Dendritic Cooling Layer for Printed Circuit Boards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for printed circuit boards (PCBs) are ineffective at higher processing speeds, as they fail to minimize peak temperatures and are costly due to the use of expensive high conductivity materials.
Innovation Solution
A dendritic cooling layer system that optimizes heat flow resistance by discretizing the domain into low and high conductivity elements, exchanging low conductivity elements with high conductivity ones based on temperature gradients, and forming dendritic structures to minimize maximum temperature, using a method that is compatible with current PCB fabrication techniques and adjustable to meet fabrication limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling systems are used, then the structure is simple, but the cooling effectiveness deteriorates at higher processing speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating dendritic structures with varying thermal conductivity properties distributed throughout the cooling layer. High conductivity materials are strategically placed along heat flow paths while maintaining lower conductivity in other regions, optimizing cooling effectiveness at higher processing speeds without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling layer is segmented into multiple functional zones with different thermal conductivity characteristics. The dendritic structure divides the cooling function into multiple pathways, allowing heat to be dissipated through optimized routes that become increasingly effective as processing speed increases
2Reliability
If high conductivity materials are used throughout the cooling layer, then the cooling effectiveness improves, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using high conductivity materials uniformly throughout the cooling layer, the patent applies them locally only where thermally necessary - along the dendritic heat flow pathways. This selective placement maintains cooling effectiveness while significantly reducing material costs compared to full coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling layer uses composite materials combining high conductivity and low conductivity materials in a dendritic configuration. The composite structure optimizes thermal performance by directing heat flow through high conductivity regions while using low conductivity materials to define the overall layer structure and reduce cost
3Ease of manufacture
If the cooling layer uses fixed conductivity properties, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the adaptability to different fabrication limits is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates dynamic adjustability in the dendritic structure parameters such as branch spacing, thickness, and conductivity distribution ratios. These parameters can be dynamically modified during manufacturing to accommodate different fabrication limits while maintaining the overall cooling effectiveness, allowing the same basic design to adapt to various manufacturing capabilities
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 effectively minimizes heat flow resistance and peak temperatures in PCBs, achieving efficient cooling while reducing costs by optimizing the placement of high conductivity materials within the cooling layer.
Implementation Method 1
a dendritic cooling layer generator for PCBs via a solution strategy and an optimization algorithm capable of searching for a geometry that leads to near optimal performance in a computationally efficient way for a heat conduction problem
Data Source
AI summary
Dendritic cooling layers for printed circuit boards and method of fabrication thereof. The dendritic cooling layers may have non-intuitive dendritic structures that minimize peak temperature. The dendritic cooling layers may also be compatible with current PCB fabrication techniques. The dendritic cooling layers may have an adjustable tolerance to meet fabrication limits. The current invention also contemplates a method of generating a dendritic high conductivity path suitable for printed circuit boards. The methodology comprises the replacement of low conductivity materials with high conductivity materials such that the optimal ratio can be obtained to minimize heat flow resistance, while also maintaining lower costs of production.