Hybrid Cooling System for Multi-Chip Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling methods, such as air cooling, are insufficient for effectively managing the increasing heat generated by advanced electronic components like memory modules, microprocessors, and graphics processors, leading to potential overheating, performance degradation, and component failure.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid cooling system incorporating liquid-cooled condenser blocks and passive two-phase cold plates that thermally couple with multi-chip modules, facilitating heat transfer from these components to a liquid coolant, enhancing thermal performance through a combination of conductive and evaporative cooling mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional air cooling methods are used, then the cooling system is simple and easy to implement, but the heat dissipation capability is insufficient for advanced electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines liquid cooling and air cooling into a hybrid system. The liquid cooling loop handles high-heat components through cold plates with high thermal conductivity materials, while air cooling handles lower-heat areas. This merging allows the system to achieve superior heat dissipation capability across all components without excessive complexity, as each cooling method is deployed where it is most effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different cooling methods to different locations based on heat generation. High-heat components like processors and graphics cards receive liquid cooling through dedicated cold plates, while memory modules and lower-heat components use air cooling or passive heat sinks. This local differentiation optimizes heat dissipation efficiency without requiring the entire system to use complex liquid cooling infrastructure.
2Reliability
If liquid cooling is used, then heat transfer capability is significantly improved, but the device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into distinct modules: liquid cooling cold plates for high-heat components, air cooling heat sinks for lower-heat components, and a hybrid integration layer. Each segment can be independently designed, installed, and maintained. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity by allowing specialized optimization of each cooling type without requiring the entire system to be redesigned as a monolithic complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a hybrid cooling system that can handle multiple cooling requirements within a single integrated framework. The system can simultaneously provide liquid cooling, air cooling, and passive cooling through heat sinks, making it universally applicable to various component types with different heat generation characteristics. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling systems for different components, thereby managing complexity.
3Area of stationary object
If passive cold plates are used to cool multiple components, then the cooling coverage is expanded, but the thermal contact uniformity across components becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase change materials and adjustable thermal interface parameters to maintain uniform thermal contact across the cold plate surface. By utilizing the latent heat of phase change, the system can accommodate variations in component height and thermal contact pressure, ensuring consistent thermal coupling across multiple components with different geometries. This parameter-based approach allows the cold plate to adapt to varying component characteristics while maintaining expanded cooling coverage.
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 cooling system significantly improves thermal management by efficiently transferring heat from multiple components to a liquid coolant, thereby preventing overheating and ensuring reliable operation of high-performance electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
transferring heat from the components to a liquid flowing through a cooling loop
Implementation Method 2
liquid cooling loop... transporting the heat absorbed by the liquid to a remote radiator
Implementation Method 3
passive two-phase cold plates that thermally couple with multi-chip modules, facilitating heat transfer from these components to a liquid coolant, enhancing thermal performance through a combination of conductive and evaporative cooling mechanisms
Implementation Method 4
enhancing thermal performance through a combination of conductive and evaporative cooling mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid cooler has a first condenser block and a second condenser block. A liquid-cooled cold plate has opposed first and second external major surfaces and an internal passageway to direct a flow of coolant through the liquid-cooled cold plate to cool the opposed first and second external major surfaces. The internal passageway is fluidically coupled with the first condenser block and the second condenser block. The hybrid cooler has a first passive cold plate and a second passive cold plate, each extending from the first condenser block to the second condenser block. Each of the first passive cold plate and the second passive cold plate has a respective major surface positioned opposite the opposed first and second external major surfaces of the liquid-cooled cold plate. The liquid-cooled cold plate is positioned between the first passive cold plate and the second passive cold plate.