Adaptable Cooling Module for Electronic Chips with Movable Connectors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling modules struggle with efficiently dissipating waste heat from electronic chips with varying heights and flatness, leading to inefficient cooling, potential chip damage, and increased costs due to the need for multiple coolant distribution units in datacenter environments.

Innovation Solution

A cooling module design featuring a first and second cooling component with movable fluid connectors and tortuous/intermediate fluid channels, allowing for adaptable thermal interfaces and reduced volumetric flow rates, accommodating variations in chip height and flatness, and optimizing heat transfer efficiency across different electronic chip types.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a conventional cooling module is used with fixed fluid connectors, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate variations in chip height and flatness, leading to inefficient cooling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to chip variationsVSAvoidcooling module structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid connectors are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to adjust their position dynamically. The first fluid connector can move relative to the first cooling component, and the second fluid connector can move relative to the second cooling component, enabling the cooling module to adapt to variations in electronic chip heights and flatness while maintaining effective thermal contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If multiple coolant distribution units are deployed to handle different chip types, then cooling effectiveness is maintained, but operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidoperational efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling module is designed as a universal system that can effectively cool different types of electronic chips with varying heights and flatness characteristics. By incorporating movable fluid connectors and tortuous fluid channels, a single cooling module design can adapt to multiple chip configurations, eliminating the need for multiple specialized coolant distribution units and thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining cooling effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If fixed fluid channels are used in cooling components, then manufacturing is simpler, but heat transfer efficiency varies with chip characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling component fabricationVSAvoidheat transfer efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid channels are designed as tortuous paths rather than straight fixed channels. This tortuous configuration allows the fluid to follow a more complex route that increases heat transfer surface area and improves thermal contact with different chip geometries. The movable connectors combined with tortuous channels enable the system to maintain reliable heat transfer efficiency across various chip types without requiring complex manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 cooling module effectively dissipates waste heat uniformly across electronic chips with varying characteristics, reducing the risk of chip damage and lowering operational costs by allowing a single coolant distribution unit to serve multiple server systems.

Implementation Method 1

a first cooling component and a second cooling component... allowing for adaptable thermal interfaces... optimizing heat transfer efficiency

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

tortuous/intermediate fluid channels... allowing for adaptable thermal interfaces... dissipates waste heat uniformly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS20250024636A1Cooling module and a method of cooling an electronic circuit module using the cooling module

Publication Date: 2025.01.16 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP

AI summary

Example implementations relate to a cooling module, and a method of cooling an electronic circuit module. The cooling module includes first and second cooling components fluidically connected to each other. The first cooling component includes a first fluid channel having supply, return, and body sections, and a second fluid channel. The second cooling component includes an intermediate fluid channel. The body section is bifurcated into first and second body sections, and the first and second body sections are further merged into a third body section. The supply section is connected to the first and second body sections. The return section is connected to the third body section and the intermediate fluid channel via an inlet fluid-flow path established between the first and second cooling components. The second fluid channel is connected to the intermediate fluid channel via an outlet fluid-flow path established between the first and second cooling components.