Hinged Dimm Cooling Device for Circuit Card Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems for high-power computing applications, such as CPU farms, often hinder easy access and maintenance of circuit cards due to the integration of heat pipes or thermal interface materials, making replacement and modification tasks difficult.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a hinged cooling system where a rotatable thermal plate is coupled with a thermal cylinder, allowing for efficient heat transfer while enabling easy access and removal of circuit cards by rotating the thermal plate out of the way, facilitating installation, removal, and servicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat pipes or thermal interface materials are integrated onto circuit cards for cooling, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but accessibility and ease of maintenance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into separate functional components: the circuit card with its thermal interface material, and the removable heat pipe assembly. This segmentation allows the cooling function to be maintained while enabling easy removal and replacement of the heat pipe component without affecting the circuit card itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe assembly is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to be easily installed and removed from the circuit card. This dynamic design enables maintenance personnel to access and replace the heat pipe assembly quickly, resolving the contradiction between maintaining effective cooling and ensuring ease of maintenance.
2Reliability
If thermal interface materials are applied directly to circuit cards, then thermal contact is improved, but complexity of replacement and modification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal interface material is applied to the circuit card in a segmented manner, with distinct application areas that correspond to specific thermal zones. This segmentation allows for targeted thermal management and simplifies replacement procedures, as only the relevant thermal interface sections need to be addressed during maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe assembly is extracted as a separate, removable component from the circuit card structure. This extraction reduces the overall complexity of replacement and modification tasks, as the heat pipe can be removed and replaced independently without affecting the circuit card or the thermal interface material applied to it.
3Temperature
If cooling components are permanently integrated, then cooling performance is maintained, but ease of access for servicing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system transitions from a static, permanently integrated design to a dynamic configuration where the heat pipe assembly can be easily installed and removed. This dynamic design maintains effective cooling performance when the heat pipe is in place while dramatically improving ease of access for servicing and maintenance activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe assembly is extracted as a separate, serviceable component that can be removed from the circuit card for maintenance or replacement. This extraction preserves the cooling performance benefits of heat pipe technology while eliminating the accessibility problems associated with permanently integrated 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
This design provides effective cooling while allowing for easy access and maintenance of circuit cards, improving operational efficiency and reducing downtime in high-power computing environments.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal interface includes a material having a thickness and a resiliency configured to make thermal contact with a circuit in a circuit card
Implementation Method 2
a heat pipe coupled to a heat transfer device
Implementation Method 3
heat pipe coupled to a heat transfer device
Data Source
AI summary
A device assembly as disclosed herein includes a heat pipe coupled to a heat transfer device, and a thermal interface. The assembly further includes a cold plate rotatably coupled with the heat pipe through a hinge. The thermal interface is coupled with the cold plate through a plane to rotate about the heat pipe together with the cold plate, and the thermal interface includes a material having a thickness and a resiliency configured to make thermal contact with a circuit in a circuit card when the cold plate is rotated over the circuit card. A chassis and a method to build the chassis including the above assembly are also disclosed.