Cold plate structure

Abstract

This invention provides a cold plate structure comprising a top cover, a bottom plate, and a flow distribution structure. The bottom plate includes a plurality of first heat dissipation fins and a plurality of second heat dissipation fins, with a center reference line between each of the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and each of the plurality of second heat dissipation fins. The plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins are sequentially arranged on the bottom plate along a first inclined direction and a second inclined direction, respectively, with the center reference line as the reference. The flow distribution structure is disposed on the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins. Through the flow distribution structure and the staggered arrangement of the heat dissipation fins, the problems of uneven liquid distribution, bubble backflow, and heat conduction efficiency of the flow distribution structure in traditional two-phase heat dissipation systems are effectively solved.

Description

Cold plate structure Technical Field

[0001] This work relates to a cold plate structure, and more particularly to a cold plate structure that can be used in a two-phase cooling system. Prior Technology

[0002] With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and advanced packaging processes, the wattage of chip heat sources continues to increase, making current single-phase liquid cooling solutions insufficient for future needs. Two-phase evaporative cooling can absorb a large amount of heat through the latent heat of vaporization (liquid to gas) and solve the problem of high heat flux over a single area.

[0003] Traditional cooling systems involve the flow of cooling liquid or refrigerant within a cold plate, absorbing heat through direct conduction. During two-phase cold plate cooling, a pressure drop occurs when the refrigerant converts from liquid to vapor. To address the issues of liquid distribution and pressure drop, some prior art incorporated manifolds with flow channels into the cold plate structure. However, such designs, which only have manifolds, primarily function only to distribute and guide the liquid path, lacking additional heat exchange structures. The liquid can only exchange heat through the inner wall of the flow channel. This single-surface heat conduction mechanism results in poor overall heat transfer efficiency.

[0004] Furthermore, due to the simultaneous interaction between liquid and gas within the two-phase cooling system, problems such as uneven liquid distribution and bubble backflow can still easily occur. These aforementioned limitations in heat conduction and liquid control issues both affect the overall cooling efficiency and heat transfer performance of the two-phase cooling system; therefore, further solutions are still needed in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of this cold plate structure is to solve the problems of uneven liquid distribution and bubble backflow caused by the coupling and interaction of liquid and gas in traditional two-phase heat dissipation systems.

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objective, this invention provides a heat sink structure comprising a top cover, a bottom plate, and a heat distribution structure. The bottom plate includes a plurality of first heat dissipation fins and a plurality of second heat dissipation fins. A center reference line is provided between each of the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and each of the plurality of second heat dissipation fins. The plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins are sequentially arranged on the bottom plate along a first inclined direction and a second inclined direction, respectively, with the center reference line as a reference. The heat distribution structure is disposed between the top cover and the bottom plate, and is stacked on the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins.

[0007] This invention's cold plate structure, through a distribution structure and staggered heat dissipation fins, effectively solves the problems of uneven liquid distribution, bubble backflow, and heat conduction efficiency issues in traditional two-phase cooling systems. The staggered heat dissipation fins significantly increase the heat exchange area, allowing the gas-liquid mixture to be smoothly guided to the outlet for discharge. Through this integrated structure of liquid distribution and large-area heat exchange, this invention improves the heat transfer performance and cooling efficiency of two-phase cooling systems, solving the problem of high heat generation in a single area and meeting the heat dissipation requirements of high-heat electronic components. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1A is a top exploded view of the cold plate structure of the first embodiment of this invention; Figure 1B is a bottom exploded view of the cold plate structure of the first embodiment of this invention; Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of the cold plate structure of the first embodiment; Figure 2B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the combination of the base plate and the diversion structure in the first embodiment; Figure 2C is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 2A; Figure 3A is a top view of the combination of the bottom plate and the flow divider plate in the cold plate structure of the first embodiment; Figure 3B is a magnified top view of a portion of Figure 3A; Figure 4 is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the cold plate structure; Figure 5A is a top exploded view of the cold plate structure of the second embodiment of this invention; Figure 5B is a bottom exploded view of the cold plate structure of the second embodiment of this invention; and Figure 5C is a perspective cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the cold plate structure. Implementation

[0009] The aforementioned objectives of this invention, as well as its structural and functional characteristics, will be explained with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Figure 1A is an exploded top view of the cold plate structure according to the first embodiment of this invention, and Figure 1B is an exploded bottom view of the cold plate structure according to the first embodiment of this invention. As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, this invention provides a cold plate structure 10, which can be used in a two-phase cooling system. The cold plate structure 10 includes an upper cover 11, a bottom plate 12, and a flow distribution structure 14. During assembly, the flow distribution structure 14 is disposed above the bottom plate 12, and the upper cover 11 covers the flow distribution structure 14 and is combined with the bottom plate 12.

[0011] Referring again to Figures 1A-1B, specifically, the upper cover 11 has an outer surface 117 and an inner surface 118 with a first groove 111. At least one water inlet 112 and at least one water outlet 113 are disposed on the side of the upper cover 11. A water inlet channel 114 and a water outlet channel 115 are formed inside the upper cover 11, and extend inward from the water inlet 112 and the water outlet 113 respectively and communicate with the first groove 111. The diversion structure 14 is correspondingly accommodated in the first groove 111. In addition, a plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and a plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122 are provided on the base plate 12. The plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122 are arranged in an alternating and inclined manner on the base plate 12. When the flow distribution structure 14 is combined with the base plate 12, the flow distribution structure 14 is disposed above the plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122, thereby defining a plurality of cold flow channels 123a and a plurality of hot flow channels 123b on the base plate 12.

[0012] Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of the cold plate structure of the first embodiment; Figure 2B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the combination of the base plate and the distribution structure of the first embodiment; Figure 2C is a partial enlarged view of Figure 2A. As shown in Figures 2A-2C, in detail, a first center reference line 30a and a second center reference line 30b are defined between the plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122, respectively, which are staggered. The plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122 are staggered outward (i.e., away from the first center reference line 30a) with reference to the first center reference line 30a, so that they form an angle greater than 0 degrees with each other (in this embodiment, an obtuse angle is used to describe it), and a diverging cold flow channel 123a is defined at the first center reference line 30a. Conversely, the second center reference line 30b, adjacent to the first center reference line 30a, has a different center reference line reference. Therefore, the plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122 are inclined in a converging manner on both sides of the second center reference line 30b, forming an acute angle between them, thus defining a converging heat flow channel 123b at the second center reference line 30b. By having the first center reference line 30a and the second center reference line 30b arranged alternately along a first inclined direction 31 and a second inclined direction 32 on the base plate 12, the plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122 can alternately construct a plurality of cold flow channels 123a and a plurality of hot flow channels 123b.

[0013] With the above configuration, in this invention, when the flow distribution structure 14 is combined with the base plate 12, the flow distribution structure 14 is disposed on the first heat dissipation fin 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122, and is spatially stacked above the first heat dissipation fin 121 and the second heat dissipation fins 122. Specifically, the plurality of inlet microchannels 14a of the flow distribution structure 14 are respectively stacked directly above the plurality of cold flow channels 123a, while the plurality of outlet microchannels 14b of the flow distribution structure 14 are respectively stacked directly above the plurality of hot flow channels 123b.

[0014] Figure 3A is a top view of the bottom plate and the distribution structure combined in the second embodiment. Figure 3B is a partially enlarged top view of Figure 3A. It can be clearly seen from Figures 3A and 3B that the first center reference line 30a and the second center reference line 30b are arranged alternately on the bottom plate 12. The first heat dissipation fins 121 and the second heat dissipation fins 122 located on both sides of the first center reference line 30a form a group. The first heat dissipation fins 121 and the second heat dissipation fins 122 are alternately inclined in a direction away from the first center reference line 30a, and define a diverging area that expands from the inside to the outside on the first center reference line 30a to form a cold flow channel 123a. Furthermore, the first heat dissipation fin 121 (or the second heat dissipation fin 122), which originally expanded outward based on the first center reference line 30a, becomes contracted inward when the adjacent second center reference line 30b is used as the reference. That is, the first heat dissipation fin 121 and the second heat dissipation fin 122 located on both sides of the second center reference line 30b are staggered and tilted towards the direction close to the second center reference line 30b, defining a converging region that contracts inward at the second center reference line 30b, thereby forming the heat flow channel 123b.

[0015] Referring again to Figures 2A-2B and 3A-3B, the first center reference line 30a and the second center reference line 30b are staggered on the base plate 12, so that the first heat dissipation fins 121 and the second heat dissipation fins 122 alternately construct a plurality of divergent cold flow channels 123a and a plurality of convergent hot flow channels 123b on the base plate 12 by changing the tilt direction (first tilt direction 31 or second tilt direction 32). This arrangement guides the liquid to enter from the cold flow channel 123a, flow laterally through the first heat dissipation fins 121 and the second heat dissipation fins 122 for heat exchange, and then collect in the hot flow channel 123b for discharge, achieving a high-efficiency flow field distribution and heat dissipation effect.

[0016] Figure 4 is a partial three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the cold plate structure of this invention. As shown in Figure 4, and referring to Figure 2C, the liquid path and phase change process inside the cold plate structure 10 are described below. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the upper cover 11 further includes a water inlet channel 114 and a water outlet channel 115, which are respectively connected to the water inlet 112 and the water outlet 113. The cooler liquid first enters from the water inlet 112 of the upper cover 11 and flows into the water inlet channel 114 connected thereto. Then, the liquid enters from the water inlet channel 114 into a plurality of inlet microchannels 14a. Subsequently, as shown by the downward solid arrow in Figure 2C, the liquid enters the cold channel 123a formed by the alternation of the first heat dissipation fin 121 and the second heat dissipation fin 122. The cool liquid diffuses within the first heat dissipation fin 121 and the second heat dissipation fin 122. Therefore, the cold liquid exchanges heat with the heat source and absorbs a large amount of heat. This process triggers two-phase evaporation, causing the liquid to absorb the latent heat of vaporization and transform from a liquid to a gaseous state, thus forming a gas-liquid mixture. The gas-liquid mixture, having completed the phase change and heat absorption, then diffuses and flows to the heat flow channel 123b formed by the interlacing of the first and second heat dissipation fins 121 and 122 on both sides of the second central reference line 30b, and converges to the outlet microchannel 14b of the distribution structure 14, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 2C. Finally, this gas-liquid mixture is guided to the outlet channel 115 and smoothly discharged from the cold plate structure 10 through the outlet 113, completing the entire two-phase cooling heat dissipation cycle.

[0017] Figure 5A is an exploded top view of the cold plate structure of the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5B is an exploded bottom view of the cold plate structure of the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5C is a partial three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the cold plate structure of the second embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5A-5C show that the cold plate structure 10 of the second embodiment of the present invention further includes a diversion plate 15, having a first surface 151 and a second surface 152. A diversion structure 14 is formed on the diversion plate 15 and protrudes from the first surface 151. The diversion plate 15 further has a second groove 154, which is recessed in the central region of the second surface 152 and spatially corresponds to the diversion structure 14 on the first surface 151. The diverter plate 15 has at least one opening 155 on one side, and the upper cover 11 in the first embodiment further includes at least one protrusion 116. When the upper cover 11 is combined with the diverter plate 15, the at least one protrusion 116 of the upper cover 11 is aligned with the at least one opening 155 of the diverter plate 15, and the diverter structure 14 can be accommodated in the first groove 111 of the upper cover 11. In addition, when the diverter plate 15 is disposed on the base plate 12, the second groove 154 of the diverter plate 15 can accommodate the plurality of first heat dissipation fins 121 and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins 122. Furthermore, compared with the first embodiment, the remaining components of the cold plate structure 10 in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the arrangement and connection relationship of the remaining components will not be described again here.

[0018] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this invention, the inlet microchannel 14a may have a tapered design along the liquid flow direction, and the outlet microchannel 14b may have a tapered design along the liquid flow direction. However, in different embodiments, the inlet microchannel 14a and the outlet microchannel 14b may also be rectangular microchannels without tapering or tapering designs, which is not a limitation here.

[0019] In summary, the cold plate structure 10 of this invention solves the heat dissipation problem in traditional two-phase cooling systems by using a flow-diverting structure 14 and staggered first and second heat dissipation fins 121 and 122. Liquid enters through the inlet 112 and inlet channel 114, and through the inlet microchannel 14a and outlet microchannel 14b, combined with the cold and hot flow channels 123a and 123b defined by the staggered arrangement of the first and second heat dissipation fins 121 and 122, the gas-liquid mixture is smoothly guided to the outlet channel 115 and outlet 113 for discharge. With the above structural configuration, the cold plate structure 10 of this invention can effectively improve the overall heat transfer performance and cooling efficiency of the two-phase cooling system, meeting the heat dissipation requirements of high-heat electronic components.

[0020] The invention has been described in detail above. However, the above description is only one preferred embodiment of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the invention application should still fall within the patent coverage of the invention.

[0021] 10: Cold-rolled steel plate structure 11: Top Cover 111: First Groove 112:Water inlet 113: Water outlet 114: Water Inlet Channel 115: Water outlet channel 116: Bump 117: Outer surface 118: Inner surface 12: Base Plate 121: First heat dissipation fin 122: Second heat dissipation fin 123a: Cold runner 123b: Hot runner 14: Diversion Structure 14a: Inlet microchannel 14b: Outlet microchannel 15: Diverter 151: First Page 152: Second page 154: Second groove 155: Opening 30a: First central reference line 30b: Second Center Reference Line 31: First tilt direction 32: Second tilt direction

Claims

1. A cold plate structure comprising: a top cover; a bottom plate including a plurality of first heat dissipation fins, a plurality of second heat dissipation fins, and a plurality of center reference lines, each of the plurality of center reference lines being formed between each of the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and each of the plurality of second heat dissipation fins, the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins being sequentially disposed on the bottom plate along a first inclined direction and a second inclined direction, respectively, with reference to the plurality of center reference lines; and a flow distribution structure disposed between the top cover and the bottom plate, and the flow distribution structure being disposed on the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins.

2. The cold-plate structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The flow splitting structure includes a plurality of inlet microchannels and a plurality of outlet microchannels. The plurality of inlet microchannels have a tapering design along a liquid flow direction, and the plurality of outlet microchannels have a widening design along the liquid flow direction.

3. The cold-plate structure as described in claim 2, wherein, The plurality of center reference lines can be divided into a plurality of first center reference lines and a plurality of second center reference lines, which are arranged in an alternating manner.

4. The cold plate structure as described in claim 3, wherein the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins are arranged in an alternating outward tilt with reference to the plurality of first center reference lines, so that they form an angle greater than 0 degrees with each other, and a plurality of divergent cold flow channels are defined at the plurality of first center reference lines.

5. The cold plate structure as described in claim 4, wherein the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins are inclined in a converging manner on both sides of the plurality of second center reference lines, such that the angle between them is a plurality of acute angles, and a plurality of converging heat flow channels are defined at the plurality of second center reference lines.

6. The cold plate structure as described in claim 3, wherein, with each of the plurality of first center reference lines as a reference, one of the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and one of the plurality of second heat dissipation fins form a group, and the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins are staggered and tilted toward a direction away from the plurality of first center reference lines.

7. The cold plate structure as described in claim 6, wherein, with each of the plurality of second center reference lines as a reference, one of the plurality of first heat dissipation fins or one of the plurality of second heat dissipation fins is another group, and the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins are tilted alternately toward the direction close to the plurality of second center reference lines.

8. The cold-plate structure as described in claim 5, wherein, The top cover includes an inlet channel and an outlet channel. A liquid flows into the plurality of inlet microchannels through the inlet channel, then enters the plurality of cold channels and diffuses to the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins, absorbing heat to generate a two-phase evaporation effect, causing the liquid to change from a liquid state to a gaseous state to form a gas-liquid mixture. The liquid then collects in the plurality of hot channels, and then flows out through the plurality of outlet microchannels to the outlet channel.

9. The cold-plate structure as described in claim 8, wherein, The top cover has at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The at least one inlet is connected to the inlet channel, and the at least one outlet is connected to the outlet channel. The liquid flows into the inlet channel from the at least one inlet and flows out from the at least one outlet through the outlet channel. The inlet channel has a tapering design along a downstream direction, and the outlet channel has a widening design along the downstream direction.

10. The cold plate structure as described in claim 1, wherein, One of the inner surfaces of the top cover has a first groove, in which the diversion structure is accommodated.

11. The cold plate structure as described in claim 2, wherein, The diversion structure is a channel segment that is continuously bent to form the plurality of inlet microchannels and the plurality of outlet microchannels.

12. The cold plate structure as described in claim 1, wherein, The first tilt direction and the second tilt direction are not parallel to each other and form an angle.

13. The cold plate structure as described in claim 1 further includes a distribution plate disposed on the base plate and having a first surface, a second surface and a second groove, the distribution structure protruding from the first surface, the second groove being recessed from the second surface, and the second groove being used to accommodate the plurality of first heat dissipation fins and the plurality of second heat dissipation fins.

14. The cold plate structure as described in claim 13, wherein, The top cover includes at least one protrusion, and one side of the diverter has at least one opening, through which the top cover is positioned and engaged with the diverter.

Images