the memory modules.

[0009] A liquid inlet connector is disposed at one end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel; and

[0010] A liquid outlet connector is located at the other end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel.

[0011] The technical solution will be further explained below:

[0012] In one embodiment, the meandering plate includes a plurality of flat sections and a plurality of bent sections. The plurality of flat sections are arranged side by side, and the plurality of bent sections are respectively connected to any two adjacent flat sections, so that the plurality of flat sections and the plurality of bent sections are interleaved to jointly form the meandering plate.

[0013] The plurality of flat panels are arranged parallel to and staggered with at least one memory module, and the at least one memory module is respectively disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space between any two adjacent flat panels.

[0014] In one embodiment, the plurality of flat sections are configured to make thermal contact with at least one of the memory modules via a thermal pad.

[0015] In one embodiment, the inlet connector is used to connect to a coolant distribution device and / or a processor cold plate via a connecting pipe, and the outlet connector is used to connect to the coolant distribution device via another connecting pipe.

[0016] Secondly, this application provides a server apparatus, comprising:

[0017] One motherboard;

[0018] At least one memory module is mounted on the motherboard; and

[0019] A memory cold plate, including:

[0020] A meandering plate includes an internal flow channel for the flow of a coolant, and the meandering plate is in thermal contact with at least one of the memory modules.

[0021] A liquid inlet connector is disposed at one end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel; and

[0022] A liquid outlet connector is located at the other end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel.

[0023] In one embodiment, the meandering plate includes a plurality of flat sections and a plurality of bent sections. The plurality of flat sections are arranged side by side, and the plurality of bent sections are respectively connected to any two adjacent flat sections, so that the plurality of flat sections and the plurality of bent sections are interleaved to jointly form the meandering plate.

[0024] The plurality of flat panels are arranged in parallel and staggered configurations with at least one memory module, and the at least one memory module is respectively disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space between any two adjacent flat panels.

[0025] In one embodiment, a liquid cooling heat dissipation component is further included, wherein the liquid cooling heat dissipation component includes the memory cold plate and at least one thermal pad, the at least one thermal pad is disposed between the plurality of plate portions and at least one memory module, and the plurality of plate portions are in thermal contact with at least one memory module through the at least one thermal pad.

[0026] In one embodiment, the system further includes a central processing unit disposed on the motherboard. The liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly includes a processor cold plate and a plurality of connecting pipes. The liquid inlet connector is connected to the processor cold plate and / or a coolant distribution device through one of the connecting pipes, and the liquid outlet connector is connected to the coolant distribution device through another connecting pipe.

[0027] The aforementioned memory cold plate and the server unit containing it achieve effective heat dissipation of multiple memory modules through a single meandering flow path by designing the memory cold plate in a meandering shape to form multiple heat dissipation accommodating spaces for thermal contact. Furthermore, the meandering plate body of the memory cold plate has fluid inlets and outlets only at the head and tail ends, thereby reducing the number of connections (or welds) between the overall pipes and plates in the cooling system, and simplifying the overall structural design. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a partial three-dimensional structural diagram of a server device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the server device.

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram of the server device in the diagram.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0032] 1. Server unit; 7. Memory module; 8. Central processing unit; 9. Motherboard; 10. Liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly; 11, 12. Memory cold plate; 19. Processor cold plate; M1. Winding board; S1. Flat section; C1. Bending section; F1. Liquid inlet connector; F2. Liquid outlet connector; P1, P2, P3, P4. Connecting pipes; W1. Screw. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0035] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0038] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0039] Please see Figures 1 to 3 ,in Figure 1 This is a partial perspective view of the server device in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The exploded structure diagram of the server device in the diagram, and Figure 3 for Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram of the server device in the diagram.

[0040] The server device 1 in this embodiment includes a motherboard 9, a central processing unit 8, multiple memory modules 7, and a liquid cooling system 10. The central processing unit 8 and the memory modules 7 are all mounted on the motherboard 9. The liquid cooling system 10 is used to cool the central processing unit 8 and the memory modules 7. The memory modules 7 are, for example, dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs).

[0041] The liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly 10 includes a processor cold plate 19, a first memory cold plate 11, a second memory cold plate 12, and multiple connecting pipes P1, P2, P3, and P4.

[0042] The processor cold plate 19 is in thermal contact with the central processing unit 8 and serves to allow coolant to flow through it. The processor cold plate 19 is also in fluid communication with a coolant distribution unit (CDU, not shown) via a connecting pipe P1. Coolant is directed from the coolant distribution unit to the processor cold plate 19 to dissipate heat from the central processing unit 8. The coolant distribution unit may include, for example, a heat exchanger for cooling the coolant.

[0043] The first memory cooling plate 11 and the second memory cooling plate 12 are in thermal contact with the memory modules 7 and are used for the flow of coolant. Specifically, each of the first memory cooling plate 11 and the second memory cooling plate 12 includes a meandering plate body M1, a coolant inlet connector F1, and a coolant outlet connector F2. The meandering plate body M1 includes an internal flow channel (not shown separately) for the flow of coolant. The coolant inlet connector F1 is located at one end of the meandering plate body M1 and connects to the internal flow channel, while the coolant outlet connector F2 is located at the other end of the meandering plate body M1 and connects to the internal flow channel. The meandering plate body M1 includes multiple flat sections S1 and multiple bent sections C1. These flat sections S1 are arranged side-by-side, and each bent section C1 connects to any two adjacent flat sections S1, thus the flat sections S1 and the bent sections C1 are interleaved to form the meandering plate body M1. The overall shape of the meandering plate M1 is similar to that of a sine curve, and the internal flow channel of the meandering plate M1 is a closed flow channel.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the flat sections S1 of each memory cooling plate 11 and 12 are arranged parallel to and staggered with the corresponding memory modules 7, so that each memory module 7 is disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space (not otherwise labeled) between any two adjacent flat sections S1. Furthermore, the opposite side walls of each memory module 7 are in thermal contact with the two adjacent flat sections S1. In this way, the heat generated by the memory modules 7 is transferred to the flat sections S1 of the meandering plate body M1 by thermal conduction, and then carried away by the coolant flowing through the memory cooling plates 11 and 12, thereby achieving effective heat dissipation for these memory modules 7.

[0045] In this embodiment, the width of each plate portion S1 is less than or equal to the width of two adjacent memory modules 7. The height of the plate portion S1 is equal to the height of the memory module 7, that is, after the memory module 7 is installed in the slot, the upper edge of the memory module 7 and the upper edge of the plate portion S1 are on the same horizontal line.

[0046] By designing the memory cooling plates 11 and 12 into a meandering shape with multiple bends, several heat dissipation accommodating spaces are formed to accommodate multiple memory modules 7 and to make thermal contact with these memory modules 7, thereby achieving effective heat dissipation of multiple memory modules 7 through a single meandering flow channel (i.e., the internal flow channel of the meandering plate body M1). In addition, the meandering plate body M1 of the memory cooling plates 11 and 12 is only equipped with fluid inlets and outlets at the head and tail ends (corresponding to the locations of the liquid inlet connector F1 and the liquid outlet connector F2), thereby reducing the number of connections (or welding) between the overall pipes and plates in the cooling system, thus simplifying the overall structural design, reducing manufacturing costs, and improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0047] The inlet connector F1 of the first memory cold plate 11 is connected to the processor cold plate 19 via a connecting pipe P2. The outlet connector F2 of the first memory cold plate 11 is connected to the inlet connector F1 of the second memory cold plate 12 via a connecting pipe P3. The outlet connector F2 of the second memory cold plate 12 is connected to the coolant distribution device via a connecting pipe P4, so as to guide the coolant from the second memory cold plate 12 to the coolant distribution device. The heat exchanger of the coolant distribution device is used to cool the coolant.

[0048] With the above configuration, such as Figure 3 As shown, a series cooling flow path is formed between the processor cold plate 19, the first memory cold plate 11, and the second memory cold plate 12. Coolant flows sequentially from the coolant distribution device through the processor cold plate 19, the first memory cold plate 11, and the second memory cold plate 12, and then returns to the coolant distribution device, completing a primary side heat dissipation cycle. This effectively dissipates heat from the central processing unit 8 and the memory modules 7. The coolant flows at high speed within the cooling flow path to quickly remove heat.

[0049] In this embodiment, the server device of this application can be used for artificial intelligence (AI) computing, edge computing, and can also be used as a 5G server, cloud server or vehicle network server.

[0050] This application is not limited to the flow direction of the coolant described above. In other embodiments, the coolant flows sequentially from the coolant distribution device through the second memory cold plate, the first memory cold plate, and the processor cold plate, and then returns to the coolant distribution device.

[0051] In some implementations, the coolant distribution device also completes a secondary side heat dissipation circulation loop through the building's cooling tower and the atmospheric environment, thereby ultimately releasing heat into the environment. Liquid cooling technology effectively reduces the load on the computer room's air conditioning system, further optimizing Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).

[0052] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly further includes multiple thermal pads. These thermal pads are respectively disposed between adjacent plate sections and memory modules and are thermally coupled to the plate sections and memory modules, so that the plate sections are in thermal contact with the memory modules through the thermal pads. The thermal pads can be disposed, for example, only on the chip modules of the memory module 7 or on the entire memory module 7. In this way, the heat generated by the memory module is transferred to the plate section of the memory cold plate by thermal conduction through the thermal pads, and then the heat is carried away by the coolant flowing through the memory cold plate, thereby achieving effective heat dissipation of the memory module. In addition to conducting heat from the memory module 7 to the plate section S1, the configuration of the thermal pads can also protect the chip modules of the memory module 7 during the removal or installation of the plate section S1 or the memory module 7, preventing the plate section S1, which is mostly made of metal, from scratching the chip membrane.

[0053] In this embodiment, there are two memory cold plates, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the number of memory cold plates depends on the actual number and distribution of memory modules that need to be cooled, and may be, for example, one or more three.

[0054] In this embodiment, the cooling paths of the processor cold plate 19, the first memory cold plate 11, and the second memory cold plate 12 are connected in series, but this application is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the cooling path through the memory cold plate is independent of the cooling path through the processor cold plate. That is, the inlet and outlet connectors of the memory cold plate are directly connected to the coolant distribution device through connecting pipes, and are not connected in series with the processor cold plate. Thus, the cooling path through the memory cold plate and the cooling path through the processor cold plate are, for example, in parallel.

[0055] In this embodiment, the processor cold plate 19 and the memory cold plates 11 and 12 are directly or indirectly fixed to the motherboard by screws W1, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments, the memory cold plates are, for instance, locked to a frame fixed to the motherboard, so that the memory cold plates are indirectly fixed to the motherboard through the frame.

[0056] According to the memory cold plate and the server device containing it in the above embodiments, by designing the memory cold plate into a meandering shape to form multiple heat dissipation accommodating spaces to accommodate and thermally contact multiple memory modules, effective heat dissipation of multiple memory modules can be achieved through a single meandering flow path. Furthermore, the meandering plate body of the memory cold plate is equipped with fluid inlets and outlets only at the head and tail ends, thereby reducing the number of connections (or welding) between the overall pipes and plates in the cooling system, simplifying the overall structural design, reducing manufacturing costs, and improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0057] Furthermore, to maximize power efficiency, while the central processing unit (CPU) is cooled by a processor cold plate, the memory modules on either side are also cooled using liquid cooling via independent water cooling channels or memory cold plates connected in series with the CPU cold plate. This design reduces the load on the server room air conditioning, thereby improving overall power efficiency.

[0058] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0059] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A memory cold plate, characterized in that, The memory cold plate is used to cool at least one memory module and includes: A meandering plate includes an internal flow channel for the flow of a coolant, and the meandering plate is configured to have thermal contact with at least one of the memory modules. A liquid inlet connector is disposed at one end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel; and A liquid outlet connector is located at the other end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel.

2. The memory cold plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The meandering board includes multiple flat sections and multiple bent sections. The flat sections are arranged side by side, and the bent sections are connected to any two adjacent flat sections. Thus, the flat sections and bent sections are interleaved to form the meandering board. The plurality of flat panels are arranged parallel to and staggered with at least one memory module, and the at least one memory module is respectively disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space between any two adjacent flat panels.

3. The memory cold plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of flat sections are used to make thermal contact with at least one of the memory modules via a thermal pad.

4. The memory cold plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet connector is used to connect to a coolant distribution device and / or a processor cold plate via a connecting pipe, and the outlet connector is used to connect to the coolant distribution device via another connecting pipe.

5. A server device, characterized in that, include: One motherboard; At least one memory module is mounted on the motherboard; as well as A memory cold plate, including: A meandering plate includes an internal flow channel for the flow of a coolant, and the meandering plate is in thermal contact with at least one of the memory modules. A liquid inlet connector is disposed at one end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel; and A liquid outlet connector is located at the other end of the meandering plate and connects to the internal flow channel.

6. The server apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The meandering board includes multiple flat sections and multiple bent sections. The flat sections are arranged side by side, and the bent sections are connected to any two adjacent flat sections. Thus, the flat sections and bent sections are interleaved to form the meandering board. The plurality of flat panels are arranged in parallel and staggered configurations with at least one memory module, and the at least one memory module is respectively disposed in a heat dissipation accommodating space between any two adjacent flat panels.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a liquid cooling heat dissipation component, wherein the liquid cooling heat dissipation component includes the memory cold plate and at least one thermal pad, the at least one thermal pad is disposed between the plurality of plate portions and at least one memory module, and the plurality of plate portions are in thermal contact with at least one memory module through the at least one thermal pad.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a central processing unit disposed on the motherboard, wherein the liquid cooling heat dissipation assembly further includes a processor cold plate and a plurality of connecting pipes, the liquid inlet connector is connected to the processor cold plate and / or a coolant distribution device through one of the connecting pipes, and the liquid outlet connector is connected to the coolant distribution device through another connecting pipe.

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