Detachable Heat Conduits for Liquid-Cooled Circuit Boards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional air-cooling methods for electronics face challenges with increasing heat densities, requiring larger heat sinks, limited performance improvement, acoustic noise, fan reliability, and power consumption, while fluid-cooling poses risks of leaks and spills during circuit board replacement.
Innovation Solution
A cooling apparatus with a closed-loop fluid circulation system and detachable heat conduits that allow for manual replacement of circuit boards without disrupting the fluid pathway, using a rack-mounted design with heat conduits that transport heat from circuit boards to a cooler, facilitating efficient heat dissipation and reducing the need for fans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air cooling with fans is used, then heat dissipation is achieved, but acoustic noise and fan reliability issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fan-based air cooling system with a liquid cooling system that uses a pump to circulate coolant through channels in contact with heat-generating components. This substitution eliminates moving parts like fans, thereby improving reliability while maintaining effective heat dissipation through fluid circulation.
2Temperature
If larger heat sinks are used for higher heat densities, then cooling performance improves, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs liquid cooling channels that directly contact or are in thermal contact with heat-generating components, allowing efficient heat removal through fluid circulation. This hydraulic cooling approach achieves superior cooling performance for high heat density applications without requiring proportionally larger heat sink structures, as the liquid coolant efficiently transports heat away from concentrated sources.
3Ease of operation
If circuit boards are made removable for maintenance, then ease of operation improves, but fluid leakage risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into modular components where circuit boards with integrated cooling channels can be independently removed and replaced. The cooling fluid circulation system is designed with sealed connections and manifolds that maintain fluid containment during board replacement, allowing maintenance operations without compromising fluid leakage protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sealed cooling channels and fluid distribution manifolds as intermediaries between the circuit boards and the external cooling system. These intermediary components provide sealed interfaces that maintain fluid containment while allowing electrical and thermal connections to be made and broken during board replacement operations.
4Temperature
If fan volume is increased for higher air flow, then cooling capacity improves, but power consumption and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces high-power fan systems with a liquid cooling system that uses a relatively low-power pump to circulate coolant. The liquid coolant has higher heat capacity and thermal conductivity than air, allowing efficient heat removal at lower power consumption. The pump-based fluid circulation system achieves superior cooling capacity with reduced energy input compared to high-volume fan systems.
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 manages high heat densities, reduces energy costs, improves reliability, and eliminates the risks associated with fluid leaks, providing a more efficient and reliable cooling method for electronics.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler and a plurality of heat conduits. The cooler is located on a side of the rack and is configured to circulate a cooling fluid in a channel having a plurality of channel segments
Implementation Method 2
each heat conduit being located over a corresponding one of the circuit boards and forming a path to transport heat from the local heat source of the corresponding one of the circuit boards to the cooler
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a rack having a row of shelves, each shelf supporting an electronics circuit board, each one of the circuit boards being manually removable from the shelve supporting the one of the circuit boards and having a local heat source thereon. The apparatus also comprises a cooler attached to the rack and being able to circulate a cooling fluid around a channel forming a closed loop. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of heat conduits, each heat conduit being located over a corresponding one of the circuit boards and forming a path to transport heat from the local heat source of the corresponding one of the circuit boards to the cooler. Each heat conduit is configured to be manually detachable from the cooler or the circuit board, without breaking a circulation pathway of the fluid through the cooler.