Interleaved Cold Plate Blades for DIMM Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dual in-line memory module (DIMM) cooling solutions require significant space above the modules for air and liquid cooling, leading to cumbersome assembly and servicing due to multiple inlets and outlets, and often necessitate the use of cooling fans to direct airflow.

Innovation Solution

A cold plate with blades that interleave with DIMM sockets, utilizing thermally conductive clips to facilitate direct heat transfer and a liquid cooling loop that routes through each blade, reducing the need for additional space and simplifying installation and servicing by using a single inlet and outlet for each block of DIMMs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If air cooling or liquid cooling with multiple inlets and outlets is used, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but space requirements above DIMMs increase and assembly complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cold plate is segmented into multiple blades that interleave with DIMM sockets, allowing each blade to cool individual DIMMs independently while maintaining a unified cooling structure with single inlet and outlet

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple cooling functions for multiple DIMMs are merged into a single cold plate structure with unified inlet and outlet, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems for each DIMM

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Temperature

If cooling fans are used, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but acoustic noise increases and space above DIMMs is occupied

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidacoustic noise

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical cooling fan system is replaced with a passive liquid cooling system using a cold plate with thermal conduction, eliminating acoustic noise while maintaining cooling effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

A liquid cooling system is implemented using a cold plate with circulating coolant, replacing the need for mechanical fans and providing silent operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Area of stationary object

If close spacing of DIMM sockets is used, then space efficiency is improved, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace efficiencyVSAvoidheat dissipation

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling approach transitions from vertical space utilization (above DIMMs) to lateral integration, with cold plate blades interleaving between DIMM sockets in the horizontal plane, enabling effective cooling in closely spaced configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 solution provides efficient cooling with minimal additional space, simplifies DIMM installation and servicing, reduces acoustic noise, and maintains a compact system footprint, while allowing for easy memory reconfiguration.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing thermally conductive clips to direct heat from both sides of the DIMMs to the blades

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a liquid cooling loop that routes through the blades

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS8625280B2Cooling memory modules using cold plate blades coupled to the memory modules via clips

Publication Date: 2014.01.07 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP

AI summary

A cold plate has blades arranged to be interleaved with memory modules, with clips coupling blades to memory modules. A liquid cooling loop is thermally coupled to the blades of the cold plate.