Integrated Cooling Layers for High Flux Electronics Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for high-performance electronic devices are noisy and too large, making them unsuitable for compact designs, as they struggle to efficiently manage increasing heat generation from faster and more densely packed microprocessors.
Innovation Solution
A compact fluid cooling system with integrated cooling layers, a viscous shear pump, and a microcooler assembly featuring a turbomachine, which includes an array of cooling channels, input and output manifolds, and a conduit system to efficiently distribute and dissipate heat, utilizing a turbomachine to enhance air cooling and reduce system size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional pumps and fans are used to meet increasing heat removal requirements, then adequate cooling is achieved, but the system becomes noisy and too large
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple cooling layers interspersed with electronics layers, each with its own array of cooling channels. This distributed architecture allows heat to be removed at multiple locations simultaneously, reducing the burden on any single pump or fan and enabling a more compact overall system design.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are formed within substrates that are integrated into the electronics package structure itself. The input and output manifolds are nested within the same package, with fluid pathways routed through integrated conduits. This nesting eliminates the need for separate external pump and fan housings, dramatically reducing system volume.
2Temperature
If conventional pumps and fans are used to meet increasing heat removal requirements, then adequate cooling is achieved, but the system becomes undesirably noisy
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cooling into multiple layers with distributed channels, the system uses multiple smaller fluid flow paths rather than requiring a single high-power pump. This segmentation allows the use of lower-power, quieter pumping mechanisms while achieving the same total heat removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical fans with a turbomachine that operates more efficiently and quietly. The turbomachine design, integrated with the heatsink, provides air movement with reduced noise generation compared to traditional fan blades, while maintaining adequate cooling airflow.
3Temperature
If heatsink and fan combination is increased in size to cool faster and more densely packed microprocessors, then necessary cooling is provided, but the device size must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the footprint area of a conventional heatsink, the system transitions to a three-dimensional architecture with cooling channels formed through substrates in multiple layers. This vertical stacking of cooling layers interspersed with electronics layers allows high heat flux removal within a compact volume, effectively using the third dimension to accommodate cooling infrastructure without increasing overall device footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling infrastructure is nested within the electronics package structure itself. The substrates with cooling channels are integrated into the same package housing the electronics, with manifolds and conduits routed through the package interior. This nesting eliminates the need for separate external cooling components, achieving high cooling performance within the existing device envelope.
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 system effectively manages high heat fluxes with reduced size and noise, achieving heat transfer rates of over 30,000 W/m2/°K and cooling capacities of greater than 750 W/cm2, while being significantly smaller and lighter than conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
Cooling fluid is pumped through the channels and conducts heat from the microprocessor
Implementation Method 2
the heat is dissipated into the atmosphere by the fan moving a volume of air over the heatsink
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system for cooling an electronics package. The system includes a fluid pump and a microcooler assembly. The system utilizes one or more cooling layers interspersed with layers of electronics in the electronics package. Each cooling layer has an array of cooling channels formed in a substrate, an input manifold through which cooling fluid is provided for distribution through the array of cooling channels, and an output manifold which collects fluid from the array of cooling channels. The elements of the cooling system are integrated by conduits including a package conduit for passage of fluid from the fluid pump to the electronics package, a cooler conduit for passage of fluid from the electronics package to the microcooler assembly, and a pump conduit for passage of fluid from the microcooler assembly to the fluid pump. Also disclosed is a method for cooling the electronics package.