Hybrid Cold Plate Assembly for Multi-Component Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling technologies for electronic components, such as air and liquid cooling, struggle to effectively manage the increasing heat generated by modern electronic components, leading to overheating, performance degradation, and potential component failure.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid cold plate system combining liquid-cooled cold plates with a fluid network and spring clips, featuring undercut slots and fluted regions, enhances heat transfer by distributing coolant efficiently across multiple components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional air cooling or single liquid cooling system is used, then the cooling system is simple in structure, but it cannot effectively manage the increasing heat generated by modern electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent cold plates, each equipped with its own fluid connector and spring clip assembly. This segmentation allows each cold plate to be independently installed and removed, enabling effective heat management for multiple components while maintaining modular simplicity in the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring clip mechanism serves multiple functions: it retains the fluid connector within the cold plate, provides compressive force to ensure thermal contact, and enables tool-free installation and removal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional fastening components, balancing cooling effectiveness with structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If multiple cold plates are used to cool multiple components, then heat dissipation performance is improved, but the complexity of fluid connection and assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring clip automatically engages with the fluid connector and cold plate structure upon assembly, providing self-retention and self-compression without requiring additional fastening steps. This self-service mechanism simplifies the assembly process for multiple cold plates while ensuring consistent thermal contact and fluid connection integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid connector integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides fluid passage, thermal conduction path, and mechanical connection interface. By merging these functions, the system achieves effective heat dissipation across multiple components while reducing the number of separate parts and assembly steps required.
3Ease of operation
If traditional fastening methods are used for fluid connectors, then the connection is secure, but installation and removal require tools and are time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The spring clip is designed to automatically engage and secure the fluid connector to the cold plate through its own elastic deformation when installed. This self-service mechanism provides secure retention without requiring tools for installation or removal, enabling quick maintenance while maintaining connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring clip utilizes elastic deformation to provide dynamic retention force. The clip can be easily compressed for installation, then automatically springs back to secure the fluid connector firmly. This dynamic mechanism allows tool-free operation while ensuring the connection remains secure during operation.
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 hybrid cold plate system provides improved cooling performance by effectively dissipating heat from multiple components, reducing the risk of overheating and enhancing the reliability and performance of electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
A spring clip has a body so configured as to define a clip opening and to urge the fluid connector against the housing with a spring force
Implementation Method 2
a cold plate configured to be placed into thermal contact with a heat-generating component and to facilitate a transfer of heat from the heat-generating component to a fluid passing through the cold plate
Implementation Method 3
a heat-exchanger configured to reject heat from the fluid to another medium
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid cold plate can have one or more fluid-cooled cold plates assembled in conjunction with a thermal transfer plate. The fluid-cooled cold plates can cool high heat-flux processing units and the thermal transfer plate can cool adjacent components, which may have lower heat flux, higher temperature thresholds, or both, compared to the processing units. A fluid connection for a fluid-cooled cold plate can include a raised boss with an undercut flange, a fluid connector positioned within the raised boss, and a retainer clip.