Adjustable Conductive Plastic Cold Plate for Varying Component Heights
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid cooling systems for computing devices face challenges in accommodating heat generating components of varying heights, as conventional cold plates often cannot adjust to different component sizes without altering their structure, leading to inefficiencies in heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A conductive plastic cold plate system with a heat plate bay and adjustable gasket mechanism that allows the heat plate to be positioned at different heights, enabling the same cold plate to be used with multiple component types by altering the gasket height to match the specific component height, thus maintaining effective heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cold plates are used with fixed structure, then manufacturing is simple, but they cannot accommodate components of varying heights
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate incorporates an adjustable heat plate support mechanism that allows the heat plate to be positioned at different heights. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same cold plate to accommodate components of varying heights, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity by introducing a controlled degree of flexibility to the otherwise fixed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate is divided into separate functional components including the main body, the heat plate support structure, and the heat plate itself. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the heat plate height without affecting the overall cold plate structure, enabling adaptability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular assembly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cold plate structure is altered to accommodate different component heights, then adaptability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable heat plate support mechanism serves multiple functions: it accommodates different component heights, maintains thermal contact pressure, and provides a standardized interface for various components. This multi-functionality allows a single cold plate design to replace multiple fixed-height designs, improving adaptability while actually simplifying manufacturing through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat plate acts as an intermediary component between the coolant channel and the heat-generating component. By making the heat plate height adjustable rather than modifying the entire cold plate structure, the system achieves adaptability while keeping the main cold plate body simple and easy to manufacture.
3Productivity
If fixed-height cold plates are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but heat transfer efficiency decreases for non-matching components
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable heat plate support mechanism allows optimization of thermal contact between the heat plate and the heat-generating component by adjusting the heat plate height to match the component height. This dynamic adjustment ensures maximum heat transfer efficiency for each specific component while introducing minimal complexity through a straightforward height adjustment mechanism.
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 solution allows for efficient heat transfer across components of varying heights without requiring changes to the cold plate or heat plate structure, enhancing the versatility and effectiveness of the cooling system for different computing devices.
Implementation Method 1
A cold plate can include a thermally conductive plastic forming a coolant channel that includes a heat plate formed into the thermally conductive plastic
Implementation Method 2
the cold plate can utilize liquid cooling resources such as water or coolant to transfer heat away from components of the computing device
Data Source
AI summary
Cold plates are described herein. In one example, a cold plate can include a heat plate bay coupled to a first side and a second side of a coolant channel, a heat plate removably coupled within the heat plate bay, and a gasket coupled to the heat plate to seal the heat plate within the heat plate bay to provide a fluid path between the first side and the second side of the coolant channel.