Grounded Cold Plate Cooling Structure to Limit Static Buildup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling apparatuses face challenges in effectively grounding the heat absorbing unit, leading to issues with static electricity and impurity deposition, which affects heat exchange efficiency and the performance of heat generating components.
Innovation Solution
A cooling apparatus with a metal cold plate, a casing containing a flow path for refrigerant, and a conductive component that connects the cold plate to a ground, ensuring electrical conduction and reducing static charges, thereby minimizing impurity deposition and maintaining heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat absorbing unit is grounded to prevent static electricity charging, then static electricity protection is improved, but the routing of ground lead becomes problematic and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ground lead routing with the existing refrigerant flow path structure. The ground lead is integrated into the casing or flow path components that already connect the heat absorbing unit to the heat radiating unit, eliminating the need for separate ground lead routing and reducing device complexity while maintaining static electricity protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the refrigerant flow path structure serve multiple functions: heat transfer and electrical grounding. By making the flow path components electrically conductive and connecting them to ground, the same structural elements perform both thermal and electrical functions, simplifying the overall device architecture
2Device complexity
If the heat absorbing unit is not properly grounded, then device complexity is reduced, but static electricity charging occurs causing impurity deposition and heat exchange efficiency degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding function is merged with the refrigerant flow path structure, using the same conductive components for both heat transfer and electrical grounding, thereby preventing impurity deposition without adding complex separate grounding structures
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant flow path structure automatically provides grounding functionality through its inherent electrical conductivity and connection to ground, eliminating the need for additional dedicated grounding components and reducing overall device complexity
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 grounds the cold plate, reducing static charges and impurity deposition, which enhances the cooling performance and extends the lifespan of heat generating components by maintaining efficient heat exchange.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate (11) made of a metal and being in contact with a heat generating component
Implementation Method 2
a conductive component (15), and a connection connecting a first end of the conductive component (15) to the cold plate (11). The conductive component includes a second end connected to a ground (14)
Implementation Method 3
a casing (12) including an internal space defined therein and including a flow path along which a refrigerant flows
Implementation Method 4
a heat radiation assembly, and a flow path pipe through which a refrigerant flows, the flow path pipe connecting the cooling apparatus and the heat radiation assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling apparatus includes a cold plate made of a metal, a casing, a pump, a ground wire, and a conductive component. The pump includes a motor to drive an impeller, and a circuit board to control the motor. The circuit board is connected to the ground wire. The conductive component electrically connects the cold plate to the ground wire.