Power supply housing with intramural channel

Abstract

A power supply includes a housing and power-supply components disposed inside the housing. The housing has a front end, a rear end, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a cold plate. The cold plate comprises a plate inlet, a plate outlet, and an intramural channel that passes through the cold plate between interior and exterior walls thereof. The intramural channel extends between the plate inlet and the plate outlet. The cold plate connects to at least one power-supply component. As a result, heat from the power-supply component is transferred to coolant in the intramural channel via conduction to enable the coolant to convey the heat outside of the housing.

Description

[0001] 30256-014W01

[0002] POWER SUPPLY HOUSING WITH INTRAMURAL CHANNEL

[0003] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0004]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 63 / 687,457, filed on August 27, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0005] Background

[0006]

[0002] A power supply includes a housing having heat-generating components and a heat-disposal system. A known heat disposal system is a plate having pipes extending therethrough and to circulate coolant through the pipes. Heat from the internal components of the power supply then flows through the housing, through the plate, and into the coolant. This heat is then disposed of outside the power supply.

[0007]

[0003] A difficulty with this approach is that the plate has a thickness. As the housing has become smaller, the plate’s thickness has remained substantially the same. Accordingly, the plate now accounts for a significant fraction of the power supply’s thickness.

[0008] Summary

[0009]

[0004] The invention remedies the foregoing difficulty by passing the coolant through the walls of the housing.

[0010]

[0005] In one aspect, the invention features a power supply that includes a housing and power-supply components disposed therein, among which is a first power-supply component. The housing has front and rear ends, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a cold plate. The cold plate includes a plate inlet, a plate outlet, and intramural channel that passes through the cold plate between the plate inlet and the plate outlet and that extends between the plate inlet and the plate outlet. The cold plate is connected to the first powersupply complement in such a way as to provide thermal communication via conduction with the first power-supply component. As a result, heat from the first power-supply component is transferred to coolant in the intramural channel via conduction. This enables the coolant to convey the heat outside of the housing. 30256-014W01

[0011]

[0006] Among the embodiments are those in which the intramural channel follows a serpentine path through the cold plate and those in which it follows a meandering path through the cold plate.

[0012]

[0007] Still other embodiments are those that include a connecting channel that connects to the intramural channel. Among these are embodiments in which the connecting channel extends perpendicular to the intramural channel. Also among these are embodiments in which the connecting channel extends along a direction that is parallel to a vector that has a non-zero component in a direction perpendicular to the intramural channel.

[0013]

[0008] Among the embodiments that include a connecting channel are those in which the cold plate is a first cold plate and the housing includes a second cold plate. In such embodiments, the connecting channel provides fluid communication between the first cold plate and the second cold plate.

[0014]

[0009] Embodiments further include those in which the first power-supply component includes a heat sink that is in thermal communication with the cold plate, those in which the first power-supply component includes a semiconductor component that is in thermal communication with the cold plate, and those in which the first powersupply component includes a magnetic component that is in thermal communication with the cold plate.

[0015]

[0010] Still other embodiments include those in which the plate inlet is at the rear end and the plate outlet is at the front end; those in which the plate inlet is at the front end and the plate outlet is at the rear end; and those in which the plate inlet is at the rear end and the plate outlet is at the rear end.

[0016]

[0011] In some embodiments, the cold plate is a first cold plate, and the housing includes a second cold plate that extends along a plane that is parallel to the first cold plate and separated therefrom by the housing’s width. In such embodiments, the plate inlet is at the rear end and the plate outlet is at the front end. Such embodiments also include a connector that provides fluid communication between the intramural channel that passes through the first cold plate and an intramural channel that passes through the second cold plate.

[0017]

[0012] In still other embodiments, the cold plate includes a horizontal section, a first vertical section, and a second vertical section. In these embodiments, the horizontal 30256-014W01 section, the first vertical section, and the second vertical section are integral with each other. In addition, the plate inlet is at the rear end and the plate outlet is at the rear end.

[0018]

[0013] In other embodiments, the intramural path is configured to cause coolant to flow from the rear end towards the front end and the intramural path is configured to cause coolant to flow from the front end towards the rear end.

[0019]

[0014] In another aspect, the invention features a method that includes dissipating heat from a power supply that comprises comprising a housing and power-supply components disposed inside the housing. The housing comprises a front end, a rear end, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a cold plate. The cold plate comprises a plate inlet, a plate outlet, and an intramural channel that passes through the cold plate. This intramural channel extends between the plate inlet and the plate outlet. The cold plate is connected to the first power- supply component to provide thermal communication via conduction with at least one power-supply component, The method includes transferring heat from the first power- supply component to coolant in the intramural channel via conduction to enable the coolant to convey the heat outside of the housing.

[0020]

[0015] These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptions and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Description of Drawings

[0022]

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a power supply;

[0023]

[0017] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the interior of the power supply shown in FIG. 1.

[0024]

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the interior of the housing of the power supply shown in FIG. 1.

[0025]

[0019] FIG. 4 shows the cold plates with a transverse connection therebetween;

[0026]

[0020] FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of a cold plate from the power supply of FIG. 1;

[0027]

[0021] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the cold plate of FIG. 4;

[0028]

[0022] FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the intramural channel of the cold plate in FIG. 5; 30256-014W01

[0029]

[0023] FIG. 8 shows an alternative cold plate for the power supply shown in FIG. 1; and

[0030]

[0024] FIG. 9 shows another alternative cold plate for the power supply shown in FIG. 1.

[0031] Detailed Description

[0032]

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a power supply 10 having a housing 12. At its rear end 14, the housing 10 includes a housing inlet 16 through which a cooling fluid enters the housing 12 and a housing outlet 18 through which the cooling fluid exits the housing after having absorbed heat generated inside the housing 12. An external pump provides energy to cause the fluid to flow through the housing inlet 16 and out the housing outlet 18. The housing 12 comprises a first cold-plate 20 and a second cold-plate 22, both of which extend in a longitudinal direction from the housing’s rear end to its front end. The housing inlet 16 and the housing outlet 18 provide fluid communication with the first cold-plate 20 and the second cold-plate 22, respectively.

[0033]

[0026] A power supply 10 of the type described herein handles considerable amounts of electrical current through electrical connectors that connect at the rear end 14. These electrical connectors comprise an electrical conductor through which current passes. In the course of passing through the conductor, ohmic heating occurs. This ohmic heating depends on how much charge flows through a given volume of the conductor, i.e., on current density. Since ohmic heating is proportional to current density, it is useful for the electrical connectors to be as large as possible. Doing so reduces current density by spreading the current over a larger region of a conducting medium. As a result, for any current, the current density within any region of the electrical connector becomes smaller, thereby reducing heating, and hence, reducing ohmic losses.

[0034]

[0027] The use of such large connectors requires considerable free space at the rear end 14 of the power supply 10. In conventional air-cooled power supplies, much of the free space at the rear end 14 is taken up by air vents. These air vents thus limit the size of the electrical connectors that can be used.

[0035]

[0028] Since the power supply 10 described herein is liquid cooled, the spaceconsuming air vents can be eliminated. This makes more space available to accommodate enlarged electrical connectors at the rear end 14, thereby reducing ohmic heating losses at the connectors. To further maximize usable space, the housing inlet 16 and the housing 30256-014W01 outlet 18 are placed at the corners of the rear end 14. This results in more contiguous area on the rear end 14, thereby maximizing the extent to which electrical connectors can be enlarged.

[0036]

[0029] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the interior of the power supply 10 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along a plane that is parallel to the housing floor 24 and that bisects the housing inlet 16 and the housing outlet 18. As is apparent from the figures, the first cold-plate 20 and the second cold-plate 22 connect to a housing floor 24 and a housing ceiling 26 via corresponding floor screws 28 and ceiling screws 30, respectively. A connecting channel 32 extends along a transverse direction at the front end 34 of the housing 12. This connecting channel 32 is shown in the isometric view of FIG. 4 connecting the first and second cold-plates 20, 22.

[0037]

[0030] The housing 12 houses a printed-circuit board assembly 36 on which are mounted various components that require cooling. Examples of such components are magnetic components 38, which typically include an inductor, and semiconductor components 39, which typically include capacitors. An additional component that requires cooling is a heat sink that has been installed on the printed-circuit board assembly 36. These components are in thermal communication with either the first coldplate 20 or the second cold-plate 22. As used herein, “thermal communication” refers to a connection that promotes heat transfer via conduction rather than via convection or radiation.

[0038]

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, a diffusion accelerator provides the thermal communication between the power supply component and either the first or second cold plate 20, 22. Examples of diffusion accelerators include thermally-conductive adhesive 46 and thermal interface material pads 48. These diffusion accelerators operate by changing the boundary conditions of the diffusion equation that governs heat transfer in a manner that causes the diffusion coefficient to change in a direction that increases the flux of thermal energy between the power supply component and either of the first and second cold plates 20, 22 over what it would have been in the absence of the diffusion accelerator.

[0039]

[0032] The first and second cold-plates 20, 22 are preferably made of a material having high electrical conductivity. Suitable examples include metals, such as aluminum and alloys thereof. 30256-014W01

[0040]

[0033] The first and second cold-plates 20, 22 have similar structures. As a result, FIGS. 4 and 5 show details of only the first cold-plate 20.

[0041]

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a cut-away view of the first cold-plate 20, an isometric view of which is also shown in FIG. 6. The first cold-plate 20 has an interior wall that faces the power supply’s interior and an exterior wall that faces the power supply’s exterior. The cut-away view reveals an intramural channel 44 that flows between the interior and exterior walls to as to provide fluid communication between a first-plate inlet 46 and a first-plate outlet 48. In some embodiments, the intramural channel 44 follows a meandering, or serpentine course through the first cold-plate, as a result of which coolant flows in opposite directions within the first cold-plate 20.

[0042]

[0035] FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the first cold-plate 20 in contact with a heat sink 49 on the printed-circuit board assembly 36. As is apparent from FIG. 7, the first cold-plate 20 has an inner wall 45.1 that faces the first cold-plate’s interior and an outer wall 45.2 that faces the first cold-plate’s exterior. The intramural channel 44 extends between the inner wall 45.1 and the outer wall 42.2. Preferably, the intramural channel 44 has a cross section that promotes heat transfer into coolant that flows through the intramural channel 44. A suitable cross section for the intramural channel 44 is a rectangular cross section in which the major axis of the resulting rectangle extends parallel to whichever wall contacts the power-supply component. Such a cross section can be seen in FIG. 7.

[0043]

[0036] The first-plate inlet 46 connects to the housing inlet 16. As a result, coolant enters the first cold-plate 20 and flows through towards the first-plate outlet 48. The first- plate outlet 48 connects to the connecting channel 32 so that it can flow into a corresponding second-plate inlet 50 at the front end of the second cold-plate 22. The coolant then flows through the second cofd-plate 22 towards a second-plate outlet 52 that connects to the housing outlet 18. As a result, coolant flows through the housing inlet 16, through the first cold-plate 20, through the connecting channel 32, through the second cold-plate 22, and back out through the housing outlet 18.

[0044]

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a third cold-plate 52 having a third-plate inlet 56 and a third- plate outlet 58 that are both on the rear end of the third cold-plate 52. As was the case for the first and second cold plates 20, 22, an intramural channel 44 extends between the third-plate inlet 56 and the third-plate outlet 58. 30256-014W01

[0045]

[0038] FIG. 9 shows a fourth cold-plate 60 having first and second vertical sections 62, 64 that are integral with a horizontal section 66 that is perpendicular to the first and second vertical sections 62, 64. The fourth cold-plate 60 includes a fourth-plate inlet 68 and a fourth-plate outlet 70 that are both on the rear end of the fourth cold-plate 60. As was the case for the first and second cold plates 20, 22, an intramural channel 44 extends between the fourth-plate inlet 68 and the fourth-plate outlet 70.

[0046]

[0039] Integration of a cooling system with the walls of the housing 12 through the use of intramural channels 44 offers the advantage of considerable uninterrupted space within the housing 12. This provides greater flexibility in placement of power-supply components.

[0047]

[0040] In an alternative embodiment, the intramural fluid channel 44 is placed within a heat sink 49, such as a bar-type heat sink, disposed within the housing 12. This reduces the cost of manufacturing the housing 12. However, this configuration restricts interior space by effectively dividing the housing’s interior into two sections.

[0048]

[0041] Having described the invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, what we claim as new and secured by letters patent is:

Claims

30256-014W01CLAIMS1. An apparatus comprising a power supply, said power supply comprising a housing and power-supply components disposed inside said housing, wherein said housing comprises a front end, a rear end, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a cold plate, wherein said cold plate comprises a plate inlet, a plate outlet, and an intramural channel that passes through said cold plate, wherein said intramural channel extends between said plate inlet and said plate outlet, wherein said powersupply components comprise a first power-supply component, wherein said cold plate is connected to said first power- supply component to provide thermal communication via conduction with said first power-supply component, whereby heat from said first power-supply component is transferred to coolant in said intramural channel via conduction to enable said coolant to convey said heat outside of said housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said intramural channel follows a serpentine path through said cold plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connecting channel connected to said intramural channel, wherein said connecting channel extends perpendicular to said intramural channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connecting channel, wherein said cold plate is a first cold plate, wherein said housing further comprises a second cold plate, and wherein said connecting channel provides fluid communication between said first cold plate and said second cold plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first power-supply component comprises a heat sink that is in thermal communication with said cold plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first power-supply component comprises a semiconductor component that is in thermal communication with said cold plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first power-supply component comprises a magnetic component that is in thermal communication with said cold plate.30256-014W018. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plate inlet is at said rear end and wherein said plate outlet is at said front end.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plate inlet is at said front end and wherein said plate outlet is at said rear end.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plate inlet is at said rear end and wherein said plate outlet is at said rear end.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cold plate is a first cold plate, wherein said housing comprises a second cold plate that extends along a plane that is parallel to said first cold plate, wherein a width of said housing separates said first cold plate and said second cold plate, wherein said plate inlet is at said rear end, wherein said plate outlet is at said front end, wherein said apparatus further comprises a connector that provides fluid communication between said intramural channel that passes through said first cold plate and an intramural channel that passes through said second cold plate, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a connecting channel that provides fluid communication between said intramural channel that passes through said first cold plate and said intramural channel that passes through said second cold plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cold plate comprises a horizontal section, a first vertical section, and a second vertical section, wherein said horizontal section, said first vertical section, and said second vertical section are integral with each other, wherein said plate inlet is at said rear end, and wherein said plate outlet is at said rear end.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said intramural path is configured to cause coolant to flow from said rear end towards said front end and wherein aid intramural path is configured to cause coolant to flow from said front end towards said rear end.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing inlet and said housing outlet are disposed on comers of said rear end.30256-014W0115. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rear end blocks air flow through said power supply.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power-supply components comprise a heat sink having a fluid path extending therethrough.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a diffusion accelerator, wherein said cold plate is connected to said first power-supply component via said diffusion accelerator.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thermal-interface pad, wherein said cold plate is connected to said first power-supply component via said thermal-interface-material pad.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thermally-conductive adhesive that causes adhesion between said cold plate and said first power-supply component.

20. A method comprising dissipating heat from a power supply that comprises comprising a housing and power-supply components disposed inside said housing, wherein said housing comprises a front end, a rear end, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a cold plate, wherein said cold plate comprises a plate inlet, a plate outlet, and an intramural channel that passes through said cold plate, wherein said intramural channel extends between said plate inlet and said plate outlet, wherein said power-supply components comprise a first power-supply component, wherein said cold plate is connected to said first power-supply component to provide thermal communication via conduction with said first power-supply component, said method comprising transferring heat from said first power-supply component to coolant in said intramural channel via conduction to enable said coolant to convey said heat outside of said housing.

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