Electronics Magazine Cooling for High-Power Density Capsules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronics systems generate significant heat in confined spaces, which can lead to damage and degradation of components, and existing cooling systems are inadequate for efficiently managing high-power density electronic modules.
Innovation Solution
An electronics cooling assembly that includes an electronics magazine with capsule sockets, a magazine cooling system, and interface shorings to enhance heat transfer between electronics capsules and the magazine body, utilizing both a capsule cooling system and a magazine cooling system, such as heat pipes and fluid coolant passageways, to efficiently dissipate heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electronics are housed in confined spaces to increase power density, then productivity and space utilization are improved, but heat dissipation becomes inadequate and component reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling channels, each serving specific electronic components. The cooling plate includes first cooling channels for first electronics and second cooling channels for second electronics, allowing targeted heat removal from high-power density areas without requiring a complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling plate acts as an intermediary thermal management component between the electronics and the external environment. The cooling plate receives coolant through inlet ports, transfers heat from electronic components through its structure, and dissipates heat through outlet ports, effectively mediating thermal energy transfer in confined spaces.
2Device complexity
If conventional cooling systems are used in confined spaces, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling efficiency is insufficient for high-power density modules
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system merges multiple cooling functions into a single integrated cooling plate structure. The cooling plate combines first cooling channels, second cooling channels, inlet ports, and outlet ports into one unified component that simultaneously cools multiple electronic systems with different thermal requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system utilizes hydraulic principles by circulating coolant through the cooling plate's internal channels. Coolant enters through inlet ports, absorbs heat from electronics through conduction and convection in the channels, and exits through outlet ports, leveraging fluid dynamics to efficiently remove heat from high-power density modules.
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 system effectively reduces the temperature of high-power density electronics by increasing the intimate heat conductive engagement between capsules and the magazine body, enhancing cooling efficiency and preventing component damage.
Implementation Method 1
Another example of a cooling system includes heat pipes. Heat pipes are vacuum-sealed tubes containing a small amount of liquid under low pressure. As the component heats up, the liquid inside the heat pipe vaporizes and travels to a cooler area of the pipe where it condenses, releasing its latent heat. This cycle transfers heat from hot components to cooler areas.
Implementation Method 2
Another active cooling system includes liquid cooling systems. Liquid cooling systems use a coolant fluid to transfer heat away from components. This method is used in, for example, high-performance computing and servers. The coolant absorbs heat from the components before being cycled through a radiator to dissipate the heat.
Implementation Method 3
Another passive cooling system includes phase change materials (PCM). PCMs absorb heat by changing state (from solid to liquid or vice versa) at a specific temperature. PCMs are used in some cooling systems to absorb excess heat during peak loads, which helps to stabilize the temperature within electronic enclosures.
Implementation Method 4
An example of a passive cooling system includes heat sinks. Heat sinks are a cooling solution formed from metals with high thermal conductivity and include fins, pins or other protrusions that assist in increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 5
Another passive cooling system includes thermal interface materials. Thermal interface materials are used to improve the heat transfer between the heat-generating electronic component and the heat sink. These materials fill microscopic gaps that can trap air (a poor conductor of heat), thereby reducing thermal resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronics cooling system including an electronics magazine. The electronics magazine includes a magazine body, one or more capsule sockets, one or more interface shorings positioned within the magazine body relative to the one or more capsule sockets and a magazine heat conductive interface positioned within the magazine body relative to at least one of the one or more capsule sockets. The cooling system includes one or more electronics capsules having a capsule housing, the one or more electronics capsules includes an electronics unit within the capsule housing and a capsule cooling system. The capsule cooling system includes a capsule heat conductive interface in communication with the electronics unit.