Cooling Block Pin Geometry for Turbulent Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling blocks for heat-generating electronic components are often inefficient and costly to manufacture, as they rely on conventional designs that do not effectively promote turbulent flow to enhance heat absorption.
Innovation Solution
A cooling block design featuring a fluid conduit with a plurality of lacrimiform-shaped pins arranged in a catenulate pattern, promoting turbulent flow and optimizing heat absorption by deflecting the cooling fluid and limiting flow separation, thereby enhancing heat dissipation from electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling block designs are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but heat absorption efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs catenulate (curved chain-like) passages instead of straight channels, and lacrimiform (tear-drop shaped) pins with rounded leading ends and pointed trailing ends. These curved and streamlined shapes promote turbulent flow patterns that enhance heat transfer efficiency while the pins are integrated into the passage structure during manufacturing, avoiding separate assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling block is segmented into multiple passages with pins distributed throughout the fluid flow path. This segmentation creates multiple flow deflection points that collectively enhance turbulence and heat absorption across the entire cooling block volume, rather than relying on a single large chamber.
2Productivity
If cooling blocks are designed to maximize heat dissipation, then cooling performance improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pins and passages into a single integrated structure where the lacrimiform pins are formed as integral parts of the passage walls. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly processes for pins, reducing manufacturing steps and costs while maintaining the flow-deflecting functionality that enhances heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes geometric parameters such as the lacrimiform shape of pins (with specific rounded leading ends and pointed trailing ends) and the catenulate configuration of passages to maximize turbulent flow and heat transfer coefficients. These parameter optimizations achieve superior cooling performance through geometric efficiency rather than increased material or complexity.
3Temperature
If straight fluid conduits are used, then flow resistance is lower, but turbulent flow and heat absorption are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The catenulate passages with curved chain-like configurations and lacrimiform pins with streamlined shapes create controlled flow separation and reattachment zones. These curved geometries generate secondary flows and turbulence that significantly enhance heat transfer coefficients, compensating for the increased flow resistance through improved thermal mixing and boundary layer disruption.
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 design increases the heat absorption capability of the cooling block, leading to more efficient heat dissipation from electronic components, addressing the inefficiencies and cost issues of conventional cooling solutions.
Implementation Method 1
promoting turbulent flow to enhance heat absorption
Implementation Method 2
limiting flow separation
Implementation Method 3
water (or other fluid) is made to flow through a conduit in the cooling block to absorb heat from the heat-generating electronic component
Implementation Method 4
efficient cooling blocks may be difficult and/or expensive to manufacture... increases the heat absorption capability of the cooling block, leading to more efficient heat dissipation
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooling block for cooling a heat-generating electronic component includes a body defining a fluid conduit. The body includes a plurality of pins for deflecting cooling fluid flowing within the fluid conduit. The fluid conduit has a passage extending in a longitudinal direction from an inlet point to an outlet point. Each passage is defined by: first and second internal sidewalls facing each other from the inlet point to the outlet point; a pin row disposed between the first and second internal sidewalls, the pin row including a multitude of pins spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, the pins of the pin row being aligned with each other in a lateral direction of the cooling block, each pin having a lacrimiform shape and having a rounded end and a pointed end, each pin being oriented such that the pointed end is downstream from the rounded end.