Fluid-Cooled Electronic Assembly Cap Flow Directing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid-cooled electronic systems experience reduced heat transfer efficiency due to cooling fluid bypassing microchannels and flowing through gaps between the cap and the electronic device, leading to increased pressure and flow rate drops, which impede effective heat dissipation, especially in high-temperature environments.
Innovation Solution
A fluid-cooled electronic assembly with a cap designed to direct cooling fluid flow into microchannels, featuring contoured inlet and outlet chambers, arcuate-shaped corners, and baffle materials to minimize turbulence and encourage fluid flow through microchannels, thereby reducing pressure drops and enhancing heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If cooling fluid is circulated through the fluid containment chamber, then heat is absorbed from the electronic device, but a significant portion of the cooling fluid bypasses the microchannels and flows through gaps between the cap and the electronic device, reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful gaps between the cap and electronic device by introducing filler material into these gaps. This eliminates the bypass paths that cause cooling fluid to avoid the microchannels, thereby directing the fluid flow through the intended heat transfer paths and improving heat transfer efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces filler material as an intermediary substance into the gaps between the cap and electronic device. This filler material acts as a mediator that blocks the bypass paths, forcing the cooling fluid to flow through the microchannels where heat transfer is intended to occur, thus resolving the contradiction between heat transfer efficiency and fluid flow rate.
2Ease of manufacture
If cooling fluid flows through gaps between the cap and electronic device, then assembly tolerances are accommodated, but heat transfer from the electronic device to the cooling fluid is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively filling only the gap regions between the cap and electronic device with filler material, while leaving the microchannels open for fluid flow. This localized intervention blocks harmful bypass paths in specific areas without affecting the overall assembly tolerance accommodation or the functionality of the microchannels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful effect of gaps by removing their functionality as fluid bypass paths through the introduction of filler material. The gaps themselves remain physically present to accommodate assembly tolerances, but their harmful fluid bypass function is extracted and eliminated, allowing tolerance accommodation without heat transfer penalty.
3Loss of energy
If the cap is designed to direct fluid flow into microchannels, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases due to contoured inlet and outlet chambers and baffle materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing the cap with integrated flow directing features that automatically guide the cooling fluid into the microchannels without requiring external control mechanisms. The contoured inlet and outlet chambers and baffle materials are built into the cap structure itself, allowing the system to self-regulate fluid flow distribution and improve heat transfer efficiency without adding complex external control systems.
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
The solution significantly improves heat transfer efficiency by reducing fluid flow through gaps and increasing fluid flow rates through microchannels, effectively managing heat dissipation in electronic devices, even in high-temperature environments.
Implementation Method 1
Heat may be transferred from an electronic device by conduction, radiation, evaporation, convection or some combination of these mechanisms. Convection typically refers to a circulating fluid (e.g., a liquid or gas) that absorbs and carries away heat from the surface of an object.
Implementation Method 2
the cap is shaped to direct a fluid flow from the fluid inlet to the microchannels such that a pressure drop between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is reduced
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A fluid-cooled electronic assembly including a base having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet therein, a cap attached to the base to form a fluid containment chamber therebetween, wherein the fluid containment chamber is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and an electronic device disposed within the fluid containment chamber and connected to the base, the electronic device having a plurality of microchannels adapted to receive a cooling fluid flow therethrough, wherein the cap is shaped to direct a fluid flow from the fluid inlet to the microchannels such that a pressure drop between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is reduced.