Heat Exchange Assembly for Electrical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchange assemblies for electrical devices are either costly due to the use of liquid cooling components or inefficient due to air cooling methods, and they often suffer from coolant leakage issues at the interface.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchange assembly that includes a component heat exchanger with a thermal interface for electrical components and a device heat exchanger with a separable thermal interface for external heat exchange, utilizing a thermal conduit with a closed liquid loop to enhance heat transfer while maintaining a dry interface with the external heat exchanger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling components are used, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but cost increases and reliability decreases due to coolant leakage at interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate cooling loops: a first liquid cooling loop for the component heat exchanger and a second liquid cooling loop for the external heat exchanger. This segmentation prevents coolant from one loop from leaking into the other, eliminating the reliability issue while maintaining the cooling effectiveness of liquid cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal conduit acts as an intermediary between the component heat exchanger and the device heat exchanger, transferring heat without requiring direct liquid coolant connection between the two systems. This allows efficient heat transfer while maintaining separate coolant loops to prevent leakage.
2Temperature
If liquid cooling components are used, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cooling system into separate loops with distinct functions, the complexity of managing a single complex liquid cooling system with multiple interfaces is reduced. Each loop can be independently designed, installed, and maintained, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The component heat exchanger provides self-contained cooling for the electrical component through its own liquid cooling loop, while the external heat exchanger handles dissipation through a separate loop. This self-service architecture reduces the need for complex integrated cooling management.
3Device complexity
If air cooling using fans is used, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling effectiveness becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses liquid cooling (hydraulic principle) instead of air cooling to achieve superior heat transfer efficiency. The liquid coolant circulates through closed loops with heat exchangers, providing much higher cooling effectiveness while maintaining reasonable system complexity through the use of standard liquid cooling components.
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 proposed heat exchange assembly provides effective and reliable cooling for electrical components in a cost-effective manner, reducing the risk of coolant leakage and improving thermal efficiency by using a closed liquid loop and a dry interface with the external heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal conduit includes a liquid pipe circulating liquid between the component heat exchanger and the device heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a component heat exchanger that has a component thermal interface configured to thermally interface with an electrical component
Implementation Method 3
The device heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat to the external heat exchanger across the separable thermal interface
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchange assembly includes a component heat exchanger that has a component thermal interface configured to thermally interface with an electrical component of an electrical device. The heat exchange assembly includes a device heat exchanger having a separable thermal interface configured to extend to an exterior of a device housing of the electrical device to interface with an external heat exchanger. The device heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat to the external heat exchanger across the separable thermal interface. The heat exchange assembly includes a thermal conduit between the component heat exchanger and the device heat exchanger.