Cooling Module Duct Design for Heat Sink Airflow Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling modules in electronic apparatuses face reduced cooling efficiency due to uneven inner chassis surfaces interfering with heat sink airflow, leading to poor heat dissipation and potential re-circulation of hot air into the blower fan inlet.
Innovation Solution
A cooling module design featuring a blower fan, heat sink with spaced fins, a seal member, and a cover sheet that forms a duct to direct airflow efficiently around the heat sink, enhancing airflow and preventing hot air re-circulation by sealing gaps between the heat sink and chassis surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heat sink is placed close to the cover member to improve cooling efficiency, then the cooling performance improves, but the uneven shape of the cover member interferes with airflow and reduces cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the heat sink and the uneven cover member. This buffer member has a first surface that contacts the heat sink and a second surface that contacts the cover member, effectively mediating the interaction between the two components. The buffer member fills the gap caused by the uneven cover member surface, ensuring smooth airflow while maintaining close thermal contact between the heat sink and cover member for efficient cooling.
2Temperature
If the heat sink is positioned to maximize heat dissipation, then cooling performance improves, but hot air flows back into the blower fan air inlet degrading overall cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The space around the heat sink is segmented into different functional zones using the buffer member and duct structure. The buffer member creates a separated flow path that directs cool air over the heat sink fins while preventing the mixing of hot and cold air streams. This segmentation ensures that hot air discharged from the heat sink does not recirculate back into the blower fan inlet, maintaining distinct thermal zones for optimal cooling performance.
3Temperature
If the heat sink fins are spaced closely to increase heat transfer surface area, then heat dissipation improves, but airflow resistance increases reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer member modifies the airflow parameters by reducing turbulence and maintaining steady flow velocity across the heat sink fins. By providing a smooth, flat surface that guides airflow uniformly over the fin structure, the buffer member enables the system to achieve optimal balance between heat transfer surface area and airflow resistance, allowing closely spaced fins to function efficiently without excessive pressure drop.
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 cooling performance by ensuring smooth airflow and effective heat dissipation, as demonstrated by lower temperature readings in experimental examples, particularly for the CPU, GPU, and other components.
Implementation Method 1
a blower fan having an air inlet to take in air and an air outlet to discharge air
Implementation Method 2
a heat sink having a plurality of fins spaced to have a gap therebetween
Implementation Method 3
a heat sink having a plurality of fins spaced to have a gap therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic apparatus includes a chassis, a heating element in the chassis, and a cooling module in the chassis to cool the heating element. The cooling module includes: a blower fan; a heat sink having a plurality of fins spaced to have a gap therebetween, a first face with a first gap from the first cover member, and a second face with a second gap from the second cover member; a seal member attached to the first face of the heat sink so as to surround the first face; and a cover sheet attached to a surface of the seal member so as to cover the first face of the heat sink, thus defining a duct between the cover sheet and the first face to let air from the blower fan pass through the duct.