Coldplate Conduit Modules for Leak Prevention and Coolant Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current liquid coldplates face challenges with leak prevention and inspection due to the need for extensive braze lines around interconnects, which reduces coolant volume and complicates high-density finstock inspection, making traditional methods costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The use of pre-tested, leak-tight conduit modules with heat conducting structures, such as finstock, that are vacuum brazed or sealed at the ends, eliminating the need for internal braze lines and allowing for modular construction and reduced inspection costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vacuum brazing is used to seal internal coolant channels, then leak prevention is improved, but the amount of area available for coolant volume is reduced due to required braze line space
Solution Approach 1:
The coldplate is divided into multiple sealed modules, each containing its own coolant channels. By segmenting the structure, each module can be independently sealed with minimal braze line space, while the overall system maintains large coolant volume through parallel modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal coolant channels are pre-sealed within each module before final assembly. This preliminary sealing action allows for optimized braze line placement and reduces the space required for sealing operations in the final assembled structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of interconnects is increased, then connectivity is improved, but the potential for leaks increases due to more braze lines required
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple interconnects are grouped within separate modular units, each with its own sealed coolant channels. This segmentation isolates potential leak paths to individual modules, so that even with many interconnects overall, each module maintains low leak risk through independent sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
Standardized modular units with proven leak-free sealing designs are replicated multiple times to achieve the required connectivity. Each copy inherits the validated sealing approach, ensuring consistent reliability across all interconnect points without requiring additional unique braze lines.
3Temperature
If high density finstock is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but inspection of brazing results becomes difficult due to insufficient resolution in traditional X-ray methods
Solution Approach 1:
The high-density finstock structure is divided into modular sections, each containing a manageable number of brazing joints. This segmentation allows inspection methods to focus on smaller, more localized areas, improving detectability without compromising overall heat transfer efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Brazing operations are performed on individual modular units before final assembly, allowing for preliminary inspection of each module's brazing quality. This preliminary inspection action enables detection of defects in high-density finstock using enhanced imaging techniques on smaller, more accessible surfaces.
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 increases coolant volume, simplifies inspection, and reduces manufacturing costs by ensuring leak-tightness only at the ends of the conduit modules, allowing for more efficient heat transfer and reduced risk of obstruction from braze alloy.
Implementation Method 1
a heat conducting structure provided within the first conduit module
Implementation Method 2
vacuum brazed about a portion of its periphery to the base and cover
Data Source
AI summary
A coldplate assembly includes a plurality of leak-tight conduit modules provided between a base and a cover to couple a first manifold cavity to a second manifold cavity. Each leak-tight conduit module includes a heat conducting structure and is pre-constructed and pre-tested prior to integration into the coldplate assembly. Each leak-tight conduit module is sealed only near the ends of the module that are disposed in the respective manifold cavity.