Flexible Heat Pipe Linking for Thermal Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualized server environments, central processing units with uneven workloads lead to uneven thermal loads between heat sinks, which existing heat sink assemblies fail to effectively distribute, resulting in inefficient heat management.
Innovation Solution
A heat sink assembly comprising at least two heat sinks, a mechanical support member, and a flexible heat pipe that connects the heat sinks, allowing for mechanical and thermal linkage while accommodating offsetting processor seating planes, thereby distributing thermal loads more evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid heat sink assemblies are used to connect processors, then mechanical stability is improved, but adaptability to uneven thermal loads and offsetting processor seating planes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible heat pipes instead of rigid connections to link heat sinks. These flexible heat pipes can bend and deform to accommodate offsetting processor seating planes while maintaining thermal contact, and they can also adapt to uneven thermal loads by redistributing heat through their flexible structure, thus resolving the contradiction between mechanical stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat sink assembly incorporates movable and adjustable components that allow the structure to dynamically adapt to different thermal conditions. The flexible heat pipes enable the system to change its configuration in response to uneven thermal loads, transforming a static rigid structure into a dynamic adaptive system.
2Productivity
If heat sinks are independently connected to each processor, then individual heat management is improved, but thermal load distribution between heat sinks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously independent heat sink systems into a unified thermal management system by connecting heat sinks through flexible heat pipes. This allows thermal loads to be distributed across multiple heat sinks while maintaining individual heat management capabilities, resolving the contradiction between individual efficiency and overall load distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible heat pipes act as intermediary elements between independently connected heat sinks. These intermediaries enable thermal load redistribution while preserving the individual connection between each heat sink and its associated processor, thus maintaining both individual heat management and overall thermal balance.
3Manufacturing precision
If offsetting processor seating planes are accommodated with rigid structures, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation and assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible heat pipes provide a solution that maintains manufacturing precision for processor seating planes while dramatically improving assembly ease. The flexibility allows the structure to accommodate minor misalignments and variations in seating planes without requiring high-precision rigid positioning, making assembly much simpler.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the connection structure from rigid to flexible, allowing the system to tolerate variations in processor seating plane alignment. This parameter change enables easier assembly while still maintaining adequate thermal contact and heat transfer efficiency.
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 flexible heat pipe-based assembly effectively balances thermal loads between heat sinks, ensuring efficient heat management and maintaining mechanical connection across distinct processor seating planes, even when workloads are uneven.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible heat pipe that connects the at least two heat sinks distributes the heat between the at least two heat sinks
Implementation Method 2
a flexible heat pipe connects the at least two heat sinks to provide a thermal link therebetween
Data Source
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AI summary
A heat sink assembly is provided herein. The heat sink assembly includes at least two heat sinks, a mechanical support member, and a flexible heat pipe. Each of the at least two heat sinks are formed to mate with one of at least two processors. The mechanical support member are formed to mechanically engage with the at least two heat sinks. The flexible heat pipe connects to the at least two heat sinks to provide a thermal link therebetween