Active Pump Thermal Management for Processor Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling methods for processors in computing devices, such as laptops, are prone to overheating due to dust obstruction and inefficiencies in airflow, leading to potential malfunction or failure.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an active pump with moveable membrane structures that draws external fluid into the device, directs it over the processor, and expels it, creating a pressurized fluid flow to enhance thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If forced air cooling through small ports is used, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the system becomes susceptible to dust obstruction and overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional fan-based forced air cooling with a pump-based liquid cooling system. The pump circulates liquid through channels in direct contact with the processor, using fluid dynamics rather than gas flow to achieve heat transfer. This eliminates the need for air intake ports that are susceptible to dust obstruction, thereby maintaining reliable cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention substitutes the mechanical fan system with a liquid circulation pump system. Instead of using rotating blades to force air through heatsinks, the system uses a pump to circulate liquid through intimate contact channels, replacing the mechanical air-moving approach with a liquid-based thermal conduction approach.
2Volume of stationary object
If traditional fan-based cooling is used, then device volume can be reduced, but cooling efficiency and reliability deteriorate due to dust accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid cooling system uses hydraulic principles to circulate coolant through narrow channels that are in direct contact with the processor. The liquid flow carries heat away from the processor through convection and conduction, achieving effective temperature control in a compact configuration without the bulk required for traditional air cooling components.
3Productivity
If heatsink and fan are used, then active cooling is achieved, but the system is prone to malfunction due to obstruction by dust or objects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the vulnerable air intake and exhaust ports from the cooling system design. By using liquid circulation with channels that are filled and sealed, the system eliminates the need for open ports that could be blocked by dust or foreign objects, thereby maintaining high reliability while preserving cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid cooling system is designed to be self-contained, with the coolant circulating through sealed channels. The system does not require external air flow or user intervention to maintain its cooling function, as the liquid circulation is internally driven and isolated from environmental contaminants.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively manages processor temperature by using external fluid to cool the processor, reducing the risk of overheating and improving device reliability with a more efficient cooling mechanism that requires less volume than traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
The active pump may include one or more moveable membrane structures, the movement of which may generate a pressurized fluid flow along a path from the inlet channel to the outlet channel
Implementation Method 2
passing the drawn fluid over the at least one processor positioned within a second area of the enclosure by directing the drawn fluid from the at least one active pump through an outlet channel
Implementation Method 3
passing the drawn fluid over the at least one processor
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a system and methods for thermal management of at least one processor positioned within a computing device include drawing external fluid into an enclosure of the computing device via an inlet aperture with use of at least one active pump positioned within the enclosure, directing the drawn fluid from the inlet aperture through an inlet channel formed within the enclosure to the active pump, passing the drawn fluid over the processor positioned within the enclosure by directing the drawn fluid from the active pump through an outlet channel formed within the enclosure, and expelling the drawn fluid from the enclosure of the computing device via an outlet aperture with use of the active pump after passing the drawn fluid over the processor so as to provide thermal management of the processor.