Flexible Cold Plate Tubes for Narrow-Pitch Memory Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid cooling systems for memory modules face challenges in accommodating narrow pitches and maintaining efficient thermal management while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly for maintenance, especially with high Thermal Design Power (TDP) requirements.
Innovation Solution
A compact liquid cooling architecture using flexible hoses and cold plate tubes with internal ribs, which are connected via manifolds, allows for efficient thermal exchange and flexible attachment to memory modules, accommodating narrow pitches and enabling easy access for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If memory modules are designed with narrower pitch to increase density, then memory capacity per unit area is improved, but thermal management becomes more difficult and access for maintenance becomes restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cold plate tubes, each capable of cooling individual memory modules. This segmentation allows the cooling solution to adapt to narrow pitch configurations by positioning specific cold plate tubes between specific memory modules, maintaining effective thermal management despite increased density.
Solution Approach 2:
Flexible hoses are used to connect the cold plate tubes to the manifolds, providing the necessary flexibility to accommodate narrow pitch memory module arrangements. The flexible connections allow the cooling system to adapt to tight spacing while maintaining proper fluid flow paths for thermal management.
2Quantity of substance
If memory modules are designed with narrower pitch to increase density, then memory capacity per unit area is improved, but access for maintenance and serviceability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system uses individually addressable cold plate tubes connected via flexible hoses to manifolds. This segmented design allows maintenance personnel to access and service specific memory modules by manipulating individual cold plate tubes and flexible hose connections, even in narrow pitch configurations where modules are tightly spaced.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible hose connections provide dynamic, movable joints that enable access to memory modules in narrow pitch arrangements. The flexibility allows the cooling system components to be moved or adjusted during maintenance operations without requiring complete disassembly of the entire cooling system.
3Temperature
If rigid cooling systems are used to ensure structural integrity, then thermal management efficiency is improved, but adaptability to narrow pitch configurations and ease of assembly/disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible hoses are used to connect the cold plate tubes to the ingress and egress manifolds, providing the necessary flexibility to adapt to narrow pitch memory module configurations. The flexible connections maintain proper fluid flow paths while accommodating tight spacing and enabling assembly/disassembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system incorporates flexible, movable connections between the cold plate tubes and manifolds, allowing the system to adapt to different pitch configurations and facilitate easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining effective thermal management through proper fluid flow.
4Adaptability or versatility
If flexible connections are used to improve adaptability and ease of assembly, then adaptability to narrow pitch and ease of maintenance is improved, but structural integrity and thermal management efficiency may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible hoses are used to connect the cold plate tubes to the manifolds, providing the necessary flexibility to adapt to narrow pitch memory module configurations. The flexible connections maintain proper fluid flow paths while accommodating tight spacing and enabling assembly/disassembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cold plate tubes, each capable of cooling individual memory modules. This segmentation allows the cooling solution to adapt to narrow pitch configurations by positioning specific cold plate tubes between specific memory modules, maintaining effective thermal management despite increased density.
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 system effectively cools memory modules with high TDP while maintaining structural integrity and flexibility, ensuring efficient thermal management and ease of assembly/disassembly, suitable for high-performance server systems.
Implementation Method 1
A compact liquid cooling architecture using flexible hoses and cold plate tubes with internal ribs, which are connected via manifolds, allows for efficient thermal exchange
Implementation Method 2
cooling liquid to flow through the cold plate tubes
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a plurality of cold plate tubes spaced apart from each other, adjacent cold plate tubes defining a space for receiving a memory module, the plurality of cold plate tubes comprising thermally conductive material. A first manifold includes an inlet for a cooling fluid. A second manifold includes an outlet for the cooling fluid. The apparatus includes a first plurality of flexible hoses for fastening a first end of the plurality of cold plate tubes to the first manifold. The apparatus includes a second plurality of flexible hoses for fastening a second end of the plurality of cold plate tubes to the second manifold.