Dual-Sided Fin Cooling Surface for Electronic Chip Heat Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooling methods for electronic components, such as copper blocks and fans, often fail to effectively dissipate heat, leading to component damage or malfunction due to insufficient cooling.

Innovation Solution

A cooling surface with two sets of fins and channels oriented at different angles, connected by passageways, is used to facilitate heat transfer from electronic components to a refrigerant, which vaporizes and carries heat away, utilizing a conductive material like copper and employing a liquid refrigerant to enhance heat transfer efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional cooling methods (fans, copper blocks) are used, then the structure is simple, but the heat dissipation effectiveness is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidheat dissipation effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from conventional single-sided fin structures to a three-dimensional configuration with fins extending from both sides of the heat transfer surface. This dimensional expansion creates multiple heat transfer pathways and significantly increases the effective surface area available for heat dissipation, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and heat dissipation effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling surface is segmented into multiple fins distributed across both sides of the heat transfer surface, with each fin acting as an independent heat transfer element. This segmentation allows heat to be distributed across numerous small surfaces rather than concentrated in one large surface, improving overall heat dissipation efficiency while maintaining manufacturing feasibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If single-sided fins are used, then the device complexity is low, but the heat transfer surface area is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefin configuration complexityVSAvoidheat transfer surface area
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes both sides of the heat transfer surface by extending fins from each side, effectively doubling the available surface area for heat transfer compared to single-sided configurations. This approach increases the heat transfer area without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same fin manufacturing processes are applied to both sides

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional cooling structures are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the cooling performance is insufficient to prevent chip damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidchip temperature damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By creating a dual-sided fin structure that extends from both faces of the heat transfer surface, the invention triples the effective heat transfer area compared to conventional single-sided designs. This increased surface area enables sufficient heat dissipation to prevent chip damage while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat transfer surface is divided into multiple discrete fins that can be manufactured using conventional techniques. Each fin acts as an independent heat transfer pathway, and the segmented structure allows for efficient heat distribution across the entire surface, preventing localized hot spots that could damage the chip

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 increases the surface area for heat transfer, allowing for more efficient heat dissipation from electronic components, preventing damage and improving cooling performance compared to traditional methods.

Implementation Method 1

The cooling surface is attached to an electronic chip. The tips of the first set of fins can be flattened to facilitate attachment of the cooling surface (via the first fins) to the electronic chip

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

As the electronic chip rises in temperature, the cooling surface conducts heat away from the chip. The heat is then transferred to the refrigerant that is coated on the fins of the cooling surface. At least some of the refrigerant vaporizes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change (vaporization): Phase Change

Implementation Method 3

the resulting vapors escape through the passageways in the surface and away from the chip

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP1889528B1Heat transfer surface for electronic cooling
Publication Date: 2012.09.26 WOLVERINE TUBE INC
  • EP1889528B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1889528B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP1889528B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A cooling surface for cooling an electronic component, the surface having two sets of fins, each set of fins defining a set of channels, and a number of passageways connecting the sets of channels. The cooling surface can be attached to an electronic component, such as a chip, and refrigerant supplied to at least one of the sets of channels. When the temperature of the electronic component rises, the heat is transferred to the refrigerant in the cooling surface, at least some of which vaporizes to carry heat away from, and facilitate cooling of, the component.