Cold Plate Fin Bending Prevention via Brazing Support Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cold plates suffer from reduced cooling performance due to the potential bending of outer fins when the cover is brazed, leading to gaps that cause bypass flow and inefficient refrigerant flow.
Innovation Solution
The cold plate design incorporates a base plate with parallel fins, including a first fin group and a second fin group with wider fins on both sides, where the gap between the second fins is filled with brazing material to prevent bending and ensure efficient refrigerant flow, and a manufacturing method that forms cutout portions on the base plate to create these fin groups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cover covers the plurality of fins and is brazed to the base plate, then the joining strength between base plate and cover is improved, but the outer fin may be bent causing large gaps and bypass flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming support ribs on the base plate at predetermined positions before the brazing process. These support ribs are positioned to support the outer fins during the subsequent cover placement and brazing operations, preventing fin bending before it can occur. This preliminary structural preparation ensures both strong joining and maintained cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The support ribs act as intermediary elements between the base plate and the outer fins. They provide mechanical support to the fins during the brazing process, mediating the stress and force that would otherwise directly bend the fins. This intermediary structure allows the cover to be firmly joined while protecting the fins from deformation.
2Shape
If the outer fin is bent, then the gap between cover and outer fin increases, but refrigerant flow becomes restricted to bypass flow through large gaps reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The support ribs are formed in advance on the base plate to maintain the straightness and proper positioning of outer fins before the cover is attached. This preliminary structural support prevents fin bending that would create large gaps and bypass flow paths, ensuring refrigerant flows efficiently through the intended narrow gaps between fins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameter of the base plate by adding support ribs, which modifies the mechanical properties and spatial configuration in the fin region. This parameter change maintains the critical gap dimensions between fins and cover, preventing the formation of large bypass flow paths and preserving optimal refrigerant flow characteristics for high cooling efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If support ribs are formed on the base plate to prevent fin bending, then fin stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is segmented by adding discrete support ribs at specific locations where fins are most susceptible to bending. Rather than making the entire base plate more complex, the support is localized to critical areas. This segmented approach provides necessary fin stability while minimizing overall structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The support ribs provide localized quality enhancement only where needed - at the positions of outer fins that require support during brazing. The rest of the base plate maintains its original simple structure. This local quality approach improves fin stability precisely where required without unnecessarily complicating the overall base plate design or manufacturing process.
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 configuration effectively suppresses the reduction of cooling performance by preventing fin bending and bypass flow, maintaining efficient refrigerant flow and enhancing the joining strength between the base plate and cover.
Implementation Method 1
the cover may be joined to the base plate by using a brazing material, and the gap between the second fins may be filled with the brazing material
Data Source
AI summary
A cold plate includes: a base plate including a plurality of fins aligned in parallel; and a cover that covers the plurality of fins and that forms an internal space between the base plate and the cover. The plurality of fins includes: a first fin group in which a plurality of first fins having a first width are disposed on the base plate with a fixed gap in a parallel direction between each of the first fins and a second fin group in which a plurality of second fins having a width wider than the first width are disposed on the base plate with the fixed gap in the parallel direction between each of the second fins. The second fin group is disposed on both sides of the first fin group.